[Left Marriott 15 Nov 2018] St. Regis Princeville, Kauai, Hawaii [Master Thread]
Nov 29, 2009, 4:26 pm
#31
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: NYC
Programs: Hyatt Diamond, AA Plat
Posts: 1,138
Thanks for the info - is 9003 a Prince Jr. Suite, or an Ocean View Room with terrace?
One example of several I could list that has me convinced the general manager of this property is not playing for the long haul.
As a plat paying with 20,000 points, we were upgraded to Prince Jr. suite, same as pictured by OP. Little has been touched in the bathroom. On a previous stay we had seperate shower/bath, and not having that feature knocks out any chance of being a five star hotel. Why put a St. Regis label on this hotel?
There are a few design flaws, such as spa location and window placement in the exercise room.
If you want a terrace room, shoot for 9003. Views are superior from this part of building and there is some feel of seclusion with terrace that you will not have elsewhere.
How much do you tip parking valet when you are paying $26.03 per day for the service?
Prior to Princeville becoming too worn and torn, I thought it and the Hyatt were equally great for different reasons. Typing this from Hyatt, where I am much more comfortable. Not as snazzy a room, but off the charts as a value proposition.
As a plat paying with 20,000 points, we were upgraded to Prince Jr. suite, same as pictured by OP. Little has been touched in the bathroom. On a previous stay we had seperate shower/bath, and not having that feature knocks out any chance of being a five star hotel. Why put a St. Regis label on this hotel?
There are a few design flaws, such as spa location and window placement in the exercise room.
If you want a terrace room, shoot for 9003. Views are superior from this part of building and there is some feel of seclusion with terrace that you will not have elsewhere.
How much do you tip parking valet when you are paying $26.03 per day for the service?
Prior to Princeville becoming too worn and torn, I thought it and the Hyatt were equally great for different reasons. Typing this from Hyatt, where I am much more comfortable. Not as snazzy a room, but off the charts as a value proposition.
Nov 30, 2009, 8:31 am
#32
Join Date: May 2003
Posts: 6,359
As a plat paying with 20,000 points, we were upgraded to Prince Jr. suite, same as pictured by OP. Little has been touched in the bathroom. On a previous stay we had seperate shower/bath, and not having that feature knocks out any chance of being a five star hotel. Why put a St. Regis label on this hotel?
FWIW though, I''ve actually stayed in other St Regis's without separate tubs/showers, although I admit all the Suites I've stayed in at other St. Regis's have had separate tubs/showers.
Dec 8, 2009, 7:49 am
#33
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: NYC
Programs: Hyatt Diamond, AA Plat
Posts: 1,138
C&P Rates Loaded
Just thought I would pass along the message that the hotel has finally loaded C&P rates. I switched from a points only reservation to C&P (couldnt bring myself to burn 20K points per night) - the hotel has rates loaded until end of March with only the Xmas-New Year period blacked out.
Will post TR after stay next week - the hotel has been getting a drubbing on TripAdvisor...have my fingers crossed.
Will post TR after stay next week - the hotel has been getting a drubbing on TripAdvisor...have my fingers crossed.
Dec 22, 2009, 8:58 am
#34
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: NYC
Programs: Hyatt Diamond, AA Plat
Posts: 1,138
A week in Paradise!
We just got back from a perfect week long stay at the newly renovated St Regis Princeville - probably one of our best hotel stays ever! This was our first trip to Kauai and while the island itself is beautiful, the resort setting was definitely the icing on the cake.
We were booked here on a week long stay with 5 nights on C&P (for the standard mountain view room) and 2 nights on a Starpicks rate (for a King oceanview room). A couple of days before the stay, the hotel emailed us to let us know whether they should combine the reservations and asked about any other requests. Since the previous reviews mentioned the absence of a coffeemaker in the room, I emailed back requesting one and was told that a coffeemaker would be placed in my room. The hotel assigned us a King oceanview room for the entire stay and indicated that further upgrades would be decided when we checkin, pending availability.
We pulled in around 4 pm on a Saturday and the hotel was fairly quiet (they had ~50% occupancy the time we were there). They already had a valet tag with our name written on it that we could use over the next week. Check in was fairly efficient even though we had a trainee assigned to us - she was very friendly and welcoming and checked for an upgrade when we requested one. She was probably new at this so went in, checked with her manager, and came back in about 2 minutes to let us know that we had been assigned an Ocean view junior suite.
