Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, Autograph Collection in Hawaii has announced a $180 million renovation in 2024. The resort, developed by American venture capitalist and conservationist Laurance S. Rockefeller in 1965, is located on the Kohala Coast. It is home to a museum-worthy collection of Asian and Pacific art, the island’s first-ever golf course (the Mauna Kea Golf Course, designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr.) and Seaside Tennis Center, with nine oceanfront tennis courts and eight pickleball courts. The historic property shares 1,839 acres of oceanfront property with The Westin Hapuna Beach Resort and together comprises Rockefeller’s early vision of his Hawaii Island portfolio, known today as Mauna Kea Resort.
The phased transformation will begin in Q2 2024 and is expected to be completed in early 2025. It will encompass a redesign of the resort’s 252 guestrooms and suites, four dining venues, including the resort’s signature restaurant Manta that offers views of Kaunaʻoa Bay. The renovation will also include a destination spa and infinity pool experience with 11 indoor and al fresco treatment rooms, full-service salon and an expanded fitness center. New garden areas will comprise a chef’s garden, providing fresh produce for the resort’s kitchens, as well as a specialized botanical garden and with indigenous and endemic plant species.
The interior design will be led by Dallas-based Looney & Associates with architectural design from Honolulu-based AHL, or Architects Hawaii Ltd. Additionally, Mauna Kea Golf Course will undergo an extensive makeover under the direction of Robert Trent Jones Jr., making this course the first ever to incorporate the work of Robert Trent Jones Sr. and both sons Reese and Bobby Jr..
Together with the resort’s transformation, Mauna Kea Beach Hotel’s land and cultural preservation and sustainability initiatives are integral to enriching the guest experience and the local community. These efforts include partnering with Honolulu’s Bishop Museum and other key local partners to refurbish a million-dollar art collection personally commissioned by Rockefeller and ensuring that the prized collection consisting of hundreds of pieces is preserved and displayed throughout the resort’s public spaces. Further supporting the resort’s renewable initiatives is the resort’s team of Cultural Ambassadors and a new cultural center with programming tailored for authenticity and education about Hawaiian culture.
For more information, visit www.maunakeabeachhotel.com.
Related Stories
Now Open: Romer Waikiki at the Ambassador
The Westin Hapuna Beach Resort Recognized as Carbon Neutral