The 10 Best Resorts in Hawaiʻi

There are many reasons why travelers are drawn again and again to the Hawaiian islands, whether it’s the natural beauty of the beaches and rainforests or the blend of rich cultures that go back centuries. The best resorts here offer visitors myriad ways to connect more deeply with the archipelago’s cultural heritage and magnificent landscapes.

As part of our Hotels We Love series, we’ve gathered a list of our 10 all-time favorite places to stay in the Hawaiian Islands. In the collection below, you’ll find resorts that excel in various experiences, from well-being to family travel.

Fairmont Kea Lani

Courtesy of Fairmont Kea Lani

The Fairmont Kea Lani is one of the most family-friendly options in Maui’s Wailea resort community. The property’s 413 one-bedroom suites and 37 two-story villas are among the largest on the island; the smallest suites start at 860 square feet, while the two-and three-bedroom villas start at 1,800 square feet and up. Family-friendly features include separate sleeping and living areas, furnished outdoor spaces, sleeper sofas, and kitchen facilities; villas encourage group gatherings with plunge pools and barbecue grills.

Visit the open-air cultural center Hale Kukuna next to the resort’s lobby for both daily programming such as lei making and curated collections of Hawaiian books, artifacts, and artwork. A 140-foot waterslide connects two lagoon-style pools, while an adults-only pool offers more tranquility. Guests can also enjoy outrigger canoe journeys and locally inspired treatments at the Willow Stream Spa. The five on-site restaurants include Kō, with a menu inspired by family recipes from the diverse cultures of Maui’s plantation era, and Pilina, an oceanfront bar and lounge with sustainably sourced sushi.

Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa

Photo by Patrick Kelley

The low-rise Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa is tucked among lagoon-style pools and tropical gardens on Kauaʻi’s sunny South Shore. Its 605 rooms, including 42 suites, are styled in coral, blue, and sand hues with ample wood accents, as well as a private lanai and a spacious marble bath. Between snacking on bar-side sushi or dining at an open-air seafood-and-steak restaurant, guests can book experiences like ʻohe kapala (using bamboo stamps to design clothing) at the cultural center. A 3,000-square-foot hydroponic garden produces 400 to 600 pounds of lettuce, microgreens, and herbs each week for the restaurants.

Bungalow-style wood cabanas were recently constructed on the banks of the resort’s one-and-a-half-acre saltwater lagoon, allowing exclusive access to a private section of the lagoon’s beach. For those who want to give back, the resort’s Enrich program offers volunteer opportunities ranging from beach cleanups to walking shelter dogs.

Kona Village, a Rosewood Resort

Courtesy of Kona Village, a Rosewood Resort

Along the shores of Kahuwai Bay on the Kona Coast, Kona Village, a Rosewood Resort, reopened in 2023 after a devastating tsunami in 2011 destroyed the resort. Today, Kona Village pays homage to the centuries-long legacy of local land stewardship under the guidance of a cultural committee. A cultural center pays tribute to sacred archaeological sites and anchialine pools (enclosed ponds with an underground connection to the ocean).

The 150 guest hale, or “rooms,” which range from one to four bedrooms, have large lanais and outdoor showers. Home to the largest privately owned microgrid in the state, Kona Village can operate fully on renewable energy and solar power. The resort has an on-site farm for the four bars and restaurants, which highlight Hawaiian and Pacific Rim cuisine. Sybarites can take advantage of the recently introduced Hoʻōla Harmonic Massage (pairing intuitive massage with sound bath), among other experiences in the integrative wellness program at Asaya Spa, or they can visit the four outdoor pools. Don’t miss Kona Village’s thoughtful cultural experiences; they include a sunrise outrigger canoe paddle and sailing lessons from modern-day Polynesian voyagers.

Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, Autograph Collection

Photo by Donald Riddle

Built on Kaunaʻoa Bay by Laurance S. Rockefeller as Hawaiʻi Island’s first resort, Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, Autograph Collection, recently completed a nearly $240 million, multiyear transformation, marking the most significant investment in the resort’s history. The 252 guest rooms, including 10 suites, have been completely redesigned with contemporary furnishings that honor the hotel’s midcentury-modern architecture and spacious lanais with lounge daybeds.

Manta restaurant offers sunset views and island-inspired flavors like Kona Kampachi and local lobster. Hau Tree serves casual lunches by day, including Parker Ranch burgers and ahi poke bowls, before turning into a cantina by night with catch-of-the-day ceviche and Baja-style tacos. Pursue wellness and relaxation goals at the expanded Spa at Mauna Kea, play 18 holes at the revitalized Mauna Kea Golf Course, which was originally designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr., or take a self-guided tour of the Rockefeller Art Collection—one of Hawaiʻi’s most significant collections of Pacific and Asian art. Guest programming embraces Hawaiian culture with poi-making classes; paddling outrigger canoes; and learning to play konane, a strategy board game.

Mauna Lani, Auberge Collection

Courtesy of Noe DeWitt/Mauna Lani, Auberge Collection

On the sun-soaked Kohala Coast, Mauna Lani’s 333 guest rooms, including 36 suites, have hardwood floors, natural fabrics, and private lanais with either mountain or ocean views. Guests in search of cultural knowledge can visit the resort’s Hale ʻIʻike (house of knowledge), which displays traditional Hawaiian artifacts such as shark-tooth weapons and holds regular ukulele jams.

