What you can expect from a stay:
Spread across 32 stunning acres on the Kohala Coast, Mauna Lani manages to feel both immensely grand and extremely intimate. Its 300+ rooms and suites (plus five private two-bedroom residences, each with its own pool and butler) were all renovated in the 2017 acquisition to reflect a modern take on Hawaiian living: rich hardwoods of all colors and tones, natural fabrics, private lanais, and ocean views and sounds that lull you to sleep and serve as the perfect alarm clock. The crowd includes a wide variety of travelers—honeymooners, multigenerational families, and a very large handful of long-timers who know the receptionists, pool staff, water sports crew, and even the shuttle drivers like family members. A variety of wildlife can be found sprinkled around the property, namely the Hawaiian green sea turtles, or honu, which lie atop the sand and lava rocks.
The dining upgrades are really the cherry on top; when we went back for the first time post-renovation, the meals at two different on-site restaurants left me speechless. I take food very seriously, and a bite from each meal made it onto my top 10 bites of the entire year.
My mornings here are typically spent at the indoor-outdoor breakfast buffet featuring traditional malasadas—a Portuguese fried dough pastry—that can’t be missed. The Canoe House, the resort’s most luxurious restaurant, remains the uncontested jewel of the property: an oceanfront institution with a basalt bar and a menu built around local cuisine with artisanal twists. For more casual dining, I head beachside to the Surf Shack—a newer addition that feels exactly right for lunchtime in a damp bathing suit. Another newcomer, the HāLani restaurant—which highlights coastal Mediterranean cuisine—provided some of the best food on my most recent trip. I still think about the sticky date pudding to this day. This spot is great for those with allergies, too, serving some of the best gluten-free food I’ve ever had.
Beyond the food, there are 3 pools, 36 holes of golf, a tennis and pickleball club, and a cultural program that highlights the history of the sacred land the resort sits on. A thoughtful kids club is also a big draw for those with families. The renovation also coincided with one of my favorite additions: a resort dog, Mika, who visits once a week to play and paddleboard with guests.