We were on the 8th floor, a floor below the lobby. The room layout was great, and the view was simply spectacular. There was no balcony but we never felt the absence of one because of the huge picture windows that boasted terrific views. The window sill has some comfortable cushions that you can use. The windows had screens to keep out the insects - we kept the windows open nearly at all times and went to sleep every night and woke up in the mornings to the sounds of the waves crashing below. The room was well equipped with a nice 60" lcd TV attached to a DvD player and a home theater system. The hotel maintains a fairly large collection of DVDs that you can check out for free. The room also had an ipod dock and supposedly an internet radio although the one in our room seemed like a regular radio.
The mini bar was well stocked although we did not use any of the items. The room had a second mini fridge that was empty and we used this to store some beers and bottles of wine. Very convenient. A bucket of ice is left in the room every night with turndown service, along with two bottles of water every night. Since we had been upgraded to a different room, we called to have the coffeemaker delivered to the new room and it arrived within minutes. The presentation was very classy - the coffeemaker was inside a small wooden chest (see photo below) with a nice selection of coffees and teas - it was also stocked for the entire week of our stay . Quite in contrast to the crummy one we had received in the W washington DC when we stayed there in Dec. The hotel also sent up a bottle of champagne on ice, along with a personal card from the GM, when we told them that we had celebrated our anniversary the previous week.
The bathroom had terrific views and the privacy window worked well. We were expecting the hideous green marble in the bathroom that we had seen in other pics but this one thankfully had much better interiors. The bathtub (with jacuzzi) was huge and the bath products were top of the line (Remede) and generously replaced (3 soaps, plus 2 bottles each of shampoo, conditioner, body lotion and shower gel all replaced almost daily). The bathrobes and (six) towels were also top notch - in line with what you would expect at a St Regis or Cat 6 hotel.
We were charged $15 a day for valet parking (the earlier reviews state this was $25 a day - maybe the hotel decided to start charging less). The valets were however terrific - everyone remembered us by name and we had delightful conversations with them each time and obtained some great recommendations for local eateries, hikes etc. Cannot say enough positive things about them. The hotel also hands out complimentary beach towels and water bottles at the valet desk and we made use of these every day.^ We also made use of the concierge desk to make some inquiries about local sights and while helpful, we found their local knowledge to be not quite up to the mark. Twice we were sent to a restaurant that was closed on that day (a lot of restaurants in town are closed on Sunday/Monday).
We did not eat much at the hotel as we prefer sampling the local options whenever we travel. We did have breakfast at the Makana terrace on the last day and the food was great; the minced truffle omelet in particular was just divine, if a tad pricey at ~ 20 bucks. We did visit the bar in the evenings a few times...bottled beers are around 8 bucks. Make sure to ask for bug spray if sitting outside in the evenings. The bar by the pool also had beers for ~$8-10 and drinks for ~$15-16. The Mai Tai was quite tasty. We ordered room service one night - the main dish was so-so but the ice cream was delicious. The presentation was also great with the food being transported in a small heated oven (?). There is a $4 delivery charge and a 21% service charge, of which 16% goes to the wait staff. Napali cafe near the lobby sells sandwiches, muffins, coffees etc. - muffins are a little overpriced (but delicious!), bagels at $5 were atrociously priced so we didnt even try them, and the packaged sandwiches (veggie sandwiches for ~$8) werent half bad. There are a fair number of options in nearby Hanalei (Postcards Cafe and Mediterranean Gourmet were both very nice) although a lot of them close by 8 or 9. We also frequented the Kilaeua bakery (near the lighthouse, about a 10 min drive) often and highly recommend it for their bagels, soups and sandwiches. Kapaa has some good options (Cafe Cocco is very quaint and has some interesting food) but is a good 30 min drive away. Kauai Pasta near the airport in Lihue was quite good and we stopped to eat there as soon as we landed in Kauai.
Internet access is $15 a day and the speeds are quite good. We also made use of their laundry service (after our shorts suffered from a particularly muddy hike) and were pleased with the outcome. The price wasnt entirely unreasonable too (we were expecting much worse!) - came out to ~$9 for 2 pairs of shorts and the red dirt was all gone. The beach in front of the hotel is small but has great views. The sand is quite rough on the feet so watch out. A few of the chairs are reserved for guests from the Westin although the pool is reserved for St Regis guests only.
Overall, it is a beautiful property and the hotel is great with Plat recognition (got my first decent upgrade after making Plat earlier this year!). The staff are especially terrific (the bellman mentioned that over 90% of them were from the old Princeville resort) and truly made us feel welcome throughout our stay. We drove to the South shore a couple of times and drove through some of the properties there (incl the sheraton and the Hyatt) and also took a timeshare tour of the Westin. The St Regis was our favorite property by far and we were really glad that we had decided to spend the entire week there instead of divvying it up across properties.
