Hyatt Koloa

My husband and I booked this location with Hyatt points. We were fortunate as Diamond Hyatt members to receive a Suite. The Suite was at the corner with an ocean view. It was bigger than our apartment and had this beautiful bathroom with jack & jill sinks.

There is free laundry on site - you only need to purchase detergent. It was convenient and much needed after days of hiking and sweating in clothes.

The Hyatt location is great. It's the last hotel on the street. Most other housing is condos.

The Hyatt greeted us with Champagne and more Champagne. They also asked us to switch to the Marriott for a few nights, and they initially gave us $100 Hyatt dollars. Then, they increased it to $200. We took the $200 and ate at Tidepools -- the best restaurant we visited in both Kauai and Maui. The food is amazing and a very romantic setting.

Fitness center was nice, but the Hyatt in Maui had a nicer fitness center. The Anara Spa is nice too - you can engage in a Eucalyptus steam room or take showers under lava rocks.

The pool is great at the Hyatt, with a very fun slide.

The best part of the Hyatt was the Regency Club Room. Each morning, we had Salmon lox with bagel and fresh cheese. Evenings included hot appetizers and open bar.

The Regency Club staff were friendly and hospitable. They even packaged lunches for us if we were hiking or snorkeling. We hardly ate outside of the Hyatt.

We love this Hyatt, and will return again soon.

I've stayed at some of the condos just next to this hotel and when the opportunity came up to stay here, I took it. It is worthy of its Grand Hyatt name.

It is about a 20-30 minute drive from the Lihue airport in the southern part of the island.

The grounds are absolutely gorgeous. The lawns are well manicured. The water features are beautiful. The beach is nice, but some rough surf at times. The view from the suite was fantastic. In the winter, one would be able to see the humpbacks breaching just off shore.

The front desk staff was accomodating and pleasant. After the first day, everyone called me by name.

The food was o.k. at the restaurants we tried. Didn't try all of them, but a bit expensive for what you get. Drinks were reasonable.

I did not partake in the Spa offerings except to use the gym. The gym was fantastic. Unfortunately it can be quite crowded despite the plethora of equipment. I learned to get to the gym after the early morning and before the early evening crush. Trainers are available. Yoga classes, spinning (I think), are also available.

The lap pool in the spa is usually empty and was a great way to get a work out in when the gym was packed. The pools on the other side of the hotel were packed with people floating along the "river" and down the water slide.

The Regency Club was always well stocked and food was tasty.

Yes, it is expensive, but wow. It is certainly worth the splurge.

The Grand Hyatt certainly lives up to its title. Sweeping vistas and outstanding service make this one of the most beautiful resorts that I have ever visited.

The pools, including the salt water lagoon, overlook the ocean and the ponds filled with koi are delightful. The swans add their voices to the birdsong that wakes you every morning. In short, this place is paradise.

Of course, paradise has its price. The restaurants on site were ourageously expensive, but nearby towns provided numerous choices for dining. Even two drinks and an appetizer at one of the poolside snackbars was nearly $40. Too much for a smoothie, a cocktail and an eggroll in my book.

The rooms were spacious, spotless and, in our case, the lanai looked directly at the ocean. Every room amenity that you could think of was provided.

We were originally shown to a room that had not been made up. The response from the hotel was swift and even a little over-the-top. Notes of apology and a gift basket soon followed. They really take service and quality seriously.

We met honeymooners, older couples and families while there. To a person, nothing but smiles on their faces. And ours matched theirs, bright in the Hawaiian sun.

This is a lovely hotel on a wonderful strip of Kauai shoreline. The rooms are very nice (we had an ocean view that also overlooked the pool) and I loved the eucalyptus toiletries! Service here was very good as well. We were here as part of a conference and the meals we had as part of the large group were below average. However, the meals we had as a couple in the restaurants were great.

The pool at the hotel is nice - it is divided up with some areas offering a quieter atmosphere for adults only and other areas offering volley ball, a waterslide, etc.

We also really enjoyed the koi, the swans, and the tropical birds - particularly the "surfing" pink bird in the lobby. There is also a cute dress shop right in the hotel that I loved! For a hotel, the shopping here is pretty unique and the dress shop had some good sale items.

I also loved the location. We were fairly close to everything - it's about 45 minutes to the canyon and about an hour and a half to Hanalei Bay. We set up a catamaran trip out of Port Andrews through the hotel (Capt. Andy's) that was by far our favorite activity of the entire trip.

The water in front of the hotel was quite rough at that time of year and not suitable for swimming but I enjoyed the short hike to the top of the cliffs adjacent to the hotel. What a great view!! The shore path to the left also leads to a cove were I often saw many sea turtles and a bit further down is Poipu Beach, which is very safe for swimming and snorkeling. We saw a monk seal taking a nap here.

Someone noted the drinks here are expensive and that is true - some cocktails run as much as $17 - but I have found that's kind of par for the course at the more upscale Hawaii hotels. We just purchased our own wine and beer at the market down the street and limited what we bought directly from the bar/restaurants.

We got a very nice deal on a fine garden-pool view room. Hotel staff were excellent and all called us by name. The Tidepools restauarant was wonderful...excellent ambience, food, and superb service. The hotel grounds were immaculate and the flora and fauna were delightful. The pools and koi ponds (with swans) were delightful. Would highly recommend this hotel and the Tidepools...don't miss it!

My boyfriend and I stayed at the Grand Hyatt Kauai for 8 days and loved it. We had an ocean view in a quiet area of the property. This resort was very large and we had a far walk to our room, but it was worth it (other areas can be a bit noisy). The pool area was fantastic. It even had a waterslide, which we enjoyed!!! We ate at Tidepools...the food was okay, but the location was fabulous. You could feed the koi while you are eating. The restaurant is directly over the pond and has a great view of the ocean. We also ate at Dondero's, which is an italian restaurant at the hotel. Dondero's had great food and I highly recommend it. My favorite dinner was Yum Cha, asian cuisine. This restaurant overlooked the golf course...view okay, but food was excellent. The breakfast buffet at Ilima Terrace was good, but not great, but gorgeous view of the ocean and pond with a swan and koi. We indulged in couples massage twice. The spa is truly wonderful and I highyl recommend it. We definitely splurged on this vacation. It was very expensive, but worth it. I highly recommend this resort. The customer service was very good. I highly recommend going through the hotel to book surfing..we had a great introductory to surfing experience. Overall, this was paradise.

We had nothing but aloha throughout our overnight stay for our anniversary. We got a good rate through Hotwire and when I called directly, the hotel informed me of upgrade of room to ocean view! I was invited to check in early and there was champagne waiting in our deluxe room on arrival. We ate lunch poolside (excellent Mahi) and enjoyed the pools and watching surfers beachside. Everyone we met who worked at the resort were more than friendly and helpful--particularly the front desk and valet service at entrance. Even though it was Oct. there were still quite a few children at the resort but there was so much space one never feels crowded. All in all, a great time being pampered by the Hyatt.

We arrived on Labor Day weekend, but our trip was unexpectantly cut short and we had to return home early. This review will highlight a few elements of our trip that might be helpful, but it isn't exhaustive due to the brief stay. After arriving at the airport I called ahead at 2 pm and learned our room was not ready -- we then had a late lunch prior to checking in on Poipu Beach at Brennecke's, which was a lot of fun and we avoided the frustration of the room not being ready. When we did check in, the staff was extremely friendly and professional and, maybe since we were in such a good mood from the Mai Tai's, they upgraded us to a beautiful ocean front suite! We enjoyed swimming in the pools (and the expensive pool bar drinks), and the gardens are lovely. The Sunday night sushi dinner at Stevenson's Library (and music) was lively and I'm glad we bailed from Tidepools restaurant, which, when we were there, was a little tired (but I would probably try it again over Donatello's). The management was very understanding when we quickly checked out, and I will definitely look forward to returning to this Hyatt (maybe a few days here and then try out the new St. Regis).

This resort is amazing. My wife and I stayed here on our honeymoon from 9/28-10/4. The grounds are enormous (we got lost on the way to our room from the front desk right after check-in). However, that did gave us the opportunity to check out most of the resort. The pools are all amazing and there were always chairs with shades or umbrellas and places for us to catch some shade if we needed it. The top pool with the currents was very nice and the lower pool with the basketball hoop and volleyball net was fun too. We frequented the 3 hot tubs that pool had and even went out to one at 9PM one night. The slide isn't great and empties into only about 3ft of water, not that exciting, but I'm not there for the slide.

