The Big Island is a top destination in Hawaii, offering a long list of top attractions and natural wonders worth adding to your bucket list. While the Big Island may not have as many resorts as you’ll find on Oahu or Maui, what it does offer often includes lots of luxuries. Think gorgeous swimming pools, world-class golf courses, and relaxing spas. The Kohala Coast is well known for its luxury resorts that often come with a beautiful stretch of sand just steps from your door, but you’ll find a wide range of other options, with these properties some of the top picks.
Four Seasons Resort Hualalai
One of the most romantic resorts in Hawaii, the Four Seasons exemplifies what five-star properties should be. Tucked among lush tropical greenery along a gorgeous stretch of beachfront, it features seven pools, including one with a swim-up bar and another in the ocean, a decadent spa with a long list of treatments, a Jack Nicklaus-designed 18-hole golf course, an extensive fitness center that hosts spin, yoga, and Pilates classes, and multiple outstanding restaurants. Rooms are bright and modern, all featuring furnished patios or balconies, some of which offer picturesque ocean views. The oceanfront rooms have outdoor lava rock showers. Standard amenities include flat-screen TVs, minibars, and spacious bathrooms with aromatherapy candles and bath salts.
Mauna Kea Beach Hotel
Set along a secluded crescent-shaped beach that extends the length of the property, the historic Mauna Kea Hotel will please beach and golf lovers alike, home to one of the best golf courses in the country. It includes a golf clubhouse with a full-service pro shop that offers rentals, lessons, and clinics. There’s a tennis club with 11 courts, an outdoor pool where you can relax with an ocean view, a spa and beauty salon, and a wide range of activities, such as manta ray viewing, Hawaiian cultural experiences, and watersports. Both casual and fine dining options are available, while rooms come with flat-screen TVs, minifridges, coffeemakers, and private furnished balconies with options for ocean views.
Fairmont Orchid, Hawaii
The luxurious oceanfront Fairmont Orchid sits along the Kohala Coast and offers a private beach with watersports like paddleboarding and snorkeling available. There’s also a beach bar for hanging out with cocktails while soaking up the sun and the sand. The property has a large oceanfront pool too, but the highlight just might be the spa which sits around a waterfall and includes open-air treatment rooms overlooking the ocean. There are a half-dozen dining options, including Brown’s Beach House, which offers a menu of regional cuisine, private dining on the beach, and live music. Standard room amenities include free Wi-Fi, mini-fridges, Keurig coffeemakers, and 42″ flat-screen TVs. All have private balconies overlooking the ocean or the resort, while suites have living rooms separated by French doors and an additional balcony.
Royal Kona Resort
Offering affordability without sacrificing views or convenience, the Royal Kona Resort is a landmark on the Kailua Bay coast, providing a prime location right downtown and private access to a saltwater lagoon. The oceanfront Coconut Grove area is where guests can enjoy concerts and luaus, and there’s also a swimming pool, fitness center, and a spa for pampering massages. Plus a stay here will put you within walking distance of a myriad of shops and restaurants. Right on-site there’s a tiki-inspired restaurant, an open-air bar, and a lounge. The tropical-inspired rooms all come with private balconies that have sea or mountain views along with standard amenities like minifridges and TVs. Book a suite for more space, including a separate living room.
Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort and Spa
Ideal for families, the Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort and Spa sits along Anaehoomalu Bay on the Kohala coast. It offers lots for adults and kids alike, including a wide stretch of beach with umbrellas, loungers, and water sports. Snorkeling is outstanding here, with abundant marine life, including sea turtles, and there’s also a pool complex with three pools, including one that has a waterslide. Enjoy fun luaus with live music, dancing, and food, relax at the spa, which offers tranquil treatments, and dine at multiple eateries, including the main restaurant, Hawaii Calls, which services buffet breakfasts and a la carte dishes for lunch and dinner with a mix of Hawaiian and typical American fare. Rooms are spacious and come with furnished patios or balconies, some that overlook the Pacific. All include flat-screen TVs with Netflix streaming, free Wi-Fi, and mini-fridges.
Hilton Waikoloa Village
The most family-friendly and largest property in the Kona area, the sprawling Hilton Waikoloa Village includes extensive grounds with immaculately made lawns and three large pool areas along with a man-made lagoon and narrow sandy beach. It’s so big, it’s like a village, with canal boats and a tram that helps guests get around the resort. There are two golf courses, eight tennis courts, and a full-service salon and spa with private saunas. Kids will have lots to do with everything from hula lessons and lei-making to water sports available. There are numerous restaurants for a wide range of dining options while rooms come with flat-screen TVs, Wi-Fi, minifridges, and private balconies.
Outrigger Kona Resort and Spa
Set along 22 acres of oceanfront, the Outrigger provides a great alternative to the Big Island’s mega resorts. Its fantasy-like pool is a definite highlight with multiple levels, dramatically tucked along the ocean’s lava cliffs as one of the best in all of Hawaii. The oceanfront lagoon pool includes a 200-foot winding waterslide, plus you can swim, scuba, or snorkel in the bay and attend memorable luaus. When in need of pampering, head to the Ho’Ola Spa for a massage, body, or facial treatment. It also houses the first Himalayan Salt Room to open on the islands. Guest rooms feature basics like cable TV, air conditioning, and minifridges, most have at least a partial ocean or mountain view.
Mauna Lani, Auberge Resorts Collection
One of the most luxurious beach resorts on the Kohala Coast, the Mauna Lani is jam-packed with impressive features. It’s one of the few in the region to have a safe beach for swimming, while a vibrant coral reef ecosystem extends beyond the sands, frequented by spinner dolphins and sea turtles. Plus, a seaside surf shack offers paddleboarding, surfing, and other ocean-focused lessons. There’s an adults-only infinity pool and whirlpool, a large main pool. and a separate sand-bottom children’s pool. Golfing, spa experiences, tennis, and top-notch dining are all included too. Every room has an ocean view with huge furnished lanais that face the Pacific, and villa-style bungalows come with full kitchens, private pools, and lava rock outdoor showers.
Holualoa Inn
A luxurious and intimate B&B-style resort, the Holualoa Inn sits on a 30-acre coffee estate providing a relaxing retreat with jaw-dropping panoramic Pacific views. Polynesian-inspired, among its winding garden paths are hidden loungers, and you’ll find a rooftop gazebo that’s ideal for sunset viewing, a swimming pool and whirlpool, and a common area with a kitchen that includes a BBQ grill, a TV, and DVD library. The loaner book library is the place to go to pick up a good read and relax under the sun. There’s no spa, but private yoga and in-room massages can be arranged upon request.
Club Wyndham Kona Hawaiian Resort
Ideal for families or groups of friends who can look forward to picturesque views across Kahalu’u Bay and many home-like amenities, the Club Wyndham Kona Hawaiian Resort is made up of two-bedroom condos that can accommodate as many as six guests. All come with full kitchens, cable TVs with DVD players, private patios, whirlpool tubs, and washers/dryers. There is no restaurant on-site, but when you don’t feel like making your own meal, you’ll have plenty of dining options nearby. A beach is just a few minutes walk from the property, and there are two swimming pools and hot tubs on the grounds.
