Hawaii - Kauai hotels
 

We are planning a trip in Oct. to Kauai here is a list of places we are thinking of staying at: Outrigger Kiahuna Plantation, Aston Islander on the Beach, Radisson Kauai Beach Resort, Hyatt Regency Kauai, Outrigger at Lae Nani, Pono Kai, Wailua Bay View and Kapa'a Sands. Many different types , but would like to know if anyone has good info on any of these. Thanks

The only one that we have stayed at is the Hyatt Regency Kauai. It was awesome! You cannot go wrong there.

Kiahuna is on a great beach in Poipu with usually good swimming and snorkeling, so if you are beach people this would a great place. Having a kitchen is nice too. The grounds are vast and nicely maintained. You can walk to many restaurants from there also. I have stayed at the Hyatt and loved it. The rooms are typical Hyatt, so don't expect luxurious rooms. They are fine though. The great thing about the Hyatt is the pool area and the heated, salt water lagoon for swimming. Yes, there are children and families there, but we are a childless couple who value quiet and privacy, and we had no problem. The Anara spa is also a plus. The beach there, while nice is not suitable for swimming. We found the food there to be far better than we expected.

That's a wide variety of places you listed. So, it really depends on your budget and what kind of things matter most.

I stayed at the Aston Islander and it was perfect for what I needed. I was traveling solo and looking for a centrally located, clean place with the cheapest ocean front room I could find. Like I said, the Aston fit my needs but in no way would I consider it to have the same ammenities I would expect to get at a Hyatt.

Have a great trip!

Usually the Princeville and the Hyatt are considered the two "premier" resorts on Kauai. Go to wizardpub.com and read the reviews. They call the Hyatt their favorite big resort on the island.

I've stayed at the Kapaa Sands 3 times, so I guess you could say I like it. It's a condo, not a hotel, with a small but friendly staff. I last stayed there 2 years ago. The units were starting to show signs of age, but were still quite nice (except the bathrooms, which are rather small). It's on a nice beach which gets frequent visits from sea turtles (if you stay there, get an oceanfront, not an oceanview, room), but the beach is not swimmable, thanks to a wicked current. The price is very reasonable, and Kapaa is centrally located. Some consider the Kapaa location a downside, as it's more a local residential community than a resort area, and can get some heavy traffic during what passes for rush hour on Kauai. I like that residential feel--I can sit back and pretend I live there (a very nice fantasy).

From the moment we saw the Hyatt, we knew we were in the right hotel for us. Everything about the place was so well thought out. Nice staff, always something to do, great shops and a wonderful spa and workout room.

The hotels/condos you listed are all very different, not in the same category.

Kapaa Sands and the Islander are low budget, very modest properties; I would pick the IOB over KS any day. Wailua Bay has nice view but no frills. Pono Kai is a huge condo complex, not luxurious by any means. Lae Nani is the nicest of all the properties you listed in this east coast area which can be congested but is also very convenient.

Hyatt Regency is the grandaddy of them all, sprawling, lots of amenities, best pools on Kauau. Nearby Kiahuna Plantation is set on beautiful rolling lawns with a variety of condos. Poipu offers lots of sun and heat and not much rain.

The Radisson is near the airport, it has also been an Outrigger and a Hilton. There is nothing extra special about this property. I would opt for the nearby Marriott over the Radisson.