Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, Autograph Collection
About
Experience a dreamy oceanfront setting at Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, Autograph Collection. Our hotel is located on Hawaii Island's Kohala Coast Kauna'oa Bay and offers on-site biking, kayaking, surfing, snorkeling, and more. Enjoy luxury resort amenities like an on-site championship golf course, a tennis club, five restaurants and bars, a spa, and a sparkling outdoor pool. Let us welcome you with Aloha to our iconic beach hotel at the Mauna Kea Resort.
Guestroom and suite renovations in the Main Tower, along with updates to select public areas, are underway throughout 2024. Some hotel sections will be closed for the duration of the work, but Kauna'oa Beach and its surroundings will remain open. Some noisy work will occur daily between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., contained behind safety barriers.
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The only CONS that we can offer are the following. 1. The coffee in the restaurant is awful. They are apparently stuck with it until the renovation is done. We instead opted for espresso drinks which was way better. And 2. There is no adult pool area so if you go to the pool, expect kids having fun and making noise. While we love children, when we go away on vacation, just the two of us, we like a more "zen" experience and less children. However, I believe that once the renovation is done, there may be an adult only pool area which would be amazing, but I am not 100% certain of this.
Booking:
I booked very early in ‘24, and called the “legacy reservations desk” at the hotel to confirm connecting rooms for this special family trip. They did accommodate my request at the time, because I called and booked with them directly (one room with Marriott points online, and then paid directly for the other in regular resort view rooms). Diana at the desk was especially helpful with ensuring this part of the trip worked out for us.
Stay:
Before we arrived, I wondered most about the renovation disruptions, since there aren’t so many reviews about current conditions.
When we checked in, we were upgraded to the beach wing, connecting king-double queen rooms. The rooms were the largest resort rooms I’ve ever stayed in, and had quaint balconies, not huge, but we had family dinner for 5 there. These were older, well worn rooms, and you can see it - but that being said, it was far from the main hotel and the direct construction being done on the rooms up there. The floors are tile, so it wasn’t like there was carpet coming up or anything, but nicks in the walls, shower heads were old, and sliding doors weren’t totally smooth and clean but totally functional. Obviously things I’d expect a renovation to fix, and understand them not attending to right now.
There was construction occurring behind this wing, but we could not hear or notice it except when we exited and walked the hallway. Once you’re on the beach, pool deck, or at the restaurants, you don’t hear or feel anything. I’m sure this is different for the legacy people who have been visiting this property for many years, but this being our first time, I was able to look past the rough edges of the renovation, and look toward the beach side and not feel it staying in the beach wing.
The front desk and concierge made my daughter feel so special, with a plate of cupcakes sent to our room for her birthday, and breakfast at Manta. The concierge Melanie and the team were so helpful communicating about the manta ray swim which was cancelled due to rough water, and then helping suggest and book a whale watching private catamaran with Kohala Blue.
There were fun special things to do every day on the resort property besides for the day tours we took on our own - my teens and smaller kid enjoyed feeding the koi and pickleball clinics, seeing the sunrise service. The beachfront was not renting equipment due to rough surf, but jumping in the ocean, and watching the surfers was great. You could also just go shop for your own stuff to bring.
On the positive side there were some nice welcome amenities from both the hotel and my Marriott Ambassador for the birthday stay. Though I was not afforded a suite upgrade for Ambassador status, the King room I did have was very spacious and had excellent views.
The spa is very poorly run from an operational standpoint. Though the hotel try to distance themselves from it, by stating that they're independently owned, putting in place some SLAs or other expectations given the spa is onsite would not be a bad idea. The treatments at least, are decent.
The $27 upgrade cost to buffet breakfast for Bonvoy elite members was extortionate I thought. Bonvoyed for sure.
The concierge representative set me up with an airport transfer a full 45 minutes earlier than we had discussed. The service at the beachside restaurant was awful with the server refusing to find out what room would be assigned to me as I was waiting after trying to check in so I could charge my food to the room.
I don't intend to return and can't in good conscience recommend the hotel to others. Based on the disingenuous and uninterested comments left on the reviews of others, I know management won't care about this and are not interested in improving and my review is solely for other travelers. Breakfast staff, with the exception of an older lady, were largely inattentive after seating you.
The only weakness in the entire stay was the food. Meals at the Beach restaurant were good. But the two meals we ate at the Copper Bar were of mixed quality. Dinner at Manta was overpriced and not particularly appetizing. The breakfast a la carte menu was usually good and the buffet was very overpriced. I hear the hotel is due for a remodel and perhaps the kitchen situation will be addressed then.
Despite that, I'm still giving this hotel 5 stars because, for us, the attributes mentioned above far outweigh the glitches.
This is not the place to come if you want constant activity, noise and motion. It is quiet and tranquil.
This location is a small slice of heaven and very relaxing. As I said, we hated to leave.



The 3 restaurants on site offered enough variety for a 3-4 night stay but longer than that I think the options would get a little stale. Although we never tried, there is a shuttle that can take guests to the adjacent sister hotel for additional dining options.
The hotel was built on the 70s and it looked every bit as such. I think the restaurants have been remodeled but the rooms and halls certainly show their age and feel less luxurious than other hotels at this price range. It reminded me of a college dorm except the rooms were larger and had more amenities. The beach in front of the hotel was not great for snorkeling, I didn’t see anything in the water but surfing and boogey boarding appeared to be an option at the right time of the day.
The service was not as good as, say, a Four Seasons hotel but the staff was friendly. Overall I found the hotel charming and had a lot of personality but has not kept up with time.



