Mauna Kea Beach Hotel

Overall, this was a very nice and relaxing stay. I would definitely stay here again with hopes that a few changes will be made once the construction is completed. THE POSITIVES: THE LOCATION: The beach here is really one of a kind. It is a beautiful setting; the water is stunning, and the bay is sandy – no rocks or coral to deal with. The water is perfect for all ages as it is a shallow bay to start, and one needs to walk a bit to get into deeper water. The staff: Everyone at the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel that we interacted with was very nice, helpful, and welcoming. THE ROOM: Our room was an ocean front room in the main tower (the beach front rooms were undergoing renovations). This was a very nice room and the view from the lanai was amazing. Reusable water bottles: They give you a reusable stainless steel water bottle to use while here and to take with you when you leave. There are water filling stations in each of the rooms as well as around the resort. This is a fantastic way to reduce single use plastic bottles and protect the environment. Having the water filling station in the room is very convenient. THE CONSTRUCTION: We were a bit unsure of what to expect booking here during the construction, but it really didn’t impact us at all. We are not “pool” people but if you are, you should wait until the construction is completed as there isn’t a pool during the construction. We were told that the construction will be ongoing until sometime in October 2025. PICKLE BALL COURTS: There are 8 courts that are specific for pickle ball. This is a nice change from trying to play on tennis courts and adjusting the size for pickle ball. It is $25 per person per hour. However, if no one shows up to play the next hour, you may play on. AREAS WHERE THERE IS ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT: THE BEACH SHACK: I am hoping that this will improve after the renovation is completed. We booked the complimentary canoe paddle and was told to check back at 7 am the next morning to see if it was running. An improvement would be to have them call the hotel guest to either confirm or cancel the paddle. I realize that this is weather dependent and won’t go out with high wind but them letting us know via a call would be much better than getting up and heading down to the beach shack to find out it was cancelled. On the positive side, we had no problem getting beach chairs anytime we went down to the beach. I think this was due to the fact that the hotel was not at capacity. THE FOOD: The food here is not what I would expect of a resort of this caliper. The hotel really needs to up its food game. Breakfast was decent. They have all of the things you would expect, an omelet station, fresh fruit, pastries, etc. As a Titanium member for life on Marriott, I was able to get the buffet included. For dinner our first night we ate at the Copper Bar, and I ordered grilled fish on my salad. The fish was raw and when I mentioned it to the server, she said yes it was “pan seared”. This was not ahi, and my expectation was that it would be cooked. She didn’t offer to have it cooked or to get me anything else. Needless to say, I did not eat it. My dinner and the server’s response were disappointing to say the least. The next day, we ate lunch at the Hau Tree (their outdoor bar) and I ordered a beet salad. This was possibly the worst beet salad I have ever had. It had a few pieces of arugula, and the beets were overcooked to the point of being dehydrated. We did not even try Manta Ray for dinner after these two experiences but ate outside of the resort each evening we were here. So, the opportunities exist to really improve the food offerings to align with what one would expect from a resort of this caliper. The beach bar could use some appetizers such as wings, potato skins, fried calamari, hummus and veggies, etc. And the opportunity to improve dining at the Copper Bar, offer fresh grilled fish and a salad these items are not hard to make. I am really hoping that positive changes will be made to your food lineup once the construction is completed. THE DRINKS: The Hau bar drink game was pretty weak. If I wanted a spicy margarita, I had one choice, and it was going with a no name tequila that had been infused with jalapeño and cilantro. I would personally have liked to have had a specific tequila for this drink as well as have had some fresh jalapeños. The lady next to me at the bar ordered a mojito and it didn’t have any mint in it. How is that a mojito? I think it is fine if you just want a beer or low-end wine but that isn’t what I would have expected from this resort.

My family and I loved staying at this resort for 5 nights in mid January on a long multi-hotel trip to Hawaii. Stunning beauty in the landscape, super helpful staff and concierge. A peaceful, rich and rejuvenating space. 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.

This is a classic hotel that we've stayed at since 1980. It has always been a joy to be there, and it seems like coming home when one arrives. If one has been a previous guest at this great hotel you will appreciates the time there and won't quibble about the very minor inconveniences that one might experience at this time during renovation. It has a great loyal staff that joyfully recognizes you when you return and treats you accordingly. The property is an architectural gem. Those of us who have made it their regular vacation home on the Big Island will return again & again to make sure that no major changes have been made during any renovation. This is my first time back as a recent widower and I realize now more than ever that a part of my husband and I will never leave the Mauna Kea.

