The 5 Best Hotel or Resort Pools on Hawaiʻi Island in 2024
Find out which hotel or resort on Hawaiʻi Island has the best pool, as voted by our readers in the 2024 Readers’ Choice Awards.
Let’s face it: Pools matter! In fact, some travelers base their hotel choice on this one amenity. Hawaiʻi Island hotels have pools as varied as the island’s landscapes. Here are your five favorites, as voted in the 2024 Readers’ Choice Awards.
1. Royal Kona Resort
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Topping the list of the Royal Kona Hotel, a conveniently located, 436-room hotel on the Kailua Bay coastline. The bar, lounge, restaurant and—yes!—pool are right on the water. The protected saltwater lagoon is perfect for kids and beginner snorkelers, and the pool is where you’ll likely spend your lazy days, sipping a cocktail in one of the cabanas. The only downside: The pool closes at sunset. 75-5852 Ali‘i Dr., Kailua-Kona, royalkona.com
2. Hilton Waikōloa Village
The pool at the Hilton Waikōloa Resort.
Photo: Courtesy of the Hilton Waikōloa Resort
Not a stranger to this list, the pool at the 62-acre Hilton Waikōloa Resort is a huge draw, especially for travelers with kids. Zoom down the 175-foot waterslide in the Kona Pool, the hotel’s largest. There’s also a rope bridge, hot tubs and a sandy children’s beach. The Kohala Pool features interconnected pools with smaller waterslides, and the Ocean Tower Adult Pool is for adults only—and yes, there’s a bar. 69-425 Waikōloa Beach Dr., Waikoloa Village, hilton.com
3. Outrigger Kona Resort and Spa
The oceanfront pool at the Outrigger Kona Resort and Spa.
Photo: Courtesy of the Outrigger Kona Resort and Spa/Brent Shiratori
Located on stunning Keauhou Bay, the Outrigger Kona Resort and Spa boasts amazing views of the bay. But that’s overshadowed by the hotel’s pool complex. (The hotel calls it a “multi-level fantasy pool.”) It boasts a 200-foot waterslide, waterfalls and a sand-bottom keiki pool—all with a sweeping ocean view. At night you can spot manta rays gliding in the bay. Magical! 78-128 ʻEhukai St., Kailua-Kona, outrigger.com
4. The Westin Hāpuna Beach Resort
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Stretching along the white sands of Hāpuna Beach, this hotel boasts two swimming pools: a 6,800-square-foot family pool and an adults-only infinity pool, both overlooking the beach. Find hot tubs, loungers and quiet places to relax. The larger pool is great for families, too. You may never get to the beach! 62-100 Kaunaʻoa Dr., Waimea, marriott.com
5. Four Seasons Resort Hualālai
The pool at the Four Seasons Resort Hualālai.
Photo: Alan Kennedy/Four Seasons
You want a pool? The Four Reasons Resort Hualālai boasts seven, from an outdoor, Olympic-style lap pool at the spa to the white-sand-bottom keiki pool with children-size chaise loungers and a treasure chest of water toys. Hualālai’s famed 1.8-million-gallon saltwater pool, King’s Pond, is carved out of natural lava rock and is home to more than 1,000 tropical fish. The hotel’s newest infinity pool, perched above this swimmable aquarium, with a wrap-around deck that offers panoramic views of the King’s Pond and the ocean beyond. There’s also an adults-only pool—the Palm Grove Pool—with a bar, oversize hammocks and poolside chaise loungers. You can get a couple’s massage here, too. 72-100 Kaʻupulehu Drive, Kailua-Kona, fourseasons.com/hualalai
See all of the winners of our 2024 Readers’ Choice Awards in our latest issue, which you can buy here. Better yet, subscribe and get HAWAIʻI Magazine delivered to right to your mailbox.
