We just returned from a trip that included a stay at the Kauai Hyatt. It was wonderful. The room had ocean view and was over the Ilima Terrace restaurant, very convenient to the lobby through the stairway. As Platinum we were given RC access which was a walk but not an unpleasant one with the intermittent open lattice work corriders and great scenery.
The construction was interesting and mostly affected us by making it a longer walk from the RC to the Anara Spa. Only roofing work was evident at the time we were there.
Since our 10 year old daughter was with us, having a king and a double bed in the same room was perfect. The room was well-appointed and the only part that could have used some updating was the old style bathtub (it did have sliding glass doors but grouting was worn and cracked). My daughter came out of the separate toilet area laughing increduously when we first arrived. She said, "Even the toilet has decoration!" as an orchid was floating in the water.
[This message has been edited by 2bgrounded (edited 07-13-2003).]
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by 2bgrounded: We just returned from a trip that included a stay at the Kauai Hyatt. It was wonderful... As Platinum we were given RC access which was a walk but not an unpleasant one with the intermittent open lattice work corriders and great scenery.
... My daughter came out of the separate toilet area laughing increduously when we first arrived. She said, "Even the toilet has decoration!" as an orchid was floating in the water.
[This message has been edited by 2bgrounded (edited 07-13-2003).]</font>
This is pleasant surprise that Platinums can get RC access, too !
And the little touches that surpised your daughter and gives you the grins reminds me of the memobrable experience where the staff gave my girlfriend a fresh-flower lei a couple of years ago upon check-in as Diamond, and wowed us some more with the orchids by the bedside and the ocean views..."
We just returned from Kauai a few days ago. Had an ocean front room (6011, seemed to be at the far end of the length, by Anara Spa). We took pictures the old-fashioned way--with film! Photos are being developed now. If you'd like, e-mail me your address and, if they turn out, I can send to you. Or if you have specific questions, let me know.
Many people consider Kauai to be the best Resort in the Hyatt chain, and it is one of the most discussed properties on this site. If you do a search on Kauai, you will find dozens of threads to help you out on the Kauai Hyatt.
Well, the Kauai property is truly beautiful, and I stayed there for 7 days, but the management from the GM on down, execept for the Front Office Manager, is the pits.
Their overseeing this property has gone to their head, and they are quite arrogant and have treated this Diamond in a most unwelcome and rude manner. Julia and her compatriots will receive a letter from me detailing this in all its ugly details sometime soon, and I will contrast this with the other Hawaii properties and the 8 other properties that I have frequented this year, already.
That said, I visited the Princeville but did not stay there. I thought the property was quite nice, but Kauai this time of year I have read tends to make the North shore less desirable, although when I was there, the entire Hawaiian archipelago was innundated with nearly 5 days of continuous rain.
My suggestion would be don't venture to the Hyatt when it is a peak period for that is when this Diamond member was told to his face by management that the hotel "preferred" those guests who pay "rack rate" to those Diamond members who may be there on an award stay, even if they are "paying" for those rooms with the "150%" points demanded each day by the property in such situations! Needless to say, very poor hospitality management.
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by The_Phoenix: lets get back to topic, yes? </font>
That sounds like a good idea, this thread has gotten a bit off track.
There are quit a few room types to select from. Regency Club, Deluxe Ocean view, Partial Ocean view, Royal Garden, Garden, Mountain, plus several suite types. Since the difference between a Garden View and Ocean view is around an extra $1750 a week with tax, it sort of comes down to what your budget is for room types. The interior of a Regency Club room and Garden view room is exactly the same. If it were me I would reserve a Garden view room and a) hope for an upgrade and b) be ready to pay up to the room type I wanted at the desk if they did not give me a complementary upgrade. $1750 will cover several nice dinners and some spa treatments for you bride, and how much time are you actually going to spend looking out the window of your room?
I’m sure that if you let them know before hand that you are on your honeymoon it would not hurt, but keep in mind they have a lot of honeymooners, and you will not be the first people to show up and say ‘We are on our honeymoon, how about something extra’. In fact they probably average 1 or 2 weddings a day on the property. I would guess that at least 450 of the 600 rooms are classified as partial or deluxe ocean view, so the the chances of an upgrade is pretty good.
I also saw some other construction and landscape companies post pictures of the Waikoloa Hyatt (now a Hilton property) and Kauai Marriot (formerly a Westin property).
It's kinda' cool to see what these mega resorts looked like before they were open to the public --it's especially interesting seeing this Hyatt property famed for its lush tropical lagoons ...when it was nothing more than dirt, some rocks, and a lot of concrete
Location: New York / Hawaii / Nevada; CO Platinum Star, Hyatt Diamond, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 3,013
Quote:
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by InHoc: Weatherboy-
Thanks, we're headed there in four weeks for our first visit to the property. We're also going to Waikoloa for the 3rd time. Would you mind posting the link you found to those pictures, as well?</font>
The $15/day covers a variety of things such as parking, tennis court time, fitness access, etc.
