Hawaii Hotels

The Andaz Maui is a relaxed and affordable changeup from the Wailea beach big-hitters. Designed by David Rockwell, we hear the open-air lobby is insanely cool: You enter on a footbridge that crosses an infinity pool to arrive at a sandpit (where you’re encouraged to remove your shoes) while checking in on an iPad. It’s super contemporary—even the apothecary-style spa, which means your therapist will custom-blend locally grown herbs, plants, and fruits for your treatment. Oh, and in addition to Ka'ana Kitchen, an onsite restaurant with a great breakfast spread, Morimoto is here, too. There are also lots of beachside activities, from boogie and paddle board rentals to snorkeling gear (which can be deployed right in front of the hotel), all of which are included in your resort fee. They book up fast, so make a reservation at the kiosk off the beach right when you check in. Friends have also told us that it's worth taking advantage of the hotel's car service for exploring Wailea, as the Uber situation is still pretty few-and-far-between.

Seeing as this is a Montage and all, this lavish, 24-acre beach-front resort is splashy in the best possible way: there's a huge golf course, camps for both kids and teens, tennis, plenty of pools, hiking, snorkeling, and really good on-site restaurants. It's all suites, with many multi-bedroom options for families, meaning it's the sort of place where you can easily spend an entire holiday vacation—the fully decked-out spa (with plenty of daily fitness classes) certainly helps.

Most of the hotels in Waikiki read a bit touristy and over-the-top for our tastes, so the understated Surfjack, with its laid-back, cool vibe is a more than welcome addition. Expect to see bamboo, bright colors, and staff decked out in Hawaiian-print shirts, though all those classic décor motifs are cooly balanced by mid-century furniture and modern pieces of art. The hotel is also home to an excellent restaurant (helmed by local chef hero Ed Kenney) and Olive & Oliver, a smaller outpost of the Oliver boutique that’s outfitted with a sweet little coffee bar serving Café Vita espresso and cold brew.

Nestled on a secluded 5-acre estate in the Moloa’a hills on Kauai’s north shore, The Palmwood is a veritable sanctuary—as a bed-and-breakfast, it’s got a personal touch you aren’t likely to find at the major resorts. Inspired by the country inns found in the mountains of Japan, the rooms here are on the cozy side with warm, Eastern-inspired furnishings, and the grounds are lush and green. Best of all: this intimate, peaceful hideaway is close to some of the island’s finest attractions. As it is a real-deal B&B, we also hear that Auntie Eddi makes the very, very best breakfast.

Tucked away in a secluded beach cove a few miles from Hanalei, the 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay is Kauai’s preeminent luxury resort. Boasting everything from pools and a spa to a kid’s club, this is a popular destination for those with a generous budget—but it’s still got the quiet, relaxed atmosphere you’d want for your Hawaiian getaway. The rooms here offer jaw-droppingly gorgeous, unobstructed ocean or mountain views, and their restaurant’s curated menu focuses on local delicacies, meaning you can enjoy an extravagant yet quintessentially Hawaiian experience in their staff’s very capable hands.

Anecdotally if not scientifically, the majority of the people who stay at the Four Seasons Hualalai would call it one of the nicest hotels in the world. And we’d be among them. First of all, the hotel has seven pools. Sit with that for a minute. The adults-only pool faces the ocean and has a swim-up bar. The lagoon-shaped family pool has an infinity edge and poolside fries and quesadillas. There’s a lap pool at the spa (and the spa is pure heaven). There’s a pool in the shallows of the ocean—the Pacific is walled off with volcanic stones. How many is that so far? But the coolest pool we have maybe ever seen is called King’s Pond—a 1.8-million-gallon pool that is more like a swimmable aquarium. It is home to 4,000 tropical fish and one spotted eagle ray. Once kids find this pool, they never want to get out of it. The hotel’s cultural center has a bunch of activities for kids, like shell jewelry crafting, ukelele lessons, and lei-making. But even better: Kids for All Seasons is basically a day camp on the property—the kids go swimming,…

Few hotels enjoy the name recognition of the Mauna Kea. When it opened in the mid-1960s as part of Laurance S. Rockefeller’s hotel group, it was said to be the most expensive hotel ever built, at $15 million. Designed by architect Edward Charles Bassett, the hotel is a stunning modernist masterpiece. In the decades since it opened, it’s become an icon of Hawaii—and a $150 million renovation in the mid-2000s has helped it keep pace with the newer luxury resorts on the island. A bevy of just-opened private residences—spanning condos, townhouses, and larger estates—are next-level when it comes to airy design and total privacy. The beach here (white sand Kauna'oa) is one of the most beautiful beaches on the island. Mauna Kea is also known for its golf course, which was built by Robert Trent Jones Sr. and debuted in 1964 with the Big Three (Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player). Like the hotel, Mauna Kea Golf Course underwent a thoughtful renovation that maintained all its beauty (and its challenges). For those who favor tennis, there’s an eleven-court seaside club. The restaurant to dine at here is Manta, though…

Set on thirty-two acres along the Kohala Coast, the Fairmont Orchid spills onto a white-sand lagoon beach and the blue-green waters of Pauoa Bay. Every room has its own lanai, many with lovely views of the ocean or the island’s waterfalls and the Fairmont’s tropical gardens. The most luxurious rooms and suites are on the sixth floor of the resort’s North Tower, known as Fairmont Gold. The path to the spa winds past ponds and cascading waterfalls to set the mood, and in addition to the indoor treatment rooms, sauna, and steam room, there are several private oceanfront huts, where the soundtrack of ocean waves during your treatment comes from the actual ocean. The resort also has a tennis center with ten courts and lights for night play. And next door is the Francis H. I'i Brown Golf Course, which comprises two different eighteen-hole courses.

Along with all the Four Seasonish amenities (beachside cabanas, sunglasses cleaning, poolside Evian spritzing), the resort offers an abundance of only-in-Hawaii extras, making the Maui at Wailea outpost a South Pacific dream. For one thing, Kids for All Seasons—a daily camp for littles ages five to twelve—allows parents to explore the spa, spend the day surfing (lessons and board rentals are always available), or read a book at the adults-only serenity pool, while the kids build sandcastles, craft leis, and take hula lessons, all under the watchful eye of trained staff. Thoughtful touches, from complimentary swim diapers by the pool to a lengthy roster of family activities (snorkeling, boogie boarding, putting greens), make vacationing en famille a total joy. At night, take your pick of three on-site restaurants, including Wolfgang Puck’s award-winning standby Spago. Take note that kids five and under eat free at Italian-Hawaiian fusion eatery Ferraro’s and at seafood-centric DUO. And when in Hawaii…surfing legend Dave Kalama hosts surf camp and lessons here. The most exciting activity at the hotel is what they call Fire & Wine: an excursion that starts with a private helicopter tour, includes…

Chill out surrounded by lush, tropical gardens at this historic Maui compound and learn to live Aloha for a while. Here you can practice mindfulness, learn to meditate, take an aromatherapy class–or learn about the land through their horticulture programs. The beauty and serenity of the island attracts yogis of all disciplines and from all over the world to practice, so check the calendar for upcoming retreats and workshops. You'll leave feeling completely refreshed.