The beach in front of the hotel isn't great, but off to one side it is a public beach and swimmable with more room to put your stuff down. We went exploring outside the beach up onto the cliffs and got some great views of the ocean and hotel grounds. The lagoon inbetween the ocean and pool is a nice touch, though the sand there is quite rough compared the the silky smooth sand of the beaches on Kauai.

No problems with the room at all and the service at the hotel from bellmen to housekeeping to front desk to conceigre was great. We did not have one negative moment at the Grand Hyatt Kauai and would recommend it to anyone traveling there.

We stayed at the Hyatt for 8 nights on our honeymoon last year. It was amazing.

We showed up and we felt like the greeting was very personal. They knew it was our honeymoon and congratulated us on our marriage. We were given a complimentary bottle of champagne our first night there and throughout our stay we found that people always made an effort to call us by our names.

The grounds were beautiful and the pools even better. Though the beach right out front isn't swimmable, the pools made up for it. We always had plenty of towels available and we never couldn't find a good lounge chair along the edge of the lagoon or pool.

The breakfast, which was part of our package deal, was amazing. One morning my husband wanted eggs benedict for breakfast and it wasn't on the buffet. Our waitress brought it out at no charge a few minutes later. One family next to us had kids who wanted french fries at breakfast-no problem, they were served as well! We filled up on our breakfast (basically made it brunch everyday) so we really didn't need to each lunch. Dinners at the Hyatt were great, but not the best of the stay. We liked Tidepools and the sushi bar. Dondero's, the Italian restaurant, could have been better, though. It was very expensive-and we've had better Italian food many other places.

At a place like the Hyatt, you just have to know what you're getting before you go. We were prepared for the valet only parking and for the resort fee. Some people are surprised by this, but we were expecting it so it was in our budget.

For a honeymoon, the Grand Hyatt was a fabulous place to stay. We felt pampered and felt like people went out of their way to make us comfortable. We can't wait to go back again!!

This was my first time staying at this hotel. The grounds are absolutely beautiful and the hotel was well kept.

The hotel is made up of 2 wings with a large open air lobby at the center. I had room 3110 in the Shipwreck wing, which is a garden view room. I was pleased to find that garden view really meant garden view and not parking lot view. The room was fairly large and had a small patio on the ground floor. The color scheme is beige, green and dark wood. There is plenty of drawer space and an average size closet for hanging items. The bathroom appears to be right in the room with you at first glance, but it turns out there is a sliding door if you wish to close it off.

The Shipwreck wing is closer to the pool and the Poipu wing is closer to the Spa.

The pool areas are spectacular. The pool area is made up of several different sections. The top pool is the adult pool area from which you can take a small slipslide down into the river pool (no current) and it winds its way through rocks and waterfalls cascading down over small caves to duck into. Then climb out and use the waterslide to get to the lower pool below.

Beyond the freshwater pool is a man-made saltwater lagoon with a sandy beach. You can rent kayaks or swim in this beautiful area. It's absolutely beautiful and there was never many people using it.

Of course there is the ocean as well, but it is very rough and rocky, so it is not advised to swim there. The freshwater pool is open 24hrs/day, except the waterslide closes at 6pm. Obtain a bracelet from the Recreation Desk in order to use the slide.

The evening entertainment consists of a torch lighting ceremony and various singers or a hula show. There are several restaurants at the hotel, but I did not utilize any of the actual restaurants such as Yum Cha, Dondero's or Tidepools. I ate a casual meal in the Seaview Terrace lounge while enjoying the entertainment my first night and it was quite good. I also ate in the poolside grill, The Dock, on the my last day and that was fine as well with shaded outdoor seating.

I was very pleased with my experience with this hotel. If I return to Kauai, I would not hesitate to stay there again.

the hotel was great. the room was great. the food was great. the pool was great. the spa was outstanding. the service was great too. i loved the lobby. i would stay again.

We celebrated our first anniversary at the Kauai Hyatt. It was perfect. The property features an adult pool which is private and quiet. We were upgraded to a room near the pool and swam day and night. The lazy river lead to a perfectly heated hot tub...bliss!

The staff was very helpful and even provided us with Voss water when our gallon jug was misplaced at check in. The room was spacious and comfortable.

A highlight was the lounge that featured a sushi (awesome) night as well as great entertainment and an old style billards room. Good fun to celebrate number one.

We stayed here last year for a week-long conference. It rained every day, virtually all day. The deluge (which resulted in a disaster designation--this was serious rain) meant no tours to the northern coast, no fishing, no beach activities, no scenic drives, etc. On the third day I went down to the concierge and asked what there was to do in Kauai when it was raining. He said--and this is a direct quotation--"I don't know." So I went back to my sheltered balcony and continued to watch the surf hit the beach as it rained. And you know what...I really enjoyed it! This hotel is one of the most beautiful we have ever stayed in. Calm, peaceful, great view of the ocean, nice spa, open air walkways, thoughtful touches here and there, tropical elegance throughout. We drove up to the Falls (very thankful we had gotten a Jeep to navigate the road conditions) and at the observation deck we found ourselves in a giant marshmallow cloud, listening to other invisible tourists commenting on how far they came to see nothing. We took pictures of the utter whiteness! We enjoyed an Ash Wednesday service at a local church during which the priest was drowned out by the beating rain hitting the ground just outside the open air pavilion. I myself wouldn't try to schedule a wedding here because the weather is often rainy and unpredictable. However, even in a near constant rain, we loved this hotel. In fact, the hotel saved the entire trip because it was just so calming and beautiful to stay there. Well, it's been over a year, and I still get a warm fuzzy feeling, as you can tell.

The most impressive features of this hotel are the gorgeous lobby view and the beautiful and extensive pool grounds. My husband and I enjoyed a relaxing stay at this hotel, though I believe this hotel is ideally suited for familes with children and teenagers, given the lively pool and family environment. The pool grounds are truly fantastic; my favorite was the heated salt water pool which is very pleasant in the evening. Our rooms was very comfortable and clean, though I would not describe it as the most luxurious. This place has everything a resort should offer, a spa, restaurants, pool, private beach. The only minor gripe is that we found that it is hard to find cheap places to eat in Poipu, and Kauai for that matter--restaurants tend to be expensive. One nice feature was that rooms have a refrigerator so that you can store some food and snacks from the local grocery market.

I considered myself very fortunate for having the opportunity to have stayed in this wonderful hotel. If you want to experience the true ALOHA spirit, you have to stay here. I can go on with all the wonderful amenities that the resort has to offer, but what stand out more is the Exceptional Customer Service. The little touches go a very long way, most especially with our children. We wish we stayed a lot longer than 4 nights. Stop searching for Paradise and check-in at the Grand Hyatt Kauai. It does not get any more beautiful than this.

We went there as the 2nd part of our 3 island Hawaii trip, and stayed there for 6 days/5 nights. Once I arrived, I felt my stress disappear. We were there as a family of 4, with 2 young children. We arrived early and the hotel was very nice to accommodate us right away, and even upgraded our room to ocean front. The valet gave us beautiful leis once we arrived. Our room had a very comfortable king and queen bed, and was a good size.

The pools are gorgeous... so peaceful, meandering, with lots of nooks, little waterfalls, 3 jacuzzis, and just lots of space for privacy. It was quite romantic. I even felt romantic (which is a feat since I had two young kids with me). In fact, I saw a lot of honeymooners who looked like they were in heaven. My two young children loved it, too. There were young children, but neither the pool, nor the seats, ever felt crowded (except for one Sunday, when every chair was full!). We loved the Jacuzzis – it was nice, hot, and private! The slide was a lot of fun… it slides down to 4 ½ feet of water!

Tidepools restaurant is really good. It's very romantic, and you are surrounded by koi. Perfect when you have young kids because the kois keeps them occupied. We ate early and watched the sun set. The food was beautiful and I was surprised at how large the portions were considering the type of restaurant. Very expensive though.

The koi pond is gorgeous. They have a daily koi feeding in the morning. Try to check it out – the hotel has a schedule of activities posted. It was so much fun. We fed them koi food, and they practically all were on top of each other with their mouths open.

The gym is excellent - with lots of new machines, opened 24 hours. We used this often, and it was covered under the $15 resort fee.

The room has a mini-fridge, but a disclaimer on the fridge states that it is to chill drinks but not for perishables. Huh? I bought milk and juice for the kids, and just kept sniffing it to make sure it was okay. Upon leaving, I notice that the inside bottom of the fridge has a control, where you can make it maximum temperature. I wish we noticed that to make the fridge colder.

Let's see... the negatives... which were just minor things…

Our room was in the Shipwreck Wing, overlooking the beach, and I felt like we walked miles to get to our room. I have no problem walking (from NYC) but we had to walk through the wing, then hiked through the pool area, then through the lobby. It was quite far, and not an easy straight walk.

