Programs: AA PLAT, US Silver, Hyatt Diamond, HH Diamond, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 1,356
I gotta say that I think I may be the only person here who is not overly impressed with the Kauai property. The grounds were beautiful. That's a given. But I found the property (actually the clientele) to be very stuffy and aloof. I'm a young single female, and it's like they looked at me like "What is she doing here?" I found the same receiption with the concierge and the regency club as well. In fact, the only staff I was impressed with was the front desk staff. They were very nice.
While the hotel itself is absolutely beautiful, I would have to really think hard about a return trip here. Maybe it was the time of year I chose (with the older snowbirds there in force). Or maybe it's just not laid-back and welcoming like the Maui and Waikiki properties.
I don't know, but I expected to want to turn cartwheels as to how great this place was. But I just couldn't.
And a side note: If you have Sprint PCS service, YOU WILL ROAM while you're at this hotel. So be sure to have roaming in your plan, especially if you're going to be there a few days. And even on roam, there are a lot of dropped calls. Poor cell phone service is not a reason to hate the hotel, but my overall experience was less than positive there. I certainly wasn't as overwhelmed as many fellow FTer's have been.
As a Hyatt diamond, one bonus is Kauai is apparently they are good at giving out Regency Club access. Maui I was denied access, and from what I hear, many other diamonds have been as well.
It is my understanding that the Kauai property is the best Hyatt in Hawaii, am I wrong? I hope not as I managed to book Christmas 2006 there . I looked on the website and noticed that you can not even book a room at Christmas now from Dec 26 to at least the 30th (and after that the rates are about $500 a night. WOW, if they are sold out at that rate, the place must be pretty good
It is my understanding that the Kauai property is the best Hyatt in Hawaii, am I wrong? I hope not as I managed to book Christmas 2006 there .
I don’t think you are wrong, but everyone has different tastes. I would suggest you review the 1000’s of posts here about Kauai Hyatt and on Trip Advisor. Since you are going Christmas week you should also be prepared for a very full hotel along with a higher percentage of kids running around, but this will be true at almost any tropical resort during Christmas.
I have been to Hyatt Kauai about 7 times and Maui about 25 times. I have always said that I prefer Maui, although more for the island than the hotel.
We thought we would die of boredoom in Maui. The hotel was great. The RC staff was great. We just didn't like Maui. It was our "let's try it again" trip. We had been before and didn't like it & wanted to make sure we weren't making a mistake.
We didn't .
We absolutely adored Kauai and it was far more quiet and off the beaten path then Maui. We loved it so much we extended our stay. We didn't even mind that the sidewalks got rolled up at 7pm. We're going again in Oct and won't even bother with stopping in Waikiki so we can stay in Kauai longer.
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Mary Life is too short to spend it being angry
Im another who was not very impressed with the Kauai property.
I didnt like the Club at all the food was very ordinary and the staff were certainly not like the waikiki staff!!
The grounds were nice but the pool was a bit old and there were heaps of kids around screaming and I didnt find the beach that great.
Obviously the pool at waikiki isnt brilliant but then there is the big pool out front
The food around the pool was expensive and low quality.
I wouldnt go back. i have never stayed at the maui property but am looking forward to going there early next year. I have visited it and absolutely loved it but that was 15 yrs ago.
I dont know what all the fuss is about this kauai property
Programs: AA PLAT, US Silver, Hyatt Diamond, HH Diamond, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 1,356
Quote:
Originally Posted by LIH Prem
While you shouldn't have gotten a poor reception at any property, there's really not much single life on Kaui at all. Kauai basically closes at 9PM
Maui or even Waikiki are better destinations for singles. Though there's no reason a single can't or shouldn't visit Kauai also.
-David
Actually, I wasn't going for single life. I was going to relax at the end of my 2-week Hawaii vacation. I had enough single life in Waikiki! =)
I just don't like being looked down upon because of my age or because I am traveling alone. I found the clientele to be very aloof, and I didn't like that at all. I also found the Regency Club and Concierge staff to be exactly the same as the clientele.
Maybe I'm just not old enough to enjoy Kauai at this point. The island was beautiful, as was the resport. But I certainly didn't feel at home.
The grounds were nice but the pool was a bit old and there were heaps of kids around screaming and I didnt find the beach that great....
I wouldnt go back. i have never stayed at the maui property but am looking forward to going there early next year. I have visited it and absolutely loved it but that was 15 yrs ago.
I dont know what all the fuss is about this kauai property
The kid to adult ratio is higher in Maui than Kauai, the pool is twice as old, plus the pool area is smaller, even though there 30% more rooms at the Maui Hyatt. So my guess is you will not find the Maui Hyatt to your liking.
We were very happy with the Kauai property, and the RC (and RC staff) were quite good. The front desk and concierge were inconsistent in our 3 stays there. The cell signal, as others have pointed out, was AWFUL (with T-Mobile.) On balance, though, we thought that the property was great.
Im another who was not very impressed with the Kauai property.
I didnt like the Club at all the food was very ordinary and the staff were certainly not like the waikiki staff!!
The grounds were nice but the pool was a bit old and there were heaps of kids around screaming and I didnt find the beach that great.
