We will be heading out to Kauai for our honeymoon this July. Neither of us have been to Hawaii before so we are wondering if its worth the extra money to stay at the Princeville over HB, or if we should enjoy HB and save The Princeville for our anniversary.

I've asked an agent here in Toronto, Canada and an ocean view room at HB is literally more than half the price of a partial ocean view room at the Princeville!

We're a young couple just starting out...so my dilema is that I would like to make this honeymoon heavenly...just wondering where to draw the line between "worth it" and "over-doing it".

Thanks.

PS: I have the same dilema between the Westin Maui and the Hyatt at Maui.

certainly this is the only honeymoon you willever have so go for it!!
We spent 3 days at Princeville last march and it was wonderful:
food,service,spa etc were A+.We had a garden room which was fine-you don't spend much time looking out the window at the ocean anyway.The lobby of the hotel is very fancy with crystal
chandeliers(if memory serves) rather like a 4 seasons or Ritz Carleton.It isn't immediately obvious that this is Hawaii(unil you get ut to the terrace)BTW,there is a great botanical garden near the hotel & worth a visit.IF the HB hotel is the one next door it looked nice but not in the same league.Either way..congratulations and have fun.

The Princeville is beautiful and very upscale--but the Hanalei is also very nice with a beautiful bar where you can watch the sunset. If you are truly on a budget I would go for the Hanalei and save your money for excursions--helicopter rides, boat rides and such. Those things can add up so you want to plan ahead. Check this board for other messages regarding the Princeville vs. Hanalei Bay question.
Remember that Kauai is a very quiet island and the north shore is the quietest part. I was there in June and there is not much nightlife. I went to the Princeville for drinks on a Sat. and there were maybe 6 people in the bar.
But...you will have a lovely time whereever you stay.

I haven't been to either resort but I suggest that in making your decsion you think about the future and determine if by spending the money on the Princeville you will be causing yourself to skimp on other things or to not to be able to travel again for a long time.

Personally, I would much prefer to settle for comfortable and clean inexpensive lodging and be able to travel more often than to indulge in luxury only once (or once in a while).

I would vote for the Hanalei Bay Resort. We stayed there a few years ago and it was wonderful. Great sunset view from their restaurant and beautiful pool. You can walk to Princeville for a drink or snorkel on the beach there, but I would stay at the Hanalei and save your money - plus you can find pretty good deals on rooms there surfing the net. Have a great time!

As between the Hyatt and the Westin in Kaanapali, I'd strongly recommend the Hyatt. As earlier posted, an "ocean-view" or "partial ocean-view" room is not necessary, especially at the Hyatt, where a "golf/mountain view" room in the "Atrium Tower" will give you a great vista of the West Maui Mountains and an occasional rainbow or two. The Hyatt is head and shoulders above the Westin. My suggestion: book a mountain view room in the Atrium Tower(there are three towers, ask for the Atrium Tower) and, tell your travel agent to mention that it is a honeymoon booking (and remind the hotel of this when you check-in)...I've been told that you might just wind up with a complimentary room upgrade.

Joey,
I would recommend staying at the Hanalei Bay and saving the money for nice dinners, activities, souvenirs. After all, you will probably be out of the hotel most of the time. I stayed at the HB last September and we really liked it. Their pool is much, much nicer than the Princeville's and the view is just as gorgeous. It is right next to the Princeville so you can always walk over for special drinks and dinner, if you wish. Kauai is a small island so you will be driving to different beaches to swim and snorkel. It definitely makes sense to save the money and utilize it on other things. Congratulations and have a great honeymoon!

We stayed at the HBR last July and walked down to inspect the Princeville. The Princeville is lovely, but very formal. Too much so for us. We preferred the more tropical and laid back atmosphere of the HBR. HBR's pool is much nicer, and the open-air bar and restaurant are wonderful. Our mountain view was gorgeous. With a fifth day free pkg we got free breakfast (picked from the menu- not skimpy)and two free cocktails each per day.

I stayed at the Hanalei Bay w/ my (now) husband two years ago. We had friends that stayed at the Hyatt on the South Shore (which is comparable to the Princeville). They liked our hotel at the end of the day.

Kauai is a very expensive island, and the week we were there, we spent more on activities than the total cost of our hotel, air and car. Keep that in mind -- if you'll be staying in your room the whole time, then stay at the Princeville. But if you plan to explore the island, which is beautiful, than the Hanalei Bay is just fine and quite charming.

Hi, we stayed in Princeville 2 years ago. We stayed in a timeshre that had rental units. We were approximately 1/2 to 1 mile south of the hotel. Our unit overlookeed the Pacific and we would watch the whales go by.

I recall they had a special that included a car that was quite reasonable, perhaps $600 for 5 or 6 days. I would suggest getting in touch with these places. Not all the units are designated as time share units.