Four Seasons Resort Hualalai

Great beach with easy parking at the resort. Plenty of space and trees to hide under. Waters are quiet, plenty of fish to see, no currents, but rocky almost everywhere. Free restrooms and showers available by the entrance next to the parking lot.

When our family checked in at this resort, no one communicated that a half-day pop-up event would take place directly in front of our room’s lanai—blocking our ocean view, overriding our room’s privacy, and drowning out the ambient waves. Thus, we were stunned one afternoon, after 5+ hours outdoors, to discover our view of the ocean replaced with a bright orange tent, orange signage, and other brand promotion. There was no chance of relaxing while hearing the waves, or even spending some quality time together, because the event was blaring music over loudspeakers. No chance of escaping the resort’s crowds or enjoying some privacy, because our private space was now an event space. People kept inadvertently peering in at us, making us deeply uncomfortable. When I called the front desk, I was told the pop-up would last four hours. The Four Seasons manager suggested we spend the rest of the day away from our room (a room for which we were paying a luxury price tag), directing us to the pool or spa. I explained that these options wouldn’t work for us, as we have a child and were all needing a break from the sun. The manager then had zero solutions, asking to call me back later. I subsequently wasted almost two hours of my afternoon on several calls with her and another staffer before someone moved the tent—first just farther down the lawn but still directly blocking our view of the ocean, and then finally, to one side. Violating guests’ peace and privacy for a garish brand promo was a tasteless, off-putting move by Four Seasons and, frankly, felt gross. Our family had already experienced so many customer service issues at this resort—missing necessities like conditioner and toilet paper required multiple calls to get delivered to our room; our child’s dinner order was forgotten at two different restaurants; construction and its accompanying noise and large machinery affected both family pools, as well as the beach boardwalk—but had been trying to make the best of it. Now, we were fighting simply to be able to use our room. Nothing about how we were treated said luxury or leisure. Our stay here was both stressful and exhausting, and despite being longtime guests of Four Seasons resorts, and repeat guests at this particular resort, we’re losing trust in the brand. FS Hualalai’s behavior sends a clear message: Customers are not their priority—nor are honesty or human decency.

We’ve stayed at numerous Four Seasons resorts across the world and we’ve always experienced utmost quality and luxury. Sadly that wasn’t the case at the Four Seasons Hualalai. The resort is incredibly dated and in need of a major facelift. The spa room where I had my massage looked like my drs office and our room looked like it was built in the 80s and hadn’t been touched since. The aircon vent was peeling off the stained wall, we couldn’t turn on the air fan as it made an annoying clicking noise, and the couch outside felt like it was made of stone. When comparing the rooms to our last Four Seasons experiences (Los Cabos), the difference is stark. It’s also incredibly busy. The person who checked us in told us he’d make us dinner reservations and asked our preferred time (we said 6:30pm). An hour later we got a text telling us all our reservations were booked for 7:30pm. We asked if we could move them earlier but all but one restaurant was already fully booked at 6:30pm. The breakfast experience felt more like a cheap Cancun all-inclusive than a 5 star luxury resort. You put your name in. You wait for 10 mins before you’re seated. You then have wade through the busy crowd and swat away the plentiful flies for a buffet no better than what you’d find at a holiday inn. We had two major “incidents”: We were served raw chicken at the pop-up sushi restaurant on our third night. We ordered a chicken skewer that took ages to come. After about 30 mins we asked our server to cancel it and requested the check. He told us not to worry and it would be out in 2 mins. They clearly tried to rush the dish as two mins later we got a plain piece of chicken with no garnish or the sauce described on the menu. When we cut into it, it was completely raw (pink and cool to the touch). We flagged to the server and he immediately told us not to eat it. The spa experience was also horrendous. After checking in going into the spa, there were 5 construction workers in there working on the shower. The indoor showers were closed because of this, so you had to shower outdoors next to the workman’s tools and empty Coke cans. My massage was constantly interrupted by the workmen talking / sawing. Construction aside, the spa was small and very dated. I will say that we addressed both issues with management and they did credit us for the meal and spa treatment which we very much appreciated. You still wouldn’t expect either at a resort charging almost $2,000 per night. The Executive Chef also made an effort to check with us regularly after those incidents. He seems like a very nice and highly competent chef. Raw chicken and breakfast aside, the food was generally good. I thought Miller & Lux was absolutely outstanding. We went twice and both times we were incredibly expressed by both the food, atmosphere and service. The famous Caesar salad lived up to the hype and the steak tartar was one of the best I’ve ever tasted. I’m sure we experienced this resort on an “off few days”, but the four day stay cost over $10,000 and it wasn’t even close to being worth the price tag. We spent the first four nights of our trip at Kona Village next door. Despite some service kinks, that was much closer to a 5-star experience.

My trip was for business, but what a locale for business meetings. The grounds, facilities and room were beautiful, clean and so comfortable. Had some of the best sleep ever in the 4 Seasons' ultra comfortable bed and pillows. Every member of the staff was so friendly, courteous and helpful. They made me feel as if I were a guest in one of their own homes. Even though my trip was for business, I was able to enjoy some down time at the pool, on the beach and in the relaxing spa. I look forward to returning for vacation.

The absolute best. This resort has been my favorite since the last time stayed here 10 years ago. I could not think out past stay could be any better, but recent improvements and room refresh only made our mis recent stay even more enjoyable. The attention to detail by the staff and the well know four seasons style of service, makes you feel pampered from the moment you arrive until you leave the property. Always a favorite. Can’t wait to come back.