Visitors can also take a family-friendly guided petroglyph hike in the nearby Puakō Petroglyph Archaeological Preserve or get closer to the Pacific Ocean by snorkeling or canoe fishing. Golf fans flock to Mauna Lani’s world-class North and South Courses, while three pools are ideal for lounging. Among the five on-site restaurants and lounges are beachfront CanoeHouse—with Japanese-inspired dishes from Rhoda Magbitang, recent winner of Top Chef Season 23—to the toes-in-the-sand Surf Shack for poke and fish tacos. The new Francis Brown Club is a private lounge with oceanfront spaces, personalized concierge service, and priority access to the resort’s most-coveted experiences.

1 Hotel Hanalei Bay

Courtesy of 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay

An oceanside sanctuary overlooking Kauaʻi’s North Shore, 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay is serious about sustainability. The resort has roofs that reduce and filter stormwater runoff and uses furniture made from salvaged wood. It’s also replaced non-native and invasive species on the property with endemic and Polynesian-introduced vegetation.

The 252 rooms (51 are suites) are clad in floors fashioned by hand from local black basalt, and decorated with reclaimed teak and abaca furniture. The property’s expansive Nature’s Wellness Sanctuary includes the 18,000-square-foot Bamford Wellness Spa, a 10,000-square-foot Anatomy fitness center, cutting-edge diagnostics with Vitality Kauaʻi, and immersive outdoor experiences. Drop in at any of the seven restaurants that focus on sustainable food sourcing, including Welina Terrace for such Japanese-inspired shared plates as chili hamachi and local ahi roll.

The Ritz-Carlton Maui, Kapalua

Courtesy of the Ritz-Carlton Maui, Kapalua

On cliffs overlooking Honokahua Bay, the secluded Ritz-Carlton Maui, Kapalua, is set on 22,000 acres among towering trees. The 468 guestrooms, suites, and residences all have private terraces and floor-to-ceiling windows and are decorated in sand tones with blue and green accents and custom wood finishes. Introduced in 2023, the 33 Fire Lanai Collection rooms and suites designed have extended lanais with private fire pits and large dining tables.

Robust programming of more than 70 immersions per week includes yoga, wine tasting, stargazing, and lei poʻo making. If you’re here during whale season (December through April), you can spy the gigantic animals all day long from the resort’s grounds. Consider a family-friendly coastal hike or an e-bike tour with Jean-Michel Cousteau’s education program Ambassadors of the Environment (or lounge in a cabana near the resort’s massive, three-tiered pool). Golfers eager to test their skills can tee off at the Plantation Course, set on a historic pineapple plantation.

The Ritz-Carlton Oʻahu, Turtle Bay

Courtesy of the Ritz-Carlton Oʻahu, Turtle Bay

On Oʻahu’s North Shore, the Ritz-Carlton Oʻahu, Turtle Bay, has 408 guest rooms and suites and 42 waterfront Ocean Bungalows that are decorated in light wood and earth tones and have ocean views. Sea and land are central to the hotel experience: Learn to surf with a lesson at the Jamie O’Brien Surf Experience, take a kayak tour to spy sea turtles, go on a private nighttime snorkeling expedition, golf on the 18-hole championship Arnold Palmer Course, or go horseback riding along the beach. Guests have walking-distance access to seven secluded beaches and three on-site pools.

The hotel’s commitment to environmental sustainability is apparent everywhere: a nearly 700-kilowatt rooftop solar photovoltaic system, smart thermostats that help optimize energy use, water-efficient fixtures, and xeriscaping. Meals are prepared with produce from the resort’s Kuilima Farm, a plot of land five minutes by car from the hotel that is permanently dedicated to agricultural use.

Related: This Amazing Resort on O‘ahu Is Your Go-To Spot for Nature, Surfing, and More

The Royal Hawaiian, a Luxury Collection Resort

Courtesy of the Royal Hawaiian

Built in the Roaring ’20s and dubbed the “Pink Palace” for its pink Spanish Moorish exterior, the Royal Hawaiian, a Luxury Collection Resort, ushered in a new glamorous age of Waikīkī Beach. Located on the former playground for such royals as King Kamehameha I, the oceanfront resort endures as a neighborhood grande dame. Its breezy portico lined with rocking chairs and garden pathways lit by torches are a reminder that the romance of old Waikīkī lives on.

The 528 rooms, including 33 suites, are filled with vintage koa furnishings and historic photographs of Waikīkī. Start your day with the famous Pink Palace pancakes at Surf Lanai before lounging by the pools, or reserve a private chaise lounge and umbrella set on Waikīkī Beach. In the evening, get a drink at the buzzy Mai Tai Bar before savoring a seafood-forward, four-course tasting menu at beachfront restaurant Azure.

Sensei Lānaʻi, a Four Seasons Resort

Courtesy of Sensei Lanai, a Four Seasons Resort

Tucked in the green heart of the island amid tranquil meditation gardens and an enviable art collection, the adults-only Sensei Lānaʻi, a Four Seasons Resort, weaves together personalized wellness programs with consultations, spa treatments, fitness classes, lectures, and island adventures—not to mention daily dining from Nobu. New metabolic health and cognitive fitness programs apply real-time data and personal guidance.

The 96 guest rooms and suites are done in soothing creams and tans and have views of towering pine trees or sculpture-filled lush gardens. Spa treatments happen in private hale with indoor and outdoor showers, infrared saunas, Japanese ofuro bathtubs, and private plunge pools. Lounge by the pool or enjoy island activities, sometimes shared with guests from sister property, Four Seasons Lānaʻi. At Sensei by Nobu, sample Nobu classics, such as miso-marinated black cod, and dishes that incorporate the property’s nutritional philosophy.