1st time in Hawaii...we stayed at the Mauna Kea on the big island. Absolutely perfect...I had some trepidation when I read one very negative review....but we had absolutely no problems. The hotel was beautiful, and the staff helpful and generous with their time and expertise. The beach was pristine and the chairs were clean and plentiful. The beach staff set us up with towels and chairs every morning...We were upgraded to an amazing beach front room...the breakfasts were full buffets' with made to order omelets and waffles. We signed up for the Saturday night clambake and we ate lobster and oysters..prime rib and do it yourself sundaes....watching an amazing sunset on he beach. The beds were so comfy and our room was kept spotless. Bottles of water were delivered nightly. All of Hawaii is expensive, but the Mauna Kea is worth it!

A wonderful architectural journey back into the mid 60s. Well-maintained, almost-spare-enough rooms (too many magazines and pamphlets) but generous room size, the walk-in closet is perfection, the deep soaking tub was luxurious. Serene romance for those who seek it, quiet room, enjoyed the spa services, breakfast (not the buffet) was solidly good, the grounds are expansive and lovely, the registration and concierge staff were very welcoming, courteous and helpful.

My only issue -- The bed and side tables needed to be moved and more thoroughly vacuumed.

We had a great experience here. Service and staff were great, our room was lovely (loved the bathroom), and the brunch was *excellent* -- almost identical to that of the Four Seasons down the highway. The L'Occitaine soaps were lovely, too! Our view wasn't anything spectacular since we were facing the golf course, but that was fine. I would recommend this hotel to friends.

Our family has been coming to the Mauna Kea for many years and it's just magic every time. We have stayed all over Hawaii, Kauai, Maui and Oahu at many of the large resorts with huge pools, slides, etc. and prefer the Mauna Kea over them all even though it does not have the bells and whistles of those places. At the Mauna Kea there is just a small circle pool and a huge, lovely beach. The hotel provides basic chairs, towels, etc. on the beach and you can usually find a great seat unless you are there during a very crowded time. The water is generally very gentle with small or no waves, great for stand up paddling, snorkeling and just floating. During the winter months there can be more surf providing good boogie boarding and very rarely, larger waves. There is a stand that provides rentals of various ocean equipment. This is not our favorite part of the hotel as we are fairly certain our paddle was stolen by one of the staff. These workers are not actual hotel staff, the hotel staff is fabulous! Friendly, competent, helpful and a joy to see every visit. There is a bar and restaurant down by the beach that serves great (over poured) cocktails and staffed by lifetime bartenders with stories to tell about the many interesting patrons that have visited the Mauna Kea over the years. The restaurant serves good, basic fare and is not open for dinner every day. Make sure you check before you plan that as your dinner!
There are two other restaurants on property, one at the golf course that is not open for dinner but is a fun choice for lunch and the main restaurant that serves a fantastic breakfast buffet and is also open for dinner. In general there are not a ton of restaurant options in the area and it is about 20 minutes to most restaurant options though there are a few things you can do a little closer. The first time we went we were a little frustrated with this but everything else was so great we just figured out how to make it work. The rooms come in a wide range. The lowest priced rooms look out on the golf course side of the property. There are some that are right above the entrance to the hotel that are a little loud with arrivals coming in at all hours. Our favorite rooms are in the wing of the hotel facing the beach off the grassy lawn. All the rooms are newly decorated in a kind of modernist Hawaii theme. The beds are comfy but I do not think there are rooms with two doubles, they just have two twins or a king in the rooms I have seen.
The bottom line is that when we go to the Mauna Kea we experience a week of total relaxation. The kids love it, the adults love it, what more could we want?