Hi everyone, I am looking for some accommodation tips/questions answered for my first time qualifying for Kona this year and would really appreciate the opinions from people that have been there before:

Is it worth spending a lot more money on accomodations to be closer to the race site (seems like everything is centered around the Courtyard by Marriott resort)? I have been looking at Airbnbs, and it seems like I can get a really good deal (200 to 300 dollars less per night) on places closer to the Kona airport - will this just ruin my experience of being at Kona? And logistically is it feasible to be able to drive in for events/check-in/race-day/etc.?