Thankyou for a great break and we will return.


Our first visit to the Mauna Kea was for my husbands birthday 8 years ago. We were actually staying down the road and drove down to The Copper Bar for dinner. It was just as I imagined , breathtaking, amazing architecture, a true statement to one man’s vision for a luxury hotel on The Big Island. Dinner was lovely, memorable, and we vowed we would return and spend our next vacation there.
In the next few years we traveled four times to spend a week at this masterpiece of architecture. We always booked the same room in the beachfront wing on the 3rd floor. I would love to sit on the big balcony, listen to the sound of the ocean, and read. It was peaceful and the time always went by too fast. Each morning and night we would eat the delicious breakfast buffet in Manta, and dinner in one of the dining establishments.
This review has been a few months coming since our two nights in October. We had points, so used them as we had booked a condo for this week. Unfortunately the rates at the Mauna Kea have become absurdly high, around $1,000 a night for a golf course room with no breakfast included, just a bed that we had an issue with the value anymore. Our room was okay. The bed was terrible and my side had a major leaning to the right. I didn’t contact them because I just wasn’t in the mood to make a big deal out of this for two nights. The very expensive coffee maker leaked all over the furniture that next morning..when I contacted the front desk to let them know “we will replace it”. You see that furniture is original and leaking hot coffee will damage vintage wood. The next morning ..you guessed it..it had NOT BEEN REPLACED. Maybe these seem like little things, but to me this hotel is more than a resort, it is history.
Everything I experienced, little if any vodka in my cosmo, restaurant supply sticky buns instead of homemade, $30 to park your car, being a guest and having to make reservations for dinner..first night was told we could get in The Copper Bar until 8pm…and on and on tells me we a dealing with corporate America , not history. This hotel is a Marriott and everything they can do to cut costs is apparent.
So at this point all I can say is “what a shame” and I will remember our other visits. This last one I am afraid was our last.
First of all, when they list their “dining”, it is form the Mauna Kea Hotel AND their sister hotel, Hapuna Beach Resort. So, when you look into booking a reservation, make sure you double check the location. I’m glad I caught my mistake, and very disappointed in this hotel marketing team for discretely trying to get people to go to Hapuna Resort in order to get them more business. Mauna Kea is a much nicer beach and resort.
If you have little kids, hold them close, because the service workers in carts are not observant of little ones. I had to pull my kids back multiple times so they wouldn’t get hit, while waking along paths. Even my husband was appalled and was surprised management allowed this to happen. The people driving the vehicles appeared like they could have cared less about any of the kids walking around. Also surprising, giving the huge legal and financial consequences they would have if a child were to be hit and possibly killed. As a mother of small children, this makes me want to ever come back here.
I love this resort. I’ve been coming here all my life. But I think it’s gone down hill for a while now. The beach is amazing. The updated rooms are not designed to my taste, which is a big reason why we don’t stay here as often anymore (cold, not very Hawaiian, catered to the golf people). Restaurants and cocktails are good. Luau has great performances and poor food, which seems to be the norm nowadays (sad but true).
Hopefully 20 years from now when it needs to have a renovation, it will be done with better taste and management.



You’ll have a hard time finding a nicer beach anywhere in Hawaii. Waves are usually minimal, and the water is clear, warm, and calm. Beach chairs and umbrellas are included for no fee, as are SUPs, kayaks, and snorkel gear. There’s also no “resort fee”. However parking is $30 per night. There’s a laundromat on site which offers free washing and drying and even includes free detergent. So it’s an expensive place, but you don’t get nickel and dimed here.
Granted, it was a holiday week, but I was somewhat surprised by how aggressive chair-saving was at the beach. The entire front row was typically reserved by 7 am, and there was a day when no chairs were available by 9am. Something to be aware of.
The hotel has a timeless elegance, and is a true architectural work of art. Amazing views can be had from about anywhere on the property. Photos don’t do justice.
The room was luxurious and comfortable, and best of all perhaps was the large balcony with a view to the ocean, complete with plush reclining chairs.
We ate at Manta, Copper Bar, Hau Tree, and. No. 3. Food overall is pretty good, but is not going to compete favorably with the many excellent eateries around the island. Still, for convenience we are most meals here and we were happy with the food and service.
Overall what has to be understood is that the hotel is, true to its name, oriented around the beach and the beautiful outdoor surroundings. It compliments its setting perfectly in an unobtrusive way. You don’t come here to be ensconced In modernity, or to be waited on, hand and foot. It’s instead a classy, laidback, peaceful vibe here, and we absolutely loved it. Where else can you go swim a short distance from your hotel’s beach to snorkel with a manta ray before retiring to your quarters?
"I would recommend getting a room in the main tower that is ocean facing. You can’t beat the view!"Read full review
"Bring beach and pool equipment. Would be good to be closer to main hotel building after renovations."Read full review
"Notify hotel about special occasions, ground floor BeachFront rooms good for kids, make dinner reservation at Manta unless dining early,"Read full review
"The breakfast buffet at Manta is great and offers incredible views. Rent a car to get around and visit the rest of the island. "Read full review
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