When you arrive at Kona Village, A Rosewood Resort, you really arrive. It’s set on a quiet stretch of coast on the Island of Hawaii (also known as the Big Island), and the seclusion offers the opportunity to fully immerse yourself in a sense of place and tradition that goes back generations. While the location makes it possible to explore nearby highlights—Kailua-Kona town, coffee farms, historical sites, Mauna Kea—it’s remote enough that you feel like you’re stepping into a private retreat, and you won’t want to leave. It offers modern comforts alongside experiences and amenities that seamlessly incorporate customs, honoring the surrounding environment.
Why stay at Kona Village, A Rosewood Resort?
Kona Village is relatively new, having opened in 2023, but the property’s history goes back decades and continues to be a part of local lore. Even further back? This is sacred ground, once home to Polynesian settlers who lived off the land in a thriving community.
Originally opened in the 1960s by Johnno and Helen Jackson, Kona Village came to life when the couple landed their schooner New Moon at the site of the abandoned village of Kaʻūpūlehu. The Polynesian-style resort became an off‑the‑grid hot spot with no TVs, few roads and just a coconut on your door to signal ‘privacy’. Guests flew in via puddle‑jumper planes, and families returned year after year. It was a communal resort, where guests of all ages mixed and mingled, like a Hawaiian summer camp.
In 2011, a tsunami demolished the resort, leaving a void among locals. In 2023, Rosewood and Kennedy Wilson, guided by cultural stewards and local descendants, revived the resort with a modern approach including sustainable features like solar power, zero‑waste programs and thoughtful design.
What makes this new incarnation special is Rosewood’s partnership with local cultural advisors. From sunrise ceremonies and guided walks through the garden to petroglyph tours, ukulele lessons, lei making workshops, Hawaiian language classes and storytelling by local elders, Kona Village makes every effort to bring the culture of Hawaii to the forefront.
What are the rooms like?
The property features 150 thatched‑roof bungalows—‘hale’ in Hawaiian—scattered across 81 acres. They’re rebuilt on the original footprints of Kona Village using recycled materials, including wood from the old resort. Each hale incorporates a cozy combo of modern design and Hawaiian tradition, like warm woods, carved accents and art by Hawaiian artists. Options range from one-bedroom retreats to three to four bedroom residences with private pools, and they all have strong Wi-Fi but no TVs, so you can immerse yourself in the surrounding beauty. Spacious bathrooms feature volcanic stone soaking tubs and indoor-outdoor rain showers, and if you opt for an ocean view room (which includes a lanai with a daybed), chances are that you’ll never want to leave. Oh, and as a call-back to the original Kona Village, each room has a coconut you can place outside your door when you want privacy.
What are the food and drinks like?
The dining options at Kona Village are all about fresh, local ingredients and indigenous practices—with some global influences added to the mix. Traditional Hawaiian cooking techniques like pickling and salting are the focus at Kahuwai Cookhouse & Market, and this more relaxed option has an open kitchen offering Kiawe wood-fired dishes and rotating grilled specials. Don’t miss the paniolo night for a cowboy-style BBQ meal with live music.
The more upscale Moana serves up elegant Pacific‑Rim‑to‑table fare like Kalua pork, locally-caught kanpachi and dishes featuring farm-fresh produce, and while the full breakfast buffet isn’t quite as impressive, the grab-and-go options (including coffee and juices) at the Kahuwai Market will get you started. Plus, there are plenty of poolside dining options for those who prefer to nibble while sunning in a lounge chair.
Keep an eye out for the special dining experiences offered regularly, like the communal, chef-led ‘Island Roots’ dinner at the resort’s on-site farm. This is as farm-to-table as you can get, with a meal that celebrates the island’s cultural and agricultural heritage. Celestial Dinners, which align with lunar phases or celestial events and feature stargazing and local storytelling, cater to starry-eyed visitors attuned to the night sky.
