This Hawaiʻi Island Hotel Has Eight Pools and One is Practically an Aquarium
The Four Seasons Resort Hualālai on Hawaiʻi Island boasts a swimmable aquarium filled with more than 1,000 tropical fish.
There are two things I love about hotels: robes in the room and resort pools.
But the pools, really, are at the top of that short list.
There are a lot of great hotels in Hawaiʻi with less-than-spectacular pools, and I get it. The Islands have some of the best beaches in the world, so why waste your time at a hotel pool, right?
Wrong!
Pools can be the jewel of a resort, a place where people meet for drinks and kids can be entertained for hours. And many hotels offer a diversity of pools, from quiet adults-only coves to keiki pools with slides.
Then there’s the Four Seasons Resort Hualālai on Hawaiʻi Island. (There’s little wonder why it earned the No. 1 spot in U.S. News & World Report’s 15th annual rankings of the best hotels around the world.)
This luxe resort, which sprawls across 865 oceanfront acres on the northwest Kona Coast, boasts eight—yes, eight!—pools, each distinctive and unique. And one of these pools is practically an aquarium, stocked with more than 1,000 tropical fish and a spotted eagle ray (hihimanu) named Kainalu.
1. King’s Pond
King’s Pond at the Four Seasons Resort Hualālai on Hawaiʻi Island.
Photo: Courtesy of the Four Seasons Resort Hualālai
This 1.8-million-gallon pool is carved out of the natural lava rock that surrounds the resort. A few years ago the property got a $100 million upgrade, which included the addition of an elevated swimming pool and lounge deck that peers into King’s Pond. A new Kumu Kai Marine Education Center was added, too, staffed with on-site marine biologists who provide interactive and educational programming for the guests.
You can borrow snorkeling gear and fins to swim in the pool, which is stocked with a colorful array of fish, including uhu (parrotfish), yellow tangs, pearl wrasse and ʻamaʻama (mullet). Kainalu, the rescue spotted eagle ray who turns 30 this year, glides around the pool to the delight of guests.
2. King’s Pond Infinity Pool
The new infinity pool overlooks King’s Pond.
Photo: Courtesy of the Four Seasons Resort Hualālai
As part of the $100 million, property-wide renovation in 2021, this new infinity-edge pool with wrap-around pool deck overlooks King’s Pond with perfect ocean views. Because of its location—farther away from the larger, busier pools, this deck tends to be quieter and feels more secluded.
3. Sea Shell Pool
Sea Shell pool at the Four Seasons Resort Hualālai.
Photo: Courtesy of the Four Seasons Resort Hualālai
Families love this pool, which is lined with oversized daybeds and thatched-roof palapas. Parents will love the poolside food and beverage service, too. The menu here has keiki options, including chicken fingers, mac ’n’ cheese, grilled mahi mahi or the classic PB&J. And yes, there are adult drinks, including local beers, wines by the glass and cocktails like the Hualālai Guava Tai, the resort’s take on the classic mai tai with guava purée. Attendants hand out chilled towels and Evian mist, too.
4. Beach Tree Pool
The Beach Tree pool is one of eight pools at the Four Seasons Resort Hualālai on Hawaiʻi Island.
Photo: Courtesy of the Four Seasons Resort Hualālai
Known as the quiet pool, the Beach Tree pool is just steps from the beach and fringed by cabanas and shaded lounge chairs. Its pool deck is home to the hot tub closest to the ocean, where you can catch glimpses of dolphins playing in the ocean or humpback whales breaching in winter months. This is the perfect place to relax and read a book. (Trust me, I’ve done it.)
5. Palm Grove Pool
The Palm Grove pool at the Four Seasons Resort Hualālai.
Photo: Courtesy of the Four Seasons Resort Hualālai
This adults-only pool features a swim-up bar—my favorite!—and in-pool bench seating to cool down on those hot Kona afternoons. The infinity-edge pool is lined with poolside chaise lounges and oversize hammocks, where you can get a poolside spa treatment or enjoy a handcrafted cocktail (or two). The menu here features a variety of vacation-y nosh, including poke bowls, crab cake sliders, grilled fish tacos and a Cuban melt with kālua pig.
6. Ocean Pool
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Considered one of the resort’s pools, this one is really a section of the ocean that’s been carved out of the lava rock and features a natural breakwater, providing calm waters for swimming and snorkeling. The last time I swam here, there were at least half a dozen honu (Hawaiian green sea turtles) in the pool with me. (Keep in mind, you have to stay at least 10 feet away from them, even in the water.) Since it’s protected from the waves, it’s a nice spot to get into the ocean with the security of a pool
7. Keiki (Children’s) Pool
The Keiki Pool at the Four Seasons Resort Hualālai.
Photo: Courtesy of the Four Seasons Resort Hualālai
Little ones will love this pool, which features a white-sand bottom, kid-size chaise lounges and a treasure chest of water toys. Parents will love the shady spots to sit.
8. Lap Pool
The Lap Pool at the Four Seasons Resort Hualālai.
Photo: Courtesy of the Four Seasons Resort Hualālai
Part of the resort’s Sports Club & Spa, this outdoor 25-meter lap pool offers four lap lanes for guests who want to get a swim in. (It’s also the location for the club’s water-exercise classes.) The sports club itself is worth a visit, with an open-air strength and sports deck, indoor strength and cardio gyms with state-of-the-art equipment and a half-court basketball area.
See? There really is a pool for everyone here.
For more information or to make a reservation, visit here.
