What to expect: The hotel’s curved, slate-tiled lobby, renovated August 2008, provides open-air views of the adjacent Kohala Coast. Upon check-in, guests are greeted with cool towels and passion orange juice. Part of the 1,839-acre Mauna Kea Resort, the hotel primarily attracts leisure travelers with its Hapuna Beach location and proximity to championship golf.

Amenity highlights: Lavish breakfast buffets are served in an indoor-outdoor area, while lunch and dinner options include a seafood grill, a steakhouse and sushi bar, and a poolside bar. The beachfront hotel is adjacent to an 18-hole golf course and within a five-minute drive of another 18-hole course via complimentary scheduled shuttle. Other recreation facilities include a health spa, a fitness center with exercise classes (surcharge), and a freshwater freeform outdoor pool.

Insider tip: The Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel is a five-minute drive from Kawaihae Harbor, where the island’s provisions arrive in massive Matson containers on a daily barge. Beyond the harbor lies a secluded beach with a boat ramp where local paddlers launch their canoes at dawn and dusk.

What to expect: Set on 32 acres of oceanfront lawns and gardens, this six-story Fairmont has a lofty, marble-floored lobby that opens to a sunset deck overlooking a 10,000-square-foot freeform pool, tropical gardens, and Pauoa Bay. Families and leisure travelers are drawn to the resort for its ocean activities, tennis facilities, and proximity to two 18-hole championship golf courses.

Amenity highlights: Beach activities include snorkeling and sailing aboard a 35-foot traditional Hawaiian outrigger canoe (surcharge). A secluded outdoor spa with waterfall cabanas features Hawaiian-inspired treatments (surcharge). Dining options include two restaurants specializing in fresh seafood and regional cuisine, a sushi bar, and a takeout deli. The resort's Tennis Pavilion offers 10 Plexipave courts (surcharge), a pro shop, and professional instruction (surcharge). Complimentary shuttle service within the Mauna Lani Resort is available upon request.

Insider tip: A 25-minute drive from the resort, in the town of Waimea, Parker Ranch is one of the oldest and largest cattle ranches in the United States. Founded in 1847, the ranch covers 175,000 acres. The museum and visitor center traces the history of the Hawaiian cowboy, or paniolo. Visitors can tour the ranch via horseback, wagon, or ATV (surcharge).