Amazing stay at the Mauna Kea as always, the entire staff was kind and helpful and provided everything needed for a fantastic vacation. Small service details like two luggage holders, ample towels, water bottles, morning coffee stations etc. made us feel at home. The beach crew was exceptional, Victor went above and beyond to help us get started with the SUPs and enjoy all the beach amenities. The beach equipment being free now is a huge plus for us, it really made it carefree to enjoy whatever activities we wanted, whenever we felt like it. We knew about the construction in advance and it didn't affect our stay too much. Yes the un-renovated room was showing its age but still clean and comfortable. Food was ok but the menus need updating with more fresh/healthy and grab/go options like the Westin. All in all the Mauna Kea remains our favorite hotel on our favorite beach in Hawaii and we can't wait to return!

My wife and I recently stayed 5 nights at the Mauna Kea to celebrate our 46th wedding anniversary. Most of the staff on property warmly wished us a Happy Anniversary, which was super nice. The hotel also greeted us with some special welcome amenities when we got to our room in the Beachfront wing. We had an ultra-relaxing experience, which is exactly what we wanted. The Mauna Kea was a favorite pre-pandemic destination for us. We knew the resort was being completely renovated and were not quite sure what to expect. During our stay the main tower, registration area, shops, and Copper Bar were closed for remodeling. The golf course was also closed for a refresh. To me, the hotel management was very clever recreating services for areas being renovated. The glass walled golf course restaurant got a makeover and became a new registration area. I actually like the temporary check in area better because it is more spacious than the original but is not located at the entrance of the hotel. We’ll see what the new registration area looks like. Next to the registration, the golf shop became the sole gift shop on the property. I would say it is adequate during the construction period but look forward to the variety of shops as previously. We went to the Westin Hapuna, a sister hotel next door, and shopped at the gift stores there. There are three dining options at the Mauna Kea. The Hau Tree is a beachfront casual dining (swimwear and sand ok) location. Think burgers and local fare. The Copper Bar is the casual dining option in the main hotel (shirt and shoes needed) and has a more upscale menu. I think the Copper Bar’s menu and food quality rivals many of the nicer restaurants on the Kohala Coast. Although the Copper Bar location was being remodeled, the restaurant was relocated to a glass walled banquet room not too far from the pool. There is some outdoor seating and the glass walls make the inside feel more open. I liked it and the food was excellent. I look forward to dining in the remodeled area. Lastly is the Manta Restaurant, the resort’s fine dining option. The Manta boasts a spectacular, elevated ocean view from an outdoor terrace dining area. It has a premium fine dining menu, however the Manta’s atmosphere is not stuffy. This is “casual” fine dining at its very best. I tried many dishes and all were very good to excellent. They also have an extensive wine list. The breakfast buffet is legendary and should be tried at least once. When making reservations try to get a package that includes the buffet breakfast. The entire hotel staff, from the restaurants to the spa, were very service oriented and accommodating. The iconic crescent shaped beach is the best on the Kona coast and great for kids. The ground floor Beach Front rooms open directly onto the broad lawn that runs along the beach. When the tower, new lobby, and shops are finished, then they will remodel the Beach Front wing. As we planned our trip, the reviews were mixed about going to the Mauna Kea while it is being renovated. It’s true that half of the rooms, the old gift shops, the lobby, and golf course were closed. However all three restaurants, spa, pool, beach, tennis courts, and Luau were open. The temporary registration and gift shop were adequate for the reduced number of guests there. My wife and I found the resort quite pleasant with half the number of guests in the restaurants, at the pool, in the recreational areas, and at the beach. We didn’t miss going to the old registration area, lobby, gift shops, or tower rooms. We didn’t mind the “construction appearance” of some areas and only heard construction noise once in 5 days. We enjoyed the beach, great meals, the spa, and great service. If you have never been to the Mauna Kea, then you might want to wait until the renovation is done to get the full experience. I get that. However, if you are like us and are familiar with the resort from previous visits, I think going during the renovation is an excellent idea. From our expectation, we did not lack anything during our stay. All the open areas operated with the usual great Mauna Kea service. We never went off property except for a quick trip to the Hapuna. Our goal was to have super relaxing time at a place with great hospitality. The Mauna Kea delivered.