Waikoloa Beach Resort is a master-planned oceanfront resort community of 1,350 acres, first opened in 1981. In addition to the residences, two hotels, the Hilton Waikoloa Village and Waikoloa Beach Marriott, are here.
The first homes were built in 1988, with development still in progress today, continuing to add new homes and homesites.
Every home & condominium community is gated and most residences are permitted to be let as short-term rentals.
Waikoloa Beach Resort Communities - Fairway Villas at Waikoloa Beach Resort – Built in 2002. 142 2 & 3BR, 1 & 2-story units in 15 3-story buildings. Some upper floor units have an added den or study. Golf course almost completely surrounds the property. Residences have lake, golf course and/or mountain views. Amenities include pool, spa, fitness center, BBQs.
- Halii Kai – Oceanfront. Built in 2006. 126 2 & 3BR, 1 & 2-story units in 16 3-story buildings. Residences have golf course, mountain and/or ocean views. Halii Kai Ocean Club features a multi-level pool, spa, fitness cabana and restaurant. Community also has its own tennis & basketball courts.
- Kolea Kai (also called Kolea Condo Villas) – Built in 2004. 126 2 & 3BR units in 16 3-story buildings. Almost every residence has an ocean view. Community is approx. 500 feet from Anaehoomalu Beach. Amenities include oceanfront pool, kid’s pool, jacuzzi, fitness center, event pavilion, BBQs.
- Shores at Waikoloa – Built in 1988. 120 1 - 4BR units in 11 3-story buildings. Some units have an additional loft area. Large pond with waterfalls at the center of the community. Golf course lines the property on 3 sides. Residences have golf course, mountain and/or ocean views. Amenities include pool, hot tub, 2 tennis courts, fitness center, BBQs.
- Vista Waikoloa – Built in 1990. 122 2 & 3BR units in 7 3-story buildings. Floor plans are larger than many of the other Waikoloa communities. Residences have golf course, mountain and/or ocean views. Amenities include pool, hot tub, exercise room, business center, event pavilion, BBQs.
- Waikoloa Beach Villas - Built in 2005. 121 2 & 3BR, 1 & 2-story units in 16 3-story buildings. 12 buildings line the golf course fairway. Some have an additional den/study. Residences have golf course and/or mountain views. Amenities include 2 pools, spa, fitness center, BBQs.
- Waikoloa Colony Villas - Built in 2003. 162 2 & 3BR, 2-story townhome units in 27 2-story buildings. Covered lanais are on both floors. Residences have golf course and/or ocean views. Amenities include 2 pools, spa, tennis court, fitness center, clubhouse with party deck & full kitchen, BBQs.
Waikoloa Beach Resort Homes - Ainamalu – Lots of 10.8K – 16K Sq Ft with 3 - 5BR, single-level homes. 4 & 5BR houses have their own pool. Many homes front onto the 5th & 6th King’s Course fairways. Houses all have solar panels & 2 Tesla Powerwall batteries. Currently only single-family homes, Ainamalu is planned to have 350 SFHs & 70 condominium residences when completed. Lots have mountain and/or golf course views. Amenities include pool, open-air yoga area, BBQs.
- Kolea – Oceanfront. Built in 2004. Lots of 22K – 34K Sq Ft with 3 – 5BR, single-level homes. This is the only beachfront community in Waikoloa. Each home has a pool, some also featuring a spa. All residences have ocean & mountain views. Amenities include oceanfront pool, kid’s pool, jacuzzi, fitness center, event pavilion, BBQs.
- Naupaka Place (also called Waikoloa Lots 2 Subdivision) – Oceanfront. 11 lots of 32K Sq Ft – 3 acres with 4 – 8BR, 1 & 2-story homes. 9 front directly onto the ocean. Vacant lots are still available for custom builds. Some lots have natural & anchialine ponds.
