FOUR SEASONS, MANELE BAY

Apart from primping and preening the accommodations and public areas, the hotel has constructed a 7,000 sq-ft purpose-built ballroom, expanded the gym and spa, and added a new pool bar and grill and three new tennis courts (there are three more courts at Koele). In short, this is Hawaii's preeminent luxury beachfront resort; though well-heeled travelers not prepared for its castaway location may want to look into one of Wailea's (Maui's) heavy hitters: Four Seasons Resort Maui, The Fairmont Kea Lani or the unwieldy Grand Wailea.

Instead of its sibling's (Four Seasons Resort Lanai-Lodge at Koele) plantation look, this contemporary two- and three-story lowrise resort shows a global countenance, a studied blend of world cultures that incorporates Mediterranean and Asian design. Built on a low bluff above a rocky shoreline and a stunning, sandy, crescent-shaped beach, the resort offers panoramas at every turn.

FOUR SEASONS, MANELE BAY