In search of a little island R&R this holiday season? Located on the Big Island’s renowned “Gold Coast,” aptly named for the exquisite luxury resorts and multi-million dollar homes scattered along its 40 miles of pristine oceanfront, Hualalai is an elegant resort community that provides a tranquil and rejuvenating ocean-side retreat with the charm of an ancient Hawaiian village.
Hualalai includes the Four Seasons, along with beautiful homes to rent and purchase (prices range from $2-26 million). Featured amenities include an 18-hole Jack Nicklaus Signature golf course and clubhouse, a private Tom Weiskopf-designed 18-hole course, the award-wining Hualalai Sports Club & Hualalai Spa, and the Canoe Club.
For adventure seekers, the recently unveiled Voyages program offers more than 200 unique activities for all ages. The resort’s expert staff of Alaka’i Nalu — “masters of the waves” — assist with wind surfing, snorkeling, paddling, fishing, skin diving, outrigger canoeing, scooter snorkeling, Ribcraft snorkel adventures, and the list goes on. Additional Voyages activities include lava tube tours, a fish circus, and starlight spa excursions.
Speaking of spahhh, the 28,000-square-foot Hualalai Spa is dedicated to “bringing the outside in,” allowing nature to play a role in the relaxation and wellness process. The Waiea (“Water of Life”) Garden is a haven of lush native plants featuring a stream lined with stones gathered from around the island. Central to the experience is the Apothecary, a signature collection of more than 20 natural Hawaiian ingredients that can be custom-blended for use in scrubs, wraps, and massages. A spa concierge helps guests choose from among the components, taking into consideration their physical characteristics, preferences for scents, and desired benefits — both physical and spiritual.
Through the end of the year, an all-inclusive travel special called The Hualalai Experience is offered for groups of up to eight people in one of the property’s beautiful Hawaiian-style custom homes (subject to availability and black-out dates). The package includes: a four-bedroom custom home with private pool and spa; daily golf for one foursome on the exclusive Hualalai Golf Course; one stand-up paddleboard lesson and daily paddleboard use for up to eight people; a one-hour outrigger canoe experience for up to five people; up to eight 50-minute Swedish massage treatments at the Hualalai Spa; and a four-course private dinner in the residence for up to eight people. Nightly rate is $3,950 plus tax for for a minimum of five nights. (www.hualalairesort.com)
How To Get There: While nonstop service to the Big Island from San Diego is not yet available, Alaska Airlines is expanding its service between San Diego and Hawaii by launching daily nonstop flights between the Southern California city and Honolulu. Service begins November 17 and complements Alaska’s existing daily nonstop flight between S.D. and Kahului, Maui. With more nonstop service from multiple West Coast cities to the Hawaiian Islands than ever before, there’s never been a better time to plan your island escape. (www.alaskaair.com) JANE SHIOMI
