Mauna Kea Beach Hotel

A $150-million refurbishment, completed in 2007, brought new life to this venerable resort overlooking the crescent of Kaunaoa Beach (originally built in 1965 by the founder of RockResorts, Laurance Rockefeller). The property’s 258 guest rooms—all with private lanais overlooking the sea or the championship Robert Trent Jones, Jr.-designed golf course—are now sleek aeries outfitted in teak, rattan, and cheerful print fabrics. The renovated common areas, including the lobby and the Mandara spa, are decorated with carvings and statuary from Rockefeller’s museum-quality collection of Oceanic and Asian art (the gilded Buddha overlooking the grand staircase to the North Garden dates from the 7th Century). The waterfront has an 11-court tennis club, and activities like canoeing, snorkeling, kayaking, and sailing. At dinnertime, outdoor tables at the restaurant, Manta, offer prime views over the manta rays that feed nightly beneath the terrac