Mauna Lani, Auberge Collection

Character and identity

Set on the dry, sunny Kohala Coast of the Big Island, Mauna Lani occupies a rare stretch where rooms sit directly on the ocean rather than perched above a rocky shore. A $200 million Auberge-era reinvention, completed in January 2020, layered Meyer Davis interiors over the 1983 bones: koa wood, modern floral motifs, canoe-lashing references in screens and lanterns, and a literal removal of the front door to blur indoors and out. Expect three pools (including an adults' pool), a spa and fitness centre, a kids' club, a cultural centre, two 18-hole courses winding through lava and kiawe forest, and restaurants HāLani and Hā Bar leading the dining. A resident kahu hānai shares island mythology; the service register is relaxed, culturally rooted, and unfussy.

Who's it for

Bottom line

What sets this place apart is the combination of true oceanfront rooms, a thoughtful post-renovation design, and Hawaiian cultural depth that goes beyond decor. Book it if you want the Big Island's nature and mythology with a serious resort layered on top. Spring for an oceanfront category to make the most of the setting, and consider the Francis H. I'i Brown suite for groups entertaining privately.