Originally from Orange County, California, where she played high school tennis, Hannsz went on to pursue degrees in Marketing and International Business, at the Fashion Institute of Design and Pepperdine University respectively. Originally her career took her to Los Angeles and then Oahu working in the film industry doing production, assisting directors, and taking on stunt work. She came back to tennis after moving to Austin, then joined Hanalei Bay in 2012 as head pro. Certified by the USPTA and in USTA Cardio, she offers a diverse roster of weekly activities, including clinics, Cardio tennis, and a variety of junior programs. She also runs a Sunday round-robin and organized doubles play another three days a week.
Court Complex: Their racquet facility has 4 artificial turf courts and 2 hard courts, which overlook the ocean, as well as 6 new pickleball courts.
Fees: None for guest of the resort; otherwise there are membership fees.
254 Reviews on “Hanalei Bay Resort”
Mary, the tennis pro is amazing. My wife and I called to see if we could take some lessons and Mary fit us into the schedule last minute. We had 1 lesson with Christian and 1 with Mary. My wife is a beginner and I have been playing since I was a kid. They made it fun for both of us and we had such an incredible time learning from them. The courts are beautiful and we can’t wait to go back. Mary is an amazing player and it was so great to hit with her and learn from her. We can wait to go back!!
This is a wonderful place to play tennis if you’re on the north shore of Kauai. The courts are well maintained and placed in a spectacularly beautiful location. Mary, the head pro, is great in every way imaginable. She is warm, friendly and extremely responsive to her students’ requests and needs. If you want serious instruction to improve your strokes–she does a great job. If you just want to hit—she’s also happy to do that and adjusts her game appropriately. Every time I visit Kauai—hitting with Mary is a highlight.
I had the greatest time at Hanalai Bay Resort. I came to the island for a friend’s wedding and had very little free time for recreation. Mary was amazing and helped me to get cardio tennis booked ahead of time for each morning so that I had a great, active session planned for each morning. Everyone was so welcoming and Mary even helped me to get my racket re-gripped through their pro shop. I definitely need to come back when I have more time!
The head pro Mary is amazing. I’ve known her for about 10 years or so. She is always happy to see you. She’s incredibly fit and can hit all day at all levels. And can always get your match and will always prompt you to play more than you probably can. But it’s always a wonderful experience. She is amazing. Her staff is always excellent. The atmosphere is second to none. It’s an amazing place. There’s no doubt I love going there. Me and my partner both enjoy in the middle vacation every year and Mary always makes it better. The staff at the Hanalei Bar also very friendly and amazing. We had a great time and we were back every year.
Working with Mary for the week did wonders for my tennis game. She’s inviting, approachable, and very detailed in her methods. I came to the resort hoping to have someone analyze my swing and give me pointers and tips to improve for the future. I got all that and more. I feel the lessons I’ve learned will become mantras I’ll repeat in my head for as long as I’m playing tennis. I’m very grateful to have the opportunity to work with Mary in such a beautiful place and can’t wait to come back.
Mary Hannsz was welcoming and friendly upon our arrival to HBR. Mary has three attributes that quickly come to mind: she is friendly and encouraging during her clinics and lessons. She is gifted with, and athletic swing and sets an easy/efficient pace of play/drills during her lessons. Thirdly, she assesses areas of weakness in each of our tennis games, and gives helpful and to the point input that immediately improves your enjoyment and performance of tennis.We had a wonderful family tennis experience at HBR because of Mary.
My wife and I have spent a lot of time playing at this resort, and really love it! Mary Hannsz, the pro, runs an excellent program. She tailors her instruction well to players of all skill levels. Her clinics are fun, instructive, and upbeat – Mary is great at coaching us and helping us improve while keeping things positive. The instruction is top notch, but I don’t want to undersell the resort itself. You can’t beat the location – it’s hard to top the views of Bali Hai in the distance while playing. =)
The tennis experience at Hanalei Bay Resort is exceptional. The tennis professional, Mary Haanz, does an outstanding job of making players at all levels feel welcome and at the same time challenges you to become a better player through her instruction. You walk away feeling good about your game, making new friends and perhaps most importantly feeling good about yourself! The resort is located on the beautiful north shore of Kauai that has some of the best sunsets in the world! We would highly recommend Hanalei Bay Resort.
My husband and I visited Kauai on our honeymoon. He has never played tennis, so it was a great time to start. Mary is a wonderful person and instructor. So nice and knowledgeable. She was able to teach a beginner and also challenge a 4.0 at the same time. We can’t wait to come back and take from Mary again at the beautiful resort. My husband even enjoyed it! Definitely a must for tennis lovers.
Mary is a wonderful and very professional coach and instructor. I have participated in the clinics that she runs and taken many private lessons in the last few years. Mary runs a great program. She makes everyone feel welcome and makes it all fun with high positive energy for all the players. The resort is a beautiful place with great views.
