HAWAII, Hawaii—“If you don’t mind, I’d like to sing a song to welcome you to Hawaii and the Mauna Kea.”

With our delighted approval, the bellman delivering luggage to our room at the Mauna Kea Beach Resort on the Island of Hawaii, pulled out a ukelele and began singing a Hawaiian song of welcome. That first warm greeting set the tone for our stay at the Mauna Kea, and everywhere else we travelled during our week on the Island of Hawaii last fall.

The resort is located on Hawaii’s Kohala Coast and plays backdrop to the sandy white beach Kauna’oa, also known as the Mauna Kea Beach, recently named one of the most beautiful in the world by travel magazine Conde Nast. And it is breathtaking.

It was that very beach that inspired venture capitalist and longtime conservationist Laurance S. Rockefeller to build the Mauna Kea in the early 1960s. When the resort opened in 1965, its $15-million price tag made it the most expensive hotel ever built. But $15 million is a bargain when you consider recent renovations to the resort topped $150 million. In 1966, Fortune Magazine named the Muana Kea one of the 10 best buildings of the year.

It’s a striking building, with an air of old money and charm that had me initially rethinking my wardrobe for our stay as too casual. But Hawaii, being Hawaii, I saw guests dressed in everything from designer wear to flip flops and Aloha shirts. The warm welcome and treatment we received from the resort’s staff also added to an overall feeling of understated elegance. The charm and beauty of the Muana Kea doesn’t discourage families from visiting the resort. I spotted lots of kids and parents splashing in the nearby warm ocean water.

One of the highlights of our visit was dinner at the Manta and Pavilion Wine Bar, where the chef uses only fresh and local ingredients. The restaurant is aptly named thanks to the school of manta rays that regularly swims steps from where we were seated for dinner.

We took a different route to Hawaii this trip, flying out of Seattle instead of YVR. I’m glad we did. Because the Hawaiian Airlines flight to Kona left before 10 a.m., we headed down the night before to avoid any unnecessary stress over boarder line-ups or traffic. There are at least a dozen “park, sleep and fly” hotel options located within a short, and free, shuttle ride of Sea-Tac airport. Our hotel, while not fancy, cost $101 including tax, one night accommodation, a free continental breakfast of toast and cereal, and parking for seven days.

And once I boarded my Hawaiian Airlines flight I knew overnighting in Seattle was worth it. With no early morning rush to the airport I was already relaxed, and the moment I stepped onto the plane I felt like I was on vacation. Hawaiian music filled the main cabin while I settled into my seat surrounded by a décor featuring purple hibiscus flowers. The attention to detail continued to the washrooms where coconut-scented hand soap made even a quick trip to the loo part of the Island atmosphere. An added bonus—Hawaiian is the only major American airline that still serves complimentary meals to all passengers.

Prior to this trip we hadn’t considered Seattle as a departure option, but we’ll definitely take advantage of future seat sales with no worries.

sthomas@vancourier.com

Twitter: @sthomas10