Summary
Editor’s note: Nonessential air travel to the Island of Hawaii was discouraged, as of Thursday, Aug. 10, amid wildfires. The August wildfires are burning in North Kohala and South Kohala, just over 20 miles north of Kona Village and have not impacted the property.
Historical Background
On Hawaii’s Big Island, there was once a resort called Kona Village. It opened in 1966, and because the closest public road was two miles away, guests took a puddle-jumper plane to the resort, piloted by whoever was around – a concierge, a cook, occasionally someone licensed to fly. The main bar was a beached sailboat called New Moon, the property’s founders Johnno and Helen Jackson’s vessel. When they were fixing up the resort, they anchored New Moon in Kahuwai Bay, where it took on water and sank — so they hauled the vessel out of the Pacific, gave it a paint job, and served mai tais from the deck.
Resort Overview
The resort developed a star-studded cult following. Supposedly, The Doors’ Jim Morrison once set a record by drinking 21 mai tais at Shipwreck Bar. It was Steve Jobs’ favorite place to vacation — though, ironically, the place embraced an off-the-grid philosophy. Guests were told to leave their cell phones in the rooms, and there were no TVs. When they wanted privacy, they’d put a coconut outside the door.
Kona Village, A Rosewood Resort
- There are two stunning pools and an outdoor activities center where guests can use kayaks, stand-up paddleboards, and snorkeling equipment.
- On the resort’s 81 acres are only 150 hale, or houses, decorated with art commissioned from mostly native Hawaiian artists.
- The hotel is just 10 miles — less than a 20-minute drive, typically — from Kona International Airport.
- There are four bars and restaurants, including one made from a sailboat the owners sank nearby. Equally important: there’s a daily 3 p.m. coconut cart serving complimentary drinking coconuts by the pools.
Kona Village was destroyed in 2011 by an earthquake-triggered tsunami. “No one got to say goodbye,” a guest who visited every year with her family, from when she was six to 14 years old, told me. There was no closure — only wreckage and a Save Kona Village Facebook page with 8,500 followers.
On July 1, the pleas of those 8,500 die-hards were answered: Kona Village reopened as the 31st property in the Rosewood Hotels & Resorts portfolio. When my husband and I arrived eight days into Kona’s next chapter, we were some of the only guests who hadn’t been to the original resort. Most guests were Kona Village faithfuls who asked for their old rooms and couldn’t wait to tell me that Rosewood had brought back those do-not-disturb coconuts.
Room Types
Our 1,570-square-foot hale, which means house in Hawaiian, had one bedroom, a separate living room, a bathroom with a stand-alone tub, and an outdoor shower. “It feels like your own little beach house,” says Nicole Hollis, the interior designer on the project. The hale’s exposed Douglas fir shiplap acts as a natural canvas, strewn with functional art, like fans, hats, paddles, and kapa-printed pillows — most made by Hawaiian artists.
Culinary Experiences
There are four bars and restaurants at Kona Village. Moana, the main dining room, serves unreal Hawaiian malasada donuts at breakfast. Talk Story Bar is in front of Moana, where we dug into cured kampachi, grilled local prawns, and fresh-caught snapper in a mushroom dashi. Kahuwai Cookhouse and Market offers wellness shots and Greenwell Farms coffee by day and fire-cooking by night; and, of course, Shipwreck Bar.
Guests can enjoy an alfresco “imu” dinner separately ($250 a person). It features traditional underground cooking with modern embellishments, served at a long table beneath tea light-tangled trees. The menu includes salmon sashimi, imu-roasted sweet potatoes, and local Kona coffee espresso martinis.
Amenities and Activities
The resort has a gym, spa, two pools with hot tubs, bikes for every guest, tennis and pickleball courts, and free Wi-Fi. The Kilo Kai hub offers ocean adventures where guests can rent snorkeling gear, stand-up paddleboards, and kayaks. We spent a morning outrigger canoeing, paddling toward Maui’s Haleakalā volcano.
Sustainability Efforts
Kona Village is on its way to being the first luxury hotel in Hawaii entirely powered by solar energy and has the largest private collection of solar panels in the state. The cultural center supports Indigenous Hawaiian practices and aims to restore the native ecosystem in its ponds.
Family-friendly Features
Family-friendly programming is part of the resort’s legacy, with activities focusing on sustainability and cultural appreciation. The Rosewood Explorers Keiki Club allows kids to learn through outdoor experiences, such as fishing for tilapia to support local wildlife rehabilitation.
Location and Accessibility
The resort is situated on the west side of the Big Island, just 10 miles north of Kona International Airport, and can arrange airport transfers for guests. The closest volcano for hiking is Hualalai, while Kailua-Kona town is a short drive away.
Pricing and Value
Kona Village offers an inclusive package for all signature suites, starting at $2,500 a night, featuring daily breakfast, laundry, spa treatments, and personalized amenities. While there’s no loyalty program, the resort is part of American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts, offering exclusive benefits for Amex cardholders.
