News, Tips & Offers delivered to your inbox.

Megaresorts not your style? These 11 small, intimate hotels make perfect, private getaways for just the two of you.

Honeymoon in Hawaii and you're guaranteed the ideal island paradise: secret coves, exotic flowers, expansive beaches and fresh fruit breakfasts. For a uniquely Hawaiian escape, stay in a small ohana (family) inn or B&B. We toured the islands in search of authentic experiences and discovered bungalow properties tucked in the hills, beach hideaways and quiet, historic guesthouses. From a four-room country inn on Kauai to a charming hotel on tiny Lanai, these special spots all have a few things in common—friendly hosts, magnificent views, relaxed settings, the ultimate in privacy and the promise of a honeymoon packed with positive vibes.

Maui

Thanks to rolling hills, jungle valleys, top-notch beaches, numerous waterfalls and activities galore, Maui is most often named the visitors' favorite. Seclusion seekers score big at rarely visited swimming areas, remote tropical gardens and backcountry ranches.

Though most of the accessories and furniture at Ho'oilo House are imported from Bali, this six-room B&B couldn't be more Hawaiian. Each of the large suites has natural stone floors, large custom-made soaking tubs and outdoor showers made from locally sourced black lava rock in its indoor-outdoor bathrooms. The rooms have dozens of windows for maximum light and views, and some have their own lanais.

On a clear day you can spot Molokai, the island across the channel from Maui. To tap into the peacefulness of the island, spend some time at the inn's meditation gazebo or take a hike to a waterfall on the property. Your hosts, Dan and Amy, can arrange any off-site activities and excursions (138 Awaiku St., Lahaina; hooilohouse.com).

Stay at the Aloha Cottage in Makawao for the utmost in getting away from it all. Completely sequestered (they don't disclose the address until you've booked), the Cottage is actually two bungalows, nestled in the green hills and trees of Maui's up-country. The octagonal Bali Bungalow is approached by a stairway with a carved bamboo archway; once inside, you have 360-degree views of bamboo, banana and eucalyptus trees and the ocean beyond. A large skylight over the king-size bed makes for great stargazing.

The second bungalow, called the Thai Tree House, is large and spacious, with high open-beam ceilings, plenty of windows and a wraparound bamboo deck that overlooks the property's eucalyptus grove (address given upon reservation; alohacottage.com).

Big Island

The largest island in the chain has a diverse topography that ranges from pristine beaches and lush tropical rain forests to an active volcano and a snowy (!) mountain peak called Mauna Kea. Visitors to Hawaii (the actual name of the island) enjoy a relaxed atmosphere and a range of amazing and undiscovered natural sites.

Located in the rain forest of the northeast Hamakua Coast is Waianuhea, an eco-friendly and entirely self-contained property that utilizes solar power and catchment water. As you wind your way down twisting dirt roads, you may wonder what you’ve gotten yourself into—but this five-room luxury inn is well worth the trek. The hexagon-shaped house is surrounded by tall green grass and palm trees, and dotted with fishing ponds and gardens. You’ll even find some gentle wild horses grazing here.

Each room has a large soaking tub, a featherbed and down comforters (trust us, it does get chilly at night). Beautiful antique Hawaiian prints and furniture blend with modern accessories like flat-screen TVs equipped with cable and DVD players.

At breakfast everyday, as well as at a wine and hors d’oeuvres hour every evening, guests and hosts come together to chat about the day’s activities and tomorrow’s plans (waianuhea.com).

When you decide to check out Kilauea Volcano in Volcanoes National Park (which has been erupting steadily since 1983), stay at the Volcano Teapot Cottage. Located on three acres of a volcanic rain forest, this charming but hard-to-book turn-of-the-century cottage has two bedrooms, a claw-foot tub and plenty of comfy chairs and couches.

The full kitchen comes stocked with breakfast foods, including tropical juices, fruit and locally made pastries, jams, jellies and coffee. In the afternoon, lounge on the porch and watch thermal mists waft through the forest. Nighttime is the right time to catch awesome lava shows.

Jump in a jeep or walk a mile toward the Kilauea eruption area, and you’ll see red molten lava seeping out of black lava crust and flowing into the ocean. The fiery liquid flows downhill, gathering speed before hitting the water, often with a bang. It’s also common to see large red puddles—called lava lakes—floating on the ocean volcanoteapot.com).

Oahu

As home to 75% of the population of the entire island chain, Oahu has well-known museums, efficient public transportation, unparalleled shopping and world-class dining. The north shore retains a local vibe with hidden coral bays, pristine beaches and majestic mountain cliffs that overlook residents-only surf spots.

It’s easy to imagine wealthy Hawaiians and European expats smoking pipes and listening to 78 r.p.ms on the Victrola in the eight-room, five-bath Manoa Valley Inn. The house is furnished with Hawaiian antiques, and each guest room is named after a different figure in Hawaiian history. The Dole, for example, gets its name from James Dole, the owner of the pineapple plantation that once occupied the entire island of Lanai.

For extra peace and quiet, book the Alexander Cottage. The small bungalow, located in the back garden, has a private bath and full-size antique bed (manoavalleyinn.com).

