The ten Best Luxury Resorts in Hawai’i to Book Right Now

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This story originally published in January 2024. It was updated with latest information in August 2026.

There are various the reason why travelers are drawn many times to the Hawaiian islands, whether it’s the natural great thing about the beaches and rainforests or the mix of wealthy cultures that return centuries. The perfect resorts here offer visitors myriad ways to attach more deeply with the archipelago’s cultural heritage and sumptuous landscapes.

As a part of our Hotels We Love series, we’ve gathered a listing of our 10 all-time favorite places to remain within the Hawaiian Islands. In the gathering below, you’ll find resorts that excel in various experiences, from well-being to family travel.

Fairmont Kea Lani

The Fairmont Kea Lani is one of the vital family-friendly options in Maui’s Wailea resort community. The property’s 413 one-bedroom suites and 37 two-story villas are amongst the most important on the island; the smallest suites start at 860 square feet, while the two-and three-bedroom villas start at 1,800 square feet and up. Family-friendly features include separate sleeping and living areas, furnished outdoor spaces, sleeper sofas, and kitchen facilities; villas encourage group gatherings with plunge pools and barbecue grills.

Visit the open-air cultural center Hale Kukuna next to the resort’s lobby for each every day programming similar to lei making and curated collections of Hawaiian books, artifacts, and artwork. A 140-foot waterslide connects two lagoon-style pools, while an adults-only pool offers more tranquility. Guests can even enjoy outrigger canoe journeys and locally inspired treatments on the Willow Stream Spa. The five on-site restaurants include Kō, with a menu inspired by family recipes from the varied cultures of Maui’s plantation era, and Pilina, an oceanfront bar and lounge with sustainably sourced sushi.

Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa

The low-rise Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa is tucked amongst lagoon-style pools and tropical gardens on Kauaʻi’s sunny South Shore. Its 605 rooms, including 42 suites, are styled in coral, blue, and sand hues with ample wood accents, in addition to a non-public lanai and a spacious marble bath. Between snacking on bar-side sushi or dining at an open-air seafood-and-steak restaurant, guests can book experiences like ʻohe kapala (using bamboo stamps to design clothing) on the cultural center. A 3,000-square-foot hydroponic garden produces 400 to 600 kilos of lettuce, microgreens, and herbs each week for the restaurants.

Bungalow-style wood cabanas were recently constructed on the banks of the resort’s one-and-a-half-acre saltwater lagoon, allowing exclusive access to a non-public section of the lagoon’s beach. For individuals who want to offer back, the resort’s Enrich program offers volunteer opportunities starting from beach cleanups to walking shelter dogs.

Kona Village, a Rosewood Resort

Along the shores of Kahuwai Bay on the Kona Coast, Kona Village, a Rosewood Resort, reopened in 2023 after a devastating tsunami in 2011 destroyed the resort. Today, Kona Village pays homage to the centuries-long legacy of local land stewardship under the guidance of a cultural committee. A cultural center pays tribute to sacred archaeological sites and anchialine pools (enclosed ponds with an underground connection to the ocean).

The 150 guest hale, or “rooms,” which range from one to 4 bedrooms, have large lanais and outdoor showers. Home to the most important privately owned microgrid within the state, Kona Village can operate fully on renewable energy and solar energy. The resort has an on-site farm for the 4 bars and restaurants, which highlight Hawaiian and Pacific Rim cuisine. Sybarites can benefit from the recently introduced Hoʻōla Harmonic Massage (pairing intuitive massage with sound bath), amongst other experiences within the integrative wellness program at Asaya Spa, or they’ll visit the 4 outdoor pools. Don’t miss Kona Village’s thoughtful cultural experiences; they include a sunrise outrigger canoe paddle and sailing lessons from modern-day Polynesian voyagers.

Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, Autograph Collection

Built on Kaunaʻoa Bay by Laurance S. Rockefeller as Hawaiʻi Island’s first resort, Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, Autograph Collection, recently accomplished a virtually $240 million, multiyear transformation, marking probably the most significant investment within the resort’s history. The 252 guest rooms, including 10 suites, have been completely redesigned with contemporary furnishings that honor the hotel’s midcentury-modern architecture and spacious lanais with lounge daybeds.

Manta restaurant offers sunset views and island-inspired flavors like Kona Kampachi and native lobster. Hau Tree serves casual lunches by day, including Parker Ranch burgers and ahi poke bowls, before turning right into a cantina by night with catch-of-the-day ceviche and Baja-style tacos. Pursue wellness and leisure goals on the expanded Spa at Mauna Kea, play 18 holes on the revitalized Mauna Kea Golf Course, which was originally designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr., or take a self-guided tour of the Rockefeller Art Collection—one in every of Hawaiʻi’s most vital collections of Pacific and Asian art. Guest programming embraces Hawaiian culture with poi-making classes; paddling outrigger canoes; and learning to play konane, a technique board game.

Mauna Lani, Auberge Collection

On the sun-soaked Kohala Coast, Mauna Lani’s 333 guest rooms, including 36 suites, have hardwood floors, natural fabrics, and personal lanais with either mountain or ocean views. Guests searching for cultural knowledge can visit the resort’s Hale ʻIʻike (house of data), which displays traditional Hawaiian artifacts similar to shark-tooth weapons and holds regular ukulele jams.

