The Best of the Kohala Coast, Confirmed

Readers named Mauna Lani and the Kohala Coast among Hawaiʻi Island's finest across many categories. For guests staying inside the resort, the recognition reads like a map of what's already at their doorstep.

Each year, HAWAIʻI Magazine asks its readers to name the best of the islands. In the 2026 Readers' Choice Awards, the Kohala Coast and Mauna Lani Resort appear again and again, from luxury and romance to dining, beaches, and golf. For travelers deciding where to stay on Hawaiʻi Island, that's a clear signal. For guests already booked into an Abita home within Mauna Lani, it's confirmation of what they'll be living a few steps from their lanai.

A resort recognized across the board

Mauna Lani Resort earned placements among Hawaiʻi Island's top resorts for luxury, romance, families, and weddings, a spread that speaks to how completely the destination serves different kinds of travelers. CanoeHouse, the oceanfront restaurant within the resort, was voted one of the island's best hotel dining rooms, a short walk for anyone staying in the community.

What readers voted best, within reach

A shortlist of the 2026 winners, ordered by how close each one sits to an Abita home.

• Mauna Lani Beach. Named among the island's best snorkeling, reachable on foot or by bike through the Beach Club access included with every Abita home.
• CanoeHouse. Voted one of Hawaiʻi Island's best hotel restaurants, oceanfront and a short walk within the resort. Reservations are recommended.
• Mauna Lani Golf Course. Recognized among the island's top courses, with lava-framed fairways on the resort itself.
• Hāpuna Beach. Voted the number 1 beach in the state, a 10-minute drive north for white sand and easy swimming.
• Merriman's, Waimea. The readers' top farm-to-table restaurant, a scenic drive upcountry. Reservations are recommended.
• Mauna Kea stargazing. Mauna Kea Summit Adventures was voted the island's best guided tour, ending under some of the clearest night skies on earth.
• Kīlauea Iki Trail. The readers' favorite hike, a full-day trip south into Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park.

Bikes come with every home, except for the Terraces condo for the flat resort paths between the beach, the pool, and the shops, so the closest of these are reachable without ever moving the car.

Experience, with the privacy of a home

What the awards measure is the destination. What Abita offers is a different way to experience it. Each home in the collection sits within Mauna Lani with a private pool and spa, full Beach Club and Sports Club access, and room to spread out that a hotel room can't match. Guests get the address readers voted among the best on the island, with a home of their own to come back to each evening.

The 2026 recognition formalizes what regular visitors to the Kohala Coast have known for years. The setting was already exceptional. Now it's on record.

Award results: HAWAIʻI Magazine 2026 Readers' Choice, Hawaiʻi Island.