This is a stunning resort. It low key, unpretentious, luxurious without being overly luxe. I think I will let the photos I took of the resort speak for themselves.The Lobby and view from Lobby

Sorry for the blurry photo-- I was so giddy to be here!!

Room

My room - an Ocean View in Palm Grove

One of the lanai's of a massive suite....

Dining

From my lunch at Beach Tree Restaurant

Resort Photos

The resort was fairly full when I was there in mid-December, about 85% which is about their year-round average. The only time I knew it was this full was at breakfast time:

For those concerned of the availability of beach chairs -- there was no such issue while I was on property:

Some of the pools

King's Pond:

Overall

Of all the resorts I stayed at, Hualalai was by far my favourite. It truly is a special resort and situated on a very special Island. There is a spirituality to the Big Island that I did not feel on any of the other islands I visited on this trip.

Service is warm and friendly throughout. I don't think there is a bad room at the resort; the suites however, are all very nice and are a splurge. I liked being in Palm Grove to be close to serene adults pool. Virtually all of the return guests have their preferred crescents but I think it is fun to explore them all.

The efforts of the resort to be local and of Hawaii is laudable from locally sourced products in the restaurants, to the toiletries in the bathrooms. It was nice to see staff using bicycles to get around the resort delivering items to guest rooms, including room service meals.

Golf buggy service is available for those who have more mobility issues or even vision issues. The Spa complex is beautiful and there is plenty to do, from tennis courts, to many complimentary activities. While there is no proper beach at the resort there is a small area where children can play protected from the powerful currents and some sea life. There is also King's Pond and many pools to choose from.

Complimentary self parking is a nice touch along with several dining outlets. Beach Tree was my favourite as was the breakfast at ULU. ULU for dinner was a mixed bag, the concept a little confused. Sushi was actually quite good but some of the other items from the kitchen were more hit or miss.

The coffee shop is nice for simple sandwiches, cookies, coffee beverages and the Shake Shack along by the kids pool is great for shaved ice and other treats.

The head Concierge is Clefs D'Or and was on the opening team at the George V -- his team know the Big Island inside out. A great resource of knowledge -- they found me a great sushi joint on the way up to Mauna Kea Beach!!

I cannot recommend this resort highly enough and I cannot wait to return with my own family.

Here are some final observations:

-It was tough to go to Mauna Kea Beach AFTER Hualalai but I did like their F&B a lot. Perhaps it is more cohesive with a more defined identity. The F&B at FS Wailea is also very strong. Hualalai needs a little more tweaking, I think.

-I was very pleasantly surprised by the two resorts on Lanai. The Lodge at Koele is such a unique property -- I hope when Ellison and Co renovate this property they keep its uniqueness.

-I am looking forward to what Manele Bay can become. It has the potential to be a truly fantastic resort.

-If you need a beach on the Big Island, Mauna Kea Beach will fit the bill. If you want to relax by a pool, then Mauna Kea Beach may not be the best property as the pool is very disappointing.

-Not having a swimmable beach is one large strike against Hualalai but they do try their best to overcome that with the array of pools, including the unique Kings Pond. There is a pool for everyone.

The key thing to keep in mind for all the properties I visited is room allocation. Be sure to speak to your Travel Advisor and be clear about what you want and don't want so that we can do our best to ensure the properties allocate the correct room type as best as they can.

Hope you enjoyed this photo report!