Mary is an exceptional professional. She can run a clinic for individuals with very different skill levels, yet everyone has positive take-aways. Her private lessons focus on what you need to improve in order to get to the next level. As parents, we all understand that teaching kids can be frustrating, yet Mary gets kids engaged by personalizing instruction with each child in a way that they feel special and want to improve and please Mary!
My husband and I were introduced to HBR about 8 years ago by some friends who lived in Princeville and were participating in the tennis program. We fell in love with both the resort and the tennis program. We now come back every year to enjoy the rewards we have received through excellent lessons, clinics, and inclusion in the local tennis community. Not only does Mary run a great program for adults but she has a fabulous children’s day camp in the summer.
Mary Hannzs is terrific working w teens and children, she makes them feel successful and tht they wnt to continue playing tennis. She arranged classes so kids were at a comfortable skill level and still progressed. She is a gem of a Coach and teacher!!! Thank you Mary…
A tennis oasis on Kauai. Incredible setting and views coupled with a great tennis staff and active tennis community. The pros are fun to hit with and will set up games for you. Between the clinics and active local tennis community, I had a tennis game everyday. HBR is my favorite place for tennis fun!
The tennis instructional set up and administration under Mary’s leadership at HBR is outstanding – this the place where everyone at all levels and ages in our family (5-64) come to love the game of tennis and see improvement in their skills and knowedge of the game. We especiailly enjoy Mary’s instructional approach (one aspect at a time) to the game that makes tennis an everending challenge for improvement and at the same time, experience the thrills of well coached accomplishments. This makes our twice a year family gatherings on the noth shore particulary generationally memorable. Thanks, Mary (who seems to know everybody by name), you have made tennis at HBR a great atmosphere for family and competition!
Tennis is one of the highlights at Hanalei Bay Resort. It all starts with Mary, one of the best instructors I have been around. She is personable, fun, knowledgable, and, in my case, incredibly patient. She combines positive reinforcement with training, and I’m always amazed at what we accomplish in a one-hour lesson. She does a great job organizing group activities and works tirelessly to create an excellent guest experience. The courts are in great shape and frequently used, but we have never had trouble getting a reservation. I highly receommend tennis at HBR!
The tennis at Hanalei Bay was amazing! Mary the tennis pro was extremely warm and welcoming. My 8 year old son and I took a private lesson on our last day and Mary was amazing at teaching both of us!! We had a blast and wish we had taken lessons from day 1! My son says 10/10 and 20 stars!
The best thing about the HBR tennis facility is the pro, Mary Hannsz! She makes everyone feel welcome and encourages every player to build a better game. The clinics and social round robins are well organized and a great way to meet other players. Mary helps players find games and meet people at their level. The turf courts at the resort are unique and are fantastic in the rain! We had many rainy days when we were still able to play on the turf surface but not on the hard courts. Finally, the view from the upper courts at HBR is incredible! Looking out over Hanalei Bay from the resort is the icing on the cake!
We felt we found a gold mine when we booked a stay with Hanalei Bay Resort. Not only is the resort a wonderful place to stay, but the tennis program is a dream come true. With many courts right on the premises it’s very easy to grab your racket and start playing. There is a drop in organized by local players multiple days during the week made up of a friendly group of regulars and guests. The resort has multiple hard surface court right outside the rooms as well as a court with artificial turf which is sometimes available for play after a light Kauai shower. The gem of the program is pro Mary Hannsz. For tennis players, beginners to ranked, there is something Mary has to offer. She offers many adult clinics during the week as well as fun social tennis events like Live Ball and Doubles Round Robins and tournaments. She is available for private lessons or if you’d like someone to hit with. She organizes after school programs as well as summer camps. Mary has a friendly style of teaching with just enough instruction to incorporate the information right into your game. She is very encouraging and makes the group play fun for everyone. Her smile is enough to invite all to join in. Bring your tennis game to Hanalei Bay Resort – you’ll enjoy it.
It was our first thing staying at Hanalei Bay Resort. It is a beautiful and calm place. I got to place tennis in the rain for the first time! Mary, the tennis coach was very nice, friendly and accommodating. The group lessons were very fun! As for the resort, the hot tub was out of order the week we were there. We were not able to use it. Overall, I would come again and would recommend it to others.
I have stayed at the resort many times and had always been impressed with the tennis courts and setting. A friend recommended that I take advantage of the tennis clinics and programs and recommended Mary highly. When I got in touch with Mary I was immensely impressed by how friendly and accommodating she was in terms of my participation in the classes. I took a private lesson with her and she made helpful observations and provided insight that I had never had in previous lessons. I followed this up with participation in her clinics and enjoyed every minute of the classes. She has a delightful personality and her teaching prowess is unrivaled.
