Hawaii Tourism: The Best Luxury Hotels

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The Best Luxury Hotels

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Halekulani (Oahu; tel. 800/367-2343; www.halekulani.com): When price is no object, this is really the only place to stay. An oasis of calm amid the buzz, this beach hotel is the finest Waikiki has to offer (heck, I think it's the finest in the state). Even if you don't stay here, pop by for a sunset mai tai to hear Sonny Kamehele sing the old hapa-haole tunes of the 1930s and 1940s while a lovely hula dancer sways to the music.

Kahala Mandarin Oriental Hawaii (Oahu; tel. 800/367-2525; www.mandarinoriental.com): This palatial oceanside resort has the grace and elegance of a softer, gentler time, when all of Hawaii moved at a more leisurely pace. Its old Hawaii spirit is accented with pan-Asian touches and all the conveniences you could wish for, including a fabulously secluded beach. And the location, 10 minutes from Waikiki in the quiet residential community of Kahala, rounds out the get-away-from-it-all vibe and keeps everything close at hand at the same time.

Turtle Bay Resort (Oahu; tel. 800/203-3650; www.turtlebayresort.com): After a $35-million renovation, this once-sterling hotel is back. The resort is spectacular: an hour's drive from Waikiki, but eons away in its country feeling. Sitting on 808 acres, this place is loaded with activities and 5 miles of shoreline with secluded white-sand coves. All the rooms have great views, but if you can afford it, book the separate beach cottages. Positioned right on the ocean (the views alone are worth the price), the 42 bungalows have been renovated (hardwood floors, poster beds with feather comforters) and have their own check-in and private concierge; it's like a hotel within a hotel.

Kona Village Resort (Big Island; tel. 800/367-5290; www.konavillage.com): This is the best place in Hawaii if you want to stay in a vintage Polynesian village-style resort. The sublimely peaceful, eclectic Polynesian village, with thatched huts and various styles of Pacific architecture clustered by the big blue ocean, stands on 82 coastal acres of palms and tropical flowers. The authenticity and isolation of this oasis revive wounded urban souls, who swing in hammocks, splash like children in the bay, actually smile when spoken to, and move slowly with the calm and grace that come from great leisure. Why anyone ever leaves is a wonder.

Four Seasons Resort Hualalai at Historic Kaupulehu (Big Island; tel. 888/340-5662; www.fourseasons.com/hualalai): Private pools, unimpeded ocean views, excellent food, and a new 18-hole championship golf course -- what more could any mortal want? This new low-impact, high-ticket hideaway under the dormant Hualalai Volcano ups the ante with its residential resort of two-story bungalows clustered around five seaside swimming pools on a black lagoon.

Hotel Hana-Maui (Maui; tel. 800/321-HANA; www.hotelhanamaui.com): Picture Shangri-La, Hawaiian-style: 66 acres rolling down to the sea in a remote Hawaiian village, with a wellness center, two pools, and access to one of the best beaches in Hana. Cathedral ceilings, a plush feather bed, a giant-size soaking tub, Hawaiian artwork, bamboo hardwood floors -- this is luxury. The white-sand beach (just a 5-min. shuttle away), top-notch wellness center with some of the best massage therapists in Hawaii, and numerous activities (horseback riding, mountain biking, tennis, pitch-and-putt golf) all add up to make this one of the top resorts in the state. I highly recommend this little slice of paradise.

Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea (Maui; tel. 800/334-MAUI; www.fourseasons.com/maui): This is the ultimate beach hotel for latter-day royals, with excellent cuisine, spacious rooms, gracious service, and Wailea Beach, one of Maui's best gold-sand strips, out the front door. Every guest room has at least a partial ocean view from a private lanai. The luxury suites, as big as some Honolulu condos, are full of marble and deluxe appointments.

The Fairmont Kea Lani Maui (Maui; tel. 800/659-4100; www.kealani.com): This is the place to get your money's worth: For the price of a hotel room, you get an entire suite -- plus a few extras. Each unit in this all-suite luxury hotel has a kitchenette, a living room with entertainment center and sofa bed (great if you have the kids in tow), a marble wet bar, an oversize marble bathroom with separate shower big enough for a party, a spacious bedroom, and a large lanai that overlooks the pools, lawns, and white-sand beach.

The Lodge at Molokai Ranch (Molokai; tel. 888/627-8082; www.molokairanch.com): This quaint 22-room inn in Maunaloa sits on 8 nicely landscaped acres in the rolling hills of Maunaloa town. Designed to resemble a 1930s-style Hawaii ranch owner's private home, the Lodge features a giant fireplace, huge wooden beam construction, panoramic views, and lots of details (cuffed cowboy boots beside the door, old books lining the shelves) to make it look and feel like a real ranch. Guests step back in time to a Hawaii of yesteryear. The beach is 6 miles and about a 20-minute car ride away.

The Lodge at Koele (Lanai; tel. 800/321-4666; www.lanai-resorts.com): The Lodge, as folks here call it, stands in a 21-acre grove of Norfolk Island pines at 1,700 feet above sea level, 8 miles inland from any beach. The 102-room resort resembles a grand English country estate. Inside, heavy timbers, beamed ceilings, and the two huge stone fireplaces of the Great Hall complete the look. The guest rooms continue the English theme with four-poster beds, sitting areas (complete with window seats), flowery wallpaper, formal writing desks, and luxury bathrooms with oversize tubs. There are plenty of activities here and at the sister resort, the Manele Bay Resort, down the hill on the ocean.

Hyatt Regency Kauai Resort and Spa (Kauai; tel. 800/55-HYATT; www.kauai.hyatt.com): This Art Deco beach hotel recalls Hawaii in the 1920s -- before the crash -- when gentlemen in blue blazers and ladies in summer frocks came to the islands to learn to surf and play the ukulele. The hotel's architecture and location, on the sunny side of Kauai, make this the island's best hotel. The beach is a bit too rough for swimming, but the saltwater swimming pool is the biggest on the island. An old-fashioned reading room by the sea houses club chairs, billiards, and a bar well stocked with cognac and port. Golf, horseback riding, and the shops of Koloa, a former plantation town, are nearby diversions.

Princeville Resort Kauai (Kauai; tel. 800/826-4400; www.princeville.com): This palace of green marble and sparkling chandeliers recalls Hawaii's monarchy period of the 19th century. It's set in one of the most remarkable locations in the world, on a cliff between the crystal-blue waters of Hanalei Bay and steepled mountains; you arrive on the ninth floor and go down to the beach. Opulent rooms with magnificent views and all the activities of Princeville and Hanalei make this one of Hawaii's finest resorts.

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Hawaii Tourism: The Best Luxury Hotels

The Best Luxury Hotels

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