My husband to be and I are planning are honeymoon. We want to go to Hawaii and we are not sure on where to stay. The choices are either Kauai or Oahu. We are looking at Marriott's(because due to points that is the only place we can stay.)So our options are JW Marriott Ihilani or the Kauai Marriott. We want somewhere secluded but nice. We want to go somewhere where we can be honeymooners at one instance and have fun too. We have heard pros and cons of each. Such as Ihilani is too far from everything, and Kauai Marriott is by the airport and it could be loud. Please help help to make our honeymoon an experience that we will never forget.

The Kauai Marriott used to be a Westin. The grounds are beautiful as is the drive to the hotel through all the beautiful hanging trees. Part of the hotel is timeshare and part is a regular hotel. When we visited the hotel in Sept we thought we would like to stay there. It's also on a nice bay. Didn't notice the airport noise. Also close to lots of sites and restaurants. We like Kauai much better than oahu. Good luck with your planning.

Dee,
Congrats on your wedding! Definitely go for Kauai. We stayed at the Kauai Marriott on our honeymoon in Oct. 99. It is a beautiful hotel with an amazing pool and beach area. I think it's more romantic that Oahu, too. If you're looking to go to two islands, why not go to the Maui Marriott? We've stayed here twice since our honeymoon and think it's a great hotel! It is also partially time share, it's our favorite of the 3 islands. We haven't stayed at the Marriott in Oahu, but overall, I would vote for Kauai and/or Maui for a honeymoon.

Stayed at the JW Ihilani in July 2001. They do not have a beach, but they do have a Lagoon. It is far from Oahu but only a 20-30 min drive from the airport. The negatives: not a beachfront, far from nightlife, expensive food ($4.00 for a bagel)The positives: Rooms are FABULOUS....extremely oversized....2 sinks in the bathroom (which was bigger than my bedroom at home) suken bathtub, shower stall, could control all the lights/air conditioning from your bedside. Huge Lanai (at least 10 people could stand on it) Germaine's Luau is next door. If this is your first time...then I would recommend Kauai...went past it once, thought the property was nice...When I go back in Sept, I will split my time between Kauai and Oahu. Ihilani is the best Marriott property in Oahu....it is better than the Hilton Hawaiian Village Alii Towers.
Paula

I haven't been to the Kauai Marriott, but I have been to the Ihilani 4 times in 3 years. It is a beautiful property and probably my favorite hotel in the US. I am going back next week for what has turned into our annual March visit. It is secluded as others have mentioned. It is peaceful and gorgeous. The rooms are very large and bathrooms are wonderful. The lanai is the whole width of the room (probably 12-15 feet). The view of the lagoons is great! The woman's spa (can't speak for the men's) is beautiful with a mosaic and sculpture adorning the room surrounding the Roman pool. I would recommend that you go here at least for 3 or 4 nights to relax after a long plane ride (we are from Ohio, so it's a ways) and then go to Kauai for a few days (it's beautiful on Kauai). If you go to the Ihilani, here's a tip: go to the Hokulea barin the hotel and watch the sunset (you can order off of any of the menus of all the restaurants there and still wear shorts and be relaxed). I'm sure you can't go wrong at either hotel. Marriott properties are all good and you will find that the service in Hawaii is way above the average since tourism is the #1 industry. Have fun!

I want to thank everyone for their comments and I welcome more. If we go to OAHU will there be things to do without driving a long distance?

Is there a reason you are not considering the Maui Marriott or Renaissance? These are 2 really nice properties.

I appreciate everyone's comments, and we have booked our trip with the Kauai Marriott. Now that we have done that, please give some suggestions on what to do and where to eat while we are there.

We've stayed at the Kauai Marriott (on points), and we're going back there in June. We loved the hotel, and adored the island, too. Kauai is incredible. There's not a lot of night life; if that's what you're looking for, you'll be bored. There's a shopping center not far from the hotel with a movie theater and a Borders, just like home. There's nothing to do in the town of Lihue. None of this is intended to be considered negative. We loved the quiet and the sense of stepping back in time. To do: first of all, get the Wizard Publications book Kauai Revealed. Read it, and do what it says. The authors know their stuff. Spend your time checking out hidden, perfect beaches. Hike the Napali Coast. Take a boat ride. Snorkel. The diving's not that great in Kauai; no place is perfect. Fly over to Maui for a day; it's about $50 one way, and flights leave about every hour. It's a 45 minute flight. But back to Kauai: Eat at Gaylord's, a beautiful restaurant with exquisite food, and not terribly expensive by Hawaii or east coast standards. Maybe 15-20 minutes from the Marriott, if I'm remembering right. Email me if you'd like more information. And have a fabulous time!!!!!

The Kauai Marriott was great. Great food, great beach. Vince

There is a movie theatre on Kauai HELLO have been 4 times and never recall seeing one. Did it play current films?Recall an older theatre I thought was out of operation in Waimea

For a romantic dinner, I would suggest the Beach House in Poipu. Make a reservation for before the sun goes down (5:30 or so), and you will be in for a real treat.

The Kauai Marriott is nice. You will want to go the the Na Pali Coast and/or Waimea Canyon, both are around 40 miles or so from Lihue.

Hope you have a great time

Dee, Good choice on Kauai v. Oahu
Very nice place for a honeymoon. We spent our 10th anniv there and have been back 9x since.

I don't know if you'd like to spend your days at the movies but to answer a prior poster, movie theaters across from Kukui Grove shopping Ctr in Lihue, Coconut Market Place in Kapaa, and one out in Waimea. They all show new movies.
I thought there may be a small one in Kiluea but...?
The old theater in Lihue was converted into a Sr citizens home a few years back.

Here are some sites that may assist you in further planning:
http://www.kauaiworld.com/
http://www.kauaimenu.com/
http://www.kauaivisitorsbureau.com/

We took our first ATV tour this last trip and really enjoyed it. Will def. do it again next trip...and we'll take the full trip that includes a route to the waterfalls. But the sunset tour was incredible too.
Mucho Mahalos,
Kal
282 mo' days

We are looking at the Kauai Marriott also. Am wondering if they are one of those resorts who try to get you to spend more money than you mean to. You know, selling weak drinks with lots of ice around the pool, taking away your drink if you leave your chair, that kind of stuff. They tell me they arrange the car rental. Any experiences with the car not being what you were promised? How long does the drive back from dinner at the Beach House in Poipu take?