Mauna Kea Beach Hotel - detailed hotel review and pictures Latest Update:    Mauna Kea Beach Resort closed its doors on December 1, 2006, due to the structural damage from the earthquake that shook the Big Island on October 15th, 2006. There are still no definite plans for renovation and re-opening of the hotel.     If you are looking for accommodations similar to Mauna Kea, we recommend booking The Fairmont Orchid Hawaii (secluded elegant resort in Mauna Lani area) or Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel (quite resort facing the best white sand beach on the island).    Table of Contents: 1. Location - On a pristine white-sand beach 2. Rooms - Which rooms have the best view? 3. Restaurants - See 5 reviews 4. Things to do - Read about beach activities, golf, tennis, spa, stargazing and children's program 5. Rates - How you can get a good deal 6. Have you stayed at Mauna Kea Beach Hotel before? - Share your thoughts! 7. Not sure if this hotel is right for you? - Consider comparable hotels
1. Location    Mauna Kea Beach Hotel was built by Laurance Rockefeller in 1965, and he really knew how to do things right. The beach in front of the hotel is considered the most beautiful beach on the island. You just want to snap pictures of the beach from every vantage point!    The property is very large, so Mauna Kea Hotel has a relaxed, uncrowded feeling. Winding paths meander past gardens, koi ponds, and 3 modern restaurants with designs inspired by Buddhist temples. As the final touch, Rockefeller installed a collection of museum-quality Hawaiian and Polynesian art throughout the hotel and its grounds. You can see the 18th-century gilt bronze Thai Buddhist disciples at the entrance to the lobby; Japanese tonsu chests; the New Guinea and Solomon Islands drums and authentic Hawaiian quilts.    Mauna Kea Beach Hotel is an incredibly quiet, relaxing, Zen kind of place. It seems immune to change. Many of its guests first checked in as children, and now return with families of their own. Mauna Kea Hotel was probably the last hotel in Hawaii to install TVs in the rooms. When the hotel tried to replace its signature bright orange towels with something more contemporary, they got such an outpouring from the guests that the idea was immediately dropped. 2. Rooms    Natural pastel tones and real woods make rooms well appointed and cozy. Touches of dark wood, especially in the bathroom, create old-time Hawaiian elegance. Floors are laid out with beautiful marble. Large windows let cooling trade winds in and you can enjoy the unforgettable smell of salty ocean air any time.    The screen door to the lanai is an entire wall, glass or shutters, so you can fall asleep listening to the ocean. Lanai is quite big, with a chaise, couple of chairs and a table. It is walled off from adjoining lanais, so you will have a lot of privacy.    Garden view rooms, located in the main building, overlook open courtyards with koi ponds and trees. Ocean view rooms cannot be beaten! If you request 5th floor or higher, all you will see is the perfect white crescent of Kaunaoa Beach some 500 feet below, sprinkled with white hotel chaises and bordered by the high-tide line. The view is so perfect, it feels like you are in the middle of a movie scene. There are 300 rooms. Each room has: Beds: 1 king or 2 doubles Air-conditioning Private lanai Refrigerator Mini chill box with bottled water replenished daily Small TV Cute orange slippers and Japanese robes Hair dryer Free safe Nightly turndown service 3. Restaurants    1) Sunday Brunch    Locals rave about it! The menu includes a sushi bar, extravagant chilled seafood bar, special carving stations and decadent desserts.    2) Luau (every Tue)    The celebration starts with the ceremonial opening of the imu (undeground oven) pit with a roasted big. It is followed by the buffet-style dinner where you can savour many traditional and regional Hawaiian foods, and a colorful show. Mauna Kea has some of the best hula dancers - Kumu Hula Nani Lim and her award-winning hula troupe will enchant you with their ancient and modern Hawaiian songs and dances.    3) Hau Tree/Gazebo    This classic thatched-roof cocktail hut sits right on the island's best beach. It is a lovely place to enjoy the sunset, listen to gentle live Hawaiian music and watch hula dancing. You can also get a light meal, such as salad, sandwich, sushi or dessert.    Every Sat, Hau Tree serves the famous Clambake Buffet. Don't miss the best seafood buffet on Kohala Coast! Menu options are endless - Keahole Maine lobster, sashimi, shrimp, crab, oysters, mussels and clams, plus Prime Ribs of Beef and a lavish dessert bar. The buffet is served at the Hau Tree.    4) Batik     The decor is elegant and exotic, food decadent and flavorful. Cuisine can be described as creative Euro-Asian. Enjoy Spicy Thai Curry, Venison Loin and Crusted Opah (moonfish), local-grown cold water lobster and fresh specialty produce from Big Island gardens. The decadent dessert menu includes the Grand Marnier Souffle, warm Vlarhona Chocolate Cake and Green Apple Fritters with Apple Ice. The wine list is eclectic, and the cocktail lounge serves top-shelf liquors and unusual mized drinks.    