Mauna Lani, Auberge Resorts Collection

We love everything about Mauna Lani! The remodel, especially the pools, is beautiful. Great staff throughout the resort. Very friendly and professional. Also great food/drinks at both Canoe House and Ha Lani. Perfection! Can't wait to go back.

We had a lovely and relaxing stay at the Mauna Lani. We were warmly greeted with purple leis and smiles and a gorgeous fruit bowl of papaya and berries in our rooms. The savvy remodel of the property by Auberge was needed and we found a vastly improved neutral palette aesthetic, modern and minimal with gorgeous appointments throughout, especially the massive koa wood outrigger in the lobby and various Hawaiian textiles and artifacts. A glass elevator expedited travel to the rooms and pool level. Our rooms were upgraded upon arrival with the Amex platinum benefits. My daughters shared an ocean front double queen with a fabulous view of the water and palms in the Canoe House region. I was given a luxurious ocean view one bedroom suite which only had a pool and mountain view to my disappointment but what it lacked in privacy it compensated in utter comfort and ample storage. The staff was gracious exemplifying five star doting and aloha spirit including the concierge and rooms director who went beyond to assist us and enhance our stay. Having a private beach cabana stocked with cold drinks and fruit and snacks on our last day was a treat that made us feel like royalty. The pool and beach staff is attentive and the towels and food delivery is prompt. We loved the surf shack staff who led canoe paddle and snorkeling adventures. My daughter loved being able to hold an octopus on the snorkel trip. The sunrise yoga class also was excellent oath great instruction. The hotel store selling a variety of food, gifts and amenities blended tasty green smoothies and inviting lunch options like poki plates and BLT sandwiches with fresh turkey bacon.They also sell coconut water for $5 a can (it’s half the price at the Shops a few miles from the resort) and various water and fruit selections. Large water bottles also are stocked in the rooms along with Nespresso coffee makers. Breakfast came with our rooms and we ate the buffet daily, a generous array of eggs, meats, smoked fish, fruits and pastries. There were two dinner options and we dined at both the mediterranean restaurant enjoying grilled kabobs and dips with live music each evening; and Asian fusion at the upscale Canoe House. We took advantage of the activities offered, sunrise yoga and lei making, and our concierge was helpful with off site reservations including a Friday luau at the Mauna Kea which was a bit more touristy than we hoped with mediocre food and drinks but fun nonetheless. We also went on a hike at Pololū and the hotel sent us with a wonderful packed lunch of sandwiches, chips and drinks. So kind. In short, we will happily return to the always charming and sophisticated Mauna Lani which has preserved what was best, the classic fish ponds of eels and fauna and the beach cove and well curated artifacts, while succeeding with a much needed facelift of the stunning property. It was nice making new memories st a resort near and dear to my heart over the decades.Mahalo!

The hotel is beautiful. Service is mostly good. Breakfast buffet is excellent. Lunch and dinner options are tasty, too. A couple of negatives that took away from our stay: we didn’t receive a warm greeting from the valet upon arrival (no leis were provided to us without us requesting them despite others arriving receiving them). We arrive at the front desk and don’t receive a welcome drink/towel as others did. Our room was not ready despite us arriving an hour late. The staff person said we’d been upgraded to a partial ocean view and offered us drinks at the bar while we waited. During this time the manager comes and gives us our key fobs for the room and tells us it’s for a garden view room (our original reservation). We note that we had been told we were upgraded at check in, which this manager didn’t seem to realize. She corrected it but the room we were given ultimately felt like a downgrade: noisy above the restaurant and adjacent to a group events room that was filled with activities throughout our stay. Music bumped until 11pm (and one night 1am) and then resumed with breakfast at 6:30am. We didn’t sleep well even with the noise cancellation machine. Hardly the relaxation we had expected. I suspect if your room number is far enough away from the pool and restaurants your experience would be better. Finally, I know tipping is important but I found it strange that the gratuity for spa services is already included in the price at 22% but then the desk all but demands additional tip. Maybe it’s this new over-tipping culture we’re all in, but I thought it strange.

The hotel is nice hotel, with a nice pool and setting. It is recognized as a 5 star hotel, but feels like a 4 star. Our room was very nice and the grounds were beyond reproach The beach has a rocky bottom, so the beach is used less frequently. Where the problem lies is that I can’t remember being a hotel with such a lack of personal touch. Not once did anyone acknowledge us, know our name or made us feel special. The breakfast is just okay in comparison to other Hawaii hotels that we’ve stay at previously. As I went to hit golf balls at the driving range affiliated with the hotel, a nice amenity, the valet team charged with driving guests messed up multiple times. First, they didn’t come to pick me up when done after I called, as the person I spoke to didn’t pass on the message. Then, the next time I went, I asked for a ride from the valet desk and they took a person who came after me and left me there. They radioed the driver to come back as he was a minute away, but he didn’t return. There was another car there, with other valets sitting around, and they didn’t offer to take me. Finally, I had to ask why they couldn’t drive me with the car sitting there and they finally stepped up. The problem here seems to be a disconnect with how to create a good customer experience at this hotel. Even with very nice facilities, the hotel will only be mediocre until this improves. Bottom line, we will never return.

Overall this is a lovely location. It is a big resort and was busy when we stayed. The food quality is average at best but at high prices. The Surf Shack food was terrible and very disappointing. The fish taco is a fried piece of nothing. The staff overall are very nice but not nearly as well managed as other high end hotels. A lot of what we experienced was a lack of great management. We would not go back but try Rosewood or the Fairmont.