Just returned from Maui and stayed at the Napili Kai in Napili Bay.

This hotel was exactly what I was looking for:
2 story hotel which had an intimate feel.I hate high rise hotels that are lined up on huge beaches. (ie kaanapali...etc.)

Easy access to an incredible small intimate beach. Beach is 30 yards from hotel room. Walk right outside the room and there is the beach.

So for all those that have experienced the napili kai, what other smallish hotels fit this criteria on Kauai, Big Island and Ohau?

Looking for a similar experience. Thanks in advance to all.

Glad you liked Napili Kai. I can't think of anything exactly like it on Kauai. Closest would be Kiahuna Planatation or Hanalei Colony Resort. They are less of a resort than Napili Kai and more of a condo/resort sort of thing.

On the Big Island we like Kilauea Lodge (www.kilauealodge.com) near the volcano, and on the other side of the island we like Holualoa Inn (www.holualoainn.com).

If an "incredible" beach includes it being white and sandy, with good swimming, these beaches are rare on the Big Island. You won't find much intimacy on any of them.

The two closest I can think of are the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel (which is closed until late next year) and Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel. Both sit on fantastic white sand beaches, but both are larger than the Napili Kai. Although because of their layouts they don't "feel" too big.

The only place on the island where you get the Kaanapali-type of hotel/condo blight is in Kona District, from Kailua to Keauhou.

The Kohala Coast consists of individual (and large) resorts separated by miles of nothing but lava flows. Most have their own beaches but some are much better than others (e.g. the Mauna Lani and Orchid have nice small beaches, while the Four Seasons' is very narrow and rocky -- you'll need water shoes just to go swimming).

If an all-inclusive hotel is an option you might look at Kona Village Resort. Again the beach is narrow and rocky, but the resort definitely has an intimate, get-away-from-it-all feel to it. There aren't even any TV's or phones in their "rooms" (which are individual bungalows and terribly romantic).

Sorry, missed the beach part of your original message -- neither of the places I suggested were on the water.

We were deeply disappointed with Kauai after staying in Napili Bay.

I can tell people are planning for winter...this is the third Hawaii post I've responded to this afternoon. Well, Napili Kai is unique from what I can tell, as is Napili Bay. We have stayed several times at Napili Kai and several times at Kiahuna Plantation (also two-story) on Kauai. We like Kiahuna and it sits on Poipu Beach, which is beautiful, but the beach is rougher when it comes to snorkeling conditions, and Kiahuna is managed by more than one company, so you have to get a lot of info on the specific condo. Kiahuna Beachside, imo, offers the best oceanfront/oceanview condos in the complex. We love Napili, but the Poipu area is beautiful too. Kauai's weather can be a little cooler/breezier, which some people don't like, and it is a slower pace than Maui. I have only been to the big island once, so can't speak for it, Oahu or the smaller ones. I will say that we hadn't been to Napili Kai for a few years and returned last Xmas and just felt like we'd come home.