DH and I just returned from a trip to Kauai and Maui. We stayed at HBR in Princeville. It was just awful. AWFUL! Where do I begin here? The room was stinkin' hot when we got there. The a/c took forever to cool down the room. The towels were old and stained. The toilet seat was stained and looked unsanitary. The sheets were threadbare and disgustingly old and looked really bad. The
couch was really uncomfortable, and the fabric was old and faded and musty. We soon discovered it was also flea-infested. Every time we sat down on it we were covered in bites. The bed was in a loft area above the living room. It was so hot and uncomfortable up there, you couldn't go up there during the day. The ceiling up there was low enough to smack your head on in the morning if you're groggy (which I did). There was an old, dusty stuffed dog on a shelf up there. Did they consider that thing welcoming? The clock up there didn't work. The FAN up there didn't work. UGH! It was terrible. The pool had a ring of algae along it. Really gross.
I hated it there. The parking would fill up in the evening to where you were circling and circling for a spot if you got home too late. Also there are no elevators and we were on the third floor. After a long day of swimming and snorkeling, the last thing you want to do is lug your stuff and any groceries up three flights of stairs.

And the time share calls. And the calls to "pick up your free gift at the front." Which suddenly stopped after we told them we weren't interested in thier two-hour speech on buying timeshare in that horrid place.

Okay. Rant over. Happily on Maui we stayed at the Four Seasons. Awesome in every way.

Thanks so much for your post, I was almost considering it for a 2 day trip on the north side of the island (I guess the Princeville prices aren't so bad after all). Sorry you had such a horrible experience!

Happy to help. It was truly bad. Hubby is one of those "let's give it one more day" type of people, though I wanted to check out immediately. We spent as little time there as possible, but coming home to those disgusting sheets really terrible.

We didn't check out the Princeville at all, but it's got to be way better than HBR.

Stayed at HBR 8/01; the grounds etc were great but the room was crap. The small pool near our building was an algae farm. Never again.

Many of the units at HBR are individually owned. We stayed in a 3 bedroom with no loft, and a view of Bali Hai. The furniture, while not brand new was clean and it good repair. Our unit was clean with plenty of linen, etc. The bed rooms at either end of the main suite were obviously "lock offs". I wouldn't have liked it if those had been our only accommodation but the area with the MBR was nice. The grounds were lovely and we liked the main pool a lot. It really is the luck of the draw I guess when you are staying there. Did you get your room from HBR or another source?

Yeah I just have to repeat that many rooms are individually owned. I stayed there in 00 and my room was fine but it was not privately owned. I would not return only because I prefer stand alone houses to complexes. I would not discourage anyone from statying there though.

The airconditioning in my unit was fine. Actually one day I asked them to show me other available rooms for a view and they were fine also. So happybluesky not sure what happen unless you paid rock bottom prices from an individual owner to go to the four seasons? A huge jump from HBR to Four Seasons, no?

Furniture in our unite was fine, Kids loved the pool on a followup visit in 01-02. We ate breakfast upstairs and then the kids hoped in the pool. I did not see any algae and I would not call it a small pool it actually wraps around the grounds a bit so perhaps there is another pool I did not know about.

Agree with Dawn and Sarah, stayed there in 2001 during our honeymoon. Started off with an ocean view "hotel room" with great air conditioning but the kitchenette was only a coffee maker and microwave, so we switched to a 1BR condo that lacked A/C, but had ceiling fans (a real kitchen) and huge lanai with scenic mountain view. No problems with main pool but jacuzzi was always occupied. No one mentioned a timeshare presentation to us until we started inquiring about booking discount activities with the concierge-who gave us a free property video because it was our honeymoon. Timeshare presentation at HBR was painless compared to the one we attended on Maui. Would stay in 1BR (or >1BR) condo again, and although our first HBR hotel room was on the small side the view of Hanalei Bay was incredible, and we previously have experienced a lesser quality hotel than HBR on the Coco coast.

