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The name Four Seasons signifies quality, and this one is about pure quality, Hawaiian style, in a great place for parents and children to relax, swim, and experience local culture on the Big Island.

The Four Seasons Resort Hualalai expands across the exclusive Kona-Kohala Coast in Ka`upulehu-Kona, on the Big Island of Hawaii. The tropical oasis provides a luxurious and relaxing environment for families, and an ideal destination for a deluxe family beach vacation getaway.

Hawaiian culture is celebrated in every corner of this understated, first-class luxury resort. Its unusual Ka'upulehu Cultural Center contains an archival collection of Hawaiian maps, ancient tools, textiles, paintings, and recorded music along with an assortment of classes in subjects such as Hawaiian Language, the Hula, and Sea Voyaging by the Hawaiian Stars.

Kids learn about Hawaiian culture through the complimentary Kids for All Seasons Program (ages 5-12) housed in its own spacious, sunny, and colorful facility and teens are kept active with programs of their own. Restaurants emphasize lesser-known local fish such as moi and opah along with more familiar onaga (red snapper) and ahi (tuna). But, most people who go to the Four Seasons are pleasure seekers, not knowledge hunters, and they go for the sun, sand, and surf...  and catch the culture as an added bonus.

An attractive selection of swimming pools and a spectacular swimming and snorkeling lagoon blasted out of black volcanic lava rival the beach for guests' R n'R time, and the beachfront restaurant and bar are favorite hang-outs. There are great facilities for golf, tennis and watersports. The spa, already a draw, was part of the resort's 15-month, $40 million makeover in 2009 and has been expanded to 28,000-square-feet of pure bliss.

The lagoon has its own marine biologist who oversees thousands of fish comprising 50 different species. Scuba diving classes are held here, and young snorkelers are richly rewarded for very little effort.

Guest rooms (243 total) were refreshed and 20 new suites were added in the 2009 renovation. Most rooms are in beachfront bungalows arranged in four discreet crescents connected by paths fringed with poinciana trees, ginger, and orchids. Each crescent has its own pool or pond, including a toddlers' wading pool with a sandy beach and giant turtle sculpture. The new one-bedroom and two-bedroom suites range in size from 1,150 to 1,950 square-feet with their enlarged outdoor living spaces, and can be child-proofed on request by the housekeeping staff.

Families are made to feel welcome in many other ways: children find plush animals on their pillows with a personal invitation to the kids' program as soon as they arrive, and there are children's menus in every restaurant, and complimentary washers and dryers in each crescent, plus complimentary cribs, car seats, high chairs, strollers, and poolside play pens. On site retail shops also carry family essentials, ensuring guests spend as much time as possible on vacation.