What to expect: Couples, families, and golfers fill this Kohala Coast beachfront resort.

This hotel's open-air atrium reception area and grounds are built around ponds filled with tropical fish, small sharks, and sea turtles. Historic petroglyphs are on site.

Hawaiian music and hula is performed nightly in the lobby, and both casual and fine-dining restaurants offer panoramic ocean views.

Amenity highlights: Two golf courses, six tennis courts, and a swimming pool are scattered throughout the grounds on the Kohala Coast.

The Mauna Lani Spa offers dozens of massage treatments in six indoor treatment rooms and nine thatched-roof outdoor huts.

A year-round children's camp includes a varying schedule of activities such as learning Hawaiian crafts and games.

Insider tip: Locals join guests by the hundreds on the Saturday before the full moon each month for an evening of Hawaiian storytelling, music, and dance beginning at twilight.

Guests can bring their own picnic dinners or order a dinner for two through the hotel's catering department.

What to expect: Opened in 2003, this gated community is located in the Waikoloa Beach Resort on the Big Island's Kohala Coast. Overlooking the 15th fairway of the resort's Beach Course, one mile from Anaehoomalu Bay Beach, the villas are popular with families and leisure travelers.

Amenity highlights: Villa guests receive preferential tee times and rates at the Waikoloa Resort's two 18-hole championship golf courses. Other recreation options include two outdoor pools, a fitness center, and tennis courts.

Insider tip: Guests get a look at prehistoric Hawaii with a walk through the Waikoloa petroglyph fields. Cinder-rock paths mark the trail, which features historic petroglyphs of animals, humans, and ocean life. Complimentary guided tours are offered from the King’s Shops at Waikoloa, a mile from the villas.