An old Hawaiian fishing village once stood on this shore at Ka'ūpūlehu, and in the 1960s Kona Village opened here as a scatter of thatched bungalows along the lagoon and the lava coast. The 2011 tsunami closed it, and it later returned under Rosewood on 81 acres around Kahuwai Bay. The 150 free-standing hale, designed by Nicole Hollis, pair Hawaiian craft and commissioned local art with a clean tropical modernity. Even the standard hale measure 600 square feet, with a private lanai and an outdoor shower; restored legacy hale face the bay, and gated four-bedroom kauhale have their own pools and butlers. Moana serves Pacific Rim cooking in an open-air pavilion, Kahuwai Cookhouse looks to the island's paniolo cowboy tradition, and the Shipwreck Bar is built from New Moon, the schooner of the resort's founder, Johnno Jackson. Asaya Spa, four pools and tennis fill the rest of the day, along with sunrise canoe paddles and snorkelling in the bay's marine sanctuary. The resort treats its own water by reverse osmosis.
- Nearest airport
- Kona International Airport (KOA), 7 Miles / 11 Kilometres
- Rooms
- 150 hale and kauhale
Insider tip The Shipwreck Bar is made from a sailboat raised out of Kahuwai Bay; go for sushi and a cocktail by the beach.
Why I choose it A storied 1960s Big Island retreat rebuilt with care, where thatched hale sit on a sheltered bay and the old fishing-village spirit still sets the pace.