Hapuna’s ancient Hawaiian setting meets contemporary island style at the Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel. The Kohala Coast retreat welcomes groups of up to 900 to the Big Island’s top-rated white sand beach - plus over 85,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor event space, an 18-hole championship golf course, seven restaurants, and 350 rooms and suites.

The hotel opened in 1994 as an addition to Laurance S. Rockefeller’s famed 1,839-acre Mauna Kea Resort. Attendees have signing privileges at the neighboring Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, which presides over a second 18-hole golf course, a tennis complex, seven more restaurants, and 58,000 square feet of meeting space. A free shuttle runs between the properties every 20 minutes.

Hapuna’s convention complex centers on an 8,000-square-foot courtyard and ocean-view breezeway'ideal for registration and receptions. The largest and most versatile indoor space, an 8,428-square-foot ballroom, adjoins a prefunction area with built-in bar. Six additional conference rooms hold groups of up to 240, while two executive boardrooms seat up to 14 and 40.

All meeting rooms come with T1 lines and wireless Internet access as well as world-class audiovisual equipment. An on-site office of John Guild Communications assists with audiovisual productions, while Hawaii’s only official Xerox Business Center stands by with computer workstations, printers, fax machines, and complete office and presentation support.

Outdoor events take full advantage of the hotel's oceanfront venues. For receptions of up to 850, Kohala Gardens spans over 43,000 square feet of tropical splendor. While the 5,400-square-foot pool area adapts for casual or elegant affairs for up to 350, the Ocean Terrace Lawn hosts receptions of up to 150 and an open-air pavilion stages banquets for up to 100.

Designed to amaze and entertain, the hotel’s theme parties include Symphony Under the Stars, a formal affair with stargazing, classical musicians, and a pyrotechnic finale; Psychedelic '70 Party, a step back in time with strobe lights, Day-Glo gadgets, and dancing; and Chefs of Hawaii, a food and wine extravaganza accompanied by jazz or island music and a Pacific sunset backdrop.

During breaks, attendees head for the pool or the beach, plunge into ocean sports like snorkeling and diving, tee off at the resort's two golf courses, or take helicopter tours of the island. At day's end, they vanish into their rooms and suites, all with lanais and sweeping ocean views.