Gianna's Gem: Sexy Property Spotlight Mauna Lani, Auberge Collection, Hawaii
/I've spent a lot of time in Hawaii over the years…Few properties have captured my heart the way Mauna Lani, Auberge Collection has. This isn't just a resort…it's a completely immersive Hawaiian experience wrapped in a freshly renovated, strikingly beautiful package that somehow manages to feel both genuinely luxurious and deeply welcoming and authentic…it’s a property that takes luxury and quality a step further by constantly innovating while maintaining a sense of place and history that priceless. Whether you're planning a multi-generational family vacation, a corporate retreat, or a milestone celebration, Mauna Lani delivers on every level, and even surprises you with moments of delight you didn't even know to ask for.
And I'll be honest: the moment I arrived, my event planner brain lit up like the Big Island sky at sunset. I am already dreaming about bringing a group here… and I want you to be first in line.
Why This Property is a Standout: It Thought of Everything
Let me start with the design, because it sets the tone for everything that follows. The renovation at Mauna Lani is chef's kiss. The aesthetic is clean, airy, and unfussy elegance with an abundance of high quality natural textures, warm neutrals, and open-air architecture that lets the volcanic landscape and Pacific coast views shine. It doesn't try too hard. It doesn't need to.
Walking through this property, you immediately feel the care that went into making every corner feel intentional. This is the kind of design that photographs beautifully but more importantly, lives beautifully. You can exhale the moment you arrive. It’s luxury that families can enjoy without worry.
And the rooms and spaces themselves? Thoughtfully laid out making use of every square inch, modern without being cold, with a clean, edited sensibility that signals genuine quality. Nothing feels dated, nothing feels spliced together. It's the kind of renovation that makes you think: they actually talked to guests before they designed this.
The Full Hawaii Experience…Without Ever Leaving the Property
Here's what I find most remarkable about Mauna Lani: you could genuinely spend your entire trip on property (I did!) and leave feeling like you had an authentic, complete Hawaiian experience with new discoveries and surprises to be found each day. That's extremely rare. Most resorts ask you to choose between luxury and immersion. Mauna Lani refuses to make you choose.
The crown jewel? The ancient Hawaiian fishponds that sit at the heart of the resort. These are genuine, historically significant loko iʻa (fishponds) that have been part of this land for centuries. Watching the tropical fish glide through crystal-clear water with the open ocean as your backdrop is one of those moments that quietly takes your breath away. Every morning on my daily run I observed something unique - from jumping fish to eels, it never got old and offered an adventure just minutes away from where I woke up.
The Ancient Fishponds & Lava Tubes: Living History You Can Actually Touch
This is what separates Mauna Lani from every other luxury resort in Hawaii, and honestly, from most resorts anywhere in the world. Steps from the beach, the resort is home to the Kalāhuipuaʻa Historical Park, a 27-acre sacred preserve encompassing seven ancient Hawaiian fishponds, collapsed lava tubes, and petroglyphs that date back as far as 250 A.D. This is not a display. This is the real thing, and it is breathtaking.
The seven fishponds span over 15 combined acres and reaching depths of nearly 20 feet, once the prized property of Kamehameha the Great himself. The ponds are fed by a remarkable combination of natural freshwater springs and ocean tidal action, creating a brackish environment that ancient Hawaiians engineered with astonishing ingenuity. Walking alongside them, watching mullet leap and shimmer in the emerald water beneath swaying palms, you feel the weight of centuries in the best possible way.
The lava tubes woven throughout the park add another layer of wonder entirely. These ancient underground tunnels were formed when the outer surface of a lava flow cooled and hardened while molten rock continued flowing beneath, eventually draining away and leaving hollow pipelines behind. Ancient Hawaiians discovered that these tubes made extraordinary shelters: cooler, drier, and more protected from the wind and rain than any surface structure.
And then there's the insider secret that my contact at the resort tipped me off to, and which became one of the unexpected highlights of the trip for my son and me: the "fish pedicure" pool. Tucked along the trail, there is a spring-fed pool where tiny fish have become so accustomed to visitors that they will happily nibble the dead skin from the soles of your feet. My son and I dangled our feet in and dissolved into laughter… it is the most delightful, ticklish, completely bizarre and wonderful sensation, and watching a kid experience it for the first time is pure joy. It's the kind of tip that doesn't make it into any brochure, which is exactly what makes it special.
