Diego Travel Hotel Review
Four Seasons Hualalai
A Big Island, Hawaii Luxury Resort
Located on a half-mile stretch of beach along the Kona Coast of Hawaii’s Big Island, Four Seasons Hualalai happens to be the driest part of the island. The resort features 252 newly renovated rooms and suites, a Jack Nicklaus championship golf course, a world-class spa and fitness center, a marine biology center, tennis, on-site ocean activities, retail shops, eight pools including Kings Pond, cultural experiences, and many restaurant options. Of all the Hawaiian resorts, Four Seasons Hualalai offers the most variety of things to do and see.
Perfect For: Families | Weddings | Multi-Generational Families | Groups | Couples | Golfers | Honeymoons
Four Seasons Hualalai
Four Seasons Hualalai
Kona International Airport
Only a 13-minute drive (or 7 miles) from Kona International Airport (KOA), Four Seasons Hualalai is easily accessible as a non-stop option from many major hubs in the continental Unites States. We recommend renting a car if you plan to explore, or we can set up airport transfers for you, if you’re just looking to relax and stay on property.
The most luxurious resort option on the Big Island, and arguably all of Hawaii, the Four Seasons Resorts have long been a Hawaii-fan favorite of the luxury travel jetsetters. With four crescents and another set of rooms and villas along the 18-hole golf course, the Four Seasons Hualalai feels like four boutique hotels within a resort. There is truly an area for everyone, whether you are traveling alone, with your loved one and want peace and quiet, or with kids and need multiple rooms. At this resort, it’s important to select the right area of the resort that fits your needs, and we are here to do just that.
After a renovation in 2019, the Four Seasons Hualalai is an exclusive enclave for golf, sunbath on one of the many sandy beaches, bike along the black volcanic rock, or dine at one of the five restaurants around the property. While the resort is large, it is spread out, so you will have ultimate privacy and every amenity for the most selective luxury traveler.
There are rooms, suites, specialty suites and up to 5-bedroom villas. The main differences in room view categories – poolside are the ground floor rooms, ocean view will be set back, but still have ocean views, prime ocean view rooms are set on the upper floors of the two-story bungalows, while the oceanfront views will be front and center to the ocean. Rooms are all 635 square feet, so massive by Hawaii standards.
We recommend staying in a specialty suite, where you’ll be taken care of by your own concierge team with customized inclusions, and each suite has its own Peloton bike and fitness equipment. My favorite was the 3-bedroom Hawaii Loa Presidential Suite, where you can walk straight out to the beach, or watch passing humpback whales from bed. Perfect for entertaining or for privacy, you’ll receive daily breakfast and a $200 hotel credit with your Four Seasons Preferred Partner amenities when you book your stay with Diego Travel.
There are five options for dining at Four Seasons Hualalai, which is more than most properties on the Big Island. With an emphasis on local ingredients, more than 75% off what is served comes from a combined 160 local farms. In addition, you have the Hualalai Trading Company, a casual grab-and-go for snacks, morning coffees or afternoon ice cream, and they sell cute apparel and beach items as well.
‘ULU Ocean Grill (and sushi bar) is their award winning fine dining, where you can eat under the stars on dishes infusing fresh, local ingredients with flavors found around the Pacific Rim. We loved our poke bowl at Beach Tree, a casual beachside restaurant where you can dine on the sand or at one of the open-air tables on the patio. Finally, Miller & Lux is an intimate seafood and raw bar experience on the golf course, led by Chef Tyler Florence.
One of my family’s favorite things about Four Seasons Resorts is the Four Seasons Kids for All Seasons programming they offer, which incorporates engaging, fun and educational activities included with your stay! For kids ages 5 to 12, they’ll be entertained with arts and crafts, outdoor activities and sports, swimming and meeting kids from around the world. At the Kumu Kai Marine Center, they’ll learn about ocean health and marine life and the team really sparks a passion in your kids’ curiosity. While most resorts forget about the older kids, Four Seasons Hualalai offers ages 9 to 17 time at Camp Manitou, an exclusive partnership with one of the nation’s foremost summer camps, offered during peak family vacation times. Campers will explore beyond the resort to visit secret beaches, exploring lava tubes and waterfalls, and making friends, so they get off their phones and enjoy new experiences.
A private boat charter is always one of the highlights of any trip to Hawaii. Four Seasons Hualalai offers both a zodiac for shorter snorkeling trips and an outrigger boat for exploring a bit further to go whale watching, or find private beaches for a picnic lunch.
Off property, there is so much more to explore beyond on the Big Island of Hawaii, such as night time manta ray diving, private helicopter tours, or snorkeling in the Kealakekua Bay. You also won’t want to miss the Lu’au that happens every two weeks and is exclusive to Four Seasons guests, so be sure to reserve your dining in advance so you don’t miss out on this cultural experience.
Perhaps my favorite part of Four Seasons Hualalai is the 28,000-square-foot Spa and Apothecary, which feels decidedly Hawaiian. They offer whirlpools, saunas, steam rooms and cold plunges, along with a lap pool, which has become in high demand when the Big Island hosts the annual Ironman competition.
Entering into the spa, you’ll walk through winding paths tucked between lava rock walls and trickling waterfalls, where you’ll be invited into a freestanding open-air cabana. I recommend the signature Hawaiian Lomi Lomi massage, a sacred healing art handed down from generations. I love that they use local ingredients and fragrance-infused oils in all their treatments. You’ll feel like you’re melting into the earth and never want to leave.
What Sets It Apart:
