Frommer's Kauai - Jeanette Foster [78]
The bar is fabulous. Even if you don’t stay here, come by to order a cocktail and an appetizer, and take in the view and the Hawaiian music. A golf course is nearby. Families, take note: Kids eat free with a paying adult at the Shell Restaurant, at both breakfast and dinner.
2440 Hoonani Rd., Koloa, HI 96756. 86 6/716-8109 or 80 8/742-1661. Fax 80 8/742-9777. www.starwoodhotels.com/hawaii. 413 units. $475–$820 double (maximum 4 in room); from $850 suite for 4. (Starwood members get 35% off rack rates.) Extra person $60. Daily $18 resort fee for sunset mai tai punch hour (Sun, Mon, Wed & Fri) w/torch-lighting ceremony, self-parking, Internet access, guest library w/daily newspapers, computers in the lobby w/Internet access, and use of fitness center and tennis courts. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Valet parking $8. Amenities: 3 restaurants, extraordinary bar; babysitting; children’s program; concierge; fitness room facing the ocean (one of the most scenic places to work out on Kauai); 2 outdoor pools (1 w/water playground, 1 for children) and hot tub; small massage-and-skin-care center; room service; 3 tennis courts (2 night-lit); and watersports equipment rentals, In room: A/C, TV, hair dryer, Wi-Fi.
EXPENSIVE
Kiahuna Plantation Resort One of the best condominium developments in the Poipu area, this complex consists of several plantation-style buildings, loaded with Hawaiian style and sprinkled on a 35-acre garden setting with lagoons, lawns, and a gold-sand beach at reasonable prices for the Poipu resort area. Golf, shopping, and restaurants are within easy walking distance. Two different management companies handle the rental pool: Outrigger oversees about two-thirds of the units, Castle the remaining third. (I have found Outrigger to have the superior units and to be very responsive to the guests.) All condo units are spacious, with full kitchens, daily maid service, and lanais. Kiahuna offers an activities program for children 5 to 12 during spring break, summer, and winter for $70 for a full day and $55 for a half-day, both include lunch. The Kiahuna Swim and Tennis Club (with the Casa Blanca at Kiahuna restaurant) is just across the street, and a championship golf course is nearby.
2253 Poipu Rd., Koloa, HI 96756. 333 units. Under 2 different management groups: Outrigger, 800/OUTRIGGER or 80 8/742-6411. Fax 80 8/742-1698. www.outrigger.com. $195–$365 1-bedroom apt. (sleeps up to 4); $288–$550 2-bedroom apt. (sleeps up to 6). Packages available, including 5th night free, car packages, senior rates, and more. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Castle Resorts & Hotels, 80 0/367-5004 or 80 8/742-2200. Fax 80 0/477-2329 or 80 8/742-1047. $165–$229 1-bedroom apt.; $433–$1,050 2-bedroom apt. Ask about packages like 5th night free or free car. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant (see review of Plantation Gardens), bar; barbecue areas; children’s program; outdoor pool; tennis courts; watersports equipment rentals. In room: TV/VCR, hair dryer, kitchen.
Whaler’s Cove If money is not a worry and you want something really special right on the water, you can’t go wrong with these ultraluxury units. In 2009, the management just completed renovating six of the 39 units with stainless steel appliances, granite counter tops, tile floors, and large 2-person showers. The other units will undergo the same renovations in 2010. From the koa door at the entry to the ocean view from the master bedroom, this is first class all the way. The two-bedroom, two-and-a-half bathroom units are in a town house with a two-story configuration, plenty of space (1,400sq. ft.), and plenty of privacy for two couples. These units have it all: a huge deck overlooking