Beyond the priceless fishponds, the water activities program and beach are exceptional. Snorkeling right off the property gives you direct access to the extraordinary marine life that makes the Big Island coast so special. Paddleboarding on calm waters with lava fields and mountains in the background is a postcard that can't be staged. A highlight for us was the sunrise canoe which featured traditional Hawaiian outriggers and guides setting sail with a small group right as the morning sun rises over the glassy water.
I’m not exaggerating when I say the canoe ride was magnificent and even spiritual. Paddling out on the open water in the golden early morning light, Hawaiian guides sounding the conch, invited us to meditate as we paddled in a kind of reverence to the land and water, with the Big Island coastline still, quiet, and glowing around us, was one of those profound, rare moments where you think: this is exactly what travel is for. The kind of experience that a kid talks about for years (my son will). The fact that Mauna Lani offers it as a "surprise and delight" experience says everything about how this property thinks about its guests while highlighting the local culture.
Built for Families, In The Right Way
I say "the right way" because families know there's a meaningful difference between a resort that tolerates kids, caters to kids and one that was actually designed with kids AND their parents in mind. Mauna Lani is firmly in the latter category, and it shows.
Every day brings structured, genuinely fun activities and experiences for kids that connect them to Hawaiian culture in memorable ways. Coconut shucking? Absolutely. Kids go home with a skill and a story. S'mores making at sunset while star gazing with a local Hawaiian guide? The kind of memory that lasts longer than any souvenir. These aren't afterthoughts; they're curated programming that makes children feel seen and included, educate about the place and culture, and are engaging for kids and parents alike…which, as any parent knows, is what makes a family trip actually feel like a vacation for everyone.
The Brand New Francis Brown Club: A Giant Living Room in the Sky
Here's something I can say I genuinely stumbled into, and it turned out to be one of the highlights of the trip: we arrived on March 28th, the exact day the brand new Francis Brown Club opened its doors. Talk about timing.
The concept is brilliant, and I'm surprised more luxury resorts haven't cracked this code. Mauna Lani took a prime space on the Lobby Level, one that previously housed private events and meetings but was chronically underutilized, and transformed it into an elevated Club experience for guests who want to opt into a next-level stay. For a per-trip fee, Club access unlocks a genuinely impressive suite of perks: a complimentary and amazing morning buffet, evening happy hour, all-day snacks (including an ice cream station, raw bar, healthy bites, and — yes — a candy bar), a complimentary tennis/golf lesson, reserved beach seating, and use of a house Mercedes. It's the kind of upgrade that actually upgrades your trip, not just your room category.
But what made it land for our family wasn't any single amenity, it was the feeling of the space. The Club overlooks the beach and resort, and it's been designed to feel like like a hotel lounge and more like an extraordinarily beautiful giant living room. We were welcomed there for check-in rather than waiting at the front desk, greeted with champagne and the most incredible freshly baked chocolate chip cookies (the whole place smelled like someone's dream kitchen) and given a personal tour before we'd even seen our room. It set the tone for the entire stay.
The game room and terrace became our family's unofficial home base. My son and I played poker out on the terrace with a glass of their exceptional wine in hand, looking out over the resort… and I thought: this is the kind of moment that doesn't happen by accident. It happens because someone designed a space intentionally to encourage guests to slow down, connect, and actually talk to each other. The Club functions as a social hub in the best possible way, sparking the kind of easy, warm conversations between guests that you'd normally only get at a great dinner party. Smart hospitality, beautifully executed, and on opening day, no less.
Two Exceptional Restaurants That Were 10/10
Mauna Lani's dining scene is genuinely excellent, not "good for a hotel" excellent, but excellent excellent to the point that we booked one of them for two nights just to be able to taste everything on the menu.
This is the resort's iconic oceanfront restaurant, and one of the most storied dining destinations in all of Hawaii. Perched on a private half-acre lawn at the ocean's edge, CanoeHouse celebrates Hawaii's connection to land and sea with Japanese-inspired fusion cuisine helmed by a truly exceptional culinary team. The sunset views are legendary, the seasonal menu is thoughtful and locally sourced, with delightfully executed dishes that are part theater, packed with flavor… and the fire pits on the lawn for sunset cocktails are the perfect touch. This is one of those restaurants you talk about long after you leave and could genuinely eat at every night. Fun Fact: Executive Chef, Rhoda Magbitang, is currently featured on this season of Top Chef!
