gorgeous setting! magical beach with excellent snorkeling. nice rooms (pay the premium for an ocean front room). very, very, very nice and competent service. the hotel's upscale manta restaurant is very good. haven't tried the more casual beach cafe yet. swimming pool is ok, nothing special. large, comfortable bar area with intelligent seating options. dynamite sunsets. we had dinner at... More

My partner's travel agent friend recommended the Mauna Kea for our first trip to the BIg Island, and, as usual, she was right on the money. As all of the reviewers note, the beach is just about as nice as any beach anywhere -- it's what most people would picture when they think of Hawaii. As for the hotel, we... More

This place was awesome, we got to go for free because of an award trip from my company but I would pay to go back. The food was very good and the staff was above average. Our view was great and the beach was wonderful. Great snorkeling and you could see whales breaching in the distance from our balcony. 5... More

My wife and I spent three days in May at these unique, fantastic, and restful resort. One is immediately impressed upon entering the grounds of this beautiful hotel/spa/resort. The grounds are meticulously kept and maintained. The staff is very welcoming and pleasant. Dinning at the Manta restaurant was an experience as the view of the beach and ocean make for... More

We are checking out this morning after spending two relaxed, wonderful evenings. We have been staying at the Mauna Kea for over 20 years, originally when there were no TVs or air conditioning. This visit, we stayed at the Plumeria Beach ocean-front wing and were very satisfied with our room. It fronts one of the best beaches in the world.... More

I have been to Hawaii well over a dozen times and have stayed most of the top hotels (Ritz, Four Seasons, St Regis etc...). This is the second time I have stayed at the Mauna Kea and it is still our favorite hotel. We stayed for 8 nights wanting to do nothing but relax. We didn't even rent a car... More

We just returned from six days at Mauna Kea. This was my beloved and well-traveled mom's favorite resort in the world. She passed away in 2010. My husband and I decided it would be fitting to celebrate what would have been Mom's 90th birthday on May 3rd at this legendary hotel she loved. We stopped at a market on our... More

The worst service of any hotel I have ever stayed at. I've stayed all over the world and yet never, ever had such lousy service. It's very sad because this property is on one of the world's best beaches. Tip, stay elsewhere and use the free state beach here. From arrival to departure we were faced with angry, disinterested employees... More

The Mauna Kea Beach Hotel was the final hotel in our 2 week honeymoon to Maui and the Big Island. Though unexpected, we were able to check-in to our 6th floor room early and we were able to unpack and be on the beach by noon. Check in was easy in the open lobby and we were greeted with leis,... More