Hawaii

Our Hawaii coverage focuses on the three islands where luxury travel is at its best. Maui, home to the resort coasts of Wailea and Kapalua. The Big Island, whose Kona-Kohala Coast holds the densest concentration of flagship resorts in the state, including Four Seasons Hualalai, Mauna Lani, and Kona Village. And Kauai, the greenest and quietest of the three, where a small supply of rooms splits between the dramatic north shore and the reliably sunny south. Start with our guides to the best hotels on Maui, the best hotels on the Big Island, and the best hotels in Kauai.

Hawaii is six very different islands wearing one name, and the biggest mistake travelers make is treating them as interchangeable. Maui is the classic. Golden resort beaches, the Road to Hana, Haleakala at sunrise, and two distinct luxury coasts to choose between. The Big Island is the connoisseur's pick, younger and stranger and more dramatic, where black lava fields run down to white-sand coves and the state's most exclusive resorts sit along a single sunny coast. Kauai is the one people fall for on a second or third trip, when scenery matters more than dining variety and quiet matters more than choice. Nothing here is sponsored, and no stay was comped.

Where we cover in Hawaii:

Maui — Maui's luxury story is a tale of two coasts. Wailea, on the island's sunny southwestern shore, is the polished resort strip, a string of beaches fronted by the Four Seasons Maui, Andaz, and Grand Wailea, with golf, shopping, and the island's most reliable weather. Kapalua and Kaanapali, in West Maui, trade some of that polish for drama: pineapple-field highlands, championship golf, winter whale watching from your lanai, and Montage Kapalua Bay anchoring the quietest corner of the coast. Choosing between them shapes the whole trip, and our guide to the best hotels on Maui breaks down both coasts, the flagship properties on each, and which fits the trip you're planning.

The Big Island — The Big Island's Kona-Kohala Coast is the most concentrated stretch of luxury resorts in Hawaii, and possibly in America: Four Seasons Hualalai, the resort many consider the single best in the state; Mauna Lani, Auberge Collection, reborn after a $200 million renovation; and Kona Village, A Rosewood Resort, the storied hideaway rebuilt from the ground up into one of the most exclusive addresses in the Pacific. Beyond the resorts, this is the island of superlatives, with an active volcano, snow-capped Mauna Kea, manta ray night snorkels, and Kona coffee farms in the hills above the coast. Our guide to the best hotels on the Big Island covers the full flagship tier and how to choose among them.

Kauai — Kauai is the Garden Isle, and it earns the name. Cliffs, waterfalls, and the Napali coast at the end of a road that does not circle the island. The luxury tier here is smaller than on Maui or the Big Island, and that scarcity is the point. 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay sits on the bluff above Hanalei Bay with what may be the best view of any hotel in the state, Timbers Kauai holds the island's only Michelin Key, and the sunny south shore around Poipu carries the widest range of family resorts, led by the Grand Hyatt Kauai. The north shore is wetter and more dramatic, the south is drier and more dependable, and picking between them shapes the entire trip. Our guide to the best hotels in Kauai covers both shores and which one suits the trip you're taking.

Which island should you choose?

For first trips, families, and travelers who want beaches, dining variety, and iconic sights in one itinerary, Maui is the answer. For return visitors, resort connoisseurs, and anyone drawn to landscapes that feel genuinely otherworldly, the Big Island rewards the choice, and its flagship resorts outclass nearly everything on the other islands. Kauai is the scenery pick, the quietest of the three and the most beautiful, best suited to travelers who would rather hike and swim than work through a restaurant list. With a week or more, inter-island flights run about thirty minutes, and pairing any two of these makes one of the great American luxury trips.

Best time to visit Hawaii

Hawaii is genuinely a year-round destination, but the calendar still matters. Mid-April through early June and September through mid-December are the sweet spots, warm and drier and meaningfully less expensive than peak season, with resort availability that actually exists. Winter, mid-December through March, brings peak rates and peak crowds, but also humpback whale season, when the channel off Maui and the Kohala Coast fills with breaching whales. For many travelers, that is worth every premium. Summer is family high season: reliable weather, calm leeward waters, and the busiest pools of the year.

One island-specific note. Kauai has far fewer hotel rooms than Maui or Oahu and almost no last-minute substitutions, so it needs to be booked earlier than the others. Six to nine months out for winter and summer travel is not excessive there.

FAQ

Which Hawaiian island is best for luxury travel? The Big Island's Kona-Kohala Coast has the strongest collection of flagship resorts in the state, led by Four Seasons Hualalai, Mauna Lani, and Kona Village. Maui offers the best combination of luxury resorts, beaches, and things to do, split between the Wailea and Kapalua coasts. Kauai has the smallest luxury bench of the three but the most dramatic scenery, anchored by 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay and Timbers Kauai.

Which Hawaiian island is best for a first trip? Maui. It has the widest range of resorts, the most reliable swimming beaches, the deepest restaurant scene, and enough to do that a week never feels thin. Save Kauai and the Big Island for return trips, when you already know what you want from Hawaii.

Is Maui or the Big Island better for families? Both work well. Maui offers more variety, including beaches, the Road to Hana, and casual dining, while the Big Island's top resorts, Mauna Lani and Four Seasons Hualalai in particular, run some of the best kids' programming in Hawaii.

Is Kauai good for families? Yes, if you base on the south shore. Poipu has the island's most dependable beach weather and the Grand Hyatt Kauai has the best resort pool complex on Kauai. The north shore is spectacular but wetter, and winter surf regularly closes the swimming beaches there.

When is the cheapest time to visit Hawaii at the luxury tier? Late April through early June and September through early December bring the softest rates of the year at the flagship resorts, with spring and fall shoulder seasons offering the best weather-to-value ratio.

When is whale season in Hawaii? Humpback whales are present roughly December through April, peaking January through March. West Maui and the Kohala Coast of the Big Island offer the best shore and resort viewing.

Do you need a car in Hawaii? On all three islands, yes. Distances are real, the Big Island especially, and the best of each island lies well beyond the resort gates. On Kauai it matters even more, because there is no road circling the island and crossing between Poipu, Princeville, and Waimea Canyon takes real planning.