One of Hawaii’s premier oceanfront resorts has reopened following a beautiful $200 million redesign, and its devotees couldn’t be more pleased. A favorite of celebrities and power players, the tropical Mauna Lani Bay Hotel & Bungalows is now the Mauna Lani, Auberge Resorts Collection; it sits on 32 acres along Hawaii Island’s famed Kohala Coast and is the first Auberge Resorts Collection property in the state. It closed in late 2018 for a detailed renovation of the entire property which now has 333 rooms, suites and private bungalows. Upgrades include fresh contemporary design elements in all guest rooms, three new pools, a state-of-the-art fitness center and spa. New menus at the indoor-outdoor Canoe House and Terrace Restaurant feature local ingredients from the islands. Even the front desk now has an incredible ocean view.
New programming is a vacationer’s dream. Cultural and sensory experiences include lei making, historic walking tours, floating yoga, surfing, and outrigger canoe paddling, plus other water accessories from the deluxe Surf Shack. And it’s a bucket-list destination for golfers, featuring 45 holes of golf on three courses: the WikiWiki short course, and Mauna Lani’s famed North and South golf courses along the stunning Pacific on green-scaped volcanic rock outcrops. Since opening in 1981, the Mauna Lani Courses have collected numerous “Best Courses You Can Play” awards has hosted many of golf’s greats, including Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Lee Trevino and Gary Player.
Each guestroom, suite and bungalow now features natural décor and a furnished lanai with mountain or ocean views. The cream of the crop is the unique Francis H. I’I Brown Suite, named after Hawaii’s famed golfer and Senator.
Located on the south side of the resort, the expansive 4,265-square-feet suite has unmatched ocean views and overlooks the resort’s Great Lawn, pool and royal Hawaiian fishponds. Designed as an idyllic private venue, it features a gracious living room for private dinners and entertaining, plus a state-of-the-art gourmet show kitchen, and expansive furnished lanai with a fire pit. It’s the Kohala Coast’s ultimate private retreat.
