GETAWAYS • Hawaii
The “lani” — heaven in Hawaiian — is in the details at the Mauna Lani Auberge resort on the Kohala Coast of Hawaii’s Big Island. The 34-acre oceanfront property sits along a half mile of coastline surrounded by volcanic peaks.
Built in the early ’80s, the hotel operated as the Mauna Lani Resort until 2018 when the property underwent a $200 million dollar renovation and reemerged in 2020 in its reborn form
It’s best to begin a morning here with a sunrise outrigger canoe paddle. The adventure is led by a guide who shares stories and traditional Hawaiian chants before welcoming you to jump into the Pacific as the sun rises over Mauna Kea.
Later in the day, snorkeling from the white sand beaches will likely provide views of sea turtles and an array of iridescent Hawaiian tropical fish who feed on the thriving coral reef.
For a luxury resort, eating spicy tuna poke over rice, hot dogs, sandwiches, and fresh fruit smoothies while dressed in your sandy swimsuit at the surf shack or delivered to your clamshell lounge chair at the beach club: refreshingly casual. The property’s destination-worthy oceanfront restaurant, Canoe House, shines with Japanese-influenced dishes like spinach ohitashi topped with creamy Hokkaido uni, shaved daikon radish salad with crispy salmon skin, and roasted nori tossed in wasabi aioli along with mains like beautifully cooked Akaushi strip loin steak.
Like most hotels along the Hawaiian coast, this is a resort filled with tourists. But at every turn, there’s a sense of reverence to its origin. With hours-long historic walking tours through Kalāhuipuaʻa ancient fishponds, petroglyphs and lava tubes led by a community elder name Pi-i who is incredibly rich with knowledge of the sea turtles, the land’s history, and tradition, this place feels special. –Heather Platt
→ Mauna Lani (Big Island, Hawaii) • 68-1400 Mauna Lani Dr • Rates from $1200/wknd night.