Four Seasons Resort Hualalai

Four Seasons Resort Hualalai sits on the North Kona coast of Hawaii's Big Island, where white sand beaches run against black lava fields and the Pacific beyond them is a clear, deep blue. The resort faces the ocean directly, and most of what you do here — swimming, diving, paddleboarding, canoeing, boating — starts at or near the water's edge.

Rooms and suites are fitted with private bathrooms, tea and coffee facilities, safes, and televisions. Villas extend the space considerably: separate areas for living and dining, furnished lanais, sun decks, outdoor hearths, and a private pool enclosed within each villa's grounds. Twice-daily housekeeping runs across all accommodation types.

Beyond the rooms, the resort holds several swimming pools, a spa, a fitness centre, a sports club, a cultural centre, and a golf course. Restaurants and bars are on site. Children's activity programmes run alongside the adult facilities, and boutiques and meeting spaces are available within the resort grounds.

The address is 72-100 Ka'upulehu Drive in Kailua-Kona. The North Kona coast sits on the western, leeward side of the Big Island, which keeps it drier and sunnier than the island's windward shores — a fact that shapes the landscape of black lava, sparse vegetation, and long clear days that defines the setting here.