My husband & I are going to spend our 30th anniversary on the north shore and would love to hear any feedback/experience with the above resort. Of course, we want it to be a memorable experience. So any help would be greatly appreciated.

What month are you going? Not a good winter destination , IMO, due to high chance of rough ocean and rainy, stormy weather. You do know that the units have no TV or phone? Wireless internet is available in a common area. I stopped by to check it out in April. Can see why it would appeal to some, but I prefer the creature comforts of a Princeville condo or a rental house in Hanalei.

We are going in mid october - reading a few complaints is making us uncomfortable about this place Is it rustic??

The resort has been going through a renovation of each unit. They are on their last unit now so everything has been updated and is fresh. The building do look like they were designed in the 70's which they were. The resort has been around since 1969. The property itself is perfect for a honeymoon. Quiet location on the beautiful tropical north shore of Kauai. You can take long walks on the beach and not see another sole and if you do it is usually a local fisherman netting fish. The staff are friendly and they have some great on-line discounts and packages.

I, too, am interested in hearing from someone who has stayed at the Hanalei Colony Resort. We are planning our summer 2010 trip already. We fell in love with Kauai two years ago. We spent part of our time at the Princeville Hotel (before it was changed to the St. Regis) and the other half in a lovely condo in Poipu area. We prefer the north shore and don't really want to stay in the Princeville area again. Someone described the Hanalei Colony as an "armpit" which certainly sounds unappealing! I must have a VIEW of the water. Being right on a beach is also important but not a top priority. Any recommendations would be appreciated.

we did not stay at the resort, so I can't help much. But I really liked the onsite restaurant, the Mediterranean Gourmet. And it's a lovely beach, although even in September too rough for swimming. It's just few minutes down the road to Ke'e beach or tunnels. Not sure how the surf will be at either of those places in the winter.

We stayed here back in Nov. 2002 for about 12 nights. We didn't have any reservations when we arrived. We wanted a place that was right on the beach and we were referred to HCR as it's one of the few places which was built right on the sand. No one is permitted any longer to build that close to the water. We stayed the first 3 nights in an ocean front condo on the ground floor. The water was just steps away! We then had to moved two more times to different apartments due to prior reservations.

We loved it with two exceptions. We were admonished not to go in the water due to the tides and currents. The most we did was go about two feet in and dunked to cool off. The main reason my husband would not return is because you are isolated there. At the time we went the restaurant was out of business so if you wanted something to eat, you either needed food in the fridge or you had to drive 10-15 minutes to Hanalei. There are one car only bridges and the locals ride your bumper as you make your way back and forth on the dark road to town. That was his biggest gripe. Personally, I would be delighted to return. It's a place to stay where you really want to get away from it all and be surrounded by quiet and stunning beauty.

We adore Hanalei and have returned to stay right there in town. We return in 3 weeks. Yipee!

I have stayed at HCR twice, quite a few years ago now, so I can't comment on the current state of maintenance of the buildings. But I can say that it is a great location. The beach is nice for walking. You are just a few minutes drive to Ke'e so it's very easy to get there really early before anyone else is there. An early-morning walk on Ke'e beach watching the mist rise on the cliffs is one of my best Kaua`i memories. The drive into Hanalei is beautiful and the one-lane bridges are part of the charm for me. If you don't really like Princeville (I don't) then HCR is a great choice on the N. shore.