We were booked here on a week long stay with 5 nights on C&P (for the standard mountain view room) and 2 nights on a Starpicks rate (for a King oceanview room). A couple of days before the stay, the hotel emailed us to let us know whether they should combine the reservations and asked about any other requests. Since the previous reviews mentioned the absence of a coffeemaker in the room, I emailed back requesting one and was told that a coffeemaker would be placed in my room. The hotel assigned us a King oceanview room for the entire stay and indicated that further upgrades would be decided when we checkin, pending availability.
We pulled in around 4 pm on a Saturday and the hotel was fairly quiet (they had ~50% occupancy the time we were there). They already had a valet tag with our name written on it that we could use over the next week. Check in was fairly efficient even though we had a trainee assigned to us - she was very friendly and welcoming and checked for an upgrade when we requested one. She was probably new at this so went in, checked with her manager, and came back in about 2 minutes to let us know that we had been assigned an Ocean view junior suite.
We were on the 8th floor, a floor below the lobby. The room layout was great, and the view was simply spectacular. There was no balcony but we never felt the absence of one because of the huge picture windows that boasted terrific views. The window sill has some comfortable cushions that you can use. The windows had screens to keep out the insects - we kept the windows open nearly at all times and went to sleep every night and woke up in the mornings to the sounds of the waves crashing below. The room was well equipped with a nice 60" lcd TV attached to a DvD player and a home theater system. The hotel maintains a fairly large collection of DVDs that you can check out for free. The room also had an ipod dock and supposedly an internet radio although the one in our room seemed like a regular radio.
The mini bar was well stocked although we did not use any of the items. The room had a second mini fridge that was empty and we used this to store some beers and bottles of wine. Very convenient. A bucket of ice is left in the room every night with turndown service, along with two bottles of water every night. Since we had been upgraded to a different room, we called to have the coffeemaker delivered to the new room and it arrived within minutes. The presentation was very classy - the coffeemaker was inside a small wooden chest (see photo below) with a nice selection of coffees and teas - it was also stocked for the entire week of our stay . Quite in contrast to the crummy one we had received in the W washington DC when we stayed there in Dec. The hotel also sent up a bottle of champagne on ice, along with a personal card from the GM, when we told them that we had celebrated our anniversary the previous week.
The bathroom had terrific views and the privacy window worked well. We were expecting the hideous green marble in the bathroom that we had seen in other pics but this one thankfully had much better interiors. The bathtub (with jacuzzi) was huge and the bath products were top of the line (Remede) and generously replaced (3 soaps, plus 2 bottles each of shampoo, conditioner, body lotion and shower gel all replaced almost daily). The bathrobes and (six) towels were also top notch - in line with what you would expect at a St Regis or Cat 6 hotel.
We were charged $15 a day for valet parking (the earlier reviews state this was $25 a day - maybe the hotel decided to start charging less). The valets were however terrific - everyone remembered us by name and we had delightful conversations with them each time and obtained some great recommendations for local eateries, hikes etc. Cannot say enough positive things about them. The hotel also hands out complimentary beach towels and water bottles at the valet desk and we made use of these every day.^ We also made use of the concierge desk to make some inquiries about local sights and while helpful, we found their local knowledge to be not quite up to the mark. Twice we were sent to a restaurant that was closed on that day (a lot of restaurants in town are closed on Sunday/Monday).
We did not eat much at the hotel as we prefer sampling the local options whenever we travel. We did have breakfast at the Makana terrace on the last day and the food was great; the minced truffle omelet in particular was just divine, if a tad pricey at ~ 20 bucks. We did visit the bar in the evenings a few times...bottled beers are around 8 bucks. Make sure to ask for bug spray if sitting outside in the evenings. The bar by the pool also had beers for ~$8-10 and drinks for ~$15-16. The Mai Tai was quite tasty. We ordered room service one night - the main dish was so-so but the ice cream was delicious. The presentation was also great with the food being transported in a small heated oven (?). There is a $4 delivery charge and a 21% service charge, of which 16% goes to the wait staff. Napali cafe near the lobby sells sandwiches, muffins, coffees etc. - muffins are a little overpriced (but delicious!), bagels at $5 were atrociously priced so we didnt even try them, and the packaged sandwiches (veggie sandwiches for ~$8) werent half bad. There are a fair number of options in nearby Hanalei (Postcards Cafe and Mediterranean Gourmet were both very nice) although a lot of them close by 8 or 9. We also frequented the Kilaeua bakery (near the lighthouse, about a 10 min drive) often and highly recommend it for their bagels, soups and sandwiches. Kapaa has some good options (Cafe Cocco is very quaint and has some interesting food) but is a good 30 min drive away. Kauai Pasta near the airport in Lihue was quite good and we stopped to eat there as soon as we landed in Kauai.
