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Mauna Lani
Waimea, Hawaii, United States · Auberge Resorts · High Luxury
Ancient Hawaiian fishponds still function beside Mauna Lani, linking a Kohala Coast holiday to centuries of coastal land management. The former Mauna Lani Bay Hotel reopened under Auberge in January 2020 after a $200 million restoration, with CanoeHouse drawing on Pacific Rim cooking and Big Island agriculture, and two golf courses tracing the lava fields.
- 333 rooms
- Opened 1983
- Neighborhood: Puako
- Rooms from 667 sq ft (62 m²)
About Mauna Lani
- The fishponds at what is now Mauna Lani were constructed by Native Hawaiian fishers more than five hundred years ago and still function.
- The former Mauna Lani Bay Hotel reopened under Auberge in January 2020 after a $200 million restoration.
- CanoeHouse draws on Pacific Rim cooking and Big Island agriculture, and two golf courses trace the lava fields.
- Entry-level rooms start at 667 sq ft (62 m²).
History
The Kohala Coast on Hawaii's Big Island is one of the most dramatically contrasted landscapes on earth: jet-black lava fields from eruptions centuries old meet white-sand coves and turquoise water, the geological present colliding with the oceanographic past in a setting that has no equivalent on the other Hawaiian islands. The ancient Hawaiians understood the Kohala Coast as a place of particular significance. The fishponds at what is now Mauna Lani were constructed by Native Hawaiian fishers more than five hundred years ago — precisely engineered tidal enclosures that managed fish populations and sustained coastal communities for generations. They are among the oldest continuously maintained human-built structures in Hawaii and remain functioning at the resort today.
The resort itself opened in 1983 as the Mauna Lani Bay Hotel, one of the Big Island's first major luxury properties in the modern era. Two championship golf courses were laid across the lava fields beginning in the late 1980s, and the combination of the fishponds, the beach, the golf, and the Kohala Coast setting established the address as one of Hawaii's premier resort experiences over the following decades.
By the mid-2010s, the property had aged and Auberge Resorts identified it as a candidate for the kind of transformational renovation that could restore its founding ambition. A two-hundred-million-dollar restoration project consumed several years and resulted in the reopening of Mauna Lani, Auberge Resorts Collection, in January 2020. The renovation was designed to honor the cultural depth of the site — the fishponds, the historical connections to Native Hawaiian land management, the visual drama of the lava coast — while delivering the contemporary amenities that Auberge's global portfolio demands. The result is 333 rooms and suites, the Big Island's largest spa, six restaurants, and thirty-six holes of golf on courses that play through some of the most visually arresting terrain in American resort golf.
CanoeHouse, the signature restaurant, anchors a food-and-beverage program built around Pacific Rim technique and Big Island agriculture. HaLani provides all-day dining in a setting that frames the ocean. The resort carries AAA Four Diamond recognition, and its combination of physical scale, cultural significance, and the restored quality of a two-hundred-million-dollar renovation has confirmed Mauna Lani's position as one of the most important resort addresses in the Hawaiian Islands.
The setting
The Kohala Coast on Hawaii's Big Island, where lava fields meet the Pacific. The property includes ancient Hawaiian fishponds maintained for over 500 years.
Restaurants and bars
- CanoeHouse — Restaurant · Pacific Rim · Chef Rhoda Magbitang
- HaLani — Restaurant · All-day dining
- Hā Bar and Grill — Bar
- The Clubhouse Bar — Bar
Experiences
- Hale 'I'Ike living culture program — Living culture program introduced by Mauna Lani, Auberge Collection.
- Kainalu Ocean Sports — Ocean program with outrigger canoe sunrise outings and snorkeling excursions with Kainalu Pros.
- Mauna Lani Culinary Classic — Culinary event introduced in 2023.
- Temaki pop-up with Nami Nori — Exclusive temaki pop-up experience hosted with Nami Nori in February 2022.
- Soiree at CanoeHouse with Michelle Bernstein — Exclusive soiree hosted with Chef Michelle Bernstein at CanoeHouse.
- Golf at Mauna Lani — Golf on the resort's courses, including the South Course and the North Course reopened in 2021.
Amenities
- Spa (largest on Big Island)
- Pools
- Beach
- Golf (36 holes)
- Private pool
- Hot tub
- Fitness center
- Kids' club
- Tennis
- Water sports
- Pet-friendly
Awards
- AAA Four Diamond (2026)
- Forbes Travel Guide Recommended (2026)
- MICHELIN One Key (2025)
- AHEAD Americas Hotel Renovation (2020)
Open Mauna Lani in the atlas for live weekend rates, photos, and the full folio.
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