Obviously the pool at waikiki isnt brilliant but then there is the big pool out front
The food around the pool was expensive and low quality.
I wouldnt go back. i have never stayed at the maui property but am looking forward to going there early next year. I have visited it and absolutely loved it but that was 15 yrs ago.
I dont know what all the fuss is about this kauai property
Agree withtinkybelle , I am staying there now and while as a Diamond I was given Regency Club access, the staff that comes in contact with guests is the worst of any resort. We were given a small room with a view of grass. When I asked for a better view, I was politely ignored. I asked again in the RC and while the RC staff was pleasant, she called the front desk and spoke to "Alex" the front desk mrg, who basically told her NO!. Never did Alex try to speak to me eventhough I was sitting right there. The bell staff, room service and valets are just as bad. Only housekeeping seems like they are glad you are here. The staff at Honolulu are fabulous and should train the Kauai staff. If i return to Kauai, will try the Marriott or Sheraton, while in HNL, the Hyatt is the place.
I just got back yesterday from my honeymoon there. It was a fabulous hotel. I did not find the staff or clientele stuffy nor overly friendly. The spa was excellent and my room upgrade (to the presidential suite) was more than I could ever have expected. The amenities in the room were mixed - the kitchen was a bit dated and the bathroom, while nice, was not super luxury. Marble floors and a 4 person whirlpool tub but the very large shower had only one head and no bench (I would have expected a double head or a full body type shower). The pool was great and the screaming kids were minimal.
Based on my experiences, I am going to become much more loyal to Hyatt over *wood.
SALAD STATION
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Watercress and Kauai Asparagus Salad with Citrus Ponzu Vinaigrette
SEAFOOD ICE BAR
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Dried and Cured Meats
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STIR-FRY STATION
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HOT BUFFET
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CARVING STATION
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Off topic - in fairness to Tiger, he plays a charity tourney the week prior in his mother's maiden Tailand. Getting to Kauai to "pick up his check" requires a roughly 12 hour overnight flight including a fuel stop in Tokyo the day before the pro-am.
On topic - the Grand Hyatt is an enormous property with an extensive river pool. I happened to be staying there 6 or 7 years ago when they did the last major pool renovation and they did a quite good job of isolating work to small areas moving them day by day. There were disturbances, but there was always another quiet area to which to retreat.
Unfortunately, these weeks in mid October until T'giving are the "slow season" for Kaua'i and are the only time this property operates at less than 100% load - thus the best time for such renovations.
Were I booked there (and I'm considering doing exactly that) I wouldn't change my plans.
Want something to really worry about? Worry that they decide to "upgrade" the pool area ala the Grand Wailea - eliminating all shade and charging $200+ per day to purchase shade in the form of a cabana. The Hyatt Regency Kauai has so far been a pleasantly quaint megaproperty, but I fear the change to the GHK will bring with it any number of "upgrades" which seek to make it less special and more expensive than ever before.
All, just IMHO of course.
Aloha,
Lihue1k
Oh - and finally, T'giving dinner at Ilima terrace can be very pleasant - but do a) make a reservation and b) avoid the peak hours 3 - 6PM when it's just a mob scene.
To the OP of the locked GH Kauai thread: Pick the 4 Seasons on the Big Island!!! That's a no brainer. That hotel is consistently rated as one of the top few (if not the #1) hotel in the USA. The Big Island has lushness as well if you want that. If you want lushness, schedule a day or two at Volcano Village, Hilo, or Kamuela (Waimea). Or heck, just drive up the hill above Kona into the Cloud Forrest (just 15 minutes away from the Four Seasons. The Big Island is the most diverse Hawaiian Island and probably my favorite as well. And far as GH Kauai, the Saltwater pond/pool will still be open and you can also lay on the beach in front of the hotel. The grounds are fabulous there and you will not be dissappointed. If you must stay on Kauai, is there any way you can split your stay between the Princeville and the Hyatt? That would be a good option. I stayed at both of those hotels last month and I'd have to say I enjoyed the Hyatt more, but the Princeville is certainly not a big step down or anything.
Programs: CO Infinite Platinum, CO Lifetime President's Club, Hyatt Diamond
Posts: 2,862
Quote:
Originally Posted by LIH Prem
If there's a storm system hitting Kauai, there will be rain on the entire island.
If there's no storm system, there will be tropical showers on the North Shore, but that's part of it's charm and what makes it look like "paradise". Those tropical showers are a year round event.
-David
Two or three NYE's ago we stayed at the Princeville Resort for 6 nights...it rained every single day and never, not once, did we get even 5 mintes of sun at the pool (which by the way was not heated at least back then so we never swam either) - a few of the days we just drove to Poipu...almost total sun, blissful and warm. So the "charm" doesn't really work for me - not on a Hawaiian vacation. I go there for the sun time, if you're there for scenery Princeville might fit the trick but if you're a sun worshipper, forget it, especially in winter when the air perhaps may be a little on the cooler side. We vowed to never - never ever - stay at Princeville again...and have been to the Hyatt Kauai the last 2 Thanksgivings and the last NYE. I simply cannot recommend Princeville over this. My two cents as a mainlander, totally recognizing that LIH Prem is the local.
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Life is too short to spend it being angry 