Internet access is $15 a day and the speeds are quite good. We also made use of their laundry service (after our shorts suffered from a particularly muddy hike) and were pleased with the outcome. The price wasnt entirely unreasonable too (we were expecting much worse!) - came out to ~$9 for 2 pairs of shorts and the red dirt was all gone. The beach in front of the hotel is small but has great views. The sand is quite rough on the feet so watch out. A few of the chairs are reserved for guests from the Westin although the pool is reserved for St Regis guests only.
Overall, it is a beautiful property and the hotel is great with Plat recognition (got my first decent upgrade after making Plat earlier this year!). The staff are especially terrific (the bellman mentioned that over 90% of them were from the old Princeville resort) and truly made us feel welcome throughout our stay. We drove to the South shore a couple of times and drove through some of the properties there (incl the sheraton and the Hyatt) and also took a timeshare tour of the Westin. The St Regis was our favorite property by far and we were really glad that we had decided to spend the entire week there instead of divvying it up across properties.
Last edited by Quasiconvexity; Dec 22, 2009 at 9:18 am
Dec 22, 2009, 9:09 am
#35
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: NYC
Programs: Hyatt Diamond, AA Plat
Posts: 1,138
Some Pictures
View of the Resort from outside
http://img704.imageshack.us/img704/3690/picture494.jpg
Lobby Area
http://img43.imageshack.us/img43/1060/picture116uu.jpg
Hotel Beach
http://img709.imageshack.us/img709/9631/picture393.jpg
View from Makana Terrace
http://img41.imageshack.us/img41/597/picture463p.jpg
Room Layout
http://img41.imageshack.us/img41/3676/picture015hf.jpg
Study Desk
http://img687.imageshack.us/img687/9...cture016el.jpg
Bathroom
http://img704.imageshack.us/img704/5...cture013pb.jpg
Bathroom window with privacy shade open
http://img704.imageshack.us/img704/6519/picture454.jpg
Bathroom window with privacy shades closed
http://img43.imageshack.us/img43/167/picture455n.jpg
View from Room
http://img704.imageshack.us/img704/7710/picture040s.jpg
Champagne
http://img704.imageshack.us/img704/6...cture019bc.jpg
TV & Entertainment System
http://img41.imageshack.us/img41/9355/picture026no.jpg
In room Dining
http://img121.imageshack.us/img121/3630/picture405p.jpg
Coffee Maker
http://img693.imageshack.us/img693/134/picture445.jpg
Coffee Maker II
http://img693.imageshack.us/img693/1681/picture447.jpg
http://img704.imageshack.us/img704/3690/picture494.jpg
Lobby Area
http://img43.imageshack.us/img43/1060/picture116uu.jpg
Hotel Beach
http://img709.imageshack.us/img709/9631/picture393.jpg
View from Makana Terrace
http://img41.imageshack.us/img41/597/picture463p.jpg
Room Layout
http://img41.imageshack.us/img41/3676/picture015hf.jpg
Study Desk
http://img687.imageshack.us/img687/9...cture016el.jpg
Bathroom
http://img704.imageshack.us/img704/5...cture013pb.jpg
Bathroom window with privacy shade open
http://img704.imageshack.us/img704/6519/picture454.jpg
Bathroom window with privacy shades closed
http://img43.imageshack.us/img43/167/picture455n.jpg
View from Room
http://img704.imageshack.us/img704/7710/picture040s.jpg
Champagne
http://img704.imageshack.us/img704/6...cture019bc.jpg
TV & Entertainment System
http://img41.imageshack.us/img41/9355/picture026no.jpg
In room Dining
http://img121.imageshack.us/img121/3630/picture405p.jpg
Coffee Maker
http://img693.imageshack.us/img693/134/picture445.jpg
Coffee Maker II
http://img693.imageshack.us/img693/1681/picture447.jpg
Dec 22, 2009, 9:57 am
#37
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: SEA
Programs: DL Plat/1M, Marriott Bonvoy Lifetime Plat, HH Gold
Posts: 231
+1^ Stayed at the Princeville resort a couple of times, but more recently have been rotating btw the Westin Villas and the Hyatt in Poipu. Definitely excited about checking out the St. Regis now!
