MAUNA KEA BEACH HOTEL
Waimea | HAWAII
LUXWT Review
by Haley Plotkin
The Mauna Kea Beach Hotel is a 5-star hotel located north of Kona on the Kohala Coast of the Big Island of Hawaii and is part of Marriott’s Autograph Collection. The property features 252 rooms and suites, and is on the beautiful Kauna‘oa Beach, one of the top-ranked beaches in Hawaii. One of the highlights of the hotel is the Manta restaurant, which features beautiful outdoor dining with views of the beach for breakfast and sunset for dinner.
When I was being given a tour of my lovely ocean view room, I was told that Laurance S. Rockefeller, who founded the hotel in 1965, picked the location for the beach. And wow, what a beach! There’s no doubt about it that is is one of the best beaches in Hawaii. Rockefeller also decked out the hotel in an amazing Pacific and Asian art collection, with over 1600 pieces featured around the property.
I had the opportunity to spend 2 nights in an ocean view deluxe room, which had an amazing balcony view of the beach, a bathroom with its own balcony (and a view of the ocean even from the bathtub), L’Occitane products, and a large walk-in closet. The view from my room was probably the best part of my entire stay (the balconies felt very private as well), barring the amazing sunsets I witnessed each night on the beach.
I also had the opportunity to play a round of golf on the luxurious Mauna Kea Golf Course. The course features a signature hole, number 3, where you are challenged to hit a long par 3 shot over the ocean, and many scenic vistas across the course. The course is very hilly, with many elevation level changes and raised greens, and a ridiculous amount of bunkers on every hole. Between the wind and sand traps and constant blind shots, it was one of the most challenging courses I’ve ever had the pleasure of playing, and also one of the most beautiful, with amazing views of the ocean and Maui’s mountains in the distance.
The hotel is currently celebrating its 50th anniversary.
For more information about booking this luxurious property, please contact our travel concierge.