By David Corrigan and Stephanie Salazar

KOHALA COAST, Hawaii: Over on the Kohala Coast, the 2011 Conde Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards survey shows Hawaii Island is well represented in the Top 20 Hawaii Resorts list.

At number 4 on the statewide list is the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai – scoring a 93.4. Its a particular honor for the resort, marking a strong comeback after the March 2011 tsunami damaged the grounds and forced the temporary closure of the resort.

We aired this interview with CEO Patrick Fitzgerald when the resort re-opened a few months after the disaster.

The nearby Kona Village Resort – under the same ownership – hasn’t fared so well. The numerous beloved hale, or island-style luxury bungalows, have remained closed since the tsunami, and the resort does not appear on the Conde Nast list.

The second Big Island resort to place in the top 20 is the Fairmont Orchid, ranking in at number 9 overall. It scored a 91.2.

Other Kohala Coast names making the Top 20… the Mauna Lani Bay Hotel & Bungalows at number 16, the Hilton Waikoloa Village at number 18, and just making the cut at number 20… the recently refurbished Mauna Kea Beach Hotel.

These awards reflect the combined opinions of 28,876 Condé Nast Traveler readers rating the cities, islands, and hotels they visited in the past year, and the airlines and cruise ships they traveled with.

(http://www.concierge.com/images/cnt/pdf/2011-Readers-Choice-Awards.pdf)