Frommer's Kauai - Jeanette Foster [75]
INEXPENSIVE
Garden Island Inn This bargain-hunter’s delight is located 2 miles from the airport, 1 mile from Lihue, and within walking distance of shops, restaurants, and a beach just across the street. The spacious rooms are decorated with island-style furniture, bright prints, original artwork on the walls, and fresh tropical flowers (grown right on the grounds). Each unit has a hand-painted entry door of an island plant (palm trees, orchids, and so on) and contains a fridge, microwave, wet bar, TV, coffeemaker, and ocean view; some have private lanais, and the suites have sitting areas. The grounds are filled with flowers and banana and papaya trees (and you’re welcome to help yourself to the fruit at the front desk). This is the kind of place where old-fashioned aloha is still practiced. The staff offers friendly service, lots of advice on activities (and even uses their connections to get you discounts), and even complimentary use of beach gear, golf clubs (a course is nearby, as are tennis courts), barbecue grills, and coolers. Guests are encouraged to stop by the office for cookies and coffee and to “talk story.” If they are booked, ask about their two-bedroom condo nearby for $180 to $220 per night. The only caveat is that it is located on a fairly busy road, which can be canceled out with the use of earplugs at night.
3445 Wilcox Rd. (across the street from Kalapaki Beach, near Nawiliwili Harbor), Lihue, HI 96766. 80 0/648-0154 or 80 8/245-7227. Fax 80 8/245-7603. www.gardenislandinn.com. 21 units, private bathrooms have shower only. $99–$180 double. Extra person $10. AE, DISC, MC, V. Amenities: Complimentary watersports equipment. In room: A/C, TV.
SUPER-CHEAP SLEEPS
Motel Lani For a no-frills budget bed and shower, this place will do the job. You won’t find a little basket of toiletries in the bathroom or a mint on your pillow, but you will get a clean, basic room (no TV) for as little as $62 for 1 night, or only $50 per night if you stay 2 nights or more. This small, concrete-block motel mainly serves interisland travelers and a few visitors on a budget. The location, on a busy street right in the heart of Lihue, isn’t bad—the airport is just a 5-minute drive away, making this a good rest stop if you have an early-morning flight—but the beach is a significant schlep away.
P.O. Box 1836 (4240 Rice St.), Lihue, HI 96766. 80 8/245-2965. 6 units (with shower only). $62 double. No credit cards. In room: A/C, fridge.
Tip Top Motel The Tip Top is an institution on Kauai. Their motto, “Over 75 years of service on the island of Kauai,” lets you know they’ve been around a while. The two-story concrete tile building, with a cafe on the first floor, provides very basic accommodations: twin beds (with solid, hard mattresses), shower, air-conditioning unit in the window, and a dresser. Don’t look for expensive carpeting here—just institutional linoleum tile. Guests are usually interisland business travelers who like the convenience of the central Lihue location, just 5 minutes from the airport.
3173 Akahi St., Lihue, HI 96766. 80 8/245-2333. Fax 80 8/246-8988. 34 units (with shower only). $73 double. MC, V. From the airport, follow Ahukini Rd.; turn left on Akahi St. Amenities: Coffee shop. In room: A/C, TV, no phone.
2 The Poipu Resort Area
Where to Stay in the Poipu Resort Area
VERY EXPENSIVE
Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa It’s hard to believe that this luxury hotel (one of Hawaii’s best) could get grander, but multimillion-dollar renovations have taken the level of casual elegance to a new level. This is one of Hawaii’s best luxury hotels and one of the top-ranked tropical resorts in Condé Nast Traveler’s annual readers’ poll. The four-story resort, built