Relax. Renew. Rejuvenate.

Mauna Kea Beach Hotel where beauty meets serenity with aloha spirit.

KOHALA COAST, ISLAND OF HAWAII: The global spa industry is big business, with an estimated $160 billion in annual revenue, with massage therapy accounting for 70 percent of spa visits. There is an enormous difference between a resort with a day spa (where the average visit lasts about two hours) and a destination spa resort (where guests may linger for most of the day).

After a nearly $240 million investment, Mauna Kea Beach Hotel is the newest entry into the destination spa marketplace. “Our previous spa was outsourced and frankly didn’t match our first-rate golf and beach offerings,” explained Psalm Quinn, spa director at Mauna Kea Beach Hotel. “Now, we have one of the best spas in the world with a uniquely Hawaiian flavor. I’m a born-and-raised local Hawaiian girl, and I’m proud and eager to share our culture.”

With experience at Four Seasons and Auberge resorts, Psalm has the credentials to match her responsibilities. “How many times in your life do you have an opportunity to open a brand-new facility wherein you get to help design its feel and programming?” questioned Quinn. “It has been a mind-spinning event, and I couldn’t be prouder of what we have accomplished.”

The first order of business for Psalm was hiring trained staff. “I whittled 100 resumes [all of whom were experts in their field] down to 25,” continued Quinn. “I wanted a team that could not only ‘walk the walk’ but also ‘talk the talk.’ After all, vibes and energy count.”

The first customer was a pregnant woman whose family had been visiting Mauna Kea Resort for 35 years. “What a treat it was to have a ‘legacy guest.’ Let’s just say she was treated royally.”

An ancient stone Buddha from India, purchased by Laurance Rockefeller, the original owner of Mauna Kea Resort and a prominent third-generation member of the Rockefeller family, is just feet away from the entrance. “It’s a perfect representation of what you will feel at the spa,” said Quinn. “It represents wellness and symbolizes that healing begins from within. We have a total of 11 treatment rooms, many of which are outdoors with gardens, outdoor showers, and water features. There is nothing quite like a Lomilomi massage [an ancient Hawaiian treatment that uses rhythmic, flowing, wave-like strokes applied with the therapist’s forearms and hands] under our warm ocean breezes.”

During your visit, take time to enjoy Spa at Mauna Kea’s purification garden and then its vitality pool (the co-ed portion of the spa) and indulge in a special menu, with the Mauna Kea Buddha Bowl made with fresh greens from the resort’s on-property garden highly recommended.

Created exclusively for Spa at Mauna Kea, the Oakworks PerformaLift™ SOVi Vibroacoustic table is one-of-a-kind. Featuring a patented Advanced Body Comfort system, it delivers exceptional support throughout every treatment. “The experience begins with an authentic Hawaiian Oli chant as the table gently tilts into position and concludes in a restorative zero-gravity recline accompanied by a custom-curated Hawaiian musical soundscape, creating an immersive wellness journey unique to Mauna Kea’s spa,” described Quinn.

“Every treatment begins with a thoughtful foot ritual, anointing the feet with Hawaiian Pa’akai Sea Salt and La’i oil made of healing island botanicals, preparing the mind and body to release any toxins. To conclude the experience, we send each guest off with an Oli entitled E Ola. A chant written by my two aunts who are renowned Kumu Hula (hula teachers) here in Kona. Our goal is for you to leave with a feeling of good intentions, good health, and happiness in your heart.”

For seasonal golf packages, please visit MaunaKeaResort.com.