When the younger generation of the Hawaiian family that owns and operates Lanikai Bed & Breakfast took over, they refinished the hardwood floors, updated the furnishings and added luxury touches like ceramic soaking tubs and cable TV and DVD players. The Garden Studio is a secluded, separate cottage with its own entrance and patio, full kitchen stocked with breakfast items and a large teak and bamboo bed; there’s also artwork by local artists, high, open-beam ceilings, dozens of windows and a spacious lanai.

Since the cottage is surrounded by fragrant ginger and ti plants, you’ll feel as if you’re in the middle of a rain forest, when in fact you’re only 100 yards from one of the island’s best white sand beaches. Your hosts, Rick and Nini, provide beach towels, a cooler and beach chairs (1277 Mokulua Dr., Kailua; lanikaibeachrentals.com).

Kauai

The aptly named garden island has an escapist vibe that’s reflected in the fact that there’s only one road here. Visitors spend their days hiking in the island’s canyon, swimming in the sparkling ocean and marveling at rainbows.

The Secret Beach Hideaway sits on 35 private beachfront acres of Kauai’s north shore. The property’s beach, called Secret Beach, is one of the most beautiful and romantic on the island. Two cottages are available, Hale Lani and Hale Nanea, on either end of the property. These one-bedroom bungalows are equipped with high-thread-count sheets, a hot tub, a television and DVD player, a Sub-Zero fridge and designer cookware.

Made of Kauai coral stone, Hale Lani is perched on a grassy knoll; inside, the cottage is all light colors and maple woods, accented with colorful Hawaiian artwork and Asian-inspired furniture. An entire wall of the bedroom consists of floor-to-ceiling glass doors with fabulous views of the garden and ocean. The bathroom boasts a two-person marble shower, an outdoor garden shower and a sunken tub situated on a stone patio.

Hale Nanea is equally stunning, with breathtaking ocean and mountain vistas and a secluded tropical garden with a deep soaking tub (address given upon reservation; ecretbeachkauai.com).

The location, views and, indeed, the feel of the Kauai Country Inn are very Hawaiian, yet it has a charming quirkiness. Set in a peaceful mountain valley, minutes from the beach, the four-suite retreat is surrounded by fragrant flowers and tropical bird-filled trees. Each of the inn’s guest rooms has antique quilts and beautiful Hawaiian woods. The house is peppered with kitschy touches—a hula girl lamp here, a 50s-era surf poster there. There are also private entries and decks, Jacuzzi tubs and full kitchens or kitchenettes.

Your friendly hosts, Mike and Martina Hough, can help you book excursions and make local travel arrangements, including discounted car rentals (6440 Olohena Rd. kauaicountryinn.com).

Molokai

With the highest percentage of native residents, Molokai is known as the most Hawaiian island. This tiny island also boasts the longest strand of white sand beach in the chain and one of the few remaining coconut groves in Hawaii.

Adventurous types stay at the Beach Village at Molokai Ranch, in one of their 40 modern “tentalows” (large cabana-style canvas tents mounted on wooden platforms) set on a private beach. They all have their own bathrooms and solar-powered showers and lights.

Each “campsite” also includes a big deck with lounge chairs and a hammock. Meals are served buffet style on the beach, and there’s nightly entertainment under the stars. For the less outdoorsy, the rustic main lodge has a living room with fireplace, a billiards room and 22 guest rooms (molokairanch.com).

A stay at one of the Dunbar Beachfront Cottages guarantees a Hawaiian state of mind. There are no modern distractions: just you, your husband, the beach and a light ocean breeze. The two houses look like typical Hawaiian plantation homes: red roofs, dark green paint and white wooden trim, surrounded by a garden with ginger and ti. The Pauwalu bungalow has a large shaded lanai, and its steps are literally on the sand. Inside, the cottage is decorated with simple rattan furniture.

The other cabin, Pu’unana, may be 20 paces farther from the beach, but it has more impressive views—Maui is visible on most days (Kamehamehau Hwy., Kaunakai; molokai-beachfront-cottages.com).

Lanai

Twenty years ago, this tiny island was covered entirely by a single pineapple plantation, which was owned by the Dole Corporation. Today, Lanai is essentially one big Four Seasons hotel (the company operates the island’s only two large resorts) and a playground for the ultrarich and famous.

The 11-room Hotel Lanai in Lanai City, built in the early 1920s for guests of the Dole company, is a more affordable—and intimate—option. With its white clapboard exterior, Hawaiian country quilts, watercolor artwork and simple wooden furniture, the quiet inn has retained its historic feel.

Stay in one of the rooms with a semiprivate balcony, and you’ll overlook the charming town square. Or escape to the hotel’s one-bedroom detached cottage located on the property’s back lawn. Since fellow guests are generally locals visiting relatives, it’s not unusual to hear a ukulele and singing coming from the lanais.

Guests at Hotel Lanai have access to the Four Seasons complimentary shuttle, the resorts’ nearby beaches and the discounted greens fees (828 Lanai Ave; hotellanai.com).