The location of the hotel... we kept getting lost every time we left the hotel, and returned. I don't know if it is just us, but they put some new circle roundabout down the road, and it kept throwing us off. The hotel location is a far to drive to town (like where Coconut Plantation Market, or Kapaa) and really far to get to Hanelei Bay (which is a must see since it is so gorgeous there).

The TV in the room is old, not great reception, and very little channels.

The breakfast buffet was so-so... not that impressive... considering we had to pay almost $100. The line was long (waited over 15 minutes), and I thought the buffet line was long, too, and it was not gorgeous like the Swan Court breakfast at the Hyatt Maui.

I don't understand all the fuss about their Anara Spa. My 2 hour escape treatment (massage) was just okay. The spa looked basic, a little dated, and it did not have magazines, nor food (like fruit or little muffins, etc...) other than water with a lemon in it. Because my massage was a special 2 hour traditional healing, it took place outdoor in a private hut (not sure what you call it) in a newly expanded section outside. When the woman wiped me with the sea water, and the ocean breeze was blowing, I was FREEZING! So, I would suggest a massage outside that does not involve water. I paid over $400 for this (with tax and tip), and I had better (and less expensive) experiences in the Mexican resort. Even though they say the spa is expanded and renovated, you don’t get to use the new section unless you book the fancier treatments.

All in all, it is a gorgeous place. Our whole family loved it, and we would definitely stay there again. If I could turn back time, I would without a doubt honeymoon at this hotel.

We stayed here on the second leg of our honeymoon and I couldn't have imagined it any other way. Probably one of the nicest hotels I have even stayed in.

First off the grounds were incredible. Lush tropical, well manicured. The rooms comfortable, not huge, but more than enough room for the two of us. And you are a skip away from one of the most prestigious golf courses.

Our favorite part of all was the pool. There is a multi level cascading pool that you can get lost in. Also there is a salt water lagoon right between the pool and the beach. Did I mention the water slide?

Food: Breakfast Buffet was included for us and pretty good, usual suspects. Do expect to wait if you get there after 9. We had breakfast on the golf course one morning, but the service was slow and there was nothing particularly special about the food. HOwever, at night the golf course becomes a Chines/Asian restaurant and this was quite a nice chance. Although when we did get take out the 2nd time it wasn't as good. We went to the one seafood restaurant in the hotel which was good. By the time we went here we had so much mahi mahi that it all kind of blended together. But if you aren't fished out, I would definitely recommend.

I did not use the spa but I did check out the faciility. It was very open air. A little overpriced but that's to be expected here.(We did stayy in grand hyatt in maui and prices were much more reasonable!)

All in all if you can swing it, I think you will be very happy.

*Beach is pretty rough but there were people in it.

* There is a huge rock to the left of the resort that let's you view an amazing sunset. Bring some champagne.

For part of our stay on Kauai, I decided to surprise my wife with 3 nights at the Grand Hyatt. Got a fairly good rate online after a little bit of searching. We had visited the resort on a previous trip and were impressed by the beautiful view from the very impressive lobby. Our impression of the lobby and views was just as good the second time here. Check-in was easy and we were upgraded to a deluxe room. Previous reviews mentioned the long walk to the rooms, which is true, but it's a result of the resort being spread out over such a large area. It was really no bother.

The room was large and comfortable. Not quite up to the level of other 5-star hotels, but nice. My wife was disappointed that the TV wasn't plasma, but who really wants to watch a lot of TV on vacation?

The bathroom was large, with requisite marble. It had the unusual feature of dual pocket doors, however. Interesting, but somewhat inconvenient.

The grounds are amazing. Beautifully manicured gardens and water features. The pools are as good as advertised. My wife, infant daughter and I loved cruising through both the salt water lagoon and the fresh-water, river-like pool. Outstanding. Lounge chairs are plentiful at both the lagoon's beach and the main pools.

Since we were also visiting relatives on Kauai, only dined at the resort once. The breakfast buffet at the Ilima Terrace was very expensive, but had everything we could ask for. One evening, we picked up food at the Poipu Grill and brought it back to the resort for dinner. We found a set of empty cabana chairs adjacent to the beach and had a great local-food dinner at sunset. It was the best meal we had on vacation. We also enjoyed Brick Oven Pizza in Kalaheo, Da Imu Hut in Hanapepe and Wranglers in Waimea. The original JoJo's in Waimea is a must for shave ice and Lappert's in Hanapepe is great for ice cream.

Absolutely no problems with the service. The valet staff was very busy, but none of our waits was excessive. The staff is friendly and they make you feel welcome. Overall, an outstanding experience.

From the time we arrived until the day we left I was impressed with the quality, service and surroundings at this outstanding resort. Stay, relax and feel that every penny was well spent!

We stayed at the Grand Hyatt early August and were not disappointed. We had a Deluxe Oceanfront room that was large enough to accommodate my husband and I and two teenage daughters. Our room had two very comfortable queen sized beds, large bathroom with separate toilet and a large lanai with comfortable chairs.

Some reviewers have complained about how far they have had to walk to their rooms, this is a large property so expect to do some walking. We never found this to be a problem.

The whole property has been very well designed from the Seaview Terrace, restaurants, gardens and of course the pools.

There are different pools over two levels linked together by a river and slide (even I enjoyed the slide) and the saltwater lagoon down near the beach. We never felt like the pools were crowded, simply because they are so well designed.

Some complain about not being able to swim at Shipwreck beach, it is called this for a reason. We did enjoy sitting on the beach and watching the local boys do backflips into the waves on their boogie boards.

The staff we encountered while we were there were very pleasant and accommodating. We had an incident one morning with a smoke detector going off in our room, a call to reception saw a woman arrive very promptly to replace the defective device.

We found the Grand Hyatt to be exactly what we were expecting and would love to stay here again.

Would be fantastic for a honeymoon if you can afford it.

Just got back from 4 days, 3 nights at the Hyatt.

Upon arrival we were upgraded from a Garden View to Partial Ocean view. Staff was very friendly and helpful and bags arrived in the room in minutes.

Room was comfortable. Room included a king size bed, small refrigerator, three phones (one in bathroom), IPod dock for bedside clock radio, cable TV with in-room movie and radio options.

Property had enough restaurants to feed and craving that you had, and all the food we had was quite good. Food service was quick and friendly also.

In my wife and I's opinion the best part about the hotel was the pool. There were two different 'rivers' to take you by waterfalls and connected larger pools, a great waterslide, and jacuzzis. Not to upset those with children, but another great aspect was the 'Adult Only' pool. A great place to lounge in the pool without having to hear blood curdling screams, or have some little obnoxious crumb snatcher splash your $11 drink.

Didn't use the spa but heard it was great.

The hotel was a great jumping off point for visiting the west side beaches, Waimea Canyon, or taking part in multiple adventure activities.

We look forward to visiting the Hyatt again.

Stayed 3 nights Aug.19-22 2008. Rooms are larger than your average hotel. Usable refrigerator was a decent size but was not very cold but it served the purpose of being able to keep soda's and quick snacks.

Pools, lagoons and rivers were amazing. If you want a shady spot like an umbrella or chair with a shade, take a towel out and save one early in the morning. Nobody gets going before 8am around there.

Lots of free activities for the kids like Lei Making, Parrot Talk, Koi feeding and a Hula show.

Food prices were what I expected at a high end hotel. The best breakfasts and lunches I had were at the Anara Spa. The menu is limited but the food is delicious. Good Pupu's at the Seaview Terrace if you wanted to make a meal out of it. We had a great pizza from Brick Oven in Koloa. There is a good Asian Fusion restaurant called Yum Cha over at the Golf Course Clubhouse but take my advice if you like spicey food and ask for extra spicey! I am from San Francisco and found it to be way too bland.

If you want to snorkel, swim or boogie board, you are going to have to drive to another beach. This beach is fun to watch the surfers but much too rough for anything else.

I knew before I went to the Hyatt that I would be one of the youngest (paying) guests at the hotel. My travel partner and myself are both in our early 20's, but I honestly did not feel out of place.

Check-in was easy and WONDERFUL. We were greeted by a friend staff member who asked us if we were celebrating anything special to which we said "Vacation" - and he thought that deserved a complimentary bottle of champagne! He took the time late at night to answer various questions we had and really seemed to enjoy his job and actually want to help us.

The hotel grounds are amazing. The pool is never-ending, the koi pond is full of fish, and the lagoon is beautiful. I did not particularly care for swimming in the lagoon as the "sand" is made up of tiny gravel and just was not comfortable, but it is a beautiful addition to the property and loved just being around it. Lounge chairs around the pool and lagoon area were not particularly easy to come by but were not unable to be found even at the busiest part of the day.

