Four Seasons Resort Hualalai

We stayed at the Four Seasons last week for 6 nights while our adult kids stayed at Kona Village. We stayed at Kona Village in August and we thought we would try the Four Seasons this time. The Four Seasons has an incredible footprint and a reasonable amount of activities to participate in. But the staff seems hurried and disinterested in their roles at the resort. The gym is a complex. The equipment is dated and I never encountered a staff member even though I used the gym every day. We ate at all of the restaurants at least once and a few multiple times. The food is good but the service is average and nothing was memorable. We didn’t realize they have a usable beach until the last day because the staff doesn’t really interact with you. Kona Village has an amazing beach and we used it for swimming, kayaking and snorkeling. The staff at the Four Seasons told us our adults kids were not welcome to use the pool, spa or gym but could use the restaurants. The staff at Kona Village welcomed us to use all of the facilities since our kids were staying there. So we used their spa, pools and beach more than at the Four Seasons. The best way I can describe the Four Seasons is mass market luxury while Kona Village is intimate uber luxury. We played golf at the Four Seasons and they let a five some play in front of us. I expressed my concerns for a slow round and a gentleman that I assumed was the starter said he would make sure they played quickly and would monitor their play. We literally waited 5 to 10 minutes before every shot for the full18 holes. No one ever checked for slow play. The resort didn’t seem too crowded so maybe they were short on staff. We enjoyed our stay and having access to Kona Village helped make it a special week. I think if you have young kids then stay at the Four Season. If you have older kids or all adults stay at Kona Village. The beach is amazing and the service is beyond compare.

This was our second visit, first was in July 2022. We stayed 3 nights for my husband’s birthday celebration, combined with 6 nights at Mauna Kea Beach Hotel. What we like about 4S Hualalai: the way the resort spreads along the shore and incorporates lava everywhere; the fact that at most of the restaurants and their bar areas you are mere steps from the water. We like the spaciousness of the rooms with the walk-in closet, the “foyer”, the large balcony and especially…the outdoor shower! My husband said the golf course was in exceptional condition. We liked the excellent beach service and I had an amazing massage by Kathy at the Spa. What needs to be improved: Communication between concierge/reservations and communication via the App. By far the biggest disappointment was that they messed up my husband’s birthday greetings and amenities…when we arrived at our room everything wished ME Happy Birthday. I had communicated very clearly about this. The app communication worked much better in 2022. This time around I’d get a response right away from app operator and then “okay I am looping in that department” and then all would fall silent and after repeated attempts we’d end up calling. Frustrating and not what you expect from 4S. There were also several other snafus that occurred…maybe we hit a bad patch of service. I will say I mentioned all of the issues on the survey and received a personal email from the manager so at least I felt heard. And while on site the asst manager did work hard to rectify the birthday situation but it should not have happened in the first place. 4S is expensive and some aspects left me feeling the value wasn’t there. The cocktails need to be improved and seriously, for a $21 mimosa at brunch you can’t offer an included refill? They had all this marketing in the room about a new Happy Hour at Beachtree with snacks and silly me, I thought maybe the snacks would be complimentary as is done at other high end resorts. Not. I know, I know, if you have to ask…you can’t afford it! But a few little extras might go a long way to making people like us (not rich) feel a little more willing to pay the high prices. Will we return? Probably, because my husband enjoys the golf course and there is quite a lot to like about the resort…but unfortunately it was not the service this time around. And Kona Village is right next door and at the same price point (in some room categories actually less) so 4S needs to keep their eye on the game.

From the moment you arrive at Hualālai, it feels less like checking into a resort and more like being welcomed into a private Hawaiian sanctuary. Every detail — from the scent of plumeria in the air to the way the staff greets you by name — reflects a level of care and authenticity that’s unmatched anywhere in Hawai‘i. The grounds are stunning: lush palms, lava rock pools blending into the ocean, and a perfect balance between natural beauty and refined design. The rooms feel like an extension of the island itself — spacious, elegant, and filled with light. Waking up to the sound of waves and stepping onto a lanai that opens to the Pacific is simply unforgettable. The service is extraordinary. Every team member embodies aloha in a way that feels genuine — thoughtful without being overbearing. Whether it’s the beach attendants remembering your favorite drink or the concierge crafting the perfect day trip, you feel seen and cared for. Dining is a highlight — from the incredible breakfast buffet at ‘ULU to cocktails under the stars at Beach Tree. The food celebrates local ingredients and island flavors, but with the polish of world-class cuisine. Hualālai has a special energy — serene yet vibrant, luxurious yet grounded in its place. It’s the rare kind of resort where time slows down, sunsets feel endless, and you leave feeling deeply restored. If there’s one place that captures the magic of Hawai‘i at its most refined, it’s here.

At check-in, I was informed that I had been upgraded to a “partial ocean view” room as part of my credit card benefits. However, there was no noticeable ocean view at all – the room mostly faced greenery with no visible ocean. At the same time, I was strongly encouraged to pay an additional $1,300 for a further upgrade, which felt uncomfortable. In addition, the building felt old, and it was quite difficult to open and close the door. The room also felt dusty overall, and I was particularly uncomfortable to find that a face mask left by the previous guest had been left inside the refrigerator. During the night, I repeatedly woke up due to the loud sound of the door being pulled open in the room above mine. This significantly affected my ability to rest. That said, the service at the restaurants and by the poolside was excellent, and I truly appreciated the hospitality in those areas. Overall, I was disappointed with the stay, as the experience did not meet the level of comfort and quality I had expected from a hotel of this caliber.

Superb in every respect! Closest major hotel to the airport, only 15 minutes away but utterly secluded on extensive manicured grounds. Wonderful long beachfront with sea turtles and snorkeling. Though the ocean was a bit rough for our stay, there is a large saltwater pond just inside the beach, stocked with 1,000 fish of all types (though no sea turtles), where even little kids can swim and snorkel in slightly warmer waters. The cultural center onsite is a unique gem. The staff there, including especially Micah, provided incredibly engaging and detailed, TED Talk quality lessons on native Hawaiian history, spiritual traditions and culture. Each staff person has a specialty, even to the point of being the kahuna or supreme expert in Hawaii on a topic (such as hula, where Kalumaheihei is the kahuna). This learning experience gave us a much deeper appreciation of Hawaii than any of the others in our many stays over 4 decades, really standing out as a lifetime takeaway. Breakfast buffet was very extensive, on a par with the finest hotels in Asia or Europe, overlooking the ocean 25 feet away. Several large pools which were never crowded because of the size of the facilities. Staff were incredibly friendly and nice. In short, worth every penny and very much making us want to return, to here and other Four Seasons!