Visitors can even take a family-friendly guided petroglyph hike within the nearby Puakō Petroglyph Archaeological Preserve or catch up with to the Pacific Ocean by snorkeling or canoe fishing. Golf fans flock to Mauna Lani’s world-class North and South Courses, while three pools are perfect for lounging. Among the many five on-site restaurants and lounges are beachfront CanoeHouse—with Japanese-inspired dishes from Rhoda Magbitang, recent winner of Top Chef Season 23—to the toes-in-the-sand Surf Shack for poke and fish tacos. The brand new Francis Brown Club is a non-public lounge with oceanfront spaces, personalized concierge service, and priority access to the resort’s most-coveted experiences.

1 Hotel Hanalei Bay

An oceanside sanctuary overlooking Kauaʻi’s North Shore, 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay is serious about sustainability. The resort has roofs that reduce and filter stormwater runoff and uses furniture comprised of salvaged wood. It’s also replaced non-native and invasive species on the property with endemic and Polynesian-introduced vegetation.

The 252 rooms (51 are suites) are clad in floors fashioned by hand from local black basalt, and decorated with reclaimed teak and abaca furniture. The property’s expansive Nature’s Wellness Sanctuary includes the 18,000-square-foot Bamford Wellness Spa, a ten,000-square-foot Anatomy fitness center, cutting-edge diagnostics with Vitality Kauaʻi, and immersive outdoor experiences. Drop in at any of the seven restaurants that give attention to sustainable food sourcing, including Welina Terrace for such Japanese-inspired shared plates as chili hamachi and native ahi roll.

The Ritz-Carlton Maui, Kapalua

On cliffs overlooking Honokahua Bay, the secluded Ritz-Carlton Maui, Kapalua, is about on 22,000 acres amongst towering trees. The 468 guestrooms, suites, and residences all have private terraces and floor-to-ceiling windows and are decorated in sand tones with blue and green accents and custom wood finishes. Introduced in 2023, the 33 Fire Lanai Collection rooms and suites designed have prolonged lanais with private fire pits and enormous dining tables.

Robust programming of greater than 70 immersions per week includes yoga, wine tasting, stargazing, and lei poʻo making. For those who’re here during whale season (December through April), you may spy the big animals all day long from the resort’s grounds. Consider a family-friendly coastal hike or an e-bike tour with Jean-Michel Cousteau’s education program Ambassadors of the Environment (or lounge in a cabana near the resort’s massive, three-tiered pool). Golfers desperate to test their skills can tee off on the Plantation Course, set on a historic pineapple plantation.

The Ritz-Carlton Oʻahu, Turtle Bay

On Oʻahu’s North Shore, the Ritz-Carlton Oʻahu, Turtle Bay, has 408 guest rooms and suites and 42 waterfront Ocean Bungalows which are decorated in light wood and earth tones and have ocean views. Sea and land are central to the hotel experience: Learn to surf with a lesson on the Jamie O’Brien Surf Experience, take a kayak tour to spy sea turtles, go on a non-public nighttime snorkeling expedition, golf on the 18-hole championship Arnold Palmer Course, or go horseback riding along the beach. Guests have walking-distance access to seven secluded beaches and three on-site pools.

The hotel’s commitment to environmental sustainability is obvious in all places: a virtually 700-kilowatt rooftop solar photovoltaic system, smart thermostats that help optimize energy use, water-efficient fixtures, and xeriscaping. Meals are prepared with produce from the resort’s Kuilima Farm, a plot of land five minutes by automotive from the hotel that’s permanently dedicated to agricultural use.

Related: This Amazing Resort on O‘ahu Is Your Go-To Spot for Nature, Browsing, and More

The Royal Hawaiian, a Luxury Collection Resort

Inbuilt the Roaring ’20s and dubbed the “Pink Palace” for its pink Spanish Moorish exterior, the Royal Hawaiian, a Luxury Collection Resort, ushered in a latest glamorous age of Waikīkī Beach. Positioned on the previous playground for such royals as King Kamehameha I, the oceanfront resort endures as a neighborhood grande dame. Its breezy portico lined with rocking chairs and garden pathways lit by torches are a reminder that the romance of old Waikīkī lives on.

The 528 rooms, including 33 suites, are full of vintage koa furnishings and historic photographs of Waikīkī. Start your day with the famous Pink Palace pancakes at Surf Lanai before lounging by the pools, or reserve a non-public chaise lounge and umbrella set on Waikīkī Beach. Within the evening, get a drink on the buzzy Mai Tai Bar before savoring a seafood-forward, four-course tasting menu at beachfront restaurant Azure.

Sensei Lānaʻi, a 4 Seasons Resort

Tucked within the green heart of the island amid tranquil meditation gardens and an enviable art collection, the adults-only Sensei Lānaʻi, a 4 Seasons Resort, weaves together personalized wellness programs with consultations, spa treatments, fitness classes, lectures, and island adventures—not to say every day dining from Nobu. Recent metabolic health and cognitive fitness programs apply real-time data and private guidance.

The 96 guest rooms and suites are done in soothing creams and tans and have views of towering pine trees or sculpture-filled lush gardens. Spa treatments occur in private hale with indoor and outdoor showers, infrared saunas, Japanese ofuro bathtubs, and personal plunge pools. Lounge by the pool or enjoy island activities, sometimes shared with guests from sister property, 4 Seasons Lānaʻi. At Sensei by Nobu, sample Nobu classics, similar to miso-marinated black cod, and dishes that incorporate the property’s dietary philosophy.

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