The original Kona Village was swept away in 2011 by a tsunami that began off the coast of Japan. In 2023, after seven years of development, it once again opened its doors… with stunning results that gets our vote for the best resort on the island. It’s also the most expensive.
For the most part, our opinion tends to be, Don’t stay at (insert resort here) the whole time you’re in Hawaii and miss exploring the island… but Kona Village might just be the exception. This is one of those resorts that is hard for us to review without sounding like drooling idiots. If you read our other reviews, you’ll see that we’re not shy about finding fault with resorts. But this one’s different because it’s true: Simply walking onto this property, you’ll experience everything you imagined your Hawai‘i vacation to be. An idyllic, expansive setting gives you everything from beachfront lounging to jungle wandering with activities to add a little adventure if you’re looking for more than relaxation (which you can find aplenty at Asaya, their on-site spa). Snorkeling, paddling, yoga, hula and ‘ukulele lessons…
What about the kids, you ask? Leave ’em with the Rosewood Explorers Keiki Club to make coconut postcards, make their own shave ice and more (unfortunately, they don’t let adults in the club).
Free bicycles, a petroglyph walk, lap pool, family pool, beach bar, private dinners, optional butler service…. To run through the entirety of this property and what it offers would be way more than we want to write and you want to read, so we’ll make it easy. If you want it, you can probably get it here. There is enough to keep you fully engaged for weeks and something for every type of traveller.
Just a quick reminder: We anonymously review everything. We don’t announce ourselves or accept freebies. So this enthusiasm is all us, uninfluenced by anything except how gosh darn awesome this place is.
Stand-alone bungalows (Hale) are 850 sq. ft., 1- to 4-room suites (Kauhale) are 1,570 sq. ft. and go up to 5,349 sq. ft. at their 4-bedroom, oceanfront, private hot tub and butler service Maheawalu Suite.
72-300 Maheawalu Dr, Kailua-Kona