In 1960, Laurance Rockefeller came to the Big Island of Hawaii to scout beachfront sites for a potential resort. When the Mauna Kea opened in 1965, it was the most expensive hotel ever built at that time - he said that "every great beach deserves a great hotel". And that beach is still the best beach on the island, nothing like it with a long soft curve and quiet swells. There's good snorkeling when the water is quiet, paddle boards to try, or just swimming from end to end if you're so inclined. Personally, I just like to get a lounge chair and spend the day between reading a beach novel and floating in the swells!
The hotel was closed for over 2 years and completely renovated, opening again in December '08. I was lucky enough to visit and take the first hard hat tour that November when it was still hard to envision what the finished product would be. So over the Labor Day weekend this September, we got reacquainted with a hotel that we knew well from many past stays.
I was so happy to see that all the art Rockefeller had brought to the hotel is still there. The Buddha is always my first stop, to say hello and thank for bringing me back to Kona. All of the antique Hawaiian quilts have been cleaned and restored and are back on display on the hallway walls. The open air lobby still with the dark blue tile floors and dark woods is completely refurbished - some people feel it's too dark but I find it very cool and serene, nice on a hot and humid arrival day.
The biggest change is to the rooms as they've all been totally redone. Lots of white while still keeping the traditional Mauna Kea orange motif, just toned down to a warmer rust color in the pillows and throws. Beds are super comfortable and the rooms have been completely redesigned. There's now a large flat screen TV and all the plug ins you might need, hidden behind an attractive wood sliding panel on the wall. Ipod docking stations too for those who need to have their music - for me, the music of the waves is all I want when I'm in the islands but each to his own!
The ocean view rooms are the same footprint as before and the bathrooms have been completely redone as well. Now there is a new deluxe oceanview category room, these have a much larger bathroom with huge soaking tub, rain shower, and it's own separate verandah - I'm not sure I get that but the idea is that you can have private massage or spa services there if you like.
Not just the rooms but all of the restaurants were taken down to the studs and redone, a new spa, new gym, new building for the golf club house and new restaurant there too. I don't golf but the course was also renovated and from what I've been told, while the views are still fabulous the course is even tougher than before! We did eat at all but one of the restaurants and while I can say that the food overall was very good, the prices are up there. Since you'll probably have a rental car if staying here, give your wallet a break and drive 10 minutes to the Cafe Pesto in Kawaihae for a great meal at half the price.
Many guests have stayed here year after year and have brought their families with them. One of the nice extras that the hotel does is a complimentary family photo, so that if you come back again and again you've got a record of the kids and grandkids as they grow up at the resort.
A couple of years back when staying at another resort further south, we discovered Kekaha Kai State Park. It's about a 25 minute drive from Mauna Kea, then a terrible unpaved road access for about 2 miles that takes another 20 minutes in a rental car. But the beach is worth it, we call it Turtle Beach because the first time we went, there were a couple of turtles in the waves with us! This time just one popped his head up to check out the tourists. During the week there's hardly anyone there and if you go early you might have the sandy white cove all to yourself.
It was a short couple of days but easy to relax and get on Hawaii time when you've got that beach to lure you away from all your cares. The Mauna Kea is still a grand hotel, and while it may not be for everyone it has a certain "sense" of Hawaii that's hard to beat.