Overlooking the resort pool, HāLani brings a coastal Mediterranean sensibility to the heart of the Big Island and it works beautifully for families who want to be able to let their kids run around on the lawn while enjoying approachable but high quality dining. It's the kind of restaurant that's perfect for a family dinner or a long, leisurely evening with friends: warm, lively, with shareable From the wood fired pizza and pitas to the charcoal grilled fish, veggies, and meats, the dishes are fresh, seasonal, and craveable with unparalleled service to boot.
And then there's the Surf Shack, a casual, toes-in-the-sand counterpart that completes the picture. Located at the Mauna Lani Beach Club right on the water, this is where you land after a morning of snorkeling or a surf lesson or for happy hour with friends: sun-kissed, hungry, and not remotely interested in changing out of your swimsuit. Fish tacos, fresh beachside bites, cold drinks, live music as the afternoon winds down…it's exactly what a beach shack should be, done with the quality and care that defines everything else on this property. Don't make the mistake of dismissing it as just a grab-and-go. It's a genuinely fun, delicious spot that the whole family will want to return to every single day.
Event Spaces That Just Work
As an event planner, I can't walk a property without mentally staging it…the Mauna Lani was made for events, and the variety and quality of spaces available is genuinely exceptional.
The outdoor venues alone could anchor an entire event program. Kilohana Beach offers a toes-in-the-sand beachfront setting right alongside CanoeHouse; there is no more dramatic backdrop in Hawaii for a dinner, reception, or ceremony. The Hoku Lawn and Papakōnane Sunset Lawn deliver sweeping oceanfront settings ideal for cocktail receptions and seated dinners under the stars, while the Milo Tree Lawn brings an intimate, almost spiritual quality perfect for ceremonies and smaller gatherings. For larger productions, the Hale Hoaloha Pavilion is a fully air-conditioned, dynamic indoor space that can handle anything from black tie galas to large-scale corporate presentations, and crucially, it serves as a beautiful weather backup so your event never gets held hostage by the elements.
Wellness Done Right: Spa, Fitness Center, and Courts
The Auberge Spa is a sanctuary - beautifully appointed, with a service menu rooted in authentic Hawaiian healing traditions and locally sourced botanicals. Signature treatments like the Lomi Lomi massage and exclusive goop Glow Facial bring real intention to every session.
And if the spa boutique tempts you (it will), Mauna Lani is home to Hawaii's only Goop store, Gwyneth Paltrow's beloved clean beauty and wellness brand, curated right on property. Whether you're stocking up on skincare, picking up a gift, or just browsing beautiful things after your treatment, it's the perfect cherry on top of an already exceptional spa experience.
The Fitness Center is high-quality ad seriously well-equipped with Peloton bikes, rowing machines, HIIT Mills, and an open-air terrace where you can train with the sea breeze naturally reviving you. And, the resort also has a separate Mauna Lani Sports Club facility right next to the tennis courts, just minutes away, meaning you never fight for equipment. Pick your adventure, or enjoy the running paths along the fish ponds and through the lava tubes (my personal favorite way to start the day).
Tennis courts (and pickleball!) round out an offering that covers every guest who wants to stay active. Whether you're a dedicated athlete or someone who likes the option to move their body, the infrastructure here has you genuinely covered.
The Bottom Line
Mauna Lani perfection is what happens when a world-class resort operator takes a spectacular piece of land, renovates it with genuine taste, honors the land/traditions, and then programs it with the intelligence and generosity of a team that genuinely loves Hawaii and wants guests to fall deeply in love with it too. The luxury here is real but never precious. The activities are plentiful but never chaotic. The vibe is elevated but never exclusive in a way that makes anyone feel unwelcome.
Would I return? Already planning it. Maybe annually.
Would I recommend it for your next family trip, corporate program, or milestone event? Without a single hesitation.
So here's my question for you: who wants to be the first to plan an event with me at Mauna Lani, Auberge Collection? Whether it's a corporate incentive trip, a milestone birthday, a wedding, or a family reunion that people will talk about for the rest of their lives… I want to make it happen here. I have the relationships, I know the property, and frankly, I cannot think of a more magnificent canvas. Reach out directly at gianna@gaudini.com and let's make something extraordinary together.
Gianna’s Gem Rating: An emphatic 11/10 (first yet!)
For more information about Mauna Lani, Auberge Collection Hawaii and to be put in touch with their team, contact me for a direct intro.
