Here's what others have had to say about Mauna Kea Beach Hotel.
""—R.B., Adv. Int., February 2010
"This is what my wife and mixed doubles partner said: "Fantastic! Couldn't be better. They fix you up with players at your level. They arrange useful clinics, give private lessons, have all sorts of round robins and of course have the most beautiful setting in the world! Very friendly and talented people-at all levels of the operation. This keeps us coming back to this resort - for 32 years!!!!!" I could not agree with her more.
We just spent 17 days playing tennis at a senior level with people who simply are having a good time playing tennis. The competitive, excellent players are there as well - but for pure enjoyment, this place cannot be beat. Craig runs an excellent program, staff is most pleasant, lessons are very helpful, and the setting is truly unbelievable, but playing with people who enjoy life and don't crab about calls, almost always accurate anyhow, is what life on the tennis court should be about. Having fun while getting good exercise and meeting people who are interesting to be with. Try it, you'll like it!"—J.H., Adv. Int., February 2010
"Fantstic!Couldn't be better. They fix you up with players at your level. They arrange useful clinics, give private lessons, have all sorts of round robins and of course have the most beautiful setting in the world!Very friendly and talented people-at all levels of the operation.This keeps us coming back to this resort-for 32 years!!!!!We have tried others but this is the best"—D.H., Int., February 2010
"The strengths are most of the staff and the location.
The weaknesses are that the courts are some of worst I have played. In my opinion the courts need to be completely torn out and re-done!! The resort is supposed to be 5 star and the tennis courts, 2 star at best."—R.M., Adv., February 2010
"Everything about the Seaside Tennis Club at Mauna Kea is superlative. Craig has improved my game tremendously, and the clinics with Hector, Dan and Wayne are outstanding, expecially Hector's cardio-tennis. The staff-Ronnie, Cheryl, Myrish, Monica, Carolyn and Amy-are excellent at finding just the right people to play with and who match your skill level. I consider the pros, staff and other members to be some of the best friends I have on the Big Island. This has to be the most beautiful place in the world to play tennis."—P.P., Int., January 2010
"The instruction and staff were great and a shout out to Wayne, the pro who worked with me. The setting and service were amazing. I am an advanced beginner - haven't played in years and throughly enjoyed my experience. I took private lesson, participated in daily clinics and practiced with the ball machine. The experience makes me enthusiastic to continue working on my game. Can't wait to go back."—A.B., Beg., December 2009
"It was a great location right on the water and the courts were beautiful and maintained very well and everyone was friendly and very nice."—C.M., Adv., December 2009
"Mauna Kea is the most beautiful tennis setting I have ever seen...the whole resort is outstanding; the tennis club was beyond- lessons were excellent and well priced, round-robbin avaialble, staff friendly and most helpful!"—B.W., Adv. Int., November 2009
"The most spectacular facility set next to the crashing waves. Pros Dan and Hector outstanding, friendly and competent. Staff genuine. Can't wait to go back next year."—K.L., Int., November 2009
""—K.B., Low Int., September 2009
"Awesome facility! Beautiful setup and terrific staff. Niceest place I've ever played."—A.S., Int., September 2009
"The Seaside Tennis at Mauna Kea Resort was exceptional. I have vacationed at another very well regarded tennis resort, and the Mauna kea was superior to it in every way.
The staff is welcoming and competent, they found matches for me, and had a doubles tournament that was good competition and good fun. The resort members were a pleasure to play with.
I have to single out Hector, (one of the Instructors) he gave me a tip on my backhand that really made a difference for me...I came home and taught it to one of my tennis buddies, now he uses the "Hector technique!""—B.M., Adv. Int., September 2009
The Mauna Kea has what even a local cab driver describes as 
"the best beach on the island." This long crescent of white sand, fringed with obligatory palm trees, follows the outline of a shallow cove anchored by lava-rock promontories. The hotel sits atop one of those rocky outcrops in a garden of exotic flowers and trees accented with Oriental sculpture. Off to one side a terraced hillside holds 11 of the resorts 13 tennis courts, the lowest of them so close to the sea that you can hear the sound of waves breaking on the black-lava rocks.
Tennis almost never snags such prime real estate, and several years ago previous tennis director committed the unthinkable act of taking a chainsaw to some of the tennis complex's exuberant foliage, which goes wild in the tropical heat and fertile soil, in order to open up those sea views. If that means coping with a bit more wind on some days, it seems like a reasonable trade off since it means being able to gaze at the ocean at changeovers and perhaps spot a whale sounding just offshore.
