Guides
Resort or estate: the arithmetic.
We publish both sides of this comparison because we win it. Here is the arithmetic nobody else on the island will print.
The resort side, from their own publications
The resort package buys a beautiful, captive room: the food, the staff, and the rules come with it. For some couples that convenience is the product — say so honestly and book it.
- KOHALA COAST RESORT PACKAGES — $5,000–$21,500+ BY TIER
- F&B MINIMUMS — $7,500–$15,000 PER EVENT (DAY-OF-WEEK DEPENDENT)
- SERVICE CHARGE — 23–25%
- MEALS PRICED SEPARATELY — FROM ~$120/PERSON AND UP
The estate side, from our rate card
A 60-guest estate reception at $200 mid-band: $12,000 food, ~$1,850 staffing, 20% service, GET. The equivalent resort event starts at a $15,000 weekend minimum before the first staffing hour.
- FOOD — FROM $150/GUEST, GROCERIES INSIDE THE BAND
- STAFFING — $55/HR SERVER · $75/HR SOUS · 4-HR FLOOR
- SERVICE CHARGE — 20%, ITS OWN LINE
- GET — UP TO 4.7120%, ITS OWN LINE
- MINIMUMS — NONE PUBLISHED; SMALL WEDDINGS WELCOME
What the estate path demands
A venue that allows outside catering, a kitchen or field-kitchen plan, rentals, and a rain decision in writing. The resort bundles all of it; the estate path itemizes all of it. Itemization is where the savings live.
Questions, answered
For large, formal receptions wanting one contract and a ballroom — yes, and we say so. For wedding weeks, rehearsals, and receptions under 75 at a private property, the estate path usually wins by thousands.
Keep reading
- guide Chef at the villa, or a table in town.
- guide Private or personal?
- guide Direct hire, or the network.
- guide Guides and field notes.
- guide How it works, end to end.
- guide How to hire, without regret.
- guide The kitchen gate.
- guide Signature dinners: food in the band. Stay Chef: groceries at cost.
Get a written quote
The button is not “Book now.” You tell us the table; we send a written quote — and that quote is the confirmed total.