We loved staying at the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel. The secluded sandy beach is the best one we've ever been to, and we are life long residents of Hawaii. The hotel is gracious and reminiscent of an earlier, slower time in Hawaii. Yes, it is gently worn, but that won't stop us from coming back here as soon as we can. The service was great -- having the room serviced twice a day was really appreciated. Returning to your room after dinner and finding fresh towels, the shower curtain changed, the orchids on the pillow, the bed turned down -- wonderful. Everyone we encountered was very friendly, exhibiting the "aloha spirit". The welcome fruit platter in the fridge, the filled ice bucket, and the complimentary bottles of water are a really nice touch. We got a kick out of the complimentary orange flip flops (or as we say in Hawaii -- "rubber slippers"), and wore them to the beach.

We had a premium mountainview room, and were not bothered by the noise (we had the sliding doors closed most of the time). The lanai was large, but we did not use it much because of the birds overhead and because it overlooked the hotels porte cochere. If you can afford it, spring for an oceanfront room.

If you want a restful vacation away from the crowds, if you want to experience a wonderful beach, if you want to swim and snorkel among the fish (and a turtle or two) and gorgeous coral reefs -- this is the place. The beach is so uncrowded, even when the hotel is full. At night, be sure to see the manta rays -- the kids (and adults!) will love it. There were a lot of families vacationing, and we noticed a number of multi-generation families vacationing together.

We had the breakfast buffet daily (execllent!), and sat out on the Pavilion terrace with the beachfront view. It doesn't get any better than this. We returned to Oahu refreshed and rested -- and we are now planning our next trip back to the Mauna Kea.

We got a room at the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel through Priceline. The beach was gorgeous and the snorkeling was just as good as Hapuna. We stayed for 5 nights there and felt relaxed. The hotel was beautiful and the staff was friendly. The only thing was that though the room was spacious, all the furnishings were quite old. Some dressers were stuck and some window shutters didn't work. The rug had stains. Luckily the beds were great so we decided we could put up with the room. I'm sure the hotel was amazing in its glory days but I would expect a lot more for their asking price. The hotel should seriously consider a facelift. With the best golf on the island and the perfect beach, it is a wonderful place overall.

We had a great time at the Mauna Kea. The beach is simply the best on the big island. You can snorkel right in front of the hotel on a beautiful reef and see sea turtles and a decent amount of fish. Water is pristine and very calm. The golf course is also incredible. For a family, you really can't beat the beach access and convenience. It truly is one of the best beaches I have ever been to.

The Mauna Kea is in a great spot on the Big Island and is really fairly close to a number of things to do if you have a carThe food there was only average at the hotel. The Saturday night beach buffet had a great setting, but the food was not as good as we hoped. For food, I would highly recommend a trip to Waimea (Merriman's) for dinner and to go shopping (20 minutes East). We went for a hike in Poholo down to a black sand beach and it was well worth the 40 minute trip north. We also ate at the Hualalai Grille at the Four Seasons (only about 20 minutes away south) and it was the best meal we had on the island. I had a decent message at the hotel, but there really is no spa, so that was kind of a disappointment. Also visited the Mauna Lani, Waikoloa Hilton, and the Fairmont. The Mauna Kea was definitely the best hotel for a Hawaii beach vacation, hands down. We also ate at Roy's (average food - no views - would not go back), the Canoe House (pretty good - nice views - would go back) and Coast Grille (average food - great views and service - only worth it if you are staying at the Mauna Kea or Hapuna).

In 1965 Laurance S. Rockefeller and Robert Trent Jones Sr. collaborated on the first resort on the Big Island. The location was the stunningly perfect Kauna'oa bay, with its quarter mile of crescent white sand, soft to the toes and warm water. The result was the Mauna Kea Beach hotel, the original resort on Hawaii. We had the pleasure of staying here only two nights and three days, but it was terrific. The view of the bay and ocean from our room was incomparable – including Hapuna Prince and Marriott Beach. Our balcony overlooked the beach and the bay, with a sweeping view of the ocean and some of the coast. Aside from the breathtaking view and the magnificent beach, the hotel staff was amazing. Everyone was friendly and service was excellent, with the possible exception of the Copper Bar (literally, a copper bar) about a half hour before closing time, it took a bit to get our drinks. The long driveway down from the highway gave a feeling of seclusion and privacy. The golf course is pretty to look at, but I don’t golf. Valet parking was amazing; our car was always ready by the time we got to the lobby. The maid service was outstanding and the fruit plate waiting in the fridge was delicious. The setting is romantic, relaxing and refined. The rooms are spacious, with nice finishing touches everywhere. The TV was small, but considering the view out the balcony, we did not mind. Dining was great, the Sunday brunch was amazing, with a wide array of breakfast, seafood, sushi, fruits and veggies, even prime rib topped with an assortment of to die for deserts. Batnik was closed when we were there. Room service brownie and ice cream was delectable. We truly did not want to leave. At the rack rate a great value for the level of service, our rate of less than $150/night made this an incredible steal. Romantic enough for me to ask my girlfriend to marry me there, and classy enough for our honeymoon (quite possibly) Mauna Kea Beach is all that I remembered and more. The only area of improvement could be the pool, it is a simple oval pool with a shallow end and a really deep 10 ft section (scuba lessons, I believe). I still enjoyed it and the hammocks nearby immensely.
I hope one day you get the pleasure of staying at this world class resort. Actually, don’t then I can get a better deal next time when I stay here again. <wink>