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    Pono Kai Resort

    3.4 (168 reviews)
    ModerateHotels
    Closed 8:00 am - 9:00 pm
    Updated 3 months ago

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    Danielle P.

    We rented a condo from this resort while we were staying on Kauai this summer. It was centrally located to everything we wanted to do and was close enough to shops and restaurants--some even within walking distance. Located right on the beach, with the bike path there as well, it was a perfect location. While the resort is a bit older, it's still beautifully maintained. We enjoyed being so close to the beach, as well as the pool/spa and the games they had available. There was a ping pong table, an axe throwing game (it was plastic, but still fun), giant connect four, and others. There's vending machines in the pool area for a quick snack or beverage. The resort also has putting greens, tennis/pickleball courts, basketball courts and croquet. We also used the laundry facilities while staying here and they were clean and well maintained. Our condo was on the ground floor, so there were occasional issues with noisy neighbors above or next door to us, but it was minimal. I'd definitely stay here again, but would try to aim for a third story option.

    One bedroom unit
    Nicole W.

    The room we got was nicely done and updated. It's not a fancy resort, so weren't expecting a lot. We were pleasantly surprised. The beach in front of the resort isn't the nicest. It's full of plastics floating from the Pacific into this beach. Everywhere are shiny, multicolored pieces of plastic. In the water while you swim, all over the sand. There isn't a patch of beach not covered in plastic bits. Kinda gross and really sad. The bedroom doesn't have AC. If you use the fan in the living room and point it towards the bedroom, it will push the cold air into the bedroom. Only bad thing is you can't close the door now. Kitchen was fully stocked, outside grills in several locations were clean. The pool isn't anything fancy, but it's still nice to wind down the day. Front desk was pleasant and helpful, overall we had a nice stay.

    Gross debris all over the beach
    Rhondi S.

    Condos are a bit dated (70's), but clean, nice staff and well maintained grounds. I have to knock off 2 stars because they didn't communicate that the pool and jacuzzi were being remodeled and not available during our stay; if we're knew this, we would not have stayed here!! Oh, if you want a pool they have suggestions for $100/day and 20-45" away! Close to the beach, but not maintained!! It was gross with washed up wood, sticks, plastic crap and needless to say...yes needles on the beach - they need to get rid of the debris!!! As mentioned nice staff.

    Jeremy K.

    I wouldn't go as far as saying Pono Kai is an actual 'resort'. We exchanged our time share unit to stay here & this 'resort' has some oddities to get used to. The pool is pretty small & the towel rental policy is a bit over kill. You're only allowed four towels per day & they won't allow you to exchange them mid day. You're forced to wait until the next day to get fresh towels. So if you go to the beach & want to come back to the pool. Prepare to use the same beach towel.... The grounds are very open & well maintained. Beautiful views of the sunrise if you're lucky enough to get a unit with a view. Highly recommend getting a ground floor unit to make walking the premises easier to the beach, etc. We found some of the laundry units were not functional or did not work very well. Although we had a relaxing time here. This hotel feels closer to like an old timeshare, rather than a Hawaiian 'resort'. It does not give you that ultimate Hawaiian vacation vibe. It does give you more motivation to get out & explore however.

    Cockroach

    A mid resort, I like the size of the room and I like the luxuries of the resort. The beach right outside is nice but that's where my praises end. First of all the tv is so old you can't connect anything to it and secondly, the reason for the one star is because of the ROACHES. My mom was showering and saw a GIANT roach. The thing was genuinely the size of my hand. I managed to get it outside but I've never been more disgusted in my life. Not only that, right as I settled down on the foldout bed I saw a small brown spot on the wall and I joked that it was another roach and IT WAS. Fucking nasty

    Lucky Gecco
    Marshall G.

    Update after two weeks. We are on the second floor of three floors. Our top floor neighbor is so loud with two women in Hard shoes that clatter when they walk. After a week we complained, requesting no hard shoes. Well aloha, would have been to do so. They chose the opposite and doubled the activity, added furniture moving and all middle of the night bathroom trips. It's a lot of effort to aggravate me and it doesn't now because it's my last stay here. . In 30 years of my family being Owners at Pono Kai this would fall in the "biggest pain"category. Too bad, no bueno. Adios Baby!

    Beach outside of the hotel
    Erin P.

    My friends, husband and I stayed at Pono Kai Resort for 1 week during Thanksgiving 2022! We were very lucky to have an oceanfront, ground-level room, allowing us to have easy access to a nice beach and a beautiful view of the ocean. Then sunrise each morning was absolutely beautiful, and it was neat seeing so many people awake during and on their patios to watch it! One guest even did sunrise yoga, using the free yoga mats provided by the hotel. The hotel provided many rentals, including beach towels, robes, board games, card games, yard games, etc. They also had a pool, hot tub, a workout room with a few machines and free weights, pickle ball/tennis courts and hammocks, so there was plenty to do. Additionally, there was a running path in-between the hotel and the beach, which went on for miles. Nothing quite like running along the ocean during sunrise! There were also activities that you could do for $25 (yoga, hula dancing, lei making, etc.) Although the room wasn't incredibly updated, it fit our needs and we really enjoyed it! Also, a huge shoutout goes to housekeeping/maintenance!! Our microwave broke on Thanksgiving evening, while we were cooking food, and they were VERY quick to replace it!

    View from J306 two bedroom with loft
    Seafaring L.

