Undulating along the western edge of Hawaii’s Big Island, the Kohala Coast boasts lavish resorts, dramatic lava formations and alluring stretches of sand. As we gazed down from the plane at the impossibly blue waters, punctuated by a lone sailboat, I was brimming with anticipation. I couldn’t wait to start snorkeling, hiking, dining on fresh seafood and, not least, lounging on the beach, mai tai in hand. On this trip, my traveling companion and I anonymously reviewed four resorts, all within a short drive of one another, two new to the Hideaway Report and two overdue for revisits. We enjoyed the varying ambience of each, and the head-to-head comparisons proved most illuminating.

Kona Village, A Rosewood Resort

Opened to much fanfare in July 2023, this beachfront hotel had big shoes to fill. The original Kona Village Resort, built in the 1960s on the grounds of a former fishing village, was beloved for its homey atmosphere, where repeat guests like Steve Jobs could unwind without the distractions of Wi-Fi and television. Destroyed in 2011 by a tsunami, the property sat dormant for nearly a decade before Rosewood stepped in.

When planning the rebuild and redesign, the company worked in partnership with a cultural committee composed of community members, former employees and descendants of the original villagers. Today, solar energy powers the 150-room resort, and newly planted palms and other native flora fill the grounds. As we wandered the property’s winding crushed-coral roads, we came across canary-yellow hibiscus as large as dinner plates, bright orchids and cheery plumeria.

Kona Village is one of the only resorts on the Kohala Coast that boasts stand-alone rooms called hales (houses), and we loved having our own secluded space. Perched on stilts over lava cliffs, our Ocean View Hale had soaring ceilings, modernist tropical furniture and decorative elements inspired by traditional Hawaiian fishing and canoeing implements. The interior design radiated elegance and modern sophistication. What a delight it was to wake up and sip local coffee on our outsized lanai, spotting an occasional whale in the expanse of blue before us. Rainbows brightened the horizon every morning.

Editor Photos (slideshow below)

On our first morning, I opted for a treatment at the spa, creatively built into a black lava flow facing the Hualālai volcano. The views from the outdoor relaxation lounge were mesmerizing. Over the next few days, we took advantage of the tennis courts and multiple pools and hot tubs, and we participated in a few of the rotating activities, including hula classes, snorkeling outings and tours of the on-site petroglyph fields. Inevitably, we would land at the Shipwreck Bar ­— constructed from an actual sunken and salvaged sailboat — for sundowners. It was a lively spot to swap stories with other guests over fresh coconuts spiked with rum.

Really, the only problem here, according to both the legacy guests we chatted with and our accountant, is the sticker shock. The restaurants are especially expensive — breakfast for two added up to over $200, and when I asked for extra papaya one morning, they added a surcharge. Still, I checked out with real regret. The friendly staff is always one step ahead of guests, and this property has an undeniable positive energy. Rosewood’s new Kona Village is a splurge, but it gives hotels nearby a real run for their money.

Four Seasons Resort Hualalai

Although it’s just a five-minute drive from the Rosewood’s Kona Village, the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai presents quite the contrast. This 249-room hotel and residential community set on 865 acres offers seemingly endless amenities. On arrival, greeters ushered us into the grand post-and-beam lobby and offered fresh tropical juice and cool towelettes. I appreciated both the warm welcome and the upgrade from an Ocean-View Deluxe to an Oceanfront Room.

Accommodations are divided into neighborhoods arranged around swimming pools and hot tubs. All are appointed with woven rattan chaises, generously stocked wet bars and teak accents. Beautifully designed outdoor lava-rock garden showers extend from the main baths of ground-floor rooms, but they offer less privacy. People strolling the beach boardwalk had a clear view into our lodging in the King’s Pond section, and some even waved to us when we were on our lanai.

Children rule the roost at the Four Seasons, except at the Palm Grove neighborhood on the far east side of the resort, where the pool is adults-only. This more tranquil area is situated beside the Residents’ Beach House restaurant, which is especially romantic in the evenings, when tea lights and candles illuminate its seaside patio. The hotel’s main dining venue, ‘Ulu Ocean Grill, specializes in top-notch sushi, and its breakfast buffet offers everything from dim sum, mezzes and miso soup to coconut pancakes and classic scrambled eggs.

Editor Photos (slideshow below)

While this property lacks the exclusivity and calm of the Rosewood, it compensates by offering myriad diversions designed to keep the whole family occupied day and night. In addition to a 15,000-square-foot indoor-outdoor gym, there is a tennis center, a spa and a cultural center offering ukulele lessons, Hawaiian language sessions and quilting classes. A Jack Nicklaus-designed golf course culminates in a dramatic finish overlooking the ocean. Children love King’s Pond, a 1.8-million-gallon saltwater pool stocked with tropical fish.

