Review by
David Morris
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- I spent five nights with my mom at the Four Seasons Hualalai on Hawaii's Big Island.
- The resort is not cheap: Our room with a partial ocean view was $1,723 a night.
- Overall, the resort was beautiful with fantastic amenities and solid food.
I've visited Hawaii many times, but am always drawn back to Kona on the Big Island.
Though Kauai has jaw-dropping natural beauty and Maui has a vibrantly buzzy energy, I love the Big Island's slower pace, ancient lava fields, and luxury resorts.
In Kona, I've previously stayed in private homes as well as at high-end resorts, including the newly reopened Rosewood Kona Village.
This time, I tried something new and headed to the Four Seasons Hualalai. I'm typically a fan of Four Seasons resorts and was excited to check out the property with my mom.
As it's one of the most expensive hotels in the area, I definitely had high expectations. Here's what our stay was like.
The hotel wasn't too far from the airport.
My mom and I flew into Kona International Airport, which is only about a 15-minute drive from the resort. Staff greeted us as our car pulled up, and we were given leis and offered a welcome drink.
We'd booked a partial-ocean-view room, which was priced at $1,723 a night, including taxes. Rates vary by room type and time of year, but stays here are typically over $1,000 a night.
As we checked in, we were told we'd been upgraded to a premium-view room. This could've been because I booked the trip through my travel advisor, who often helps me get priority for upgrades.
Since it was only noon and the room wasn't yet ready, we took a walk around the property.
The grounds and pools looked immaculate.
The property spans over 850 acres, featuring several pools, restaurants, a golf course, over 200 rooms, a spa, and more.
Most of the rooms are arranged in crescent-shaped blocks centered around the property's main pools. Each offers unique vibes and amenities.
The Palm Grove Pool has a swim-up bar and is only for adults. I'd say this pool had the liveliest vibe throughout our trip.
The Sea Shell pool is geared toward families. We didn't use it, but the kids there seemed to love it.
Our favorite pool turned out to be the Beach Tree Pool, which was often very quiet. I loved the wood deck, free-to-use cabanas, and oceanfront jacuzzi.
Regardless of which pool we visited, though, service was excellent, and we never struggled to find lounge chairs. Attendants regularly offered to clean our sunglasses and bring us complimentary drinks and popsicles.
There's also an "ocean pool" on the property.
The property has a "pool" along the beach that's carved out of lava rock. It's essentially the best spot on the property if you want to take a calm swim in the ocean.
Our room was located by King's Pond, which is a natural aquarium.
Our room overlooked King's Pond and the ocean beyond it.
Carved out of rock, the pond serves as an aquarium, housing over 1,000 tropical fish. It's also a unique snorkeling spot reserved for guests.
Just above it, there's a pool, hot tubs, and a marine center staffed by friendly biologists eager to share more about the local wildlife.
Set back from the guest rooms is the spa and fitness center.
The spa hales are nestled in a tranquil garden that's open to all guests, even those not booking treatments. Walking through the pebble-lined river felt like getting a free reflexology session.
Later in the trip, I booked a traditional Hawaiian massage at the spa.
The service was solid, and I appreciated the thatched-hut setup, which allowed for an open-air breeze during my treatment.
I passed a lap pool and workout areas as well.
There's an Olympic-style lap pool nestled between the property's spa and gym.
The gym area also seemed impressively equipped with outdoor cardio and strength areas, colorful weights, a basketball court, and group fitness rooms.
As we checked into our room, I was impressed by how spacious it felt.
Standard guest rooms here are 635 square feet, and pricing varies based on view category.
Our room felt spacious, featuring two queen beds, a desk area, a dining table with chairs, a large TV, a minibar, and a coffee maker.
A tablet allowed us to order room service and request amenities or housekeeping with just a few taps.
There was plenty of storage throughout the space.
The room's main area had plenty of drawers for storage, and the walk-in, double-sided closet provided ample space for organizing our belongings.
It came equipped with plenty of hangers, a few additional drawers, a safe, umbrellas, bathrobes, and extra pillows and blankets.
The bathroom seemed thoughtfully designed as well.
I appreciated that the bathroom had a separate bathtub and walk-in shower, as well as dual sinks, generous counter space, and open shelving for easy access to toiletries and personal items.
I especially loved the view from our room.
Our room's private lanai, a covered outdoor balcony, was furnished with a table, chairs, and a couch, making it a perfect place to relax while taking in the view.
Though the partial-ocean-view room would have been more than fine, our unobstructed view of the water made the space feel extra special.
Dining options on the property felt plentiful.
The property has several restaurants and casual dining options.
Alongside the beach is Beach Tree, a coastal Italian-inspired restaurant that highlights fresh, local Hawaiian ingredients, blending Mediterranean flavors with the island's unique produce and seafood.
Located near the 18th hole of the golf course, Residents' Beach House is a somewhat simple restaurant that serves some great fish tacos and pizzas.
'ULU serves Hawaiian and Asian cuisine with a focus on fresh, local ingredients and seafood. We went there most mornings because its breakfast buffet was included in our particular booking.
In the evening, 'ULU became more of a fine-dining pan-Asian spot.
We also made a few stops at the Hualalai Trading Company.
The property's Hualalai Trading Company was a solid option for grab-and-go bites.
In addition to serving as a charming, country-style store with pastries and local ice cream, it offered counter service for breakfast and lunch.
The property's Miller & Lux had the best steak we've had in Hawaii.
This Miller & Lux is a chef Tyler Florence restaurant, so I wasn't surprised that the food was top tier.
The tableside service included everything from Caesar salad prep to Dover sole butchery. The steak we had here was incredible.
Our favorite restaurant on the property was NOIO.
Located above 'ULU, NOIO had the best views on the property.
The sushi lounge offered an excellent $400-per-person omakase, which felt really balanced and artistically presented. This was one of our favorite meals of our whole stay.
Chartering the resort's private catamaran was a highlight of the trip.
My favorite moments were spent taking long walks, finding quiet sandy corners, and chartering a private catamaran at the resort.
On the last day of our trip, we booked the 46-foot sailing catamaran for three hours. We were able to customize the experience to focus on spotting wildlife and snorkeling — and we even saw dolphins and sea turtles.
The experience was a splurge at $3,500, but worth it.
Overall, we had a phenomenal stay.
We've visited Hawaii many times and have stayed at Four Seasons on Lanai, Maui, and here on the Big Island. Each property offers a distinctly different feel, but the one on Kona is my favorite.
I love the raw beauty and the surreal landscape of black lava fields along the coast. It's the kind of place that really lets you check out.
I also appreciated how the Hualalai resort seemed to lean into a relaxed country-club feel. Ultimately, this trip was easy, restorative, and exactly the kind of recharge I was looking for.
At this price point, value is always subjective — but for a true getaway that allowed me to spend quality time with my mom, this stay was worth it.
I tend to choose properties based on sense of place, authenticity, and experience, and the Four Seasons continues to deliver on all fronts.
