The Big Island doesn’t get the love that Maui or even Kauai get, but let me tell you…the Big Island has some of the BEST beach resorts in all of Hawaii.
Four Seasons Hualalai just might be the most extravagantly luxurious resort in Hawaii hands down. It has such a relaxed and laid back vibe and the property and amenities are so vast and wonderful that you’ll never want to leave!
Opened in the 1960s, the Kona Village Resort became a low key hideaway where families returned year after year to build decades-long traditions. The property was completely destroyed by a tsunami in 2011 and it sat untouched until the Rosewood Hotel Group came in and rebuilt the place from the ground up.
Opened in 1965, Laurance Rockefeller’s Mauna Kea Beach Hotel was the first resort development on the Big Island and almost 60 years later it’s still delivering the kind of vintage Hawaiian vibes that are getting hard to find.
I think the new Mauna Lani just might win my award for most stylish resort on the Big Island. It’s pretty dreamy. The property is open, inviting, and very design focused while still maintaining that classic welcoming aloha vibe.
With plenty of amenities including a pristine pool complex, golf, tennis, a spa, a sandy beach with good snorkeling, resident sea turtles, a handful of restaurants, and numerous cultural activities, it’s possible to be “busy” just taking advantage of everything the resort has to offer.
Obviously, a Westin isn’t on the same level in terms of luxury as the resorts mentioned, but it’s still a great option and you might find most of what you’re looking for here at a much lower price point.