Laurance Rockefeller opened the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel in 1965 on Kauna’oa Bay, one of the Big Island’s best beaches. It was Hawaiʻi’s first luxury resort. Sixty years later, the hotel just finished the most expensive renovation in Big Island history — $180 million across multiple phases — and the final piece is the spa.

The Spa at Mauna Kea opened this week. It is the largest new spa built on the Big Island in over a decade, and it anchors the Kohala Coast’s push to compete with Maui and Oahu for the luxury wellness market. If you are booking a Big Island trip for summer 2026, this changes the calculation on where to stay.

The numbers: 22,000 square feet. Eleven treatment rooms, split between indoor and outdoor settings. Couples suites with private lanais. Purification gardens. A steam room, sauna, and vitality pool. A movement pavilion for yoga and fitness classes. Every treatment room has its own outdoor shower and soaking tub.

The design philosophy draws from Ho’ola i Loko — the Hawaiian concept that healing begins within. According to the hotel’s announcement, treatments use lomilomi-inspired techniques, native botanicals from island growers, mineral-rich salts, and hand-gathered lava stones from the Big Island. It is not the generic “tropical spa” experience that most resort spas paste onto a cookie-cutter menu.

The outdoor treatment rooms face the Kohala mountain landscape rather than the ocean, which is a deliberate choice — the spa is positioned inland on the property to create separation between beach energy and retreat energy. The architecture uses natural lava rock, native hardwoods, and open-air passageways that pull the volcanic landscape inside.

New Hawaii Hotels and Resorts Opening in 2026

Read More

The spa is the capstone of a multi-year overhaul that has touched every surface of the property. The rooms were gutted and rebuilt with a mid-century modern aesthetic — a nod to Rockefeller’s original vision. The lobby, restaurants, pool areas, and common spaces were all redesigned. AFAR reported that the renovation aimed to preserve the hotel’s architectural DNA while modernizing it for contemporary travelers.

The hotel operates as part of Marriott’s Autograph Collection, which means Marriott Bonvoy members can use points for bookings. It sits within the larger Mauna Kea Resort alongside the Westin Hapuna Beach next door. Guests at either property can access each other’s amenities, including the new spa.

For context, the Mauna Kea is not a mega-resort. It has 252 rooms — small by Hawaiʻi standards. That size, combined with the renovation price tag, puts it in the ultra-premium tier alongside the Four Seasons Hualalai, which sits 20 minutes south on the same coast.

The Kohala Coast already had the Big Island’s highest concentration of luxury hotels — the Mauna Lani, Westin Hapuna, Fairmont Orchid, and Waikoloa Beach Resort all sit along the same 15-mile stretch. The renovated Mauna Kea raises the ceiling.

Expect demand. New resort openings and major renovations always generate a booking surge during the first summer season. If you want to stay at the Mauna Kea between June and August 2026, book now — rates are in the $700-$1,200/night range for standard rooms, and availability will tighten as travel media coverage ramps up.

Check rates on Booking.com or search on Expedia to compare pricing. You will also need a rental car — the Kohala Coast is 30 minutes from the Kona airport with no public transit. Discount Hawaii Car Rental offers pre-negotiated Big Island rates.

Staying on the Kohala Coast puts you within easy reach of the Big Island’s best dry-side experiences. Hapuna Beach State Park — consistently ranked among Hawaiʻi’s top beaches — is a five-minute drive. The Pu’ukoholā Heiau National Historic Site is 15 minutes north. The Kohala Mountain Road to Hawi town takes about 25 minutes and delivers some of the island’s best upcountry views.

Snorkel cruises, manta ray night dives, and sunset sails all depart from nearby harbors. Browse Big Island tours on Viator to see what is available during your dates.

The Kohala Coast averages less than 10 inches of rain per year — the sunniest, driest stretch of coastline in Hawaiʻi. If your summer trip priority is guaranteed sunshine and beach days without the crowds of Waikiki, this coast delivers.