The beach is pretty much un-swimmable, but on our last day there were about 10 people surfing and body surfing there. For swimming, Poipu beach is a quick 3-5 minute drive down the street (but is not within walking distance). Do the drive to Waimea Canyon, but don't stop just at the canyon continue to the top for an AMAZING view (which is the background image for Hawaiian Air's website at the current moment).

My only caveat would be to younger couples. At the pool the waiters would ask guests sitting all around us if they wanted drinks or food, but never us. At the luau (which is not worth $$, but no luaus are worth it no matter where you go in my opinion) we experienced the same thing where a waiter avoided us although we had been seated (drink-less) for 15 minutes and went to a family behind us that just sat down. I did bring this matter up when I checked out and $100 was taken off my bill. I expected an apology (which was all I needed really), and the gentleman said that he could see some younger employees being intimidated by younger guests. He really seemed to care that we were not taken care of, and I appreciated his concern. When you stay at a large resort sometimes you feel "lost in the crowd," but this experience made me have so much respect for the hotel.

In general the service was OUTSTANDING. I would definitely return to the Hyatt on a second trip to Kauai, though I would recommend doing as we did: stay a couple of nights in the southern part of the island and a couple of nights in the northern part. They are like two different worlds completely and both worth experiencing.

We have stayed at the Hyatt in Kauai in 2006 and 2007 and loved it!! I thought I would still write a review, because we just got back from Maui and I definitely prefer Kauai. The Hyatt is absolutely gorgeous, from the moment you walk into the lobby, greeted with fresh flower leis, it is simply breathtaking. Our favority spot is the Sea View Terrace, an incredible panoramic view of the resort and ocean. Great food and great entertainment. They have a Keiki Hula and Torch lighting ceremony, going on every night, that is free. The pool is incredible and runs throughout much of the resort, with a lagoon to rent kayak to float along. The luau is the best I have ever seen with a awesome fire dancer! The beach is beautiful but I don't think is a good swimming beach, which would be my only negative comment. The rooms are very nice, and clean. From what we have just experienced in Maui, people of Kauai are much kinder. You do not have the big crowds, and you really feel like you are on an island in Kauai, I can not say how incredible it is! Some great activites to do on island, for horse back riding , go to north shore at Silver Falls Ranch. Suki was our guide and was great, we saw scenes of Jurassic Park and swam in a waterfall and ate lunch on our ride. Great!!! Also, do not skip the boat ride along Napali Coast, this must be the most beautiful spot on earth! We saw alot of dolphins that came close to the boat and hung out with us when we stopped and sped up when we did. The helicopter tour is also incredible! You go to the crater (wettest spot on earth) and waterfalls, above the Napali Coast and ocean. Words cannot describe this adventure!

Like I said, if you are trying to decide between Maui and Kaui, we loved Kauai! More laid back and more beautiful. Maui is fun, with alot of shopping, busier island.

Breath taking. As soon as my wife and I stepped into the lobby our hearts left our bodies. Our reservations were upgraded by the hotel and we were guests for almost two weeks.

We had an ocean view and the sun rise every day was beautiful.

The service was five star and all staff members from the desk to the room service were all top notch. At the pool, one of the waitresses was from Thailand and I had a great time conversing with her in Thai. Morning breakfast overlooking the lagoon was just a wonder.

We had one problem which was taken care of immediately. Our key cards would not work one day. Upon our reorting this, within minutes a member of the security staff arrived and corrected the problem.

This is our second time at this hotel, the first being in 1994. We were taken with the island last time and even more so on this 10 day visit. The Grand Hyatt is much as we remembered it, but better. We had an ocean view from the 5th floor which was gorgeous! Left our room open (with screen door) and fell asleep to the sounds of the surf each night. We stayed in the Club section (last time also) and consider it well worth it. Great breakfast each morning, snacks, drinks (incl. bar drinks) and hor d 'ouvres and desserts each night. The concierge there was helpful and books whatever you want.

The grounds are gorgeous, and the pool is paradise! We knew the beach was not for swimming ,but saw 2 rare monk seals on that beach, sunning themselves. Our kids (girls, ages 9 & 15) also loved the lagoon and kayaking. I will caution- the pool drinks are about $10 and lunches ran about $70. We love Tidepools ($$$$) but stay away from Yum Cha (in the golf clubhouse-POOR service/ no atmosphere)

We had great meals at the Beach House-service is spotty, and had a great meal/service at Keoke's Paradise. Dondero's at the Hyatt is poor food not worth the money. The luau was fun for the kids (I've been to better) and pricey. You must ask for turndown every night and we also didn't do the conservation "program"--at these prices we had fresh linens everyday!

The rooms are just okay--bathrooms outdated. Our room was very clean though.We have stayed at the Four Seasons in Maui, Hay-Adams in DC,etc. You just have to know that this is NOT a 4 seasons, accept the rooms and recognize that the amenities make up for it. It's the best the island has to offer, though we hear the Princeville is going to close and become a St Regis.

Spa is lovely but ridic. expensive--loved the open showers.

Highly recommend the Sea Dolphin trip to the Na Pali coast to snorkel. We had a 6 hr trip--would have been perfect but our youngest got seasick as did a few others. They are great though and put out a nice meal on the way back. Sunsets are gorgeoues! All in all a great trip! We will return!

We stayed at the Grand Hyatt for three days in June/July, and it was really wonderful! We were with our four kids, ranging from 3 to 13 and we all loved it! Our only complaint was we should have stayed there longer! We tried a two bedroom suite, and it was really lovely! I cannot say enough good things about this special resort....every part of it is just gorgeous! We will be back!

The Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort and Spa is an outstanding site. While the rooms are very comfortable, attractive and clean,it is the building and grounds that are spectacular. The hotel has many open-air sections and beautiful landscaping to take advantage of the gorgeous beachfront setting. There is an adult pool, several spas, a large classic pool and a "lagoon pool" with a sandy "beach" and natural, rocky surround. The actual beach is used mainly by surfers as the water is too rough for the average swimmer.

The hotel has shops with high end clothing, jewelry and art plus a "market" with any thing you may have forgotten to bring. A nice supply of snacks, beer and wine were also for sale.

Be aware that all this high-end beauty will cost you. The on-site restaurants had the exhorbitant prices (and mediocre food) typical at luxury resorts. However, there are local restaurants with average meals at reasonable prices. A car is necessary to visit these and tour other island sites.

The Poipu Golf Club is beautiful with several oceanfront holes and provides an enjoyable challenge.

Don't miss taking a helicoptor tour---well worth the initial anxiety.

Only one main complaint: no evening turndown service. Unusual for a hotel of this caliber.

I met my parents at the Grand Hyatt Kauai, where we stayed for 5 nights. Although the hotel is beautiful and has magnificent grounds, there are a few elements that would need changing for it to truly become a five star resort.

To begin, the Hyatt charges for almost everything. Internet access, which is free at most 3-star hotels, was quite expensive. Prices were also high for little things like water in the room, which is 4 bucks a bottle. Although it isn't out of the norm, I expected more complimentary items than I got for the large room fee.

Another issue concerns the distance of certain rooms from the main lobby. Although my room, a Garden View, was situated a nice one minute walk from the main area, my parents Ocean View room took around 15 minutes to access from the lobby. Again, it was not a terrible inconvenience but became annoying as the trip got along. This could also be an issue for disabled guests with limited mobility.

However, the rest of the resort was splendid. The pool area and gardens are well maintained and very enjoyable. The building itself is beautiful and the rooms are luxurious. The attached golf course, Poipu Bay, was also a must-play. Food was, again, expensive but worth it (except at Dondero's, which did not live up to expectations); Yum Cha was particularly tasty. The surrounding area of Poipu was also very entertaining, with greater beach options and an array of stores and restaurants.

In conclusion, the Grand Hyatt Kauai could use some minor retooling to become the best resort it has the potential to be. However, it is by far the best option for Kauai and will offer an rewarding experience overall.

My wife and I had a terrific experience at the Kuaui Grand Hyatt. We found the staff to be friendly and accomodating. We loved the grounds and did our best to cover every square inch(which is no small feat, given the size of the property). The breakfast buffet was incredible! We especially liked dining each morning with "Romeo", a swan who made the rounds each morning followed by 20 Koi.

Having read other reviews before our trip, I was worried about the hotel being prohibitively expensive. There is no doubt it is expensive, but proper planning can ease this fact. The only place on the property I might categorize as "ridiculously expensive" was the Spa. Apparently the treatments were worth every penny, but I couldn't justify several hundred dollars for a couples massage.