5) The Pavilion at Manta Ray Point    This place offers a lavish breakfast buffet to start your day (about $25 per person). For dinner, come early if you want a table on the wide lanai overlooking Kauna'oa Bay. Indulge yourself with fabulous Big Island seafood, grill-top specialties and light pasta and pizza dishes. After dinner, stroll down the walkway to Manta Ray Point and enjoy the show provided by those wild rays drawn to the light. 4. Things to do Beach activities    The private beach at Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, which is steps away from your room, is the only natural white sand beach on the Kohala Coast. It is usually rated #1 or #2 on the Beast Beaches of the World in travel magazines. It looks like a crescent covered with pure white sands and surrounded by shimmering aqua waters. It is perfect for many water activities, including swimming, snorkeling, scuba, sailing, kayaking, catamaran riding, whale watching (Dec-Apr) and deep-sea fishing. At night, you can walt to a circular lava outcropping overlooking the Bay to watch the manta rays swim beneath.    Unlike other hotels, Mauna Kea Hotel does not make you stake out your lounge chair before breakfast. Beach staff will help you set up the cabana and even deliver lunch to you on the beach. Golf    The 18-hole Mauna Kea Golf Course, designed by Robert Trent Jones, Sr., was named "Number One Golf Course in Hawaii" by Golf Digest. Ocean vistas are breathtaking! The course's most dramatic feature is the famous Third Hole, where surging Pacific inlet waters race to meet the rocky shorline, creating one of the most photographed landscapes in golf today.    Guest rate: $130 in 2004. Tennis    The Seaside Tennis Club is one of the best tennis facilities in Hawaii. 11 plexipave courts are arrayed along the shorline, with 2 more by the hotel's beachfront wing. A shaded lanai, video service, ball maching, tournament planning and individual game-matching are just a few of the services provided. Private and group lessons are offere by the pros Kerry Crowell and Dan Klug, as wells as Director of Tenis Craig Pautler. Spa and Fitness Center    The Spa has many massage and spa treatments to choose from, including: - Golfer's Massage    A specific 55-min massage that concentrates on releasing muscle tightness to help your golf game. - Ocean Front Massage    The tradewinds will caress you and the sound of the waves will lull you into a state of deep relaxation as you lie under the shade of the Kiawe trees. - Tandem Touch    Two therapists, four soothing hands create the ultimate hour-long massage experience. - Hawaiian Salt Body Glow    The therapist will apply natural exfoliating mix, and then a gentle loofa scrub to purify, renew and soften your skin. Then aloe vera treatment will soothe and calm your body. - Emotional Rescue    Specially blended oils work on the limbic (emotional) system to clear negative energy and restore balance. - 7th Heaven Aroma Reiki    Seven important oil blends are applied to palance the pineal and pituitary glands to help you attain a higher spritual frequency.    Mauna Kea Spa also offers Fitness Center (regular workout equipment, aerobic classes, steam room and sauna) and Beauty Salon (facials, manicure, pedicure, hair care). Best of all, the admission to the fitness center is free! Stargazing    The sky over Kohala is so consistently clear that even in the midmorning, you can still see the moon hanging over the ocean. Stargazing is one of the most popular activities available at nearby Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel. A high-powered telescope is set up 3 nights a week. You can view constellations, galaxies and planets and listen to the astronomer's explanations. Children's Program    Little guys can enjoy days of fun under the sun while you relax by the pool or beach, or play golf. Activities change daily and include Hawaiian arts and crafts, pole fishing, T-shirt painting, supervized pool swims, beach treasure/scavenger hunts. Open to children 5-12 years old. Half day (9am-noon) - $25; full-day (9am-4pm, including lunch) - $50 in 2004. Other facilities include: Fresh flower lei when you check in Free shuttle to the neighbor Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel Free valet and self-parking	Mauna Kea Beach Hotel:   Grounds:   Room (2 pictures):     Lanai in Premier Ocean View Room:   Clambake Buffet at Hau Tree Restaurant:   Batik Restaurant:   Beach:   Golf:   Tennis:
5. Rates Save $56-$132 per night when you book our wholesale rate, plus get a 5th night free.      Our rates are lower than Travelocity, Expedia and Orbitz.      Check rates and availability here! 6. Have you stayed at Mauna Kea Beach Hotel before? Share your thoughts!    Email us your comments about Mauna Kea Hotel and we'll post them on this page!    Note: Your contact information will be kept strictly confidential.    We respect your privacy and we'll never sell or misuse your email address.    Your email:    Your name:    How did you like your stay at Mauna Kea Beach Hotel?            7. Not sure if this hotel is right for you? Consider comparable hotels    Here are the links to similar hotels: The Fairmont Orchid Hawaii (5 stars) and Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel (5 stars).    Want to check out other hotels on Big Island? See all 21 hotels and condos. home  |  plan your trip  |  specials  |  faqs  |  about us  |  contact us © 1999-2007 Hawaii Travel Bureau. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy. Terms and Conditions.