Mauna Lani Bungalows, South Kohala
Number of accommodations: 5
The already fabulous Mauna Lani Bungalows—crash pad de choix of film stars and CEOs—was made even more so last year: The artwork and furnishings are all new, as are the 52-inch-screen TVs and high-speed wireless Internet access. What remains the same is the unimaginable pampering that has always distinguished the bungalows from the rest of the Mauna Lani Resort. The prearrival questionnaire is a Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous wish list: Satin or Egyptian cotton sheets? Preferred spa services? Favorite snacks and beverages? It even has space for your musical tastes, so that the moment you cross the threshold you enter a custom-made utopia—one with unlimited free champagne. Each of the five residences is 4,000 square feet and includes two bedrooms, three and a half bathrooms (two with steam showers), an immense living room, and a kitchen where round-the-clock butlers mix martinis and prepare afternoon pupus. On the monstrous patio, you'll find a private pool, a Jacuzzi, and, just beyond the tiki torches and fish pond, a perfect crescent of palm-lined sand. You do have to share the beach with the rest of the guests, but consider it a fair trade: You get access to all of the resort's amenities, including the spa and the CanoeHouse restaurant, but can retreat into your own decadent bubble at will. If room service feels just too, well, bourgeois, an on-call chef will prepare whatever you want, whenever you want it—albeit for an additional fee. And that is the Mauna Lani's one big drawback: The good life costs—big-time (800-628-7815; www.maunalani.com; bungalows, $4,900-$5,600; wheelchair-accessible; beach, concierge; restaurant; room service; spa; sports; swimming; view).

Palms Cliff House, Honomu
Number of accommodations: 8
A faux Victorian on meticulous plumeria-scented grounds a hundred feet above Pohakumanu Bay, the two-year-old Palms Cliff House is as civilized as the coast is wild. Guest rooms are decked out with piles of fancy pillows, buttery soft linens, DVD players (the hotel stocks hundreds of titles), and balconies facing the ocean (keep an eye out for whales and dolphins). Each is individually decorated; the romantic Ballissimo Suite [sic], for instance, has a bathtub built for two, a fireplace, and even a lambskin rug. None, however, come with a telephone, although one will be installed upon request. Breakfast is a lavish affair, prepared in a state-of-the-art kitchen (where guests can also take cooking classes) and served on a lovely lanai. Those not content with the sedentary life can amble through the two-block town of Honomu or drive 15 minutes to bustling Hilo. But the real reason to stay on the Hamakua Coast is the hiking: The trail to Akaka Falls, the longest sheer-drop waterfall in the state, begins just down the road from the Palms Cliff House, and the entrance to the exquisite Waipi'o Valley is less than an hour away. Beach bunnies, beware: The coastline is pretty, but the currents can be treacherous (808-963-6076; www.palmscliffhouse.com; doubles, $175-$375; wheelchair-accessible; housekeeping; nature; value; view).