If you enjoy hiking, head north or south down the coast and bring your camera.

We will be back to the Grand Hyatt Kuaui. It might be a while, but we'll be back!

I agree with several of the reviewers who stated that they felt like a "customer" and that the hotel is not 5 star quality. The greeting and check in was the beginning of my feeling that I was a second class citizen at this hotel. I bought the lowest price room ($320 per night) and I definitely felt that I was treated as such. For example I was told the room wasn't ready (I arrived at 2pm and had asked for early check in) and they gave me a pager. After 1 hour I went back to check and the front desk guy said is should be soon. So I waited on the couch in the lobby and watched many people check in. The pager never went off so after awhile (1/2 hour or so) I got in line. When I got back to the same guy he looked at me and said he thought he'd paged me (he hadn't) and that the room should be ready by now. He called and I was on my way.

The room was pretty nice but was tucked back in a corner where the feeling of the tropical environment was difficult to feel. Again I rationalized that I paid the lowest price. So when I read the review of the family who paid $2,000 for a suite, it validated my feeling that the great feeling of a 5 star resort was absent. I considered moving to another hotel and did go out and checked some out the next day.

The spa is pretty good but again not as nice as some I've been too (like Miraval) for instance. The pools are really fun and nice.

I was staying there alone and really needing a restful vacation. I felt quite safe and comfortable in general. There's alot to be said for that.

My wife, toddler and I stayed in an Ocean Front Suite at the Grand Hyatt the week of October 12th. We agree with the consensus view of previous reviewers that the grounds are gorgeous; the pools and lagoon unparalleled; the rooms average and the service good most of the time but not always. But I would like here to write about a few things that left a strong impression on me (good and bad).

Suite -- The suite is not worth one third of the sticker price. Yes, it was vast at 1200 sq. feet; our toddler could have played soccer in the living area. The jacuzzi, stand alone shower and vanity were nice touches. The bed was comfortable. But the room felt gloomy and spartan. There were few paintings on the wall; the furniture seemed cheap (the sofas were almost Holiday Inn cheap) and the lighting in the bathroom was unbelievably harsh. Everything seemed dated: wood chipping at the corners; paint peeling; discoloration of the tiles behind the tub. Now this may seem unduly picky, but the room is $ 2000.00+. I expect more for that price, a lot more. The suite just didn't have the feel of a 5 star hotel suite.

Service -- The service is definitely not up to a 5-star hotel's. I consider the Four Seasons, Peninsula and Mandarin to be 5-star hotels from the perspective of service. The employees are highly professional and seem to respond to your questions before you ask them. At the Grand Hyatt, the staff was warm and casual, which is fine particularly for a beach resort, but sometimes they were just too amateurish. The Valet in particular was horrible. We often had to wait several minutes for someone to take our car. They didn't offer free water and they seemed almost indifferent. On one occasion, we had to run to the room to get something for our son -- they refused to let us leave the car there. So, we went to the room and immediately called to have them bring it around! The end result was no different for us; the Valet just came off as unaccomodating.

All this being said, the room service staff was excellent and gave us more information about the island than the concierge. Housekeeping was great and the Front Desk was very professional and accomodating.

Food -- overpriced and average. I suggest going to Roy's a few blocks up. It's some of the best food I've ever had. Puca Dogs is excellent for a quick, scrumptuous but unhealthy lunch. Try their fresh, squeezed lemonade.

Concierge -- The concierge staff was very knowledgeable and polite. However, even though there were three attendants, we often had to wait a long time to speak to someone. Also, the hotel didn't tell us about excursions/tours if it didn't have some kind of relationship with the providor. The concierge staff made it seem like only one company took people by boat to see the Na Pali coast. And when we asked about other options, they were not forthcoming.

Internet -- There was no wireless internet access in our room though the ethernet connection worked fine.

This review may seem overly critical, but that's only because I'm not repeating all the incredible things that other people have said about it. It's a great hotel and we had a lot of fun. But it's just too expensive for what it is -- a hotel that is mostly 4-star but has 5-star grounds. I would be interested to see what happens when the St. Regis is completed. Maybe that will drive the prices down? If I had to go to Kauai again, I would still stay at the Hyatt because it seems like the best hotel on the island, but it could be better.

As an aside -- and this has nothing to do with the hotel but I don't know where else to share my thoughts on the matter -- AVOID FLYING UNITED TO GET TO KAUAI AT ALL COSTS. We flew from LAX. We got to the airport 2 1/2 hours before our flight but were bumped off because United had overbooked us. They gave us $ 400.00 each, but it wasn't enough to cover all the costs we incurred from extending our trip for a day (e.g., extra night in a hotel, rental car to get back to the hotel in LA, new return flights -- we had to pay a $ 100.00 per person cancelation fee for JetBlue; United should have given us free tickets as replacements). Then, when we showed up the next day, we found that our seats were not in the same row! It was very hard to make the desk staff them see that our 2-year old couldn't sit on his own! When we got to the airport for our return flight, all the attendants were pre-occupied with passengers on the flight to Denver, which had been cancelled two nights in a row!

I want to give this property 5 stars, but after staying at true Hawaiian 5 star properties (Hualalai - 4 Seasons, Halekulani), this property just does not measure up.

On the physical level, it is certainly the nicest property on Kauai (until St. Regis is done) and lacks nothing in view, rooms, pool, etc. My issue is that I never felt fully welcome as a guest, but rather had an ongoing nagging that I was a customer. I guess the closest thing I could compare it to is when you go to the movie theatre and you're stuck with paying the high concession prices.

Virtually nothing at the GH is free. At every turn there are little things to add on to your bill and nothing truly offered in a generous "aloha" spirit. Simple things like bottled water at the valet (or in the room fridge - even your first two little bottles) are either not there or charged at some exorbitant rate. I'm not cheap and I know Hawaii is expensive, but $45 for a plate of $3 spaghetti? The Hyatt seems to make trade in attracting large corporate groups with lower than Maui/Oahu room rates only to stick it to people with bogus charges ($15 resort fee that covers exciting things like 10% off in the overpriced gift shop). Hyatt figures they have these business travelers trapped. I mean $14.99 a day for internet access and no wifi in the rooms? Who is kidding whom?

On the bright side, the Starbucksish cafe in the lobby is really well planned out and fairly priced. The Golf Clubhouse/Yum Cha are much better than the main hotel restaurants - they seem to be run by another vendor that understands good service and fair pricing.

Go and enjoy the Hyatt for all that it is and the beauty of Kauai, but expect to feel a little shortchanged when you leave.

This was our 6th trip to Kauai and 4th to the Grand Hyatt. It's still a very lovely property - eveything you could expect in a Hawaiian resort. Of course, the room was great and the pools are still wonderful. A solid choice, and certainly the best until the new Princeville/St. Regis reopens.

Usually, we get upgraded since we travel during off-peak seasons, but this time was definitely not the case. Turns out it was because of a bunch of weddings and some stodgy convention, but they didn't mention at check-in when we asked why no upgrade. We had to pay an extra $80 a night for the view, which I think stinks. Also, they wouldn't let us cash in our Hyatt Rewards points for an upgrade (not such a rewarding program, really). We tried to use them for a free night, but they said the free night doesn't count for an ocean view room, so we got the free night, but still had to pay the upgrade fee. Tourism in Hawaii is suppoesd to be down 20%, the paper wrote about it often while we were there, so I really think our experience was most unfortunate.

Be advised, the concierge will point you to their own stuff, so you'd do well to do your own homework about food and activities using guidebooks before you get there. For example, the only snorkel trip they told us about (even after we asked for other options) was Blue Dolphin, and they had convenient full-color laminated photos to share. We went with HoloHolo instead and checked out Niihau. They're a great group, by the way - loved it, but would have liked to see more of Napali than they showed on the Niihau trip.

Breakfast buffet is $28 each and I don't think worth it. It's better to grab something from the coffee bar and enjoy the same view. Also, speaking of food, Yum Cha is the resort's Asian restaurant, and NOT good. You're better off heading to Kapa'a for Mema's thai if you're in the mood for that. Also, Brick Oven pizza was delicious, Roy's always great, and I'm addicted to Puka Dogs (in the Poipu shopping center).

