Rent A New Hāpuna Beach Residence For Your Next Hawai’i Vacation

Two adjacent hotels along the Kohala Coast — Mauna Kea Beach Hotel and Westin Hāpuna Beach Resort — have completely different vibes and offer travelers the full gamut of vacation experiences, from after-dark stargazing to ukulele lessons to alone-time with a giant stone Buddha.

But perhaps the most compelling choice is to rent a home on property. Vacation home rentals have skyrocketed during the pandemic, and for good reason — they promise both privacy and autonomy, and at Hāpuna Beach Residences, they also come with full access to the resort amenities at both hotels. It’s a win-win.

While there is a range of different types of houses and locations available, the new Hāpuna Beach Residences take the cake for their gorgeous design, oceanfront location, and easy access to restaurants. We stayed in unit C25, a two-bedroom beachfront home owned by Bonnie Broman and Rick Van Nieuwenhuyse, a couple who split their time between Vancouver, B.C. in winter and Fairbanks, Alaska in summer, who fell in love with the climatic diversity of the Big Island and it’s laid-back vibe compared to parts of O’ahu and Maui. The Hāpuna Beach Residences appealed to them, in particular, for the highly regarded rental management program in place, which would allow them to enjoy the property and also generate some side revenue.

C25, in particular, spoke to them because it’s on the ground floor with unimpeded views of and access to the beach, and its placement on the end keeps it out of the flow of resort traffic while being just a short walk away from the Westin Hāpuna Beach Resort Lobby.

Broman says, and I agree, that the absolute best feature of the place is that it can open up into an indoor-outdoor, open-air home. You can control the amount of sunlight and breeze coming in, and Broman says, “We often open all the doors in the morning and enjoy the sounds of the birds, the breeze, and the sounds of the ocean as we are catching up with our morning reading and enjoying our coffee.” It’s an ideal way to decompress from whatever else might be going on in your life and/or work.

There’s a well-equipped chef’s kitchen with everything you need for cooking all meals, whether simple or elaborate, as well as a washer/dryer and a private lanai with a plunge pool (for a refreshing dip when you don’t have time for a full ocean swim).

The décor is both ultra-contemporary and comfortingly casual, with lots of natural wood tones throughout. There’s a complimentary shuttle that runs between the two resorts every evening, but the best way to explore is on foot. Overland is fine, but you can actually walk across the rugged shoreline between the two resorts — it’s a dramatically gorgeous path that only takes about 20 or so minutes, depending on how long you linger gazing at the infinite views.

If you don’t feel like cooking, some of the island’s nicest restaurants are at your fingertips, including upscale Meridia at the Westin and Manta at Mauna Kea Beach Resort (reserve well ahead).

Concierge service at the residence is spot-on: unobtrusive and intuitive, offering everything you might need or want, including grocery delivery if you’re planning on having some meals at home.

C25 is a perfect size unit for one family traveling with kids or two couples traveling together. For information on reserving this unit, visit Hāpuna Beach Residences or call (888) 906-2139.