Things to Do in Waikoloa Beach Resort The resort has 2 shopping centers:
The Queen’s Marketplace is also the location of the
Waikoloa Bowl, an open-air, grass lawn venue that hosts concerts, hula shows and entertainment. Both hold events consistently throughout the year, from holiday celebrations & hula shows for the whole family to rum tastings and a class on making a classic mai tai.
Every March or April, the resort hosts the popular
Lavaman Triathlon. There’s also a Lavaman Sunset 5K fun run as well, along with special events to enjoy.
May Day/Lei Day is a big event too. Waikoloa has an all-day festival that includes lei-making workshops, keiki activities, craft fairs, live music and more to celebrate this local tradition.
You can also learn Native Hawaiian culture and experience history up close on the resort property itself with the resident practitioners and historians here.
Beaches - Anaehoomalu Beach (also called Waikoloa Beach) – Snorkelers, swimmers & stand-up paddlers all love these waters. A protective reef keeps them from getting too rough, though high surf conditions are the exception. Good place to lay back and take in the scenery, too. Sea turtles are commonly seen on shore, just enjoy them from a respectful distance.
- Giada’s Beach – Rocky in places, but less crowded and many love the tide pools here. Popular for sunset watching as well.
Golf Waikoloa Beach Resort has shifted to a ‘
27-hole golf experience’ with 3 9-hole courses. Players can play 9, 18 or all 27 holes.
- King’s Nine – Designed by Tom Weiskopf. The layout is Scottish-style, with wider fairways and lava rock features.
- Lakes Nine – Designed by Robert Trent Jones, Jr. Called ‘Lakes’ because of the water features on 5 of its holes. Hole #8 is especially challenging, with a water hazard in front of its green.
- Beach Nine - Designed by Robert Trent Jones, Jr. Ocean views from much of the course. Best known for the 6th hole, with its oceanfront green framed by palm trees.
Hiking Anaehoomalu Bay to Keawaiki Bay – 6.5 miles round trip. Starts from the south end of Anaehoomalu Beach and takes you by some beautiful beaches, ocean scenery and ancient Hawaiian sites, ending at Keawaiki Bay. Much of the trail is across lava rock, so sturdy shoes & water are a must.
Dining - Sansei – Local & Japanese cuisine. Seafood, steak served, as well as what they call ‘New Wave Sushi’, which mixes Japanese flavors with those of Hawaii’s many ethnicities. Make reservations as it can be difficult to walk-in.
- Charley’s Thai Cuisine – Thai cuisine. The Panang dry curry is a highlight, though all the curry dishes are said to be worth getting here. Portions are good sized as well. May be spicier than some are used to at other Thai restaurants.
- Roy’s – American, Polynesian & Hawaiian cuisines. A longtime Hawaii institution, Roy’s is a must. Can’t go too wrong, but the butterfish and ahi tuna are both dishes that have gotten rave reviews.
History of Waikoloa Beach Resort Many of Waikoloa’s fishponds were built long ago by Native Hawaiians, their bounty reserved for the Island’s ruling alii. The ancient paths that can also be seen today were used by runners who carried the fish to a local Chief to enjoy.
Outside of the ponds and their caretakers, there weren’t many residents throughout the years, due to the inhospitable rocky terrain. Despite that, there was at least one small village nearby for a time, but an 1859 Mauna Loa eruption loosed a lava flow that destroyed it completely, scattering the survivors.
Although the trails that went through the area, linking Kohala with the coastal areas southward, were still used after this event, most of the area was abandoned from that time. Still, Waikoloa was part of a huge land purchase in the late 1800’s by the Parker Ranch, extending its territory down to the ocean.
With tourism beginning to boom, the property was bought by developer Ronald Boeddeker in the late 1960s, with the intention of creating a resort here that also preserved the Native Hawaiian history of the place. Waikoloa Beach Resort opened finally in 1981, fulfilling both goals, with the first residences coming in 1988 with the Shores at Waikoloa.
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