Premiere Pickleball Destination Mauna Lani - The Island of Hawai’i
Pickleball Magazine Premiere Pickleball Travel Destination Feature
Mauna Lani, Auberge Resorts Collection
Pickleball is making its way throughout all 50 states in the USA, and Hawaii is not one to be forgotten! An oceanfront hotel steeped in Hawaiian culture, Mauna Lani, Auberge Resorts Collection is a premiere pickleball destination that is truly an unforgettable experience you and your family will surely want to enjoy.
The hotel boasts a plethora of guestrooms, each with lavish balconies offering scenic mountain and oceanfront views. With neutral decor, all-natural hardwood floors, and organic textiles throughout each room, guests can relax in the soulful essence of Hawaiian landscape within their very rooms. The hotel accommodates both smaller and larger groups, with one- or two-bedroom guestrooms as well as luxury suites that are ideal for extended family stays.
Additionally, Mauna Lani is unique in that it also offers a variety of residence options for guests. Each residence is secluded and private, yet located a convenient walk away from the hotel and its many amenities. With more than 4,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor living space, the Mauna Lani residences include two bedrooms, three baths, a private swimming pool and spa.
The hotel offers guests endless opportunities to “go home with a story.” Between the Kainalu Ocean Sports, culture and heritage opportunities, and culinary adventures, Mauna Lani is a pickleball player’s paradise. Start your mornings early at one of the hotel’s four fully equipped pickleball courts, each with their own hydration station.
Rejuvenate your body after a game in Mauna Lani’s Auberge Spa, with treatments that include local oils, herbs, honey and flowers that are sourced straight from the “Big Island.” With five total treatment rooms plus a couples room as well, you are sure to be feeling your best after a grueling morning of refining your backhand on one of the state-of-the-art pickleball courts.
Feeling hungry after a game? Mauna Lani’s culinary options are sure to satisfy all cravings. With seaside dining, authentic Hale Hoaloha Lu’au, ‘Ohana feast and private dinner options, the hotel boasts unbelievable dining choices that have won numerous awards worldwide.
And while you’re staying at Mauna Lani, be sure not to forget to spend time at the ocean and beach! With sunrise canoe paddles and sunset swims, the sandy shore at Mauna Lani holds some of the most relaxing and picturesque moments throughout the entire resort.
If you are more of a freshwater swimmer, the hotel offers three full pools to keep you cool. The Resort Pool boasts an unbelievable view of the ocean from its 3,900 square feet of splash. The Adult Pool is your space for blissful relaxation, with the Ha Bar and Grill nearby for all adult snacks and beverages. Finally, the Keiki Pool is the quintessential hangout for kids of all ages, with the best Surf Shack on deck for bites to eat nearby.
The Mauna Lani resort truly has everything pickleball players need to fulfill their dreams of playing across the pond.
Photos and resort information used in this article are courtesy of The Mauna Lani, Auberge Resorts Collection. For more information about this stunning resort, visit Mauna Lani Resorts.
Head to https://joom.ag/SCCd to read the full Premiere Pickleball Destination Feature on Mauna Lani from Pickleball Magazine.
A Look into the Mauna Lani Experience
Hear from rising Pickleball star Jack Loughridge and his family as they travel to Hawaii for a summer vacation and visit the Mauna Lani Resort.
Pickleball Magazine sat down with rising pickleball star Jack Loughridge and his family to talk about their experience playing pickleball across the pond. Jack was born and raised in Las Vegas, NV and currently lives with his sister, Lily (10), and parents, Bret & Courtney. The family has one dog, an Australian Shepherd named Grizz, and 9 chickens. Jack just recently started playing pickleball in August 2021, and after his first lesson, he was hooked! He immediately started playing with his Dad at the local pickleball courts for hours and hours. On the weekends, the two would stay in the courts for 4 to 5 hours playing all day long.
This past summer, the family took a Hawaiian summer vacation and visited the Mauna Lani Resort to enjoy their pickleball courts. Pickleball Magazine sat down with Jack and his mom, Courtney, to learn more about the pickleball amenities at one of the most stunning resorts in the entire island of Hawai’i.
Tell us about the Mauna Lani pickleball courts. What were they like?
Mauna Lani has a large sports and tennis facility. For pickleball, there were 4 courts with painted lines and temp rolling nets (1 converted tennis court). There was a nice raised and covered seating area and the resort provided cold water and cold towels. The pickleball courts were right outside the pro shop and easily viewable, which was nice since pickleball courts always seem to get added onto the court furthest away!
While we were there, there happened to be a round robin taking place that was $20 to enter and lasted two hours. Of course we had to take part! Two pro players welcomed everyone, assigned partners, took down scores and ran the mixer. At the end we played king of the court (winners move up and split, losers move down and split). There were all levels of players, but it was still fun.
Who did you get to play pickleball with while staying at Mauna Lani?
Our whole family, ages 8-68 played together! My parents are long time tennis players and recently took up pickleball. I had so much fun explaining rules and strategy to them, plus teaching them to dink and drop, not just drive the ball (my biggest pet peeve!). We were surprised to learn some pickleball friends were also visiting at the same time, so we met up with them several times and the families would mix up and play together!
The players at the round robin were all very friendly! About half were locals and half were visitors from all over. We met Rachel from New Zealand, who has created leagues and tournaments in her home town and was just as passionate as we were about growing her pickleball community.
What is one thing someone should know about Mauna Lani if they are traveling to the resort?
A little tip from Courtney…Just outside of the main resort is the Mauna Lani Beach club with the Napua restaurant. I think Napua has the best Mai Tai’s around and their calamari steak appetizer never disappoints.
How is the Hawaii pickleball community different from your home pickleball community?
I actually think it was remarkably similar to Las Vegas pickleball, not only because we have a large Hawaiian community, but because we’re both tourist destinations with a constant mix of locals and visitors on the courts. I think it leads to having a very friendly environment…you never know who you’re going to meet! We certainly felt welcomed whenever we came to play at a court on the Big Island.
What did you learn about pickleball while playing in Hawaii that you will bring back with you to the mainland?
This was the first time we played pickleball on a family vacation (not for a tournament). It was so much fun for the whole family that we plan to search for pickleball courts whenever we travel.
What is your favorite memory from the trip?
Honestly, it was PICKLEBALL! We have been visiting the Big Island for years, but this is the first time we’ve ever played pickleball while here. We would play in the morning or evening to get some exercise and have fun, then would have the rest of the day to go to the beach, pool or on some other fun adventure! Sometimes we would play pickleball as a family on our own court (we had a 6 in our group.. grandparents, parents and kids), meet up with friends who were also on vacation here (surprise!) or join in open play to meet other resort guests and locals. At the Mauna Lani round robin there was almost an even split of visitors (the furthest had traveled from New Zealand!) and locals. Having an hour or two of daily exercise and fun for our whole group definitely made this year’s trip memorable.
If you could travel anywhere in the world to play pickleball, where would you go?
I know this sounds cheesy, but honestly I think just playing pickleball anywhere is its own adventure… you never know who will show up or how they will play. But I would love to play in New Zealand or Australia… to hear their accents, if they have any unique pickleball phrases or etiquettes and to play “upside down” on the other half of the world (does the ball spin the other way??). I would also love to play at Dreamland in Texas - that’s where all of the best players are!