The construction at their Anara Spa is finished. It's still a nice spa, but I found it way too expensive. Earlier on this trip, we went to the Grand Wailea spa in Maui, which is much better - by FAR - and cheaper too. Plus, they actually discounted their rates b/c of the economy. They charged less than what was published b/c times are slow. That was excellent! We actually booked more and spent more than we were going to there as a result. That's partly what makes the experience at Anara even harder to take. They actually charge $20 more per couple for a massage than if you each booked them individually. Wailea charged less per couple than if they were individually booked, which is really as it should be. All you're paying for is to sit in a special waiting area that they don't bring you back to until 5 minutes before your session, sit with other waiting couples, then lay side by side in your treatment hale. It's pretty back there, but certainly not worth the extra gouging for it. Bad form, Anara.

This is a really great hotel, beautiful, quiet rooms, great facilities and restaurants, plenty of space at the pools and beach, great friendly staff, really as good as it gets. We did both the snack breakfast/coffee bar which was inexpensive and good, and the formal buffet breakfast which was expensive but good value. A few little things were irritating, the coffee bar is only open in the mornings, I can’t imagine that with the hotel full there isn’t demand for lattés and cappuccinos throughout the day. The luau was not good value at $98. We booked months in advance and planned every day of our trip, so we were out of options when we told in the morning that the event was indoors due to a wedding and corporate soiree using the outdoor areas. So it felt like a luau in a VFW hall, not much atmosphere. The show and food were good but the desserts looked and tasted like those $4.99 cream or sponge cakes you buy at your local grocery store. Oh, and the mai tais probably don’t have much rum in them, I drank about 7 and got nowhere. The wine was good though. The luau was not the only way this hotel made us feel like second class citizens to the large events going on there. There was one afternoon that we planned to not tour the island and stay at the beach/lagoon area, bad luck. We got down there at 2 to find all the beach loungers gone as they were setting up the entire area for the same corporate soiree. The adjacent pool areas were jammed as a result. You should either be told when you book that you will not have full use of the facilities, including the luau, or discount the place, but don’t keep quiet about it, make me pay full price, then deprive me of the full experience. If you cant accommodate 2 large functions without impacting your other guest's experience, then your limit is one event at a time.

Just return from a 7-day stay. This is a 2nd stay for us. Went last year as well. The grounds, hotel room and swimming pools were totally excellent.

The pool areas are to die for. You have many different pools to choose from ...from the cement-type one, to the sand bottom covered with a lazy river you can either swim around, kayak, sit in inner tubes or rafts. All the water toys are available to buy. Try the long waterslide...my husband felt like a kid when he went down it each time. Actually we saw more adults using it than kids. There is also a lap pool in the spa area if you're really into swimming laps...be careful though $30/a pop.

One recommendation that saved our swim days. Either bring a vinyl raft or buy one for 10 bucks...We bought one and just gave it away to a newly wed couple when we left. With the weather warm it was great to have something to float or lay on. I even fell asleep on it a couple of times.

The beach is very dangerous so they encourage you to stay in the pool areas.

Another big recommendation. DEMAND that you have a room close to the pool area. Twice they recommended the "Beautiful Oceanview" that we were getting upgraded to. DON"T pay for an oceanview room either. The walk to the lobby, pools and restaurants was a good 15 minute away from the "ocean view "rooms. Remember i said that!

All hotel rooms are roomy, upscale and properly maintained by the housekeeping staff.

I think I can call myself a veteran for the amount of time we spent there so here's some more recommendations.

If you're not renting a car, the taxi is a good 40 minute drive from airport to hotel. Take along at least $50. for the taxi ride one way. Be prepared to receive a very slow drive also. Hawaiian drivers don't sweat the small stuff.

Here's my recommndation regarding a rental car. Rent it the day before you are ready to leave. You can rent it at the hotel. A compact was $75 for 24 hours. We left on Sunday so we toured the island on Saturday and Sunday, then on Sunday we drove to the airport and dropped it off there. You have to tell Annie at the Avis car rental booth that you will dropping it off at the airport.

Also, you can drive a lot faster that the taxi driver returning to the airport. There is a Shell gas station close to the airport to gas up. So let's do the math.... $75/rental car. vs $50 cab ride to the airport. Practically pays for itself.

While you're out touring be sure to go to Poipu Beach. Good swimming and snokling area. You can either park yourself on the grass area or sand area. We stopped in the parking lot for a restaurant that sounded like Brenner's. We ate there which was a good meal then walked a cross the street to the beach. Practically no parking allowed on the street.

Take a fern grotto boat ride but get there before 2:00 pm They close at 4:00 pm

The biggest recommendation I can give is to try the prime rib and crab cakes at the Tidepools in the hotel...to die for!

I would not hesistate to stay there again if I have tons of money.

As you can imagine, the Grand Hyatt is a fabulous hotel and when you put it in Kauai, you get a fantastic combination!

The hotel itself is absolutely gorgeous. When you walk in, you get an infinity edge view of the ocean... it is pretty stunning!

The swimming pool area is very cool. It has fun water slides for kids (and adults) and a lazy river where you can spend lots of time. When you get tired of pool, you can walk over to the beach area. It is a little rocky and the waves were pretty high when we were there, so it wasn't the best beach for swimming. But if you just want to lay out in the sun, there are plenty of chairs for lounging, which of course, you have to rent.

I got a chance to go to the spa at the Grand Hyatt. It was spectacular! The locker rooms have no ceiling in the middle and neither does the shower area, so you get the feeling of being out in the open, but you're really not. The showers are lined with tree trunks, so you feel like you're taking a shower in a very natural setting. They have great shampoo, body wash, and terry towels, so you get all the fancy amenities and a sort of outdorsy feeling. It was great!

There is an open, but private hot tub area within the locker room. The massage rooms are very nice, with soothing water falling sounds and calming music. They use high quality products at the spa and my massage was great.

They were nice enough at the spa to keep my luggage stored during the day because I had to check out of the room by noon and had to catch my plane at 8PM. I spent my last few hours in Kauai walking on the beach, getting a great massage, relaxing in the hot tub, and then had an early dinner with a beautiful view of the ocean.

Watch out for the sticker shock! Keep in mind that it is Kauai and it is the Grand Hyatt, so you will pay a pretty penny for this luxurious hotel.

Just returned home from a 5-night stay at the Hyatt. Overall we really enjoyed the resort and had a lovely time.

*Room

We booked a 'partial ocean view' room, which is always a bit risky since there is the potential to get stuck overlooking a parking lot...fortunately we were upgraded to a ocean view room overlooking the pool on a high floor. We couldn't really see the ocean, but we didn't care - the room was very private - we could leave the curtains open no matter *what* was going on in the room and nobody could see in:-) the noise from the pool got a tad bit annoying, but we slept well and didn' t notice it much after the 1st night

The bedding wasn't as posh as most 'luxury' resorts i've stayed at and it didn't have a super high end feel (the Hyatt in Maui has more high end furnishings i think), but it was above basic. Overall very nice.

*Ammenities

The fitness center is great - machines are brand new and really nice, with individual TVs in them.

The pools were fantastic. Adult pool was excellent and very well placed. The adult pool connects to a multi use pool and a series of 'canals' that have a current that carries you through, and there are little nooks and crannies in the canals where you can hang out and have a drink. The key to these canals is the depth - they are too deep for kids to walk in, so the kiddos all stay in the other pool, which is on a lower level. This makes it nice for the adults!

Kids hung out maily at a pool on the lower level, which is seperated by a good distance (can you tell i was travelling without kids ! Ha!)

Chairs were nicely spread out and it never seemed crowded...perhaps it was the time of year but we could always find a chair with shade.

Landscaping is amazing - really beautiful and lush. Every restaurant had a great view.

*Restaurants

Tidepools - very nice! Try the ahi tuna...mmm mmm mmm. Good atmosphere and I didn't feel rushed

Breakfast at Illima - also nice. This was included in our package, which was a super deal. Buffet was not like a typical buffet - lots of good, fresh choices

Poolside Cafe - umm, ick. Not a fan of this one, def. not as nice as the Hyatt in Maui. We ate there once.

*Bars

Yes, drinks are expensive. It's a resort in Hawaii, that will happen. I found the drinks to be very tasty! Stephenson's library was quite nice, even though the waitstaff was somewhat snobby. The lobby bar is nice in the evenings - you can sit and watch the water and soem good entertainment.

*Beach

I tried to get in and the water totally kicked my butt. Waves = 1, TravellerinTX = 0 !!! Husband enjoyed it, i did not. get in your valet parked car and drive 2 min to the sheraton, as they have the best beach on Poipu.

*Overall - Very nice resort, from someone who travels pretty frequently. All of the staff (excluding the waitstaff in Stephensons') was very, very, very nice and accomidating. Valets were great, front desk was great, conceirge super.