Hey everyone. I don't think the unit was privately owned. I booked through Pleasant Hawaiian for that portion of our trip. I thought it would just be an 'average' place to stay before getting to the FS in Maui. It was just really icky. I chose it for the location (we wanted to stay in Princeville.) I heard conflicting reports on the Princeville hotel and didn't want to risk paying so much to stay there. I really expect HBR to be as bad as it was, truly. I heard some good things about it here on Fodor's.
Ah, well, you live and learn, right? We spent long days swimming at Ke'e beach and in Hanalei, which we love. We drove up to Waimea Canyon and just loved the view there. We drove to Poipu and visited the Hyatt (where we stayed last year on our HM and loved it).
Thanks everyone.

I have heard the Pleasant Hawaiian doesn't always have the best rooms available in a facility.

Aloha happybluesky!

Glad you were able to enjoy the beautiful sights of the north shore on Kauai.

Please DO make sure you inform Pleasant Hawaiian about your bad experience w/ HBR. It's THEIR responsibility to KNOW where they're sending you... and for the time it takes to travel to HI and the $$ it costs while you're there, they should make sure that you're thrilled... you're trusting them for that. I'd try to get some kind of voucher or gift certificate for your trouble, and also, you don't want to see future travelers that come to them end up in the same predicament.

Aloha... glad you enjoyed the rest of Hawaii!!!

I agree, tell Pleasant Hawaiian that your unit at HBR was a dump. I have been there many times and have seen a variety of accommodations there and they do vary. So sorry you were in the ghetto section.

Once we went on a Suntrips Hawaii vacation and our units on Maui (Maui Coast) and Kauai (Pono Kai) were dirty and downright shabby; I was really appalled. Thank God our ccompany was paying for the trip becuase I would have been super peeved if I was shelling out the money for that squalor! We tried to get moved but it was Easter vacation and they were full....

How much did you pay for the room at HBR ?

I had a similar experience at the Kauai Sands through Funjet vacations. The room they gave us was terrible! Luckily we arrived early in the day and went to the front desk to ask about alternatives (it was our honeymoon after all) They set us up in a ocean front room new furniture etc. for $10 more per day. The difference in the rooms was night and day. I learned to call the hotel after booking through package dealers to make sure and request certain rooms and inquire about upgrades. Booking directly with the hotel does seem like less of a gamble!
Ask questions,lots of them.

This is not good news for me I have booked through Pleasant Holidays for 6 nights at the HBR, also another couple has a room there to. I heard good things about the place but now I am wondering -- My travel agent did'nt say anything bad but then why would she.. We have had this booked for 6
months and leaving fro the islands in late dec till jan 11th. Should I be really worried?

Why don't you call your TA and see if there are other options for HBR. Check on the internet and see if there is availability there. If there is, you may have more flexibility finding a better room on the property. The property and the views are gorgeous.

I don't know jaybee. Do a search before you come to that conclusion. I have been looking at this forum on Hawaii for a couple of years now. I have never heard such a disparaging review of HBR. Some expect the Hyatt and they are disappointed.

Pleasant Island holidays has a national reputation. Hard for me to imagine them not correcting this kind of a problem. Hard for me to imagine them having a relationship with a facility that would hinder future business.

Actually I've read several other negative reviews of HBR on this board. The place seems to get very mixed reviews. And it sounds like these people had legitimate concerns and weren't just "expecting the Hyatt".

Anyone who has that bad of an experience with a property should take photos and show them to the travel agent. You didn't take photos by chance ?

thanks for the input - I think I am just going to go and take my chances and have a good time enoy the view and not worry about this trip so much.. I will just ask for another room if the one I get is bad, I agree P H has a good rep so can't believe that they would stick you in a bad room - that's bad for their business and I am sure they want repeat customers..

Patty I am not judging happybluesky. I am just speaking from what I have read.

Happybluesky I would say file a complaint with better business if that was your experience. Hawaii Visitors bureau should know. Jaybee if you have any lingering concerns you can contact the hawaii visitors bureau. Happybluesky mind telling us the unit # in the event I skipped it in your story?