Though now owned and managed by Prince Resorts Hawaii, the hotel was Laurance S. Rockefeller's original foray into luxury resort development. In 1965 he looked at a black-lava desert miles 25 miles north of the town of Kailua-Kona and envisaged a luxury golf and tennis resort. Everyone thought he was crazy; he proved them wrong by attracting a wealthy international clientele, who actually liked the fact that there were no telephones or televisions. Mauna Kea became the first in a series of Rockresorts and a synonym for the ultimate resort vacation.
Both the traveling public and the resort have changed over the intervening decades: guests have televisions, phones, and high-speed Internet access in their rooms, and the Mauna Kea shares this coast with more than half a dozen resorts, all of them carved out of the black lava. But none affords a more beautiful setting for tennis.
Pro Shop: 808-882-5420
Craig Pautler has returned to the Mauna Kea as director of tennis, and although that is not quite so 
dramatic as an eruption of the Kilauea Volcano, it does alter the Hawaiian resort tennis landscape. Pautler, who was there in 1977-82 before moving next door to the Mauna Lani and then up to his daughters' prep school in Kamuela, lives and breathes customer service. Stroll over to the pro shop now and you'll be greeted by someone who seems genuinely thrilled that you came and will ask, almost without fail, "Can we get you a game?"
Pautler's first acts upon returning to Mauna Kea were to dramatically raise the level of service and to set about a broad upgrading of the entire court complex. Glass doors open into a full-service pro shop that is essentially the foyer for the courts themselves. And that matters because it gives staff the ability to greet every player as he enters and to quickly determine what they need.
The weekly calendar is a fairly typical blend of private instruction, clinics and round robins, along with kids' programs during the summers and busy holiday periods. What brings avid players back, year after year however, is the tirelessly attentive tennis staff, who understand how important it can be just to play. They not only put together singles, doubles or mixed doubles matches, often drawing on their own stable of local members, but they also deliver a continual supply of towels, chilled mint-scented towels, and ice water throughout your time on court.
Since coming back in the fall of 2004, Pautler has revitalized the program and beautified the complex, but he's still not satisfied. On my last visit, he showed me work orders for upgrading various parts of what's called the Seaside Tennis Garden, including removing all but a low fence from one of the courts along the ocean in order to improve the views, and undertaking a gradual resurfacing of all the courts. It took him just over a year to take Mauna Kea to the No. 1 position among Hawaii's tennis resorts, but from his perspective there remains much to do to make it even better. His return to the courts is fabulous news for the world of Hawaiian resort tennis. With him back on court, this entire stretch of the Kohala Coast—and the tennis resorts on the rest of the Hawaiian Islands for that matter—once again have a working model of superlative service.
Beach. A perfect crescent of beach, generally regarded as one of the finest resort beaches in the Hawaii, lines the Kauna'oa Bay immediately below the hotel.
Golf Courses. Robert Trent Jones, Sr. designed the 18-hole Mauna Kea Golf Course, which ranks among the finest in Hawaii. It is characterized by elevation changes, large undulating greens, and some 120 strategically situated bunkers. Its third hole, which borders an oceanfront inlet lined with lava rock, is so stunning that it's often chosen as the site for weddings. Guests also have access to the nearby Hapuna Golf Course, which was designed by Arnold Palmer and Ed Seay and won awards for its environmental sensitivity. It begins near the shore and climbs to 700 feet above sea level.
Apr. 30-May 2, 2010: Mauna Kea Junior/Senior Vet Championships
Phone: 808-882-5420
The Seaside Tennis Club is hosting this men's and women's singles and doubles event in five divisions: 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, and 70s. There's a pre-tournament round robin mixer on Thursday. Special tournament rates are available on accommodations at the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel and the nearby Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel. Space is limited; phone 866-774-6236 for reservations.
If you're looking for a beach, golf, and tennis resort along this part of the Kona Coast, see the Southwest & Hawaii Map). For a location other than Hawaii that still offers a modicum of seclusion, also check out:
Lodging consists of 310 rooms and suites in an 8-story hotel perched above a perfect crescent of beach. Rates vary with size and view. See their website for details about rates during the time you want to travel.
Seasons. Year-round.
Travel Instructions. It is pretty much a straight shot north on Hwy. 11 from Kona Airport (which itself is north of town) to a left turn into Mauna Kea Resort and a winding road along the golf court to the porte-cochere of the hotel, a distance of roughly 25 miles.
General Tourist Information. Visit the Big Island Visitors Bureau web site or contact them at 250 Keawe St., Hilo, HI 96743. Phone: 808-961-5797. Or for information about Hawaii as a whole, visit the Hawaii Visitors Bureau web site or contact them at 2270 Kalakaua Ave. #801, Honolulu, HI 96815. Phone: 808-923-1811 or Fax: 808-924-0290.