While the resort’s restaurants offer a taste of Hawaii and its culinary traditions, it’s the bars that set the stage for a true island getaway. Set your watch to island time and sip cocktails boasting Hawaiian flavors and ingredients as the sun sets over the ocean. That schooner that the Jacksons sailed to the island decades ago? It’s been restored and transformed into the poolside Shipwreck Bar. Head here to enjoy sunset cocktails and exceptional sushi.
The Talk Story Bar is right on the beach, an intimate, open-air setup that welcomes ocean breezes. If you’re lucky, you might catch a pop-up featuring visiting bartenders from top cocktail joints around the country.
What is the service like?
Kona Village’s ever-present staff are warm and friendly, but not overbearing. You can request anything you might need via text, and you’ll get updates throughout your stay. Many of the staffers are Rosewood vets, and take the brand’s ‘A Sense of Place’ philosophy to heart. They can arrange meals and excursions with ease, but can also share anything you might want to know about the island, making the experience even more personal. They’re kind, approachable and down-to-earth, making you feel right at home. Even the beach shack staff makes an impression: these ocean enthusiasts and surfers can give you insider tips on snorkeling, surfing and other ocean activities and will take the time to get you set up with whatever equipment you need, plus a little instruction if you’re a beginner.
What are the pools, beach and spa like?
If you’re in Hawaii for the beaches, the Kona Village delivers. Kahuwai Bay is pleasantly calm most of the time, and the beach itself is quiet and uncrowded. Friendly staffers can set you up with a kayak, paddleboard or snorkeling equipment, and will give you tips on where to find the colorful fish. Daily outrigger excursions are offered, or you can really dive in with an underwater SEABOB that propels you through the water to explore even more of the aquatic beauty. Be aware that endangered monk seals occasionally visit the beach, and dedicated volunteer seal-watchers will rope off the area so you can observe from afar. If you’re there at the right time, you might see whales too.
Two pools on property offer distinct experiences. The Moana Family Pool has lounge chairs, cabanas and shallow areas for the younger set, whereas the Shipwreck Pool is an adults-only oasis, designed for relaxation with an infinity hot tub looking out to the ocean. There’s also a lap pool for more active types.
If you need something more restorative, Asaya Spa is an island sanctuary built into black lava flows with panoramic views of Hualalai volcano. Steam, sauna and hot and cold plunge pools take relaxation to the next level. And of course the menu of indulgent treatments incorporates island traditions and ingredients—if you’ve never had the traditional Hawaiian massage known as ‘lomi lomi,’ you’re in for a treat.
What’s the property like?
The 81 acre property graciously incorporates its history, highlighting centuries‑old petroglyphs, ancient fishing village ruins and tide pools. The rough, lava-strewn edges aren’t polished away, but rather celebrated as part of the landscape. The property is designed to be explored, whether on foot or on one of the bikes provided to each guest. Trails are lined with wild ginger and bird of paradise flowers plus hidden nooks and hammocks where you can sit back and take it all in. You can’t get lost, but you might encounter the resident family of ducks or other tropical birds.
Why you should book a stay
Kona Village is a splurge, to be sure. It’s a luxury stay, but its soul is rooted in pure aloha, with sustainability and Hawaiian culture at the forefront. Many luxury resorts offer pretty beaches and polished service, but Kona Village offers something harder to define: a real connection to the land. While all your needs are taken care of and you’ll no doubt feel relaxed and rejuvenated, you’ll also come away with an understanding of the island’s history and culture. Come here for a wellness reset, an island getaway, beautiful sunsets, cultural offerings and locally-inspired dining. While the luxury on offer here is a far cry from the former Kona Village, the spirit of the original—and the even more distant past—is still alive and well.
DETAILS
Address: 72-300 Maheawalu Drive, Kailua-Kona, HI 96740
Price per night: starting at around $1695 per night, depending on the time of year, day of the week, and room option
Closest transport: Kona International Airport (KOA) is around 10 miles away
Book now: via Booking.com
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