We loved our time at Hanalei Bay Resort, esp doing tennis lessons with tennis pro Mary! She was easy to schedule with and helped get all the lessons we wanted. She was an amazing teacher too! The courts are convenient and it’s nice to have the turf option for when the Kauai rains arrive. The view from the courts is spectacular too! Can’t wait to go back!!!
I have come to HBR for over 10 years and will return next week because of its jaw-dropping beauty, relaxation, friendliness and incredible outdoor activities, including beaches, hiking, snorkeling and tennis. Mary is an incredibly kind and talented tennis pro. She gains players’ trust, from children through adult pros. Players relax, learn, improve, are happy and return. Mary has superb teaching skills and studies new methods. If one method is not effective, she’ll go to another method. She will also go out of her way to give you everything you reasonably request. She has improved me from a poor player to one of the best in my small club (3.5-4.0), has recommended and ordered rackets for my family, and has helped me enjoy tennis and make new tennis friends. My experience with Mary is incredibly rewarding. I am now asking Mary to help my kids and grandkids enjoy tennis as much as I now do.
I reached out to Mary prior to a stay in Princeville and she was so helpful in getting my whole family setup to play @ Hanalei Bay Resort and excited to play some tennis when we visited. My wife and I played there almost daily for a week and got a great mix in of liveball clinic (lovely additional attendees from the resort and surrounding area), social doubles, etc. Next time we intend on adding private lesson instruction and work in some practice sessions for our daughter. The 4 synthetic grass courts were great, and enabled comfortable and safe play even in or following mild showers, which can be random and frequent in Kauai. We couldn’t have asked for more – great people, offerings, surfaces, location, and surroundings. We will definitely be back. Highly recommended.
The view and setting is next to none. Playing tennis in this setting is just heart warming. Mary is very knowledgeable and pleasant instructor. Keep up the good work… Would definitely go back!
Thank you Mary for making our sisters trip sensational. You were so welcoming and we left feeling like we had many new tennis friends. Your clinics were so fun and something to look forward to each day we were in Kauai. Cannot wait to be back playing with you soon.
Mary is fantastic and brings a lot of energy to the court. She was very accommodating and made us feel welcome. She helped my game and was all around fabulous.
I’ve been visiting Kauai 1-2 times a year and always make a point to see Mary Hannsz at the Hanalei Bay Resort! We’ve done a few 1 on 1 lessons and I’ve also played in on one of the social doubles tourneys at the resort. The resort is absolutely beautiful and the courts and proshop are awesome. She’s fun and very knowledgeable! Mary has helped a lot with my game during these lessons!! She’s been able to help me fix some fundamental issues while also helping me more strategically. I’ll definitely be coming back to Mary each time I’m in Kauai and I highly recommend her.
Mary Hannsz is a “Master Teacher” of tennis! I had not played tennis in over 2 years. Mary got me back out on the courts. She made me feel welcomed and helped me to love the game once again. I took private lessons and attended many of the clinics. She helped me with many of my strokes and got me moving on the court. I can only say wonderful things about Mary. She made my vacation! Thank you Mary!
I was met with the highest level of professionalism, and the lovely aloha spirit at the Hanalei Bay Resort – specifically from Mary Hannsz – the tennis instructor, Mary consistently brings positive energy and helpful digestible tennis instructions on the daily. Her dedication to her students/clients is high and I would recommend Mary to anyone looking to improve their tennis game. I am a better player because of my time on the courts with Mary.
I belong to a tennis club at home in KC and booked a private lesson with Mary during my vacation to HI. She was by far the best tennis pro I have ever encountered. Her skill set, communication style, high-energy, kindness, knowledge and so on were all so impressive. I loved playing with her so much, I’m debating moving to HI just to have her as my pro! I truly cannot recommend her enough. My one-hour private lesson was life-changing, thanks to her!
Mary, the tennis pro, is fantastic! Great private lessons and fantastic tennis matchmaker. I look forward to reconnecting with Mary and playing more tennis at Hanalei Bay next time we visit Kauai!
Mary Hannsz, the pro is a gem. Always makes everyone feel included, regardless of skill level. Clinics are a blast. Private lessons are very on point and super helpful. Going to the resort is worth it…just to have Mary as the pro….
Mary is an incredible tennis instructor and is warm and accommodating to everyone that walks up and asks for a lesson. She’s great with kids, always has a smile on her face, and brings great energy and enthusiasm to each lesson. She’s taken my personal game to a new level and always comes prepared saying she has thought each night before seeing me about what changes I should try. The resort itself is stunning to play at. I can’t think of a better place to play. There are so many different people to play and connect with. We have several friends we have become close with over the years of coming. One of our reasons to continue returning again and again was because of the atmosphere and super aloha vibes that have been created by Mary at HBR.