SOME THOUGHTS ON KAUAI AS A WHOLE:

*South shore vs. North shore? Depends on what you'll be doing. We did boat trips 2 days and Poipu is MUCH closer to the marina than Princeville. Also MUCH closer to Waimea canyon. Snorkeling is better on the north shore though, and the views from the beaches up there is amazing.

*Holo holo charters took us snorkeling and that was a great trip. We also did a sunset sail with them, and i'll remember it for the rest of my life. It was gorgeous.

*Drive safely - one night we were there and there was a fatal accident on highway 56, the ONLY main road on the island. They shut it down. This is not common and sent the whole island into mourning - it was incredibly sad. Slow down and remember - who cares how long it takes you to get somewhere? You're in PARADISE!

HYATT KAUAI vs. HYATT MAUI

*Both are great. the resort in Maui seems much larger and when we were there (May '06) was much more crowded - chars very close together, people everywhere. Rooms in Maui i think are a bit more posh, and we had a better view, but then we were higher up as well. Overall i loved the Hyatt Kauai as the pools and ground were superior to the one in Maui. You cant' go wrong either place!

My wife and two children (boys ages 3 and 7) stayed here Aug.20-26th, 2008. We picked the hotel for its child-friendliness, and it did not disappoint. My 7 year old, terrified of the beach at home in California, went swimming and boogie boarding for the first time in the hotel lagoon, which gave him enough confidence to try it for real at the tame, nearby Poipu Beach as well (great family beach, highly recommended- Lydgate Beach has a tame rocked off cove for the kids as well, but our kids preferred Poipu).

The kids also loved the parrots at the hotel and the koi fish feeding (there are daily fish feedings and parrot "meet and greets," on weekdays- ask the staff for info). My three year old held a parrot on his arm and loved it. The tamer (saner?) 7 year old passed, but loved the birds anyway. The kid meals at the poolside restaurant The Dock were big hits, too.

The hotel offers babysitting as well and has a huge, well-stocked kids building/center. Expensive? Yes, but it was clear the two girls there really loved kids and were great with them (my wife and I are very picky about who we leave the kids with). My 7 year old went in crying and didn't want to leave when we showed up hours later.

We got the babysitting so we could do an anniversary dinner at Tidepools, which we found to be pretty average, considering the expense. I ordered the coconut crusted Mahi and found it very bland and tasteless, my wife ordered the chicken which was nothing fabulous either. We ended up eating multiple times at the Poipu Beach Broiler just down the road from the hotel, and found it much more flavorful and a more relaxed, open air atmosphere with views of Poipu beach.

The breakfast buffet at the hotel is good (especially when it's free!). However, it wouldn't have been worth $27 per person if we'd had to pay for it. FYI, we did end up paying a little. Kids under five are free, but kids up to a certain age are half price, so we payed $14 for our 7 year old each day, plus tip. Not too bad, really.

The hotel itself is beautiful and very well-maintained. Service was great, we got lots of "alohas" that seemed truly meant. We got upgraded to a Mountain View when we booked (Travelocity) and were told we would probably get an additional upgrade at the hotel, but it was booked solid and we did not. Still, the mountain view was quite nice. My wife hurt her back the last day, and the hotel gave us a very late checkout, 6PM, so we could recover. That was most helpful and they didn't hesitate to accommodate us.

The only thing that was not impressive was our room itself. It certainly was not worth 400 a night. It was the size of a regular hotel room, and lacked any distinctive tropical touches. As I read in a previous review, we could just as easily have been in Dallas if you just looked at the room. Plus, the beds weren't terribly comfy. My wife and I had expected Four Seasons level for the price, but it was not nearly that. However, the atmosphere and kid-friendly aspects of the entire hotel made it worth it for us.

We stayed at the Grand Hyatt in August for our honeymoon. Upon check in, they upgraded us to a deluxe oceanview room, which was nice. Later than night, they dropped off a bottle of champagne, but were unable to provide us a bucket to keep it on ice.

The resort is absolutely breathtaking! When you walk in the lobby, the view is amazing! The grounds are beautiful and well-maintained, we were very impressed.

There are lots of pools to choose from, a lazy river, and we had a great time on the waterslide. Finding a spot at the pool was never an issue. We did however see many people placing their towels & and a book on lounge chairs to "save a spot" many hours before they actually came down to the pool. That's always a little irritating.

Yes, the beach is not swimmable, but it didn't really impact our stay. There are so many beautiful beaches in Kauai to explore, it didn't really bother us.

We had dinner at Tidepools, and it was amazing! Great food, and the setting is romantic and beautiful. We also had appetizers during sunset on the SeaView Terrace, and had the most amazing tuna pupus! I don't remember the exact names, but one was tuna sashimi encrusted with sesame seeds, and the other was a tuna roll of some sort. Both scrumptious!!

Our only complaint was the service here. For a 5 star resort, in which you pay a high price to stay here, the service was not up to par. The valet was sometimes slow and had attitude. The poolside servers also at times had attitude, and one girl couldn't remember who she took drink orders from. And they nickel and dimed you for everything.....cabanas, internet, etc. That's really irritating when you're paying a fortune.

The rooms were ok, fairly large, but outdated and old.

All in all, we had a wonderful honeymoon here, just a little disappointed in the overall service of this place. Maybe it was because we had come from the Four Seasons Maui and were expecting a similar experience.

My husband and I spent two nights at the Hyatt when we arrived on Kauai. We had a perfectly nice time. The grounds are stunningly beautiful and every bit as gorgeous as the website suggests. The pool is absolutely incredible. You could spend as much time exploring the resort grounds as most other tourist attractions on Kauai! Shipwreck Beach at the Hyatt is also very nice, though not safe for swimming (this is true of many, but not all, Kauai beaches). We walked up to the top of Makawehi Cliff and got a great view. It's a steep climb but not long. I'd recommend it.

My main complaint about the Hyatt is that for all it costs to stay there the room wasn't anything all that stunning. It was perfectly nice, but if it weren't for the tropical plants visible from our little lanai we could have been in Kansas City or Dallas. It just wasn't a $500-a-night room. However, the bathroom was fairly big and there was an iPod dock, which was nice.

While I read some reviews that criticized the hotel staff, everyone we encountered was perfectly nice and helpful. We got a first-hand view of the staff's dedication to service when we had a mixup with our rental car. Everyone from the valet staff to the manager was committed to solving the problem for us and could not have been more helpful and apologetic.

I also saw that some people complained about how long it takes to walk to some of the rooms but it didn't bother us. The grounds are very expansive so some things are far apart. It took maybe four minutes to walk from the lobby to our room. We also used the fitness center (pretty impressive as hotel workout rooms go) and that walk was a little longer...maybe seven minutes.

The bottom line is that the Hyatt is a beautiful resort with high-end resort prices for everything. If money is no object I would definitely recommend it. On the other hand, if you're looking to save try dropping by to check out the pool and the beach, but stay elsewhere. Of course, if you're looking to save you probably shouldn't go to Hawaii on vacation because it's an expensive place to do anything!

One more note: you must get "The Ultimate Kauai Guidebook" from Wizard Publications. Don't go to Kauai without it!

My wife and I had the privilege of staying 4 nights at the Grand Hyatt on a business trip to Kauai (although most of our trip was spent not doing work!) We stayed from 7/20-24. Being that we were there on a work junket, we didn't rent a car because we were being shuttled around by the sponsors of our trip. So we spent A LOT of time in the hotel.

First off, if I could rate the food and service separate from the hotel, it would receive 3.5 stars. I understand we're in Hawaii and everything costs more...but we felt like we couldn't leave our room without dropping at least $20. For example, we went to breakfast at the cafe and had 2 lattes, a bagel and a small egg/cheese/ham muffin and spent $22. Granted the ocean view from their terrace was incomparable...so you have to factor that into the price. However, we ate at least 2 meals a day at the hotel and were never blown away by the cuisine. (I think the best dish I had was the BBQ Chicken Sandwich from the poolside cafe.)

Dinner was another story altogether. We were only on our own for dinner one night, so we went to Tidepools. It was highly recommended here on TA - as well as by some friends of ours. (Not to mention it was only one of two restaurants open at the hotel on Tuesday...so we weren't left with much of a choice.) The crab cakes were amazing, but our 2 entrees were a bit of a let down. I had the Opah topped with crab and lobster - both of which completely overwhelmed the taste of the fish. My wife had the Seafood Delight (which didn't quite live up to its name). The menu says it comes with shrimp and scallop. Saying "shrimp" you'd think you'd get multiple "shrimp". But, no...you really do get just one "shrimp". You'd think for $36 you'd get a bit more love from the chef. So one pupu, two entrees and two glasses of wine later, our tally was $130...not bad for a night's work. My other main beef with Tidepools is that we felt extremely rushed (about 45 minutes from seating to check).The place was nearly vacant, so I guess the sparse crowd led to a quick meal. If I had wanted fast food, I would have gone to the Burger King in Lihue.

