Travelers have long looked to Hawaii as the perfect island getaway — and top-notch accommodations are not in short supply. There are oceanfront resorts where private villas spill right onto the sand, hotels that offer sunset views through floor-to-ceiling windows, and fine restaurants perched on cliffs. Every year for our World’s Best Awards survey, GoTravelDaily asks readers to weigh in on travel experiences around the globe — to share their opinions on the top hotels, resorts, cities, islands, cruise lines, spas, airlines, and more. Readers rated hotels on their rooms and facilities, location, service, food and drink, and overall value. Properties were categorized as city or resort based on their locations, not on the features of any individual hotel. There were a number of repeat winners among Hawaii’s top resort hotels this year. The Four Seasons Resort Hualalai, which came in at No. 3 spot, has appeared on the list for more than a decade, topping it several times. “All I can say is WOW,” one reader said. “We arrived and I felt like the red carpet was rolled out and we were VIPs.” The resort offers more than impressive service — like seven swimming pools, each with a distinctly different feel. King’s Pond is essentially an aquarium carved out of natural lava rock — you can swim among the more than 4,000 tropical fish that call it home. But one newcomer to the category had a very impressive showing: Montage Kapalua Bay, the No. 1 resort in Hawaii this year. All of the guest rooms have full gourmet kitchens, and several readers who took our survey remarked on the resort’s combination of mellowness and polish. The Spa Montage got high marks, too. For a romantic escape you can have a couples’ treatment, then head for the Cliff House, the property’s private dining venue. Read on for the full list.
No. 15: Andaz Maui at Wailea Resort
Score: 88.71
No. 14: Royal Hawaiian, A Luxury Collection Resort
Score: 88.85
No. 13: The Kahala Hotel & Resort
Score: 89.72
No. 12: The Fairmont Orchid
Score: 89.85
No. 11: Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa
Score: 90.59
No. 10: The Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua
Score: 90.83
No. 9: Hotel Wailea
Score: 91.3
No. 8: Four Seasons Resort Lanai
Score: 91.52
No. 7: Turtle Bay Resort
Score: 91.65
No. 6: The Fairmont Kea Lani
Score: 91.67
No. 5: Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea
Score: 92.05
No. 4: Ko’a Kea Hotel & Resort
Score: 92.44
No. 3: Four Seasons Resort Hualalai
Score: 93.26
No. 2: Halekulani
Score: 93.86
No. 1: Montage Kapalua Bay
Score: 97.39
The 54-acre Montage Kapalua Bay is surrounded by sea and mountains on Maui’s northwestern coast — and it doesn’t just have big views. GoTravelDaily readers raved about the accommodations, which range from one- to four-bedroom residences, all with full kitchens. Activities include horseback riding, catamaran excursions, and zipline and helicopter tours. Another big draw is the Spa Montage, which offers healing seaweed “cocoons” and caviar facials as well as oceanfront yoga classes. “The hotel spa far exceeds the local competition with its amazing property and sense of aloha spirit,” wrote one reader.
