we are staying at princeville for 1 week in january. is the weather really so rainy at that time? are we making a mistake by staying there then? we hear it is absolutely gorgeous...

Aloha riazar,

It IS absolutely gorgeous! Rain... yes you will see rain, but in spurts usually mixed w/ sun & rainbows... part of the glory of the north shore.

If the rain proves to be too much, jump in the jeep and head to the south shore or wherever the sun is shining.

This island is not so large that you can't head to another end in an hour or so.

I wouldn't stay anywhere else on Kauai, but I love visual beauty, and I'll take that rain or shine!

From this north shore Kaua`i resident...

Our winter weather will be wet -- sometimes for hours, but usually only for minutes -- and that's why visitors flock here to see our waterfalls, lush green pali (mountains), rivers, and rainbows.

And winter daytime temps are near 80 -- the rain is a welcome cool-down on a hot day, which is just _one_ of the reasons we call raindrops "blessings".

Thank you for the advice. We are very excited about Princeville. Sounds like a beautiful location. Any idea how to book the cheapest rate at the hotel?

Also,
What room should we request? Garden? Partial Ocean View? Or Ocean view? Is it worth the money to go with ocean view at Princeville?

Of all the places we've stayed on the ocean, The Princeville is The One Place, I would suggest splurging for ocean view. With every change of weather and light and tide, the view completely changes, and is always glorious. And when the surf may keep you out of the water in many north shore beaches, we have found Hanalei almost always swimmable. Fun!!!

You can get 35% off the rack rate at the Princeville if you are a Starwood Preferred member (which is a free program). This hotel fills up fast; we tried to book it a year in advance for summertime and it was already full for our dates! We have stayed at the Princeville before in their cheapest room and the view was still unbelievable. If you can't afford an ocean view, it is still worth it to stay there. We still could see the water if we crained our necks, plus the beautiful mountains AND our room had a balcony!! (Most rooms do not.)
Enjoy!

Also, we were there in January and it did rain alot but it was worth it! Even though it rained everyday in Kauai and it was dry/sunny in Maui, our family agreed that we love Kauai the best. However, I think that the Princeville Hotel should help make the wet weather better by doing a few things:
1. Heat their pool so that it's fun to swim during the frequent rains. In January we couldn't force ourselves to swim in their chilly pool during the rain so we crowded into the hot tubs instead. (The hyatt's pool is heated.)
2. They should put the pool umbrellas up so that people can get out of the rain until it stops, if they so choose. I literally looked like a drowned rat with my beach coverup on(make sure if you wear makeup that it is waterproof) and our towels were soaked as well. I had to put an umbrella up myself and it wasn't too easy during a downpour.

However, with all that said, I would stay again on the northshore in a heartbeat (BEAUTIFUL!) and would recommend a stay at the Princeville. We decided to try something new this time and are renting vacation homes in the area. Either way, the views will be delightful and it will feel like paradise!