Four Seasons Resort Hualalai has been named as Hawaii’s number one Resort in Travel + Leisure’s “World’s Best Awards.” The resort has again claimed the number one spot as the best resort in Hawaii and occupies the 40th position on the Top 100 Hotels. What’s more is that this being the 10th consecutive year that the hotel has been featured in this list, it has now been noted as a “Hall of Fame” entry.
“We’re honored that the readers of Travel + Leisure have again recognized Four Seasons Resort Hualalai as the #1 resort in Hawaii and one of the world’s best resorts,” says Robert Whitfield, regional vice president, and general manager of Four Seasons Resort Hualalai. “Our team constantly strives to create amazing experiences for our guests, all with the aloha spirit.”
The Resort sits in the ancient land division that was once a thriving fishing village. The hotel opened in the September of 1996 and has 243 rooms with 192 guest rooms and 51 suites. Initially designed by James Northcutt Associates, now called Wilson and Associates, the property’s design aesthetics feature low-rise bungalows in mid-20th-century Hawaiian style with natural woods and a neutral color palette. The resort has been designed to maximize ocean views and encompasses the natural lava formations.
What is better than unwinding yourself at a wonderful spa providing some of the most authentic therapies. One can rejuvenate with the 50-minute Polynesian Niu (Coconut) Scrub or completely loosen out with the Hualālai Hot Rock Massage. The spa features distinct therapies including Apothecary – signature body wraps and scrubs made with 100% natural plant and mineral resources, many from Hawaii, custom-blended for each guest by a Spa Concierge or the Waiea Garden (Water of Life) technique, featuring a streamlined with multi-textured rocks from around the island.
Under Executive Chef James Babian’s command, the resort houses three restaurants; Pahu i`a, Hualalai Grille, and the Beach Tree, and also a lounge – Lava Lounge. Hualalai Grille recently reopened as a classic American steakhouse with local flair. Set above the18th green of the famed Hualalai Golf Course, Hualalai Grille evokes a contemporary club feel with dark woods and magnificent golf course and ocean views. Hualalai Grille offers steakhouse classics with twists on traditional sides serving prime steaks, kurobuta pork, and local fish and chicken. Chef James Ebreo’s signature dishes include seared bigeye tuna, a 21-ounce bone-in ribeye, battered onion rings, Hamakua mushrooms, and mac nut toffee ice cream pie.
The Bar offers a relaxed atmosphere with a selection of small plates, including house rubbed brisket, crab cakes, and oysters with mango mignonette and an extensive wine list, beer selection, signature cocktails, and flat-screen TVs with all the games.
Tuscan Nights occur every Friday night at Beach Tree, with a beachside barbeque and Tuscan-inspired menu served family-style. Beach Tree’s Ohana Table is offered every Monday at 6:00 pm. This four-course communal table dinner includes antipasti, pasta, main course (will vary between seafood, beef, boar, and chicken), and dessert. Served family-style, each dish is presented by the Chef himself.
The resort features 8 tennis courts, an 18-hole golf course, and many off-site activities like fishing, hiking, and horseback riding. There are 7 pools in all, including a lap pool, two adult pools, a family-friendly pool, and two specialty pools. Keiki Pool is a children’s pool that is a free-form sand-bottomed wading pool. King’s Pond – a 1.8-million-gallon (6.8-million-litre) lava rock aquarium, is home to over 4,000 tropical fish and spotted eagle rays.
The Palm Grove Pool is an adults-only, tension-edged pool that measures approximately 40 feet from its basalt entry steps to its ocean-facing crescent edge and 50 feet across. A generous whirlpool is set against a 2,500-square-foot (232-square-metre) deck made from Brazilian ipê hardwood and basalt planking. The resort also has 3 open-air gyms and an outdoor half-basketball court.
The resort offers supervised programs that include outdoor movie nights, Hawaiian arts and crafts, Keiki (children’s) hula, and the Ka Hui seasonal teen program for the younger guests. The resort has a vast art collection that includes local art from 1775 to the present. The Ka’ūpūlehu Cultural Center is host to various exhibits, interactive programs, Hawaiian cultural specialists, and historians.
With all the pampering that the resort bequeaths off to the guests, it is no surprise that it has been voted as the top resort in Hawaii.
Resort Reservations
1 (888) 340-5662
Resort Address
Four Seasons Resort Hualālai
72-100 Ka`upulehu Drive
Kailua-Kona Hawaii U.S.A. 96740
www.fourseasons.com/hualalai
[Press-Fourseasons-1 and 2]