Despite its relative remoteness, Hawaii continues to enthrall T+L readers with its natural beauty, distinct Polynesian culture, and a tourism infrastructure that seems to offer something for any type of traveler — which is especially true for the vast range of hotels and resorts throughout this Pacific archipelago.
How Voting Works
Every year for our World’s Best Awards survey, T+L asks readers to weigh in on travel experiences around the globe — to share their opinions on the top hotels, resorts, cities, islands, cruise ships, spas, airlines, and more. Nearly 165,000 T+L readers completed the 2023 survey, an increase of nearly 25 percent over pre-pandemic voting levels. A total of more than 685,000 votes were cast across over 8,500 unique properties (hotels, cities, cruise lines, etc.).
Hotels were classified as either resort hotel, city hotel, or safari lodge based on their location and amenities, and they were specifically rated on the criteria below:
- Rooms/facilities
- Location
- Service
- Food
- Value
For each characteristic, respondents could choose a rating of excellent, above average, average, below average, or poor. The final scores are averages of these responses.
What Readers Loved
Our readers’ favorite Hawaiian resorts are located across the Island of Hawaii, Kauai, Lanai, Maui, and Oahu, which also happen to be our readers’ five favorite Hawaiian islands.
Mauna Lani, Auberge Resorts Collection had another strong showing this year, rising two spots to come in at No. 4. “We stayed here for our honeymoon and it was such a great place,” says one reader. “The staff were so kind and wonderful to work with. We felt welcomed and at ease from the moment we arrived.” The property, which completed a transformation in 2020, has managed to keep even longtime, pre-renovation guests coming back: “We loved the Mauna Lani before Auberge updated the resort. We were worried that it would not have the wonderful aura that it had with its ancient fish ponds and lovely grounds. Well, it is now even better; the new pools are great, there’s the same great beach and the food is much better.”
Over on Oahu — Hawaii’s most populous island and home to the capital, Honolulu — Kaimana Beach Hotel (No. 3) impressed with “maybe one of the best locations, with the beach right outside, and a gorgeous view of the ocean and the splendid sunsets.” Another reader mentioned the service, noting that “everyone was so lovely and helpful.”
For the second year in a row, though, it was Maui’s Hotel Wailea that earned the top spot. Read on for more about what made it the favorite, as well as the full list of the best resort hotels in Hawaii.
The Winner
Hotel Wailea: Maui, Hawaii
Courtesy of Hotel Wailea
Wailea is one of the main tourist zones on Maui, though you wouldn’t know it while staying at Hotel Wailea, this year’s top resort in Hawaii. “It’s not on the beach but is perched on a hill overlooking the ocean. There’s a shuttle down to one of the best beaches in Maui,” explained a reader. Its under-the-radar location and adults-only policy make it one of the quietest stays on Maui — a sharp contrast to the big, bustling resorts on the shore below. Other standout features, according to another voter, include “some of the best cocktails I have had and wonderful food. But the very best thing is the Birdcage, an open-air bar where dozens of birds nest, and from where you can watch the sunsets. It’s heaven on earth.”
T+L Reader
— T+L Reader
The Full List
1. Hotel Wailea: Maui, Hawaii
Reader Score: 94.85
2. Montage Kapalua Bay: Maui, Hawaii
Reader Score: 94.18
3. Kaimana Beach Hotel: Oahu, Hawaii
Reader Score: 93.93
4. Mauna Lani, Auberge Resorts Collection: Island of Hawaii, Hawaii
Reader Score: 93.80
5. Halekulani: Oahu, Hawaii
WBA Hall of Fame honoree. Reader Score: 93.76
6. The Ritz-Carlton Maui, Kapalua: Maui, Hawaii
Reader Score: 93.56
7. The Westin Hapuna Beach Resort: Island of Hawaii, Hawaii
Reader Score: 93.19
8. Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea: Maui, Hawaii
WBA Hall of Fame honoree. Reader Score: 92.84
9. Fairmont Orchid, Hawaii: Island of Hawaii, Hawaii
WBA Hall of Fame honoree. Reader Score: 92.53
10. (tie) Ko’a Kea Resort on Po’ipu Beach: Kauai, Hawaii
WBA Hall of Fame honoree. Reader Score: 92.00
10. (tie) Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, Autograph Collection: Island of Hawaii, Hawaii
Reader Score: 92.00
12. Four Seasons Resort Lanai: Lanai, Hawaii
WBA Hall of Fame honoree. Reader Score: 91.89
13. Fairmont Kea Lani: Maui, Hawaii
Reader Score: 91.80
14. Four Seasons Resort Hualalai: Island of Hawaii, Hawaii
WBA Hall of Fame honoree. Reader Score: 91.49
15. Outrigger Reef Waikiki Beach Resort: Oahu, Hawaii
Reader Score: 91.16
16. Four Seasons Resort Oahu at Ko Olina: Oahu, Hawaii
Reader Score: 90.29
17. Turtle Bay Resort: Oahu, Hawaii
Reader Score: 90.15
18. The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Waikiki Beach: Oahu, Hawaii
Reader Score: 89.50
19. Hana-Maui Resort, Destination by Hyatt: Maui, Hawaii
Reader Score: 89.25
20. The Kahala Hotel & Resort: Oahu, Hawaii
Reader Score: 89.24