Dec 22, 2009, 2:49 pm
#38
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Boston, MA
Programs: UA-1K AA-Ex Plat BA-Silver SPG-Life Plat
Posts: 57
Great post kingsubbu. Thanks. We just got back from a fabtastic four day stay at this propoerty as well. We were there the week before kingsubbu. We also had a King Ocean Front room and were assigned a Butler at check in. The Butler was actually quite helpfull. There was no coffee or tea in the room but the butler offered to bring us coffee/tea as needed. We called for tea every morning, which they brought promptly. I was suprised at check out to see that we were not charged for this. Not sure if this was a perk or just an oversight.
The week we stayed the hotel was at less than 50% occupancy but they were expecting a ramp up each week to near full capacity by the end of December. The staff could not be nicer or more helpfull. I echo all of kingsubbu's comments about the property and staff.
We were in room 9001, which is right at the end overlooking the cliff edge with a really great ocean view. We were in Kauai during the historic high waves in early December and it was fantastic to have a front row seat to view this (and the crazy surfers trying to ride them).
We ate on property at the Makena Terrace (OK) and at the Kauai Grill (quite good and surpisingly well priced with a particularly well priced - if not overly adventurous - wine list). The restaurant at the pool was just so so with a very limited selection and did not seem good value for the money. But, when you are at the pool, it seems hard to get up and go off propoerty to save a few bucks. We did pick up some snack items at the well stocked Foodland in Princeville Center and bring them with us to the pool on some of the days, which I would recommend especially to those with a family to feed. We also ate locally in Hanelei at BarAcuda (quite good tapas style restaurant) and Hanelei Dolphin Center (excellent sea food with a Carrot Cake to die for!!!!).
One of our very few issues was the parking charge. We were also charged $25 (plus tax) for daily parking. We inquired about self parking and were told it was not available and there was no plan to have it available. Maybe they lowered it very recently to the $15 quoted by kingsubbu, which would be very good.
All in all, a very good hotel in a great location. We had a very relaxing stay and would certainly return to this hotel when we next go to Kauai.
The week we stayed the hotel was at less than 50% occupancy but they were expecting a ramp up each week to near full capacity by the end of December. The staff could not be nicer or more helpfull. I echo all of kingsubbu's comments about the property and staff.
We were in room 9001, which is right at the end overlooking the cliff edge with a really great ocean view. We were in Kauai during the historic high waves in early December and it was fantastic to have a front row seat to view this (and the crazy surfers trying to ride them).
We ate on property at the Makena Terrace (OK) and at the Kauai Grill (quite good and surpisingly well priced with a particularly well priced - if not overly adventurous - wine list). The restaurant at the pool was just so so with a very limited selection and did not seem good value for the money. But, when you are at the pool, it seems hard to get up and go off propoerty to save a few bucks. We did pick up some snack items at the well stocked Foodland in Princeville Center and bring them with us to the pool on some of the days, which I would recommend especially to those with a family to feed. We also ate locally in Hanelei at BarAcuda (quite good tapas style restaurant) and Hanelei Dolphin Center (excellent sea food with a Carrot Cake to die for!!!!).
One of our very few issues was the parking charge. We were also charged $25 (plus tax) for daily parking. We inquired about self parking and were told it was not available and there was no plan to have it available. Maybe they lowered it very recently to the $15 quoted by kingsubbu, which would be very good.
All in all, a very good hotel in a great location. We had a very relaxing stay and would certainly return to this hotel when we next go to Kauai.
Last edited by psalflyer; Dec 22, 2009 at 2:53 pm Reason: Edited typos!
Dec 22, 2009, 3:51 pm
#39
Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: SoCal; DO-RAGS: Old Gold tagged, PIP, LatPass 1/2, AA 4MM, HH LT Diamond, Marriott Titanium/LT Plat, Omni
Posts: 9,180
Thank you very much, king, for the trip report, as well as the follow up by psal, as we are spending 5 nights there starting New Year’s eve. I also appreciated the 411 on local restaurants.
We have done the full gambit on Kauai in the past, including staying at some cabins, and this time spending one night in the soon to be ex-Hilton, two nights a the Poipu Hyatt, and the five at the St. R. I told the kids not to expect any tourist stuff as this is a recession (i.e. points/miles) vacation, but going to go tubing down the irrigation ditches, something that I have not done before. By recession I think that I mean that I can still afford to scuba dive, but another hula dancing exhibition is prohibitively pricey.
Since I’m only a gold I didn’t want to take a chance on the balconies at the St. Regis and anted up another 2,500 *points per night. I wouldn’t be surprised if the hotel is sold out for New Year’s, but may try for an upgrade later into the stay.