Most nights after dinner were spent at Stevenson's Library - which was a neat, quiet place to hang out (actually, it was the ONLY place to hang out after 8pm). I highly recommend the Tai Chi Mai Tai's. Two of those and you're good for the rest of the night!

During the day, when we weren't out doing "work" stuff, we were at the pool - which I have to say was one of the coolest hotel pools I've ever seen. We mainly stayed in the adult pool - which still occasionally had a few kids in it. The lagoon that ran from that pool all the way down to the bottom pool was very relaxing and peaceful. The water slide was a lot of fun, too!

So as you can tell, we didn't spend much time in our room - who would want to in such a beautiful place?! But I guess I should mention something about it here. We stayed in a Deluxe Ocean View and if our room weren't paid for by my company, I would have been a pretty disappointed. For $700+/night, I was expecting something extremely luxurious. Instead, we got a very nice 4* room...but it was nothing special. Don't get me wrong, the view was extraordinary and the bed was extremely comfortable - but I think the rooms at the W in SF (which are 1/3 the price) are much more elegant. If we are lucky enough to return to the Grand, I'd save a grand (see what I did there?) and just go for the Garden View room.

Overall, while the food was a bit overpriced, the ambiance, landscaping, pool, room and views more than made up for it. If you can swing it financially, go for the Grand Hyatt.

Our stay was for three nights in late July, two rooms for my husband and me as well as our three young adult daughters. We were celebrating our 25th anniversary, but had used points for our visit, so I checked availability before I left home. The Hyatt website showed no availability for our stay, and I didn't expect, nor did we receive an upgrade. No worries there. Just an FYI for anyone who may be expecting an upgrade.

Our rooms were garden rooms on the ground floor facing the parking lot, but you didn't see the parking lot at all. You looked out on tropical foliage, lawn, and then there was a slight rise that was landscaped. They were perfectly acceptable.

Starting off with the positives - the property is gorgeous. We loved the Seaview Terrace, loved the evening entertainment, and even grabbed a light breakfast there in the morning. It was just a beautiful part of the property.

The pools were very nice but pretty crowded. With the hotel at full capacity, that was to be expected. My girls didn't complain, and I'm not much of a pool person, so it didn't have a negative impact on our stay. We were aware that Shipwreck Beach wasn't a swimming beach, but we had already spent a lot of time on the northshore so we weren't bothered by this. I loved the gardens throughout the property. They were lush and felt really tropical.

We ate at Tidepools one night. I had the prime rib (delicious, huge cut!) and my husband had a delicious fish dish. The food and the service were outstanding. I don't remember what the total was but I think that the entree's were in the mid 30's. When food is well prepared and the ambience is wonderful, it is worth it to us. We also ate breakfast on site one morning. That was a wonderful breakfast. We ordered off of the menu and the entrees seemed to be in the $12-$17 range. The servings were large. I could have split one with one of my daughter's. The service that we received was impeccable.

Unfortunately we didn't always find the service to match the surroundings. I would say that the bellservice was consistently slow. We also had a major lapse in basic housekeeping procedures, but once housekeeping was made aware of the issue they handled it well, including leaving a handwritten letter of apology in our room. The service was very uneven, but perhaps the number of guests had something to do with the level of service. We have had far superior service at both the Prince and the Sheraton on Maui.

I was here on a business trip. Company paid for "oceanview" rooms. I really liked the room, however, the view of the ocean was pretty far. We did get a great view of the pool with the bar. I can't complain, because I still think the view was VERY nice. The rooms are not shabby, the bedding is very nice, and the bathrooms were great (double vanities, separate commode). Lots of sunlight in the room, we were on the 5th floor (there are 6 floors only). Our room was 5087, it's a far walk from the elevators, but it sounds like this would be one of the better rooms in comparison to other reviewer's complaints of their rooms.

The Ilima Terrace restaurant buffet is pretty nice, for $28 pp. Also the Seaview Terrace for a snack or light dinner is fabulous with a gorgeous view of the ocean. They have ample seating on the deck facing the ocean which is SO amazing!!

Overall, this resort is HUGE and the grounds are gorgeous. Palm trees, lush foliage everywhere. Plenty of comfy lounge chairs with covered cabanas too.

The only drawback is the small and rocky ocean. You can't swim, because of the rough waves. So if you're a beach bum, you'd have to pass.

We stayed at the Grand Hyatt for three nights in July and although we enjoyed our experience I have no interest in ever returning. On the positive attributes;the grounds are attractive, the koi pond is well stocked but, keep your kids away from the swan, it's grumpy and snaps. The lobby is stunning and the local birds are a great attraction. There are plenty of amenities for kids, the kids camp is excellent and the water slide is a big hit. What was disappointing is the beach is treacherous (red flag was up on the two days we visited), the rooms are disappointing and need updating especially the bathroom, the ocean view is not worth the extra $$$ as the room is far back from the ocean and there are many palm trees between you and the ocean, which makes the room very dark and dreary. The breakfast buffet requires a wait unless you get there before 8:15 am. The award winning spa was in the midst of installing solar panels on the couples hales so the services were curtailed. Although the spa is nice it amazes me how Conde Naste ranked it so highly. Maybe the construction altered the experience. I guess the overall experience depends on whether one enjoys the mega resort atmosphere, it was probably a bit too much for me, but, as the other reviews demonstrate this is paradise for many.

I'm sure you will enjoy this luxurious hotel, but be aware that while you can look at the ocean, you can't swim in it. The beach is extremely rocky and the currents and waves render it dangerous. Our family enjoys surfing, body-surfing, snorkeling and swimming. For us, spending this much money without access to a usable beach is unacceptable.

This was our first stay on the Island of Kauai. We thought the island was lovely and having been to two other islands it was very different. When we checked into the Hyatt we had to switch rooms right away because we were given 2 rooms with a huge tree blocking the window which made the room very dark. The Hotel moved us up 2 floors and gave us a room overlooking the parking lot. That was better then the tree.

My overall thoughts on the hotel were the restaurants were all great...we loved Tidepools and Stevensons Library had great sushi. The grounds and the pool were lovely as well. My kids LOVED Camp Hyatt!!!!! I found the rooms to be very dirty and in desperate need of updating. I don't think I would stay here again because of that.

First let us preface this review by saying we did not sleep at the hotel. It was booked, so we stayed at a great B&B in Poipu.

We came to the hotel for dinner one night and a spa treat the next day.

Dinner was blah. Very disappointing for five stars. Sushi we think was previously frozen so the texture was mushy, and the flavor was fishy. Definitely did NOT come across as sushi-grade hamachi and ahi. The sea bass special, though in a tasty broth, was lukewarm and accompanied by a soba and lobster dish that was also mushy and didn't pair well or stand independently. The Opah was less than memorable. Good green salad. Good molasses bread. Tapioca dessert was tasty. Drinks were hit and miss.

The Spa was a beautiful, peaceful oasis. However, the Sports Massage which was described as deep tissue, myofascial release, was actually a superficial rub-down by a very pleasant, dainty senior citizen. My fiance specified he needed shoulder work and firmer was better but eventually decided just to enjoy the music. We thought about complaining as this was a very expensive massage. But, basically, who wants to call out a little old lady and demand she work harder or risk her getting fired?

I had a nice facial and enjoyed the steam and sauna rooms.

For a 4 to 5 star hotel, this has a lot to be desired. 1st let me start off with the good.

The hotel grounds are amazing. Finely kept, lush and in a word beautiful.

Now the bad.

Rooms: Outdated. Dirty chairs and carpets. The TV was very outdated w/ a remote that wouldn't work and the ROACHES in the bathroom made for an unpleasant experience. BTW after complaining about the ROACHES to the front desk, they just blew it off and said they would spray in the morning.

Restaurants: The TidePool is amazing. Good food and awesome views. All the others, way overpriced, small portions and bad service.

They really need a burger/sandwich/bar spot that would stay open past 6pm. This is their way to force you into the expensive restaurants.

Crowds: During our stay there was a reward trip for some sales team in which they were rude, loud, left trash all over the grounds, felt like they owned the place and the hotel did nothing to stop this to make it a better experience for it's "paying" customers.

After staying at the Grand Hyatt in Maui, this hotel doesn't come close to cleanliness, value and overall fun experience. If you must stay at a Grand Hyatt choose Maui. If you need to stay in Kauai, look elsewhere.