Inside Four Seasons Resort Hualalai: Hawaii’s Top-Rated Luxury Destination

Every time I visit the Big Island of Hawaii, I am fascinated by the fields of black lava rock that blanket much of the landscape, the result of volcanic eruptions over the eons. So, it’s a surprise to turn off Highway 19 (aka the Queen Ka’ahumanu Highway) and find a sprawling tropical paradise, lush with exotic plants and palms. This is the 865-acre Four Seasons Resort Hualalai, recognized recently by U.S. News & World Report as the top hotel and resort in the U.S. and the only Forbes Five-Star and AAA Five Diamond resort on the island of Hawaii.

Located along the North Kona coast, the resort has four restaurants, a championship golf course, spa, fitness center, and a variety of accommodations. They range from the two-story Presidential Villa that sleeps ten, complete with its own pool and lanai, to well-appointed suites and guestrooms. 

The Four Seasons Resort Hualalai has something for everyone from retirees to toddlers — interactive activities that are engaging, educational, and entertaining. The resort even has its own team of biologists at Kumu Kai Marine Center next to King’s Pond, a 1.8-million-gallon outdoor aquarium teeming with more than a thousand tropical fish. The center offers tidepool tours and “turtles and talks” to introduce guests to honu, the local green sea turtle. Or swim with Kainalu, the property’s resident stingray. 

At the center, I met biologist Andrea Ehlers who took me on a tour of the resort’s own oyster farm — a fully lined 2.5-acre pond on the hotel’s 18-hole Jack Nicklaus-designed golf course. The resort is the only one in the Hawaiian Islands to grow its own bivalves, with hundreds of oysters harvested each week. That evening, my husband and I sampled a chilled plate of oysters that were fresh and sweet.

Sign up kids from the ages of 9 to 17 for Camp Manitou where they can kayak, surf, stargaze, and explore the island. Or create your own “Family Adventure Day,” a custom experience tailored to your clan’s interests. Tour the island on ATVs, in a helicopter, or outrigger canoe, charter a boat, or rent a convertible. Take golf or tennis lessons, or polish your pickleball game — there is so much to do.

I learned about the history of the of the Hawaiian Islands and its people at the resort’s Ka’upulehu Cultural Center featuring displays, paintings, and books. Topics range from building canoes to the ancient craft of lauhala, weaving baskets, mats, and other items from the dried leaves of the hala, or Pandanus tree. While I browsed the exhibits, another guest was learning to play the ukelele with a kind and patient teacher. One can also take hula lessons, learn about native arts, and more.

Just want to relax by the pool? Well, which one? The resort has seven in all from the Sea Shell Pool, especially designed for families, with thatched roof palapas and oversized daybeds, to my favorite, the Ocean Pool, carved out of lava rock, where one can see fish and sea turtles. The pool has a breakwater for those who want the safety of the pool with the ambience of the ocean. Kids can make a splash in the shallow Keiki Children’s Pool, with its white sand bottom, water feature, and toys, and wee chaise lounges sized just for them. I also liked flopping down on a daybed in the sand or by a pool where attentive waiters serve such signature cocktails as the “Bird of Paradise” and the “Big Kahuna,” concocted with spirits, fresh fruit, and herbs.

The resort’s dining venues include the casual, oceanfront Beach Tree for seafood, sandwiches, salads, and pizza. The reimagined Ulu Restaurant, which reopened to hotel guests late last year, focuses on Big Island fare sourced from dozens of local farms as well as fresh local fish and shellfish. On the top floor is Noio, a sushi lounge named after a native bird whose presence signaled Hawaiian sailors and navigators that land was near. The lounge specializes in Japanese food, including a seven-course omakase experience which loosely translates to “I leave it up to you.” In other words, it’s the chef’s choice.

Miller & Lux Hualalai, overlooking the 18th green, is Chef Tyler Florence’s first steakhouse in Hawaii, featuring many of the favorites found at his San Francisco outpost including the 46-ounce dry-aged Black Angus Tomahawk steak, as well as Caesar salad prepared tableside with quail eggs and island greens. Fresh fish and shellfish including Kauai shrimp and Kona lobster are also on the menu. Crispy Lobster Louie is a guest favorite. For dessert, indulge in seven-layer coconut cake or banana bread topped with Tahitian vanilla ice cream and rum. 

If you can’t bear to leave, real estate opportunities include custom homes, homesites, and villas. Property owners can join the Hualalai Club with members-only access to the private Ke’Olu Golf Course and clubhouse, concierge services, special events, and all resort amenities. fourseasons.com/hualalai