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hotels
Kailua-Kona , Hawaii
96740
Tel: 888 340 5662 (toll-free)
Tel: 808 325 8000
Hualalai.reservations@fourseasons.com
Concierge.com's insider take:
If you think all Four Seasons resorts fit the same mold, Hualalai—the first property up Queen Kaahumanu Highway from the Kona airport—may surprise you. There's no cement tower here. Instead, the bungalow-style guest quarters are housed in two-story buildings spread out on what seems like acres and acres. The 243 rooms have Hawaii-inspired decor, walk-in closets, slate bathrooms, and furnished lanais. A $40 million renovation (completed in summer 2009) added 20 one- and two-bedroom suites with 180-degree ocean views—perfect for the growing number of return guests who honeymooned here and now have kids. While the beach isn't stellar, there are plenty of aquatic options, including a family pool, a small adults-only pool, a quiet pool, a lap pool, and, for snorkeling, a natural lava pond stocked with photogenic fish. The trio of restaurants includes the Hualalai Grille (no longer under the direction of Alan Wong, but the market-based Pacific Rim cuisine is still excellent), seafood-centric Pahu i'a, and the revamped Beach Tree, where diners tuck into Italian-influenced California cuisine. The 18-hole Nicklaus golf course was augmented by an even better one in 2005, which we won't describe here because it's reserved for Residence owners. Aside from a lunchtime grace period, if you leave your lounger, you lose it. If that happens, retreat to the lush gardens of the expanded Hualalai Spa to select local ingredients (perhaps volcanic ash or macadamia nuts) for your customized treatment.
From the readers of Condé Nast Traveler:
(243 rooms)
—2009 Gold List
Overall Score: 94.5
- Rooms: 97.2
- Service: 94.4
- Food: 91.4
- Location: 94.8
- Design: 94.1
- Activities: 95.0
View the entire 2009 Gold List of the world's best places to stay ›
Also appeared in the Gold List in 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005
Amenities: Golf, Pool, Spa, Tennis
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