Thanks again, all, for posting updates.
We have done the full gambit on Kauai in the past, including staying at some cabins, and this time spending one night in the soon to be ex-Hilton, two nights a the Poipu Hyatt, and the five at the St. R. I told the kids not to expect any tourist stuff as this is a recession (i.e. points/miles) vacation, but going to go tubing down the irrigation ditches, something that I have not done before. By recession I think that I mean that I can still afford to scuba dive, but another hula dancing exhibition is prohibitively pricey.
Since I’m only a gold I didn’t want to take a chance on the balconies at the St. Regis and anted up another 2,500 *points per night. I wouldn’t be surprised if the hotel is sold out for New Year’s, but may try for an upgrade later into the stay.
Thanks again, all, for posting updates.
Dec 24, 2009, 9:18 am
#41
Join Date: Feb 1999
Location: Downtown Los Angeles 🏙️
Programs: FT Member # 642
Posts: 4,386
My Yelp Review...I just returned on Dec 21, 09
12/23/200910 photos
The last time I was at this resort it was part of the Starwood programs Luxury Resorts but it was not a St Regis. I loved this resort for it's location and views, suites and staff so when I heard that it was closed for a year for renovations and to become a St Regis I was very excited to see what the new resort was like.
The valet and bellman were fantastic. Many of them called us by name (Mr or Mrs G) after the first day. We left property A LOT so it was nice to see some familiar faces every day. Hi Bryson not Brandon....sorry my son's name is Brandon. 5 Stars
The front desk was superior too...darn...was it Henrik...sorry I am bad with names 5 Stars
Our room was nice but we didn't end up with a suite like our last stay and honestly it didn't look like they did much to the room from our last stay but it did have the same fantastic views. 4 Stars
The restaurants:
Makana Terrace formally the Hanalei Cafe 3 Stars http://www.yelp.com/bi... 3 Stars
St Regis Bar formally the Livingroom 5 Stars http://www.yelp.com/bi...
Their signature restaurant Kauai Grill was CLOSED the Sunday and Monday before Christmas and I did not know it and was waiting to try it before I left so 1 Star to them ...YOUR A RESORT and IT'S A HOLIDAY...http://www.yelp.com/bi...
The Napali Cafe was a cute little coffee/tea shop and Pricilla was fantastic 5 stars http://www.yelp.com/bi...
The food at the pool from the Nalu Kai Grill and Bar was good 4 Stars but the staff was excellent 5 Stars http://www.yelp.com/bi... Thanks a gain Noah and Frank...go Clips!
The pool remodel was nice except the adult jacuzzi was taken over by children and Richard didn't want to offend the parents of the kids and ask them to move about 50 feet to the kids jacuzzi 5 Stars for the pool 1 Star for the jacuzzi being filled with sometimes 12 kids under the age of 7.
1 Star for taking away the Luau...I know luaus are cheesy and touristy but this one that USE to be here was nice. It was like a mixer with a buried pig then great food and a nice small show...I was told it no longer fit the St Regis' image....whatever that means.
I loved the concierge... they were all fantastic 5 Stars to them. Leilani (IIRC) helped me with a lot of questions even if she wouldn't give me directions to the Queen's Bath because it is too dangerous (from what I was told..during the winter NO ONE should head there...so she may have saved my life)
This resort is amazing but...I still don't see much of a change for being closed for a year. Sure we had flat screen TV's in rooms and Ipod players and chargers. They still have the privacy window to the bathroom so you can instantly fog the window if you...well you know or unfog it and look out at the beautiful Makana aka Bali Hai as you shower or bathe.
I will definitely go back and maybe the Kauai Grill will be open but there are some really great finds in Hanalei just 5 minutes down the road. (see my reviews)
I am hoping the Kauai Grill manager Nicolas Lorentz and the St Regis GM Milton Sgarbia read this...hmmm...maybe I should email them this.
The links will not work so you need to go to my yelp review here http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-st-regis...RzgOFEhVBJTplQ
The last time I was at this resort it was part of the Starwood programs Luxury Resorts but it was not a St Regis. I loved this resort for it's location and views, suites and staff so when I heard that it was closed for a year for renovations and to become a St Regis I was very excited to see what the new resort was like.
