Four Seasons Hualalai Is One of the Best Resorts for Families – Sunset Magazine

Why the Four Seasons Hualalai is a must-visit locale for parents and kids.


Written byBlake Bakkila September 4, 2026

We’ve taken our son on [dozens of trips](https://sunset.com/travel/flight-attendant-traveling-with-kids-tips) over the past two and a half years, and each time, he’s looking for one thing: _more_ entertainment. And ideally, more kids to play with. So, when I learned the [Four Seasons Resort Hualalai](https://www.fourseasons.com/hualalai/) was hosting a camp specifically designed for toddlers, I knew we had to hop over to the Big Island to check it out.

My husband and I have stayed at the Hualalai before, but as with most things, parenthood has changed up our amenity priorities. Now in its 30th year and current ranking as the best resort in the country, according to the _U.S. News & World Report_, (and a [2026 Sunset Wellness & Beauty Awards winner](https://sunset.com/lifestyle/wellness/best-beach-wellness-retreats)) I’d like to take it a step further and call it the best resort in the country for kids and [multi-generational travelers](https://sunset.com/travel/xz-beta-travel-trend).

The Four Seasons has mastered the art of luxury vacations for adults and kids alike. At check-in, little ones are given a special shell necklace and a glass of authentic POG (short for passionfruit, orange, and guava) juice. Even weeks later, our son requests to wear his necklace around the house from time to time. During our walk through the property, I felt an overwhelming sense of calm, something I didn’t expect from a resort crawling with babies and kids.


A poolside bedroom at the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai.

Sprinkled along the coast, you’ll find room blocks in one of five “crescents.” We were conveniently appointed to a room in the Sea Shell crescent, arguably the most family-friendly of them all. This set of rooms overlooks the infinity-edged Sea Shell Pool and the Keiki Children’s Pool, a shallower, white sand-bottomed pool with a crate of toys. It’s also home to an all-you-can-eat keiki buffet, serving up favorites like mac and cheese, burgers, and fruits and veggies from 11 to 2 p.m. each day—a.k.a., a kid’s dream setup. Around 3 p.m., pool attendants stop by with complimentary popsicles in flavors like Kona coffee and POG (This soon became our post-naptime ritual).


The Sea Shell Pool overlooks the Ocean Pool, which has a natural breakwater made from lava rock.

Steps away is the Ocean Pool, the Four Seasons’ name for the “pool” in the sea, created by natural lava rock. A short walk down the coast, King’s Pond crescent provides families with a chance to see (and swim) with more than 1,000 tropical fish and an eagle ray named Kainalu in the saltwater aquarium pool. And no trip is complete without shave ice from the Surf Shack.


Guests can swim with fish and other sea animals in King’s Pond, or head to the Kumu Kai Marine Center to learn about feeding the resident eagle ray.