swtjen7

Planning to stay in Kauai for a total of 7 nights . Any recommendations as far as where to stay ...hotels vs Cottages.

Orcas

Search for this on the search engine of this website. Go to Hawaii and search for "condos kauai" or some related words.

Many people prefer condos because they can prepare their own food and have more space. Eating out can be time consuming, expensive and tiresome.

South side - Poipu, is sunnier than the north side, but not as lush. N. side is gorgeous, but Poipu is far from ugly. East side is in between! West side doesn't really have places to stay. Distances are not too far.

Only condos right on the beach at Poipu are the Kiahuna Plantation. These are high priced for the space. Other developments are nearby and a walk away. The Sheraton Hotel in Poipu has a good pool and shares the beach with the Kiahuna Plantation. The Hyatt is more of a destination resort and very expensive.
Condo owners choose different managers to rent them out, so several rental agencies may manage units in the same complex. Prices may vary and owners may furnish differently. You can find deals directly from owners if you look hard enough. We stayed in the Alihi Lani on Poipu a few years ago. It was within an easy walk of the Sheraton and was less expensive than the other places nearby and 1200 sf with 2 bdrooms, a small pool. You will find tons of ideas if you search this site.

JBC411

I loved staying a week at the Hanalei Bay Resort in Princeville on the North Shore. The view from our Mountain View room (which incuded much ocean, and was superior in my opinion to that from the Ocean View rooms) was one of the most fantastic I've seen in the world. One morning, after a rainy night, from our balcony we counted 11 new waterfalls on the mountainsides across the bay which had not been there the morning before--plus an incredibly vivid rainbow.

Rent the 1958 movie version of the musical South Pacific if you can find it and check out the view from the home of character Emile DeBecque, played by Rozzano Brazzi. The scenes there were filmed at the current site of the Resort.

I remember the resort itself as one which, in another location, would have been pleasant rather than exceptional. But living with that incredible view made the week extraordinary.

Sapphire

We loved our visit to Kaui. Since we were there in the summer, the weather on the north side of the island was great. We stayed in condos near Princeville and right along the coast. Part of the reason we wanted to stay on the north side is that we really wanted to snorkel and swim there. As another contributor said, it is absolutely beautiful there!

annahead

As others have recommended, if you're not going in Winter the North Shore is where it's at. You simply can't beat the beauty of the North Shore. Does it rain occassionally? Yes, but that's why it's so lush and green. The rain keeps the area cool and the air fresh. Without the rain there wouldn't be so many waterfalls or rainbows. What would a trip to Hawaii be without at least a dozen rainbows? During winter (the rainy season) you might want to consider the Poipu area.

I can recommend the Pu'u Poa complex in Princeville. A small condo complex, all units have amazing ocean views. The pool is small, but who needs a pool when you have ocean as far as the eye can see?

I did not stay at the Hanalei Bay Resort because it was already booked, but the views are spectacular from most units. It has a great pool, but is pricier and a larger complex than Pu'u Poa.

justme22

i was on kauai for 4 days and ended up doing most of my activities nearer to princeville, i stayed midway (the road is like a C with poipu at one end and princeville at the other)

My main activity was to snorkle. went to small out of the way beaches and the end of the road. some in poipu too, but it was more crowded there....

I stayed at a good nice, but not expensive hotel in kapaa, kauai sands hotel , had pool and was ocean front. it worked for me, it was clean, and didn't cost the earth.

panhandle

Actually Kauai Sands is a great place to stay and not break your bank. Make sure and ask for oceanview though. When we went we upgraded to ocean FRONT for 10$ a day!! With the Coconut Marketplace right next door there is a ton of places to eat as well as a place for cheap mai tais and Karaoke with the locals =)(Mai Tais bring out the Sinatra in me I guess!)
As far as the original post goes....a budget would be helpful!

RichinPA

My wife and I stay at the Cliffs in Princeveille, in fact leaving 7/15 for 3 weeks and love the Princeville area. I see some one has mentioned Pua Poa, that is a good developement, but try a few rental sites and see what you can find.