Luxury Hotel for One Week In Hawaii
 

I'll be flying from Asia to NYC in November and thought I'd stay in Hawaii for a week over Thanksgiving.<BR><BR>I'm looking for a luxury hotel - ideally small or smallish, exclusive but not necessarily fancy, relaxed and quiet with no kids where we can just relax by the beach and pool, play tennis and take some tours of the island.<BR><BR>Is Maui or Kauai my best choice? All the hotels I've read about here sound huge, which is definitely not my thing. Any recommendations? I'm flexible on price. Thanks.

I would try the Princeville Resort in Kauai. It has a beautiful setting, and if I didn't have kids with me, I would have loved to stay there. It is in a golf course community, and is very quiet.

I would try the Big Island. there are several upscale, quiet resorts located in the N.Kona area. I would imagine your biggest problem will be availability.

Maui is getting almost as crowded as Oahu, I wouldn't suggest that island for peace and quiet. Kauai is the most beautiful but the hotels are pretty large. I've heard Gloria's B & B is very quiet on the water. I agree with the above poster that the Big Island is the best bet. Four Seasons is the best w/ around 350 rooms and after that I would recommend the Mauna Lani or the Orchid. Hope this helps.

If you want to go really out of the way, luxurious and secluded, the Hotel Hana Maui is magnificent. And the drive to Hana is unforgettable. If you don't want to go that out of the way, I second the suggestion for the Princeville. It is gorgeous and the view is incredible.

Well - on Oahu there is the 'W' hotel - which has only 29 rooms. It is located on the far end of Waikiki, past the hub-bub. The beach is pretty quiet. A large park is across the street from the hotel. Very relaxed, and no kids (at least when I've been there). If you stay on Oahu you can tour the island (which, BTW, consists of lots of areas in Waikiki - so if you want a seclulded beach they are easy to find).<BR><BR>Princeville on Kauai is huge - something like 550 rooms.<BR><BR>The Lodge at Koele on Lanai is nice, but there isn't much to do on the island aside from lounge around pool/hotel or go hiking (ok, there is horseback riding, skeet shooting, etc. - but no city/town or places to drive to). The Lodge is also small, I think less than 100 rooms - and seems smaller due to the layout.

Follow this link and you'll find another option<BR><BR>http://hawaii-vacation-homes.com/luxury.html

Lanai is luxury and remote. I think there are only 2 resorts. Then Wakaloa on the Big Island. The Grand Wailea in Maui. Ihilani resort and spa on Oahu. (They may have changed the name, check also Ko'olina) <BR><BR>There are some beautiful vactions homes on Kauai. Check Grantham rentals.

I wouldn't recommend any of the above mentioned hotels as quiet. They're all full of kids - even Lanai. Grand Wailea has 800 rooms! Ihilani isn't really a 5 star resort anymore, lots of kids and most of the clientele aren't paying customers but people cashing in their Marriott rewards points.

I love the Princeville/Hanalei are and have been there twice. But we found the Princeville Hotel itself disappointing. It is perhaps the most spectacular setting I've seen in our visits there. But when we were there in '99 it was in need of remodeling. The golf courses--also spectacular--were not maintained in the manner they deserved. You should also be willing to put up with a daily shower or two and the possiblility of a full day of rain. That's a good day to drive the island. But Princeville and Hanalei Bay are just unbelievably gorgeous--I hope they've remodeled. In Maui, the Ritz in Kapalua is my recommendation. But if you are willing to change locales, our favorite place (maybe in the world!) is the Four Seasons Hualalai on the Big Island. We're returning for a third time in four years in December if that gives you any indication. Good luck with finding bookings!

How 'bout the Kona Village as an alternative to the typical resort?<BR><BR>I'd steer clear of Princeville in November if for no other reason than the higher chance of ugly weather.

I love the Moana Surfrider Hotel on Waikiki Beach in Oahu. It is small, quaint,and just wonderful. A lot of beadboarding, white. Nice. AND, they have beautiful white rockers on the side of Waikiki road to people watch or valet-watch. It's the best people viewing, that road there. Nice veranda on beach side....