Hualālai Resort: an oceanfront resort community

The resort occupies about 865 acres of oceanfront land roughly ten to fifteen minutes north of Kona International Airport, at the foot of Hualālai volcano in the Kaʻūpūlehu ahupuaʻa. It is the southernmost of the coast’s master-planned resorts, set north of Kūkiʻo and south of the Waikoloa shoreline.

The land is lava, black and open, with the mountain rising behind and the ocean in front. Development has deliberately preserved the ahupuaʻa’s cultural features: petroglyph fields, the historic Kaʻūpūlehu trail, and the site of an ancient Hawaiian fishing village sit within the resort grounds.

Residents live in roughly 185 custom single-family homes spread across a set of distinct neighborhoods, from estate lots near the water to villas and townhomes further upland. Every neighborhood sits inside the guarded gate, and the Hualālai Club membership, available to residents, covers golf, tennis, fitness, and ocean amenities.

Because the hotel is part of the community, Hualālai has more going on than its quieter neighbor to the south, with dining, events, and a steady but controlled flow of resort life. It is still unmistakably private, and the maintenance standard across the resort is high. Full-time residents and second-home owners mix comfortably.

Hualālai sits in Lava Zone 4, the designation for the Hualālai volcano, whose last eruption was in 1801, and which is considered a low relative hazard for this island. Homes are permitted and on the grid. Ownership includes the community association and, for those who join, the club membership; the resort services handle the landscaping and maintenance that keep the whole place at one standard.