Family-owned historic Manago Hotel in South Kona sells for $3.1 million after 2 years on the market
The 64-room hotel with commercial spaces, a residential apartment, two residential studio units and a two-story home sold for less than half of its initial listing price of $7.5 million.
The family-owned historic Manago Hotel, which opened in 1917, sold in August for well below the initial asking price two years ago of $7.5 million.
According to the County of Hawai‘i Real Property Tax Office, the hotel was sold to MTZ, a limited liability company, for $3.145 million on Aug. 5.
In 2024, Standard Commercial had the property on the market for $7.5 million.
“The buyer and seller asked us to keep everything confidential, so we can’t comment on the sale,” Realtor Ian Clagstone with Standard Commercial said on Monday.
The hotel is located at 82-6151 Māmalahoa Highway in Captain Cook and sits on about 2.4 acres that is perched at 1,350 feet above sea level, providing a vast view of the Pacific Ocean overlooking the South Kona coastline, including Pu‘uhonua o Hōnaunau National Historic Park.
Manago Hotel stopped renting its rooms about two years ago. But the restaurant is still running with a menu that includes its famous pork chops.
MTZ is seeking the sale and transfer of a Dispenser General liquor license.
In 2023, the restaurant was recognized by the James Beard Foundation as one of six America’s Classics Awards, which recognizes locally owned restaurants that have timeless appeal and reflect the character of their community.
The hotel has generated a lot of interest over the past couple of years. In January 2024, the Honolulu-based nonprofit Mental Health Kokua was interested in turning the hotel into workforce housing. The nonprofit acquired $5.5 million in funding from Hawaiʻi County, but the deal fell through.
In past stories, the family has said they wanted to find a buyer who understands the importance of the hotel and what it means to the community.
“I’d prefer to get someone willing to run it as is,” said Britney Manago in a Big Island Now story published in July 2025. “We just want it to be maintained.”
The property includes the 64-room hotel, commercial spaces, a residential apartment, two residential studio units and a two-story home.
The Manago Hotel still has much of its old charm. The lobby hasn’t changed much over the decades, with the same front desk.
Japanese immigrants Kinzo Manago and his “picture bride” Osame Manago founded the hotel. In 1942, it was turned over to Harold and Nancy Manago, the second generation. They managed the business for 42 years, according to the hotel’s website.
In 1984, Harold and Nancy’s youngest son, Dwight and his wife, Cheryl, took over the hotel and in 2025 their then 35-year-old daughter Britney Manago was the hotel’s general manager. It was not immediately clear who was running the hotel at the time it was sold.
Attempts to reach the Manago family for comment about the sale were unsuccessful.
See previous stories about Manago hotel below:
- Business Monday: Historic Manago Hotel drops sale price after year on the market
- Nonprofit in process of acquiring historic Manago Hotel to remodel into workforce housing
- An America Classic: Manago Hotel receives national recognition by the James Beard Foundation
