Kona Village just reopened as a Rosewood resort with a black-sand beach and two beautiful pools.
Here’s what it’s like to stay.
Maya Kachroo-Levine/Travel + Leisure
On Hawaiis Big Island, there was once a resort called Kona Village.
Credit:Maya Kachroo-Levine/Travel + Leisure
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.
Maya Kachroo-Levine/Travel + Leisure
When they wanted privacy, theyd put a coconut outside the door.
Kona Village, A Rosewood Resort
Kona Village was destroyed in 2011 by an earthquake-triggered tsunami.
Rosewood brought back Shipwreck Bar, too.
Maya Kachroo-Levine/Travel + Leisure
The adjacent pool now has a sumptuous black-stone hot tub that reflects the palm trees overhead.
My husband and I posted up here for coconut oclock, a.k.a.
3 p.m., when a cart brimming with bright-green drinking coconuts comes around.
Maya Kachroo-Levine/Travel + Leisure
(Important note: every bar and dining venue makes a different mai tai.
I took a Pokemon gotta-catch-em-all approach.)
Here, everything you gotta know aboutKona Village, A Rosewood Resort.
Maya Kachroo-Levine/Travel + Leisure
We wanted it to feel Hawaiian, not be themed Hawaiian.
Food and Drink
There are four bars and restaurants at Kona Village.
Moana, the main dining room, serves unreal Hawaiianmalasadadonuts at breakfast.
Maya Kachroo-Levine/Travel + Leisure
Finally, guests can book an alfresco imu dinner separately ($250 a person).
The night ended with a round of espresso martinis, made with what else?
Guests can host events on the Hookipa lawn.
Maya Kachroo-Levine/Travel + Leisure
I found all the best activities at Kilo Kai, which is the hotels ocean adventure hub.
My favorite moments at Kona Village, however, were spent on Mike Fieldssailing canoe,Hinaea.
Next time, perhaps.
While the treatments and products are, indeed, next-level, its really the setting that guarantees serenity.
Its very much like going to the spa in the middle ofJurassic Park.
Of the 150 rooms on the hotels 81 acres, 17 are ADA compliant.
The resort can arrange airport transfers for guests.
We arrived at the resort about 30 minutes after we walked off the plane.
(How’s that for a family-friendly amenity?)
To explore the island, you would need to rent a car or arrange private transportation with the hotel.
Finding the Best Value
Theres no denying that the price of admission at Kona Village is steep.
Rooms start at $2,500 a night.