Hawaii’s Hualalai Resort Caps Off 25th Anniversary With A Record-Breaking Year In Sales

In the early naughts of the pandemic, canceled escrows, withdrawn listings and price reductions plagued Hawaii’s real estate market, and the future of the country’s most expensive state felt entirely uncertain.

“COVID-19 pandemic [has been] described as a ‘Black Swan’ event—rare, unpredictable and impactful. Because of this, it is difficult to forecast when a ‘new normal’ will stabilize for Hawaii’s economy and real estate market,” noted luxury property specialist Jeanna Rimmer of Hawai’i Life in April 2020.

Fast forward to today and the ‘new normal’ has not only revived Hawaii’s market but bolstered it to record highs.

Total sales in the luxury market, or homes above $3 million, saw a 234.5% increase over 2020 and the ultra-luxury market of homes above $10 million saw a 602% increase in transaction value.

“The volume and the velocity of Hawai’i’s real estate market have shattered every record and historical norm previously held,” shared Hawai’i Life CEO Matt Beall in the company’s 2021 luxury market report.

Contributing to these historic numbers was a record year for the private luxury community, Hualalai Resort, which reached over $284 million in residential sales.

Nestled along the secluded Kona-Kohala Coast on Hawai’i Island, Hualalai Resort celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2021 with more than $3.3 billion in total sales.

The 865-acre resort community closed out the year with 41 properties sold, including a six-bedroom Waiulu Street mansion that was purchased for $30.2 million—the highest-priced home ever to be sold in Hualalai.

But records are made to be broken, and a new $38 million listing located on the eastern tip of the resort may be poised to do just that.

The 11,176 square foot residence features the best of indoor-outdoor living with massive moving glass walls that open to a variety of outdoor spaces, including a covered lanai, expansive lawn and an impressive arched infinity pool. Other highlights include a movie theater, golf simulator and massage spa.

Panoramic views are centered on the ocean as well as two holes at the member-only, Tom Weiskopf-designed Ke’olu Golf Course and three holes of the Jack Nicklaus-signature Hualalai Golf Course,

While many properties in Hualalai feature similar at-home luxury amenities, residents also have full access to members-only facilities. These perks include an award-winning sports club, the Hualalai Spa and the new Hualalai Golf Hale, a 3,000 square-foot instruction and practice facility with private lessons and state-of-the-art swing analysis technology.

In addition to these exclusive amenities, residents also have access to the many offerings found at the Four Season’s Resort Hualalai, from restaurants to spas to King’s Pond, a 1.8-million gallon swimmable aquarium. The resort recently introduced a top-to-bottom, $100-million-plus transformation that updated the aesthetics while maintaining traditional Hawaii designs.

So, while the future may never be certain, history has shown that the first-class amenities, tropical resort lifestyle and beauty of Hawaii will continue to bring interested buyers to Hualalai for years to come.

Hawai’i Life is an exclusive member of Forbes Global Properties, a consumer marketplace and membership network of elite brokerages selling the world’s most luxurious homes.