Concierge.com's insider take:

Celebrities may still flock to the more lavish Four Seasons next door, but there are many compelling reasons to choose this gorgeous Fairmont hotel over its competitor. For one, it feels friendlier and less pretentious, and what's more, there are no bad rooms here, since all of the 413 feng shui–styled guest quarters are full suites, many with balconies and panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean. If you want to splurge, the 37 two- and three-bedroom oceanfront villas (upward of $3,200 a night in high season, including rental car) feel like private beach houses. Your villa's stark white Mediterranean-style architecture may seem out of place at first, but you'll have no complaints about the private courtyard plunge pool, full kitchen and outdoor grill, or palm-shaded location steps from the sand. The Kō restaurant, which serves a menu culled from the culinary traditions of Hawaii's plantation workers, has significantly upgraded the Kealani's dining options. And like good plastic surgery, a light renovation in 2008 of the poolside furniture, spa, and restaurants has given the resort a lovely fresh face.—Cathay Che