The Four Seasons Resort Hualalai is a self-contained community, and — though residents did not always seem thrilled to share facilities with hotel guests, and the service sometimes had a certain artificiality — it is an ideal destination for family vacations, where children can fill their days with activities and adults can relax.

Fairmont Orchid, Hawaii

We stopped next in the Mauna Lani Resort area, which encompasses residential communities, three golf courses, the Kalāhuipua’a Historical Park and two hotels: Fairmont Orchid and Mauna Lani, Auberge Resorts Collection. After reviewing the latter in 2021, we had concerns about the bland décor and unappealing beach. This time, we decided to give the Fairmont Orchid a shot. Very large at 540 rooms, the Fairmont surprised us. The service was consistently warm and gracious, the amenities appeared new, and the meals were unfailingly delightful.

Orchid Court served the most impressive breakfast buffet of our trip, with a smoked-salmon bar, made-to-order omelet station, pan-Asian specialties and addictive macadamia-nut sticky buns. We had dinner on the palm-shaded patio of Brown’s Beach House, where, to the tune of a musician strumming Hawaiian music on his ukelele, I tucked into the Fishermen’s Pot, a lemongrass-and-coconut-cream stew stocked with a generous amount of lobster tail, kanpachi and clams.

In our luxurious Oceanfront Suite, we enjoyed the modern furnishings, contemporary Hawaiian accents and orchid arrangements. Its two patios proved to be perfect places to read when we needed respite from the sun. Despite its ground-floor location, our room felt private, tucked behind tropical foliage. Only once, when a yoga class was relocated to the lawn in front of our lanai, did we feel any sense of intrusion. 

The Fairmont offers an abundance of amenities, including tennis courts, a golf course and a grand pool that wends its way around a lava-rock island. In general, the symmetrical, precise landscaping here is more formal than at other properties on the Kohala Coast. While this layout helped us navigate the expansive property, we missed the wild profusion of colorful plants that made the Rosewood’s grounds so striking.

Editor Photos (slideshow below)

What makes the Fairmont distinctive is its man-made lagoon, sheltered from the surf. Though this aquamarine cove is small, the beach is soft and sandy, the water is placid, and green sea turtles are abundant. One morning, I snorkeled alongside one and later passed two others basking in the sun on a rocky shore near the spa.

The hotel’s Spa Without Walls offers treatments in oceanfront massage hales and huts set above a waterfall. Though the soundtrack of birds and rushing water seemed more noisy than peaceful, there was something enchanting about the experience.

For those willing to sacrifice the intimacy of a smaller resort in exchange for a swimmable bay, a powdery beach, on-property hiking trails and myriad land- and water-based activities, the Fairmont is an oasis that will please families and honeymooners alike.

Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, Autograph Collection

The Kohala Coast has few swimmable beaches because of the lava-rock formations that mark the shoreline. While the Four Seasons created a narrow inlet suitable for bathing, and the Fairmont fashioned its own lagoon, Mauna Kea Beach Hotel boasts one of the finest natural white-sand beaches on the island. There is no rough rock to avoid, and snorkeling with tropical fish among the healthy coral reefs at its south end is heavenly.

Opened in 1965 by Laurance S. Rockefeller, this property wows, with its sunken garden lined with koi ponds and its open-air lobby framed by towering columns that direct one’s gaze toward the sea. Dressed in a brightly colored muumuu, a greeter hugged the family ahead of us. The children knew her by name, and with a joyful sigh, the mother said, “Finally, we’re home.” Like the original Kona Village Resort, this hotel draws multigenerational guests who return year after year. There is a classic appeal to the 252-room hotel’s midcentury-modern architecture, embellished with world-class art. Vintage surfboards, retro-inspired prints and the resident parrot add to the sense of old-school Hawaiian charm.

Editor Photos (slideshow below)

Our room was modern and airy and had the perk of two lanais. At sunset, we each claimed a balcony to relish the beauty of the fading light over the horizon. We spent active days in the sun, either on a tennis court at the seaside facility, on the Robert Trent Jones Sr.-designed golf course or at the beachside Hau Tree bar, enjoying piña coladas and fish tacos. We found the food at the hotel’s signature ocean-view Manta restaurant to be fresh if not especially noteworthy. Considerably more memorable was our after-dinner stroll down to the manta ray observation deck. Floodlights over the water attract plankton, a favorite food of these graceful giants, which come to feed in balletic fashion.

Note that Mauna Kea has begun a $180 million renovation that’s scheduled to last until mid-2025. The original building will be refurbished first, followed by the Beachfront Wing. Plans include adding a cultural center, infinity pool and chef’s garden, as well as refreshing the gym, spa and golf course. With the opening of new resorts nearby, it is only natural that the Mauna Kea wants to elevate its offerings. I have faith that this property will make the transition thoughtfully, but only time will tell. Time, and another incognito visit.