(Although the same page lists 2 different parking fees: $6/day for self-park / $8.00/day for valet and $8/day for self and $10/day for valet. I would assume the resort fee covers all parking fees.)
Are those fees waived for Diamonds and/or built into reward stays?
I agree that the Resort Fees are a rip off, I wish they would just add it to the price of the room, so I would not have to see it. In Lake Las Vegas last month I had 2 rooms for 5 nights and paid $100 + taxes in resort fees for stuff I never used. They use to give out nice coupon books and some match play, which was part of the ‘resort fee’, but no more. I would have definitely preferred to lose the $100 on the Blackjack table than just handing it over to the front desk.
With regards to Kauai, the self parking use to be free, and I think valet was only $5 a day, and then they raised the self parking to $6 a few years ago. I think the $10 Resort Fee has been there for a while, but I don’t recall actually being charged for it in the past. I’m not sure if that had anything to do with being there on an award stay, or for being a Diamond.
As a side note there was an article in the Seattle Times last weekend discussing parking fees at hotels. It specifically discussed that in many areas like Chicago, San Fran etc the hotels parking fees are often more expensive that the cost to rent the car. It also went on to say that only 9% of resorts charge parking fees. I wonder what percentage of Resorts charge a ‘Resort Fee’. I know that most Hyatt’s do now.
Looks like this fee will include fitness room privileges? From a purely personal and selfish viewpoint, that's too bad as we really liked the fact the fitness room was always uncrowded or empty. Of course in Kauai, who's crazy enough to want to be in the fitness room anyway?
Programs: Hyatt Diamond, Marriott Platinum, Starwood and Hilton Peasant (Fallen Away from Status)
Posts: 844
Kauai is much slower and more "old Hawaii." Not the good beach and snorkeling and beach activity just a short walk away like on Maui. Its a question of what you want your Hawaii to be.
Returning to the Hyatt in Kauai for the 3rd time this May. Definitely an outstanding hotel with outstanding staff. Last time I was there was November 2002 and they were just about to begin renovations in the rooms. You might consider taking advantage of a promotion for a 6-night stay and your 6th night is free.
Location: New York / Hawaii / Nevada; CO Platinum Star, Hyatt Diamond, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 3,013
Kauai Trip Report: Average
I made it out to Kauai, compliments of FFN awards. I checked in earlier today and spent the day roaming around the grounds. Other than a relatively small wedding, the place is practically empty (or just does a good job of hiding people.) The hotel is "sold out" but I don't think I counted more than 25 people at the pools / beaches this afternoon.
The staff are pleasant and helpful and the resort is very nice --but I wouldn't classify it as anything too extraordinaire. In terms of "luxury", the Maui property has this place beat IMHO. For "wow" appeal in terms of breadth/scope/size/feel of the resort, I also feel that Hilton's Waikoloa Village property is comparable if not better than this Hyatt.
For my FFN and my Diamond Status, I was given a beautiful oceanfront room located between the Regency Club and the lobby. My diamond ammenity arrived within minutes of checking-in.
While the view is beautiful and the balcony is roomy, the room is pretty basic --the furnishings/artwork don't stand out. If it wasn't for the view, the room would feel like any other Hyatt room. As others have reported here, they do go crazy with the orchids --there are over 50 scattered everywhere in my room... from in the toilet bowl to on top of the telephone.
I'll be here for the week and will update this if anything special sticks out. This is a great hotel (and I do love the large, private beach) but I'd consider it standard Hyatt fare in a tropical destination. I consider the Maui property to be far more luxurious while I consider the Guam property to be more resort-feeling.
Location: New York / Hawaii / Nevada; CO Platinum Star, Hyatt Diamond, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 3,013
It's hardly miserable in Hawaii
In any event, some updates:
-"high speed" internet access is available in rooms for $19.95/day. However, I've managed to have faster connections via dial-up ISP (and only $1 per call). Don't waste your money on the high speed service that isn't.
-The Resort Fee was waived due to my diamond status. Normally, it's $15/day. Without it, though, I do pay $1/call for local and toll-free numbers.
-Parking is $10 valet, $8 self-parking ...and is in addition to the resort fees. As a Diamond, I only have to pay the $10 valet fee.
-Regency Club is always deserted -I've yet to see more than 2 people in there. For breakfast they have your typical continental spread of pastries, croissants, fruit, cereals, and juices/milk. For evening snacks they have more fruit/cheese/crackers ...and offer a hot dish (last night were baby back ribs.) During the late evening hours they offer chocolates, cordials, and liquors.
-food / food service is great. Service around the pool areas is fast --within a moment of wanting something and raising your flag (each pool/beach side chair has a flag to raise/lower when you need service) a waitress was there... and quickly returns with your ordered item. Inside, the quality of food and service is also very good. As someone else here has posted, Dondero's offers great fresh food. It's a bit pricey but not out of the norm for resort-fare; an entree, glass of wine, and dessert cost me $60.
(edited to add food comments)
[This message has been edited by Weatherboy (edited Mar 17, 2004).]
