The Mauna Kea has what even a local cab driver describes as 
"the best beach on the island." This long crescent of white sand, fringed with obligatory palm trees, follows the outline of a shallow cove anchored by lava-rock promontories. The hotel sits atop one of those rocky outcrops in a garden of exotic flowers and trees accented with Oriental sculpture. Off to one side a terraced hillside holds 11 tennis courts, the lowest of them so close to the sea that you can hear the sound of waves breaking on the black-lava rocks.
Tennis almost never snags such prime real estate, and several years ago previous tennis director committed the unthinkable act of taking a chainsaw to some of the tennis complex's exuberant foliage, which goes wild in the tropical heat and fertile soil, in order to open up those sea views. If that means coping with a bit more wind on some days, it seems like a reasonable trade off since it means being able to gaze at the ocean at changeovers and perhaps spot a whale sounding just offshore.
Though now owned and managed by Prince Resorts Hawaii, the hotel was Laurance S. Rockefeller's original foray into luxury resort development. In 1965 he looked at a black-lava desert miles 25 miles north of the town of Kailua-Kona and envisaged a luxury golf and tennis resort. Everyone thought he was crazy; he proved them wrong by attracting a wealthy international clientele, who actually liked the fact that there were no telephones or televisions. Mauna Kea became the first in a series of Rockresorts and a synonym for the ultimate resort vacation.
Both the traveling public and the resort have changed over the intervening decades: guests today have flatscreen televisions, phones, and high-speed Internet access in their rooms, and the Mauna Kea shares this coast with more than half a dozen resorts, all of them carved out of the black lava. None affords a more beautiful setting for tennis or has as much on-court activity. Somehow Tennis magazine left the Mauna Kea off its list of Top 50 U.S. Resorts in 2010 and again in 2011—an unconscionable oversight given that this resort is not only No. 1 in the Hawaiian Islands but a frequent Top 10 finisher in the Top 100 ratings we compile annually based on vacationer reviews.
Pro Shop: 808-882-5420
Tennis director Craig Pautler is actually in his second stint overseeing this tennis operation. Although his return in 2004 was not quite so 
dramatic as an eruption of the Kilauea Volcano at the southern end of the island, it did alter the Hawaiian resort tennis landscape. Pautler, who was there in 1977-82 before moving next door to the Mauna Lani and then up to his daughters' former prep school in Waimea, lives and breathes customer service. Stroll through the glass doors of the pro shop, and you'll be greeted by someone who seems genuinely thrilled that you came and will ask, almost without fail, "Can we get you a game?" or otherwise find out about your tennis needs.
The weekly calendar is a fairly typical blend of private instruction, clinics and round robins, along with kids' programs during the summers and busy holiday periods. What brings avid players back, year after year however, is the tirelessly attentive tennis staff, who understand how important it can be just to play. They not only put together singles, doubles, or mixed doubles matches, often drawing on their own stable of local members, but they also deliver a continual supply of towels, chilled towels, and ice water throughout your time on court.
Since his return, Pautler has revitalized the program and beautified the complex, but he's still not satisfied. On my last visit, he showed me work orders for upgrading various parts of what's called the Seaside Tennis Club, including removing all but a low fence from one of the courts along the ocean in order to improve the views, and undertaking a gradual resurfacing of all the courts. It took him just over a year to take Mauna Kea to the No. 1 position among Hawaii's tennis resorts, but from his perspective staying ahead of the competition requires continual attention to every aspect of the tennis experience, from keeping the courts clean (he and his pros, not the landscaping staff, personally wash every court every few weeks because that way they're more likely to notice other things needing attention) to making sure every guest's needs are met and more. With him back on court, this entire stretch of the Kohala Coast—and the tennis resorts on the rest of the Hawaiian Islands for that matter—once again have a working model of superlative service.
Beach. A perfect crescent of beach, generally regarded as one of the finest resort beaches in the Hawaii, lines the Kauna'oa Bay immediately below the hotel.
Golf Courses. Robert Trent Jones, Sr. designed the 18-hole Mauna Kea Golf Course, which ranks among the finest in Hawaii and following a $50 million upgrade has once again become one of the most demanding. It is characterized by elevation changes, large undulating greens, and some 120 strategically situated bunkers. Its third hole, which borders an oceanfront inlet lined with lava rock, is so stunning that it's often chosen as the site for weddings. Guests also have access to the nearby Hapuna Golf Course, which was designed by Arnold Palmer and Ed Seay and won awards for its environmental sensitivity. It begins near the shore and climbs to 700 feet above sea level.
And ... Mauna Kea's fitness center consists of two rooms, one paneled with wood and filled with cardio equipment and dumbbells, the other lined with mirrors and furnished with a dozen LifeFitness stations. Both have tall windows that afford views on the gardens bordering the swimming pool outside. The boutique spa is nearby, though rather than have your treatments in rooms there, you can just as easily book them for locationss at the Tennis Garden, a spot beneath mesquite-like kiawe trees right along the ocean, or in your own room.
The resort's children's program entertains kids ages 5-12 year-round and focuses on outdoor activities as much as possible, utilizing both the Mauna Kea and nearby sister Hapuna Beach properties. And the staff at Seaside Tennis Club also expands junior tennis offerings during major holidays and summers.
You might expect any hotel more than four decades old to be showing signs of age. The rooms, however, received a complete makeover after an earthquake in 2006 caused structural damage. Although some of them remain a little on the small side by modern standards—particularly the bathrooms—they make up for it in their deep, full-width lanais with ocean or mountain views, tasteful contemporary Hawaiian furnishings, and handsome paneled wall units with flatscreen TVs, coffee makers, book shelves, mini-fridges, and both an ethernet and wi-fi connections. In the tiled bath behind a sliding door, a huge shower head rains down on a deep soaking tub. Across from it is a walk-in closet. Electronic keys provide access to your room, the 24-hour fitness center, and self parking.
Truthfully, dining had been a weak point of any stay at Mauna Kea, No more. Manta Pavilion and Wine Bar takes full advantage of its views of the gardens and sea on Manta Point, adding an exhibition kitchen and several Enomatic wine dispensers that allow you to taste any of almost 50 wines simply by purchasing a prepaid card from the Manta Bar. While Monettes, Artisan Steak and Fish, has the extremely talented Matthew Zubrod at the helm providing a remarkab le culinary adventure, his dishes as attractive as they are delicious. For something extraordinary See whether the "Chef's Surprise" is being offered. If so, let Zubrod choose the menu using whatever he considers the best ingredients of the day and his own imagination, subject of course to your own allergies and preferences.
If you're looking for a beach, golf, and tennis resort along this part of the Kona Coast, see the Southwest & Hawaii Map). For a location other than Hawaii that combines a beach with high-quality tennis, golf, and spa, also check out:
Lodging consists of 258 rooms and suites in an 8-story hotel perched above a perfect crescent of beach. Rates vary with size and view. See their website for details about rates during the time you want to travel.
Seasons. Year-round.
Travel Instructions. It is pretty much a straight shot north on Hwy. 11 from Kona Airport (which itself is north of town) to a left turn into Mauna Kea Resort and a winding road along the golf court to the porte-cochere of the hotel, a distance of roughly 25 miles.
General Tourist Information. For information about the resorts along this corridor, visit the Kohala Coast Resort Association website or the Big Island Visitors Bureau website or contact them at 250 Keawe St., Hilo, HI 96743. Phone: 808-961-5797. Or for information about Hawaii as a whole, visit the Hawaii Visitors Bureau website or contact them at 2270 Kalakaua Ave. #801, Honolulu, HI 96815. Phone: 808-923-1811 or Fax: 808-924-0290.