Mauna Kea Beach Hotel

Mauna Kea Resort was the vision and dream of respected hotelier Laurance S. Rockefeller more than 30 years ago. In what proved to be one of the most visionary decisions in the history of modern tourism, he chose a patch of black lava in an inaccessible area with two beautiful beaches to create a work of art that gave the Big Island of Hawaii a resort destination of legendary proportions.It is perfect for water activities including swimming, snorkeling, scuba diving, sailing, kayaking, catamaran riding, whale watching and deep-sea fishing. Even at night, guests step onto a circular lava outcropping overlooking the Bay, to watch the manta rays swim beneath.A testament to earlier times when his world-class resort paid tribute to the ancient Hawaiian spirit, Laurance Rockefeller's vast collection of Asian and Pacific art still graces the walls and lush tropical grounds. Over 1600 museum-quality pieces have been carefully preserved and displayed so that the unique culture of the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel will live on for generations to come. Designed by Robert Trent Jones, Sr., the Mauna Kea Golf course remains the standard by which all other island courses are judged. Eighteen holes of play sport panoramic ocean vistas, prompting Golf Digest to proclaim it the number one golf course in Hawaii. One of the course's most dramatic features is the famous Third Hole, where surging Pacific inlet waters race to meet the rocky shoreline, creating one of the most photographed landscapes in golf today.