Mauna Kea Beach Hotel

The architecture of this classic resort is unique and contains a marvelous collection of oriental art incorporated in the design. It sits above a beautiful semi-private beach with a stunning view out over the ocean. It is away from the main tourist areas and the quiet is lovely. The staff could not be nicer or more helpful and obviously work in a place they are very proud of. The food is also of the highest caliber.

We were greeted with a lea and were led to a beautiful ocean view room in the beach club area. It is a beautiful resort with many antiques from the Rockefeller collection. The amenities were lovely - 2- robes, terry and Japanese style. 2- sinks plenty of storage and hangers. The only criticism is that the food is very expensive ($80 for 2- breakfast buffets including tax and tip) and average.

If you think that there is even a low speed internet access at this hotel, think again. It is FAR worse than a third world country. When connected, and this is iffy, the download speed averages 5kbs, often zero kbs. So if you think you can even get emails, think again. AND you pay a premium for this non-service. So, if you need internet access, bring your own satellite receiver.

This place is a hidden gem. There's a private beach and really amazing snorkeling. We've seen turtles both trips to the Mauna Kea. On this trip, we saw huge schools of fish and turtles 5 feet from the shore. We've also been able to see Manta rays in the evenings. The staff work really hard to keep the rooms clean. They clean your room and replenish your towels twice a day and have turn down service as standard service. It's the perfect place to mellow out, enjoy white sandy beaches, snorkel and relax. Water is not too rough so it's great for people who aren't great swimmers. This is our favorite place to stay on the Big Island. We will continue to stay at the Mauna Kea.

While the hotel is a great location with the beach...the best on this side of the island, the hotel likes taking your money. $14 for a Mai Tai while you can get them downtown for $5, and $20 for a hamburger...please Mauna Kea (or Money Keepa) As a resort, one would have thought certain things were included...we wanted to play tennis and the charge was $50 to use the court, $10 per racquet and 10 for a 3 pack of balls. While I understand the equipment rental fee, $25 per person to play on the court was outrageous!!!!! Plus a $15 per night parking fee when the hotel is effectively 30 miles from anything....As a 5-star, we expected a better class of service, we shouldn't have had to ask for more cream everyday, the glasses should have been restocked without asking, and for the price paid per room along with the remoteness of the hotel location, it sure seems they could have taken care of their guests better!

Beautiful beach, warm staff, nice rooms, good fitness center. Complimentary yoga classes.

The Mauna Kea is a wonderful, quiet, location for a Hawaiian getaway!! The grounds and Beach are the best kept in all the Islands! They wait on you as if you were the only ones there! The meals and rooms are wonderful. Food is expensive, but well worth the cost. The morning buffets and the Monetes Dining was out of this world. I would recommend the hotel to everyone, looking for a romantic getaway.

We love the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel and have been returning to this wonderful location for over 40yrs. While the resort has made some lovely updates, we were disappointed in two important areas: 1- there is no longer shuttle service available between the two resort properties 2- wireless internet service is VERY expensive ($15/day per device)

This is the best beach resort that I have been to on any of the Hawaiian islands. The beach was fantastic. The snorkeling was fantastic. Food was great but on the expensive side which was expected. Rooms were large and elegant. Staff very attentive. Drinks potent and tasty. Orbitz was able to put a package together that no one else could touch which made the stay very affordable. Went late September when there were no crowds which was wonderful as well. Would stay longer and play golf (looked like a good course) the next time I come.

The Mauna Kea Beach is the perfect resort hotel. Enjoy the Tuesday night luau. Snorkel both sides of the bay. In early morning, there are usually turtles on the south side, and I saw a manta on the north. Scuba dive with Kohala Divers four miles north in Kawaehei.