Over the years, Kauai has become our favorite Hawaiian island. The others have their allure, but the Garden Isle just edges them out.
It starts at the Lihue Airport — as laid back and retro (in a good way) as you are likely to find in a place of this high demand. And then the drive to Poipu is so pleasurable. A quick stop at Costco, a couple of traffic signals and on through the tree tunnel. We emerge fully transported to a place where the pace is slower, the environment is cleaner and the vibe is nonstop aloha.
We stayed at our usual base, Marriott’s Waohai Beach Club, which we consider the piece de la resistance of timeshares because of its cozy feeling and oceanfront location right on Popul Beach. I also made a point to check out its neighbors so I could have fresh information for offering excellent alternatives to clients with various interests and budgets.
Here are my findings:
Hyatt Regency Kauai Resort
This is the top of the line in southern Kauai. Like its sibling on Maui’s Ka’anapali Beach, the Grand Hyatt Kauai Reort and Spa is a sprawling resort with a raft of amenities including high-end dining, elaborate swimming pools and a luxurious spa.
The Pacific framed in the Hyatt’s lobby
Ann Takechi, who showed us around the Hyatt, said celebrities who stay here like the way they can “get lost” in its nooks and crannies. The resort makes an immediate statement in its open-air lobby, greeting with the blue Pacific in a sort of picture frame. It’s one of those inviting, breezy lobbies that signals that you’re not in Kansas or anywhere else anymore. Here, the air is sweet and colors vibrant — down to the tropical birds in the lobby. The 602 rooms have private lanais with ocean or mountain views.
Birds add to color in the Hyatt lobby.
The Hyatt is also at the top of the food chain, price-wise. Still, there is special pricing for families sharing a room with a mini fridge. The downside is the lack of a swim-able beach. It has the sweeping views of an oceanfront property, to be sure, but the combination of rocks and chop make the water, beautiful as it is, unwieldy except to experienced watermen and women.
Protective parents can use this to their advantage. Labyrinth swimming pools with waterfalls and slides plus the sand-ringed lagoon offer mild adventure for youngsters without waves and currents. Camp Hyatt provides organized children’s activities so Mom can escape to the spa or Dad can get in a round at the nearby Robert Trent Jones golf course.
For honeymooners, this is a class setting to relax and focus on each other in highly polished Hawaii surroundings. (One time I did not surf in Hawaii was on my honeymoon.) Here, after the stress of the big day, newlyweds can take it easy sipping Mai Tais, taking leisurely pool dips and sampling treatments in the extensive spa. Packages expressly for honeymooners customize the experience.
The placid lagoon is a calm spot for a swim.
Daily activities include fitness walks, tennis and golf clinics, and, of course, Hawaiian music.
Several restaurants are headlined by Tidepools, an award-winning open-air thatched hut set among waterfalls and koi-filled lagoons. The menu pays homage to the classic fare of Hawaii with an emphasis on local and natural ingredients. All Hawaiian Hyatts are emphasizing local and natural ingredients.
The Hyatt offers packages for families and couples that bundle air, rental car and hotel stay for discounts.
A water slide amid the tropical landscape.
The Sheraton PoipuThis newly refurbished resort is all about the beach, a beautiful sandy crescent with relatively tame waves to teach surfing to beginners.
The Sheraton’s pool and waves beyond.
The refreshed resort lacks the gloss of the price point of the Hyatt. This is a great choice for people who prefer a crust of salt on their skin. It’s a good option when the kids are older and able to deal with the ocean. There also is some good reintroduction pricing on packages that combine multiple nights, car and flight.
Koloa Landing
This Wydman property is definitely the polished way to do a condo at Poipu. These new “million-dollar condos” are individually owned by investors and rented through Wyndam’s management arm. And during construction of the next phase, “pardon our dust” pricing provides the opportunity to occupy one of these beauties for less than they are eventually intended to cost.
These are truly beautiful units with top-of-the line appliances, beautiful furniture and sweeping views of the Kauai coastline. But this is not a beachfront resort and the layout of the grounds, at least at this point in the development lacks the pizazz of properties like the Hyatt or Waohai.
The pool at the Koala Landing.
Still, condos and timeshares are options for groups and families that prefer to avoid restaurant pricing for at least some meals.
We picked up fresh fruit for breakfast at the farmers market, steaks for the barbecue at Costco and some fresh ahi for searing at the Koloa Big Save market. The barbecues at timeshares make for a nice communal experience in a fantastic setting with a cold Longboard beer in hand.
At Poipu, you can have your pick, depending on your preferences.
