To put it in simple terms: the Mauna Kea is heavenly!

This is a wonderful hotel on the most perfect beach in all of Hawaii. We have stayed at the Mauna Kea many times - and after every visit, we depart even more impressed! As the first luxury resort on the Kohala Coast, the Mauna Kea defined the standard!

If you are looking for an extremely comfortable, clean hotel with exemplary staff - you will love the Mauna Kea. What we enjoy is that the hotel is beautiful, but not glitzy like so many other resorts along the Kohala Coast. The Mauna Kea exudes Aloha in its simplicity and impeccably maintained grounds.

The rooms are modern and comfortable, but again - simplicity is the theme. Twice daily maid service is fantastic. Views from the lanai are simply too beautiful to describe. The TV is small - but we never turned it on. Linens were soft, combed Egyptian cotton and bath products are Neutrogena. Each room comes with a small refrigerator and there is a nice supply of magazines for reading.

The Pavillions Restaurant is outstanding for both breakfast and supper. The views of Kauna'oa Bay are breathtaking. We also enjoyed lunches at the Hau Tree Grill (the poke wrap was delicious). Make sure to enjoy drinks at both the Aloha Bar on the beach or take in wonderful evening music and sunsets at the Copper Bar.

The Beach is simply unbeatable. We have spent time on every island in Hawaii- and this beach is without a doubt - the best in the entire state. Snorkeling is fantastic - lots of tropical fish and turtles with perfect water clarity. NOTE: we have never used the pool - it is small but a lot of folks seemed to be enjoying it.

If you are looking for glitz and lots of night life - look elsewhere! The Mauna Kea is quiet and peaceful - the whole goal of staying here is to simply unwind and relax.

The employees at the Mauna Kea are a joy. We were always greeted with warm smiles and lots of aloha. Our every need was addressed and we could not have asked for better, more attentive service.

The Aloha Spirit is alive and well at the Mauna Kea! If you want to experience understated elegance accompanied with stellar service - the Mauna Kea is perfect for you!

Really enjoyed our stay here. Very clean hotel with helpful staff. The beach was a dream. The shops inside the hotel good for last minute needs and presents to take home. Dining was very good.

This hotel is simply gorgeous and the staff is wonderful. We were there on our honeymoon, and they suprised us with a fruit plate and bottle of champagne in the fridge. Very nice touch!

The interior of the hotel is very open, and the rooms and decor have an Asian influence. There is artwork scattered around the hotel everywhere- it is almost like staying in a gallery. Unfortunately we didn't get to enjoy the resort as much as we would have liked- we were only there for 3 nights, the first full day we spent at the volcano and the second full day was when the earthquake hit. The hotel was damaged, but I have to say that the staff was wonderful in the face of disaster. We could see how hard they were all working to make sure everyone was safe and comfortable. We were easily moved to a new room, since our first room had a water leak. The staff also supplied free food throughout the day- the chefs grilled burgers and hot dogs in the afternoon, since the power was still out, and after the power came back on they put out a complimentary buffet for all of the guests for dinner. Very much appreciated! A friend of mine was staying at a different hotel in Kona that day, and she said that hotel did not go out of their way at all to keep everyone fed and comfortable. I really felt taken care of at the Mauna Kea. They did everything right. And when we checked out, we saw that we were ony charged for two nights- possibly since we had to change rooms, we were comped one night.

If we ever have the opportunity to visit the Big Island again, we will definitely stay at this hotel. Not only is the hotel gorgeous, but the staff and management are also wonderful.

I decided upon Mauna Kea on the strength of the high rating it received on a website called Tennis Resorts Online but was concerned when I couldn't find a mention of the tennis facilities in the reviews on TripAdvisor and so very nearly went to one of my second choice resorts instead. I'm so pleased that I didn't allow myself to get put off by this fact or by some of the negative comments on TripAdvisor about ants, unhelpful staff and '60s design.

I have just had a fabulous 9 days at Mauna Kea and I wanted to write a review mentioning the tennis so that anyone else considering going to Mauna Kea to play some tennis would not be wrongly put off by the absence of any description of this aspect of the complete package that is Mauna Kea.

I was there for 9 days during a relatively quiet period when there weren't many tennis players staying at either Mauna Kea or the Hapuna Beach. It didn't matter! Craig Pautler, Kerry and the rest of the tennis team made my stay a real joy. I hit with Craig or Kerry for an hour each morning and had games arranged by them for me on four afternoons. The weather was glorious and the sound and smell of the surf pounding on the rocks 10 yards away from court 8 on which I generally played makes me smile as I write this sitting in the departure lounge of LAX on my way home to the UK.

Many other reviews describe the wonderful golf courses, beach and restaurants. All that I would do is to fully endorse them! This place is paradise and I can't wait to get back.