COURTYARD KING KAMEHAMEHA'S KONA BEACH HOTEL
King Kamehameha the Great, who unified the Hawaiian islands in 1810, held councils by Kamakahonu Cove in Kailua-Kona - the small beach in front of the hotel - until his death in 1819. Today, performers dressed in royal attire arrive via outrigger to the hotel's luau, while the lobby has portraits of Hawaii's ali‘i (royalty) and paintings by revered cultural historian Herb Kawainui Kane. Some of the 452 recently renovated rooms have views of the Mokuaikaua Church (the first in tlie islands), Hualalai volcano and the Hulihe'e Palace, a summer palace-turned-museum that reflects the decline of Hawaii's royalty in the 20th century. The two hotel restaurants offer good value, but the coffee bar and shaved ice stand are tastier. Rooms from around £319 per night, excluding breakfast; konabeachhotel.com
HOLUALOAINN
One of few B&Bs left on the island, this lodge lies south of Kailua-Kona and sits high above the ocean on a 12-hectare farm filled with 5,300 coffee trees and lavish foliage. Owners Paul and Cassandra Hazen sell