The valet and bellman were fantastic. Many of them called us by name (Mr or Mrs G) after the first day. We left property A LOT so it was nice to see some familiar faces every day. Hi Bryson not Brandon....sorry my son's name is Brandon. 5 Stars
The front desk was superior too...darn...was it Henrik...sorry I am bad with names 5 Stars
Our room was nice but we didn't end up with a suite like our last stay and honestly it didn't look like they did much to the room from our last stay but it did have the same fantastic views. 4 Stars
The restaurants:
Makana Terrace formally the Hanalei Cafe 3 Stars http://www.yelp.com/bi... 3 Stars
St Regis Bar formally the Livingroom 5 Stars http://www.yelp.com/bi...
Their signature restaurant Kauai Grill was CLOSED the Sunday and Monday before Christmas and I did not know it and was waiting to try it before I left so 1 Star to them ...YOUR A RESORT and IT'S A HOLIDAY...http://www.yelp.com/bi...
The Napali Cafe was a cute little coffee/tea shop and Pricilla was fantastic 5 stars http://www.yelp.com/bi...
The food at the pool from the Nalu Kai Grill and Bar was good 4 Stars but the staff was excellent 5 Stars http://www.yelp.com/bi... Thanks a gain Noah and Frank...go Clips!
The pool remodel was nice except the adult jacuzzi was taken over by children and Richard didn't want to offend the parents of the kids and ask them to move about 50 feet to the kids jacuzzi 5 Stars for the pool 1 Star for the jacuzzi being filled with sometimes 12 kids under the age of 7.
1 Star for taking away the Luau...I know luaus are cheesy and touristy but this one that USE to be here was nice. It was like a mixer with a buried pig then great food and a nice small show...I was told it no longer fit the St Regis' image....whatever that means.
I loved the concierge... they were all fantastic 5 Stars to them. Leilani (IIRC) helped me with a lot of questions even if she wouldn't give me directions to the Queen's Bath because it is too dangerous (from what I was told..during the winter NO ONE should head there...so she may have saved my life)
This resort is amazing but...I still don't see much of a change for being closed for a year. Sure we had flat screen TV's in rooms and Ipod players and chargers. They still have the privacy window to the bathroom so you can instantly fog the window if you...well you know or unfog it and look out at the beautiful Makana aka Bali Hai as you shower or bathe.
I will definitely go back and maybe the Kauai Grill will be open but there are some really great finds in Hanalei just 5 minutes down the road. (see my reviews)
I am hoping the Kauai Grill manager Nicolas Lorentz and the St Regis GM Milton Sgarbia read this...hmmm...maybe I should email them this.
The links will not work so you need to go to my yelp review here http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-st-regis...RzgOFEhVBJTplQ
Jan 1, 2010, 11:10 pm
#42
Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: SoCal; DO-RAGS: Old Gold tagged, PIP, LatPass 1/2, AA 4MM, HH LT Diamond, Marriott Titanium/LT Plat, Omni
Posts: 9,180
With some excellent trip reports on this thread there’s not much that I can add to the hive knowledge, but I’m at the St. R. right now and fwiw:
There are only about 22 lanai’s, and not wanting to risk an upgrade I redeemed extra *points (22.5k vs 20K) to reserve one. YMPV, but I think that it’s great, particularly as we have our kids cycling in and out of the room. The first 7 rooms, I think 101-107 have the most unrestricted views from the lanai, the others overlook the pool. Again, YMMV, but we were happy not to overlook the pool.
The bathrooms have a clear glass that looks out to the ocean, but a switch puts the glass in privacy mode, although their are some TSA-like outlines.
The hotel’s experiment of making guests ask for coffee service apparently failed as “80% of guests asked” and so now each room has a coffee maker.
The service has been spectacular. Case in point: there is a kiosk that you have to drive thru before coming to the entrance, and the first time your parking pass is already prepared and then they call up ahead and the parking valet and check in already know who you are...a small courtesy, but still....
About 85% of the old staff came back, so it is a pretty happy and experienced crew.
There are only about 22 lanai’s, and not wanting to risk an upgrade I redeemed extra *points (22.5k vs 20K) to reserve one. YMPV, but I think that it’s great, particularly as we have our kids cycling in and out of the room. The first 7 rooms, I think 101-107 have the most unrestricted views from the lanai, the others overlook the pool. Again, YMMV, but we were happy not to overlook the pool.
The bathrooms have a clear glass that looks out to the ocean, but a switch puts the glass in privacy mode, although their are some TSA-like outlines.
The hotel’s experiment of making guests ask for coffee service apparently failed as “80% of guests asked” and so now each room has a coffee maker.
The service has been spectacular. Case in point: there is a kiosk that you have to drive thru before coming to the entrance, and the first time your parking pass is already prepared and then they call up ahead and the parking valet and check in already know who you are...a small courtesy, but still....