Mary is great. Attitude ability demeanor Mary has it all. Great place and great teacher and great person.
Mary is the absolute best of the best. At all levels she is tremendous!!!
I recently visited Kauai and took private lessons with the head pro, Mary Hannsz, at Hanalei Bay Resort and I was extremely impressed. I have traveled all over the country playing tennis and Mary was as excellent a pro as you can find anywhere. She is kind, energetic, and has a remarkable talent in pulling out the best in a player. All of her clinics looked terrific and I can’t wait to return to take more private lessons and participate in clinics.
The tennis program at HBR is fantastic! Mary is an excellent tennis pro — my wife and I have both taken lessons from her and she has truly improved our games. She arranges games with other players, organizes great monthly tennis tournaments, and she restrings our rackets too! And she does all of this with a huge smile — she is so positive and so welcoming! A first rate experience all around!
I have taken multiple private lessons with Mary and she is an amazing instructor. She is calm and clear in giving instructions but also energetic and I can see my skills improving each session. My daughter has also taken the summer tennis camp here and she had a wonderful time.
Mary is extraordinary. Everyone says so. Kind and patient, skilled at knowing the moment to offer instruction and when to leave you to work out the tennis problem of the day. Mary’s boundless energy inspires everyone. Any day with a lesson from mary is a winner.
Tennis at Hanalei Bay is exceptional in many ways — incredibly beautiful surroundings, great availability of courts, choice of hard or Astro-turf, and absolutely top-notch instruction by resident pro Mary Hannz. She works with children, neophytes and experienced players equally well. I’ve been playing for more than 50 years, and she gave me clear instruction and fresh tool that improved my game. I did both private lessons and clinics, plus enjoyable round-robins. Highly recommend both Mary and Hanalei Bay Resort!
Mary is an excellent instructor. Clear, patient, and quick to pick up on adjustments. I walked away with multiple improvements to my game. Highly recommend!
I had the pleasure of joining in the tennis at HBR this March (2022) and doing so with Mary Hannsz, their exceptional pro. I took private lessons with Mary and played in many of her daily clinics (in addition to many of the social round-robin games). I can’t say enough positive things about Mary – she’s kind, patient, helpful and an incredibly good instructor. She helped me take my ailing forehand to a whole new level with careful step-by-step instruction, aided greatly by her videos of the work in progress. I certainly hope to return. THANK YOU, Mary!!!
Mary is a great pro. Very knowledgeable and accomodating. Beautiful location.
Mary with the tennis program was fantastic. My boys had never played tennis and did 2 private lessons with Mary. They loved her! She was great with the kids and clearly had many years of experience with children and knew how to make them have fun and engage. Highly recommend a tennis lesson daily!
Mary does an excellent job. The tennis program was the highlight of our Kauai vacation. She was kind, calm, inviting and helped my daughters get involved in some match play. We chose the Hanalei Bay Resort for the tennis experience and were glad we did. My 10 year-old son had fun in the kids’ classes and looked forward to them each time he went. I loved that Mary was available via text to set up lessons and clinics. She was always responsive and helpful. The one thing that could help make the tennis experience better is to limit the number of players in the adult stroke of the day clinic. One time I went there were 6 and it was great. The next time there were ten players on one court and I would recommend a maximum of 6-8 and/or splitting a big group onto two courts. I like to keep moving and hit a lot of balls and I felt like I was standing in line waiting more than playing. Overall though, Mary’s tennis program made our vacation experience more fun! We loved the beautiful setting and would return to HBR to play tennis. Not to stay, but to play tennis.
My two young sons, my husband and I – all took lessons from Mary over several visits to Princeville. Mary is a patient determined tennis instructor. I was a beginner player and Mary got me hooked on tennis. My tennis skills evolved rapidly under her guidance. Above all, I appreciate that Mary has unique approach to each student. My boys have different personalities and she found approach to each. Mary is also very flexible and accommodating. Mary is an incredibly kind human and I cannot wait to return to Princeville and take her lessons. Oh! One last thing! If you want to know whether and when it will rain in Princeville – ask Mary. Do not look at the forecast. There is absolutely nobody who predict Princeville rain better than her!
My husband and I have taken lessons from Mary during our Kauai vacations over the past several years. Mary is not only a skilled tennis instructor, she is also a wonderful person. Being on court in Kauai and playing with Mary is always a highpoint of our time on the island.
We have been coming to HBR for the past 5 years and each time I look forward to I taking lessons from Mary Hannsz. In a short and respectful time, Mary has helped me with my game. Mary has arranged many matches with others that are the same advanced level for my husband as well. We have often watched her teach groups of children with amazing patience and skill. You can’t have a better view while playing tennis.
The setting is unsurpassed with views of Kauai’s north shore. The all weather courts make them more available. Mary Hannsz is a delight.