To Anti_Not_me_again:

No I don't HATE Kauai -- I try not to hate anything or anybody. I'm actually a pretty easy going fellow, equally at home at the Waldorf Astoria or a Motel 6, depending on the reason I'm there. When Beth (name changed to protect the innocent) and I decided to go to Kauai we were thrilled. I remember saying, "This will probably be the most beautiful place we'll ever see." Friends who had been there raved about it, the lush scenery, the little waterfalls off the sides of the road. Coupled with the fact that neither of us had been anywhere near Hawaii (we usually vacation in the Caribbean), we were more than ready to spend our special week in paradise.

We chose the north shore over the south -- we wanted to revel in the lushness -- and picked the Hanalei Bay Resort, a self-proclaimed 5-star resort. We were warned that it might rain, and it did. But that's o.k., it goes with the territory. If it didn't rain it wouldn't be as beautiful as it is. Plus, rain means rain-bows, which were as vivid and spectacular as any we had ever seen. BUT, a 5-star hotel?? No way. That place is a 3-star at most. Where do I begin? No beach chairs (except for a few rusty, broken ones in the woods)? The concierge who would not give a straight answer without putting everything in the context of selling us a timeshare? The bar, that closed at 8:30??? Let's talk about that one...

I am no longer the traditional "party animal". I was not expecting to be naked in the hot tub at 2AM with hula girls dropping martini olives in my mouth while fanning me with palm fronds. I am talking about a simple "nightcap" and the ability to sit outside in the night air, relax and chat -- you know, review the day and plan tomorrow. One night the hotel hosted a wedding. Everyone was decked out in their Hawaiian garb and it looked like a pretty fancy affair. I'm sure Hanalei Bay charged a pretty penny to have the wedding there. Anyway, at exactly 9:05PM a couple (who were IN the wedding party) came to the bar, asked for a drink and were refused. They wouldn't even give them a Coke or a glass of water. Nothing. "We are closed". That's pretty bush league stuff in my opinion, especially in paradise.

Anyway, to avoid running on and on and on, lets wrap this up. Kauai, in spots, is a beautiful place. Hard as I tried I ate in no memorable restaurants. Even Duke's (in the Marriott) was nothing great. The beaches were "nice" but nothing compared to many beaches in the Caribbean, both in sand and water quality. The canyon was "nice" but at the end of the day it's just a big hole. The Coco Palms (home to Elvis) was being made into, you guessed it, timeshares. The Fern Grotto was lame. Hilo Hatties is no different than any souvenir "mega store" you can find right in Times Square. The most consistent meal I had was 2, in a place called Bubba's Burgers, and that's not a good thing.

Perhaps I should have stayed on the south shore, or gone to a different island. But I'll be hard pressed to ever convince myself to go back to find out.

To those of you who love it, that's great, and to those of you who don't, you are not alone.

To Me Again, sounds like your Kauai experience was incredibly tainted by unpleasant experiences with the Hanalei Bay Resort. That's too bad and maybe sometime you'll give Kauai another shot.

Kristin, we spent our honeymoon split between Kauai and Maui, visiting Kauai first. For me personally, after the stresses of planning a wedding I truly wanted to get away from it all. Just the thought of the phone not ringing off the hook was relaxing for me. Kauai was perfect for that. I wasn't interested in a lot of nightlife and partying, had done enough of that in the weeks leading up to the wedding. So Kauai fit the bill for us perfectly. Maui was a different experience. We stayed at the Hyatt on Kanaapali beach and that area was too touristy, too crowded, too fast-paced and expensive for me. And the beaches were not as nice. But there's loads of nightlife. So it is a personal decision and this thread has done a good job of pointing out the pros and cons of both places. Let us know what you decide!

TO:
"me again", if that's your real name! ;^D

Just curious. When did you and "beth" go? Recently?

Did you stay at the HBR or the Hanalei Colony Resort?

I've read a lot of mixed reviews about HBR, mostly poor and probably would never stay there since we have our own favorite.

Ahhhh. The Waldorf!
Mahalo,
Kal

Hate to say it "Me Again" but you chose the worst of the worst that Kauai has to offer. At least what you mentioned are places no one would recommend who has ever been to the Garden Isle before. What a shame you missed the real Kauai - Bubba burgers - really. We've been to Kauai over a dozen times and the locals never even recommeded Bubba burgers to us.

We stayed at Hanalei Bay last year and "hand picked" our unit, which was decorated beautifully and our view of Bali Hai and Hanalei Bay (Bamboo Building) was totally unobstructed. However, we have been going to HBR for many years and know that its transition to timeshare/interval ownership has left this resort in a state of flux. In fact, we arrived at HBR last year after 9:30 p.m. and went to the bar, had drinks, sandwiches and there was entertainment (we were there in February)so your situation is unique with no serving of drinks after 9:00 p.m. We had dinner at the Bali Hai restaurant, and though service was extremely slow, the food was quite good (not as good as A Pacific Cafe, Casa de Amici or Tidepools), the view was incredible and after dinner (9:00 p.m. or so, we went to the Happy Talk Lounge for an after dinner drink). It seems that you experienced HBR at its worst, but we have been staying there for quite a few years and know you have to chose your units carefully. Also, Fern Grotto, Hilo Hatties and Coco Palms - you need a new travel agent or guide. These are as bad as anything you could find in Lahaina and not places we have frequented in the last 11 years.

So sorry your experience was so bad, but you truly visited the worst that Kauai has to offer.

Kal:

"Beth" and myself, Me Again, were there a little over a year ago. We stayed at the Hanalei Bay Resort, next door (more or less) to the Princeville Resort. From what I've read here HBR may have gone downhill a little further since then.

Maui is SO awesome! I like it the best because it's the best of both worlds. There is enough to do there if you get restless and there's also a lot of quiet/scenic areas if you want to get away from it all. It's funny, my sister says that Kaui is her favorite, but for some reason, she keeps going back to Maui.
Don't forget the road to Hana.
My boyfriend, who has been many places, said that Maui is paradise. It's the most beautiful place he's seen. I've just recently been to Key West and Maui is NOTHING like it.
Have fun!

Me Again,

Thx for the info. I think I'll stop by the place and just see what it looks like now and get a genl. feel for the place.

Anybody else out there that stayed there recently?

We haven't stopped by the place since our first trip in '89. We, too heard good things about the place and considered staying there.

Thx again,
Kal

ps....A triple Bubba's burger with cheese and chili fries in Hanalei is still a tasty treat. Too bad you have to wait around 5 hrs after a meal like that to go in the water!