About 85% of the old staff came back, so it is a pretty happy and experienced crew.
Jan 2, 2010, 11:38 am
#43
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: The shape-shifting urban sprawl that is El Lay. FT member #71.
Programs: UA Gold & MM; DL & AA credit card dirt status; Hilton Diamond; Marriott Fool's Gold
Posts: 4,690
Jan 4, 2010, 8:29 pm
#44
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Tokyo, Japan
Programs: Starwood Platinum, Delta Platinum, AAdvantage Platinum, ANA Loser Status
Posts: 18
Just finished up a week in paradise ...
I also don't have too much to add to the hive knowledge ... other than as below.
Overall I would have been 100% satisfied if I was a regular guest (facilities, staff, spa, pool, views, food were all exemplary) ... but as a Plat SPG guy, I was a bit disappointed. Unlike others, I received virtually no Platinum recognition (basically the only thing I got was my 500 points thank you gift).
No room upgrade (they said all suites were booked... although I talked to other Plats at the resort that got room upgrades, so apparently I was just unlucky). The hotel was quite full during our stay ... so I am not calling them liars. But it was a big disappointment for me, but the views helped get me over it.
As others have noted, Plats do not get any of the items I have come to expect in other Starwood properties: no complimentary internet, no complimentary breakfast, no spa amenity access, no executive lounge, no wine tasting/happy hour, etc.
BTW ... non-suites apparently do not get butler service (which I always thought was a signature feature of St. Regis), which was hugely disappointing after being absolutely spoiled by our butler at the St. Regis in Singapore (which was amazing!!). And our butler in Beijing was no slouch either.
I would have hoped for some of these items (many of which I have experienced at other St. Regis properties).
Anyway ... I would give the hotel an A for service, staff, facilities, etc., but a C for Platinum recognition/amenities.
That said -- I will come back!
Overall I would have been 100% satisfied if I was a regular guest (facilities, staff, spa, pool, views, food were all exemplary) ... but as a Plat SPG guy, I was a bit disappointed. Unlike others, I received virtually no Platinum recognition (basically the only thing I got was my 500 points thank you gift).
No room upgrade (they said all suites were booked... although I talked to other Plats at the resort that got room upgrades, so apparently I was just unlucky). The hotel was quite full during our stay ... so I am not calling them liars. But it was a big disappointment for me, but the views helped get me over it.
As others have noted, Plats do not get any of the items I have come to expect in other Starwood properties: no complimentary internet, no complimentary breakfast, no spa amenity access, no executive lounge, no wine tasting/happy hour, etc.
BTW ... non-suites apparently do not get butler service (which I always thought was a signature feature of St. Regis), which was hugely disappointing after being absolutely spoiled by our butler at the St. Regis in Singapore (which was amazing!!). And our butler in Beijing was no slouch either.
I would have hoped for some of these items (many of which I have experienced at other St. Regis properties).
Anyway ... I would give the hotel an A for service, staff, facilities, etc., but a C for Platinum recognition/amenities.
That said -- I will come back!
Jan 18, 2010, 9:41 am
#45
Join Date: Jan 2010
Programs: AA BA CO DL UA US
Posts: 814
Hello, first post here at flyertalk.com.
In late Oct this year, I will be going on my honeymoon to Oahu and Kauai. It will be my first time in Kauai (second time in Oahu) and need opinion on hotels. I have narrowed down my choices to two: St Regis Princeville or the Grand Hyatt Kauai in the southern part.
Wife to be likes good pools, lagoons, and beaches.
Here are the pros and cons as I see it (I could be wrong).
- Princeville area has more to see (Na Pali Coast) and better beaches (Kee Beach).
- St Regis has an infinity pool, but it is rather small.
- Grand Hyatt has better swimming pools and a salt water lagoon.
I'll be staying for 4 nights and would prefer to stay only in one hotel rather than split the two. What do you think? Has anyone stayed at both hotels?
In late Oct this year, I will be going on my honeymoon to Oahu and Kauai. It will be my first time in Kauai (second time in Oahu) and need opinion on hotels. I have narrowed down my choices to two: St Regis Princeville or the Grand Hyatt Kauai in the southern part.
Wife to be likes good pools, lagoons, and beaches.
Here are the pros and cons as I see it (I could be wrong).
- Princeville area has more to see (Na Pali Coast) and better beaches (Kee Beach).
- St Regis has an infinity pool, but it is rather small.
- Grand Hyatt has better swimming pools and a salt water lagoon.
I'll be staying for 4 nights and would prefer to stay only in one hotel rather than split the two. What do you think? Has anyone stayed at both hotels?