Mauna Lani Resort, Big Island - Review 2023

What’s Special About this Resort

This warm, sunny resort on the big island is the perfect blend of luxury living and casual comfort. This made the top of our list not only because of the innumerable 5 star guest reviews, but also the care they put into creating a rich vacation experience that can be catered to anyone and any occasion. The Mauna Lani Resort has just as much to offer families with small children as it does for honeymooners. This is an ideal destination for anniversaries, weddings, family reunions, and virtually anything you can eke out an excuse to celebrate.

The Mauna Lani Resort is not all-inclusive, but they are currently running a special that includes a daily breakfast buffet for two (kids under 10 eat free), take-away lunches for the kids, and 20% off listed room rates. The offer is running from May 25 through September 6, 2023. You can see all Mauna Lani offers here.

What To Do

One of the reasons we love this resort so much is that it has a sprawling menu of experiences to offer and ways to enjoy your time on vacation – you’ll definitely run out of time before you run out of interesting things to do.

Like most high-end resorts, the Mauna Lani has a spa that offers a variety of indulgent treatments, like massages and facials. Many of the treatments include healing ingredients sourced directly “farm-to-spa” from the Hawaiian Islands. You can arrange couples massages in the spa or even enjoy an open-air cabana massage.

You won’t find any Disney characters or waterparks at Mauna Lani, but rest assured, kids stay just as happy and occupied as their zenned-out parents. The resort features the “Holoholo Kids Crew,” which curates a number of enriching activities for kids ages 5-12 including cultural immersion, athletics, culinary classes, movies under the stars, storytelling, navigation and more.

For those looking to spend some time working on their golf swing, the Mauna Lani is home to a few of Hawaii’s most iconic golf courses. The resort offers three different courses which vary in number of holes and difficulty. With amazing ocean views, rolling greens, and enough challenge to keep you engaged, you could easily spend your entire vacation on the greens – or day-drinking in the newly renovated clubhouse.

If you are looking to try something adventurous, Mauna Lani is the perfect liaison between you and the surplus of adventure waiting to be found in Hawaii. We compiled an abbreviated list of the activities you can book lessons and rentals for an additional fee:

• Surfing
• Paddleboarding
• Snorkeling
• Scuba Diving
• Canoeing
• Beachside or Paddleboard Yoga
• Hiking
• Cultural and Hawaiian History workshops

For those who believe that the best vacations don’t have an itinerary, the resort is home to 3 pools and a private beach for you to spend your days with a drink in hand, relaxing on the sand. All to say, you can stay as busy, or as free, as your heart desires at the Mauna Lani Resort.

What To Eat and Drink

There are six restaurants on site and they can even arrange private dining experiences. The three main restaurants on resort grounds are the fine dining CanoeHouse, the poolside Halani Restaurant, and the casual Ha Bar.

CanoeHouse is the main dining attraction at the Mauna Lani. While the menu is quite expensive, the Japanese-inspired dishes have been highly rated by guests and critics alike, so many claim it’s worth splurging at least once during your stay. This restaurant is only open for dinner from 5-9pm daily, and it is highly recommended that you reserve a table early to ensure you experience CanoeHouse during your stay.

The HaLani restaurant is regarded as the go-to lunch spot at the resort, but with affordable and delicious options for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Open from 11am-9pm daily, the restaurant is open-air and overlooks one of the 3 pools on site.

The Ha Bar is a less formal dining experience, but still has much to offer in terms of amazing food and crafted cocktails, and the idyllic island experience. Often featuring live music and the occasional hula dancer, the ambiance is hard to beat. The open-air bar is open for lunch and dinner from 11am-9pm.

The resort also has a small market that offers options like fresh fruit, coffee, deserts, sandwiches and more. The Market is a perfect mix of your favorite craft coffee shop and the friendly neighborhood bodega, open daily from 5:30am-10pm.