Four Seasons Resort Hualalai

We went to 3 locations in Hawaii this past August/September. First was the 4S- Lanai, then Mauna Kea and ended at 4S- Hualalai. We have fond memories of Hualalai as we had visited 2 other times in the past. They always had something special for the room and our daughter. Alas times have changed and do not hold them for it. All places are like this now. So moving on, we had an entry level room that was right at the 18th green and we loved it to pieces! We had checked out of our previous location as they did not live up to their promises. We got there at 11 to just drop off our clubs so we did not have to drag them into town. Low and behold, our room was ready and we were very happy about that. The rooms guy was no Adam Barretta from the past however. He did not even take us to it. He just sort of pointed and said over there. The golf attendants Oli and Lopa and Bear were perfect for their appointed task. You could not ask for a nicer bunch. (and I know we forgot a couple of the golf folks but you are included in our praise) Our door was right next to where they park the carts to send folks out. One of the guys who did not know this asked if he could give us a ride to our room. I pointed at our door and told him he would move the cart 3 inches to do that! The golf course was in the best shape of any golf course I have ever played in 50 years. A+ to them. The breakfast was fantastic and Hualalai wins the best cup of tea in the vacation! Dinner at the steak house was fantastic. I personally loved the old school printed newspaper and times digest they left at the door each morning. Never change that! The amenities were kinda impersonal however and it is what it is. The banana bread was good though. The spa was kinda meh. There were a lot of owners of the homes that went to it with their older kids. They all had bathing suits on. I never went to this place and saw that. They should have a family location as it made other guests and myself feel uncomfortable. The treatment started late and ended early too. Next time we both agreed to forgo that and go golfing instead. Shout out to Indah as she (he?) helped us out with w golf shop mix up. In short, I promised her some new England chocolates the next time we can get back there as it was our mistake with the bill. Mahalo Indah. They will be celebrating their 30th year shortly and we have one thing to say. Shampoo the carpets and buff the floors in the room as they need it sorely. At the end of the day, Hualalai is still in first place on the big, but got the silver medal for the 3 places we visited. It was not a distant 2nd however! The whole place ws wonderful in total.

This feels like a hot take but we are one day into our trip and I’m a bit disappointed. It’s obviously a beautiful location but I’ve been more impressed with other hotels on the island (particularly the Mauna Lani). Service is quite inconsistent - at times it’s excellent, other times lacking (room not cleaned despite requests, drinks forgotten, etc). We came back to our room this afternoon to a steady stream of ants in the bathroom - probably compounded by the room not being cleaned. It also feels like certain areas of the hotel are a bit worn and in need of a revamp. Overall it’s fine but for the cost and sterling reputation it’s a bit disappointing.

We had a wonderful experience at the Four Seasons, and I especially want to recognize Sui for going above and beyond for us. We had a last-minute change to our plans and needed a room on very short notice. Sui was incredibly helpful, accommodating, and made everything come together seamlessly. What could have been a stressful situation ended up being completely effortless because of her help. She was warm, professional, and genuinely cared about making sure we were taken care of. That level of service is exactly what you hope for from the Four Seasons. Thank you, Sui, for taking such great care of us and making our stay even more memorable. We truly appreciated it and look forward to coming back!

We Only Stayed 5 Days it Should Have Been TEN

I chose this hotel because of its reputation and expected the level of service that comes with a luxury property. Unfortunately, this turned out to be one of the most disappointing hotel experiences I’ve had. Before arrival, I had already confirmed the guest information with the hotel. Despite that, they still mixed up our reservation details at check-in, and even the anniversary card had my companion’s name instead of the correct guest’s. It’s a small detail, but for a luxury hotel, it’s exactly these details that matter. The most unacceptable incident happened on the first morning of our stay. A staff member entered my younger sister’s room without permission. The room was occupied by two girls under the age of 18. They responded after the staff knocked, yet the staff member still opened the door and entered. This was not just a service mistake—it was a serious violation of guest privacy and made us feel extremely uncomfortable. Housekeeping was also consistently slow. On one occasion, our room was not cleaned as requested. After contacting the hotel, I was assured that someone would come immediately. More than 40 minutes later, no one had arrived. Throughout our stay, we heard plenty of apologies but saw very little action. Apologies don’t clean rooms. The dining experience was equally disappointing. After dining at Noio, I experienced diarrhea. The following morning at Ulu, we found that used cutlery from the previous guests had not been replaced and was still set on the table. This is simply unacceptable for a hotel of this standard. To make matters worse, the hotel charged my guarantee credit card without notifying me or obtaining any confirmation beforehand. The lack of communication and transparency regarding the charge was both surprising and disappointing. What disappointed me most was not one isolated mistake, but the repeated failures across multiple aspects of the stay—from reservation handling and guest privacy to housekeeping, restaurant hygiene, and billing procedures. These issues point to a lack of attention to detail and inconsistent management rather than isolated incidents. Luxury is not defined by beautiful facilities or expensive room rates. It is defined by professionalism, respect for guests, and delivering the level of service that is promised. Unfortunately, this stay fell well below those expectations.