    Well kept grounds and some free amenities like yard games and morning coffee in the lobby. We stayed in a two bedroom plus loft room J306. It's supposedly updated but the appliances are old, as are the pots, pans and kitchen stuff. The knives were very dull and quite a challenge to cut with. The room was nice except the west facing second bedroom has no AC so it was unbearably hot. They put an oscillating fan in there but it doesn't make it sleepable. Room J306 balcony faces east so you do get to watch the sunrise from your room and you can see a little ocean from your balcony. The Pono Kai offers activities for a fee of $25 per person per activity, which was unexpected as other resorts offer them for free. They do have a rental shop in the lobby which was quite convenient but short hours. The beach running alongside the resort was lovely and the kids had a great time playing in it. Pono Kai is located walking distance to markets, shops, dining and bakeries. There are grills and an herb garden guests may use. There is also a comfortable room where you can lounge and store your luggage with fridges so your food doesn't spoil while you're waiting for your room or a flight. The resort does provide mini shampoo, conditioner, soap, dishwashing liquid, plus all towels and bedding. You get two in room coffee packs upon arrival but if you want more you'll pay $2 per singles use pack at the front desk. You borrow beach / pool towels at the pool desk and if you don't return them it's $25 per towel. You can also borrow board games and puzzles to take back to your room.

    Can't beat location for sunrise runs/walks.
    Lin Z.

    We had a recently refurbished fab 1 BR plus loft unit on the 3d floor of Bldg F with lanai facing the ocean (via Interval timeshare trade); although just 1 bath, this unit could fit 4 very comfortably and privately (no ac in the BR tho, so could be warm in summer with BR door closed). Pono Kai is friendly w/ laid back vibe and primo location next to a coastal beach trail in Kapaa, pretty much equidistant between N and S beaches and ab an hour from Waimea canyon; really can't be beat unless you're looking to be directly on a white sandy beach or want $$$$ luxury. Went for scenic sunrise runs each morning, and could see whales breaching from our lanai. It's an older property, but very clean and kept up well. Great staff, house & groundskeepers! Mahalo!!!!

    Pretty grounds.
    Georgie H.

    Spent 3 nights here as a VI member. Didn't know what to expect but it was everything we needed for a short stay. Glad we got an oceanfront ground floor unit so the view was of the lawn and ocean, and we could walk right out. Never got up early enough to see the sunrise but the pics look great. Is it always this windy - felt like being home on Maui. Not much to complain about except minor housekeeping things but they are probably short staffed right now. The king size bed was the best. Lots of fluffy white towels. Smart TV meant we could log into Prime and more. Grounds were well kept. Big pool and spa and pool attendant to provide more towels. I like the wide oceanfront sidewalk that goes north for miles (?). The location was perfect - walk to shops and restaurants including Island Crave. Drive north or south to see all the sights of the island and return here with little effort. We'll go again when we need a small vacation.

    Entry into the resort

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    Page 5 of 5

    Ask the Community - Pono Kai Resort

    Is this place in a good area?

    It's walking distance to shops and restaurants. But even though it's oceanfront, the beach area is not usable and there are homeless people that camp on the beach (they kept to themselves, weren't a bother). For nice beaches, you would need to drive… Read more

    How is the resort. Nice clean?

    Immaculate

    View All 3 Questions

    Review Highlights - Pono Kai Resort

    :-) Every morning I was greeted with 5 cats and some roosters when I opened the door to see the sunrise.

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    Hilton Garden Inn Kauai Wailua Bay - Hilton Garden Inn Kauai Wailua Bay - Pool

    Hilton Garden Inn Kauai Wailua Bay

    (388 reviews)

    $$

    From the perspective of a lifetime Hilton loyalist who has stayed in many Hilton Garden Inns in my…read moretime, this is better than most. It has all of the requisite HGI necessities such as clean, standardized rooms, available breakfast made to order, and a price point that does not break the bank compared to big resorts on Kaua'i. I had a comfortable stay here with easy parking, a comfortable room, and good wi-fi. It doesn't hurt that you can see the ocean from some rooms and that the property grounds have some unexpected nice touches such as a koi pond water feature, a spacious airy lobby open to the outside, and easy self parking for a fee. In this genre of Hilton portfolio hotel, it hits a bit above its expected weight. What keeps it in the 4-star range (instead of 5) is its location. It is relatively near Lihue and the airport (about a 12-15 min drive) but far from any of the major resort spots that Kaua'i is really known for (like Poipu or Princeville). Its location is just a couple of minutes drive outside of Kapa'a and if you are not looking for a high end vacation resort experience, this will suffice as a place to lay your head with confidence while helping you respect a moderate budget. It is not cheap by most HGI standards but it is reasonable by local Kaua'i lodging standards. A rental car is a must if you choose to stay here because there really is nothing around you within easy or safe walking distance. That is a problem if you are here to be a tourist and see some sights and places that The Garden Isle is known for. It is this location that keeps the pricing here down but the inconvenience factor high. I liked this property for what it was and I would stay here again if my reason for coming to Kaua'i was for anything other than a higher end resort experience. I'm sure there are even cheaper places to stay on this island but then again, I don't think that the Salvation Army has a loyalty program or a koi pond.

    4/29/26: Weeeellllll, this place ia the motel 6 of Hiltons. This hotel should NOT be classified as…read morea "Hilton" property. We were locked out of our room (cottage 3121) for forty five minutes yesterday, because the battery to the outside door lock died. Then, later that evening, we had to call maintenance again because the inside lock is broken. 4/30/26: we decided the price was not worth this crap hole. When we went to check out and cancel our week reservation, they didn't even try to remedy any situation. We are Diamond Hilton member's and there are pretty much zero perks for us loyal customers. Still had to pay $25 a day for parking! Like....come on. Pro: bed was comfy We ended up booking a airbnb instead. So we'll be paying a little more for our trip, but its worth it. I would seriously avoid this property if you can. But if you are on a budget, it might be okay. Make sure to look at all of the reviews!!!!

    Pono Kai Resort - hotels - Updated July 2026

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