Kohala Coast · Hawaiʻi Island: Kohala Coast
Mauna Kea Beach Hotel
Laurance S. Rockefeller's 1965 resort, fully reopened in February 2026; rooms are in the 1965 main building and the 1968 Beachfront Wing.
- Built
- 1965–1968Main building opened July 1965 with 154 rooms; the Beachfront Wing was added in 1968. Both buildings hold guest rooms and both are over 50 years old. Closed 1994-95 and 2006-08 for renovations; reopened after a $180 million renovation in February 2026.
- Style
- Mid-century modern
- Architect
- Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (Charles Bassett); Beachfront Wing by Wimberly, Whisenand, Allison, Tong & Goo
- Type
- Resort
- Rooms
- 252
- Area
- Hawaiʻi Island: Kohala Coast
- Credentials
- Historic Hotels of America member
The story
Laurance S. Rockefeller leased the Kaunaʻoa Bay site from Parker Ranch in 1961 and built Hawaiʻi Island’s first resort. Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, with lead architect Charles Bassett, designed a single open-air building in place of the cottages first planned; it opened in July 1965 with 154 rooms after a $15 million build-out and won an AIA Honor Award in 1967. Honolulu firm Wimberly, Whisenand, Allison, Tong & Goo designed the Beachfront Wing, added in 1968. After the October 2006 earthquake the hotel closed for a $150 million renovation and reopened in December 2008. A $180 million-plus renovation of the Main Tower and Beachfront Wing finished in February 2026, the hotel’s 60th anniversary year.
Good to know
- Address: 62-100 Mauna Kea Beach Drive, Waimea, HI 96743
Sources (4)
Last verified October 2026. Details change; confirm with the inn before you book.