Go Back  FlyerTalk Forums > Miles&Points > Hotels and Places to Stay > Hyatt | World of Hyatt
Reload this Page >

Grand Hyatt Kauai REVIEW- MASTER THREAD - mid-2011 Forward

Community
Wiki Posts
Search
Old Aug 20, 2018, 3:29 am
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
Last edit by: FlyinHawaiian
SHOPPING
1. Safeway
a. Multiple locations (2)
b. Significantly more polynesian/asian offerings in regards to food, Made in Hawaii, Grown in Hawaii goods

2. Longs Drugs
a. CVS-owned; all CVS coupons and rewards are accepted.
b. Many locations, including Lihue and Poipu https://longs.staradvertiser.com/loc...p?island=kauai
c. Stores have a more significant focus on local items and goods than Mainland CVS stores.
d. Reliable source of distilled water for CPAP users.

2. ABC Stores
a. Significant number (3) of locations, accessible.
b. They carry almost nothing but local items, and also beer

3. Costco (2.6mi from LIH):
a. Gas up before dropping rental car off. It was at least $0.80/gal cheaper than anywhere else (8/20/18)
b. Kauai/Kona coffee, other gifts (e.g., macadamia nuts in multiple preparations)
c. Gift cards for local vendors are often available
d. Food court (many of the same items as continental US with same prices)
4. Walmart (1.3mi from LIH). Exceptionally busy. Busy store inside/outside/around it.
a. Beach/pool toys
b. Snacks (if you don’t have a huge family staying a long time to eat Costco bulk item)
c. Souvenirs (they have a section in the front for this)

KAUAI TOURS/SELF-GUIDED ADVENTURES
Swimming/Snorkeling
1. Poipu Beach - Massive reef offshore, with a reef onshore separating two beaches. With the closure of Tunnels/Ke'e/Lumahai beach due to landslides on Kuhio highway, Poipu beach has one of the top snorkeling spots on the island currently, and is just 5 minute drive from the hotel. Turtles and monk seal are spotted here regularly
2. Lydgate Beach - protected snorkeling spot perfect for beginners. Located on East side of the island. This looks close, but traffic in Kapaa can make this a 45 minute drive.
3. Anini Beach - Northeast on island, 1 hour to reach. Reef with significant amounts of sea life.
4. Tunnels Beach/Ke'e Beach - currently closed. 1 hour 30 minutes away. Snorkel right next to the beginning of the Na Pali coast, with significant amounts of turtles. Before Kauai restores access to the beach via Kuhio Highway, residents are strongly considering limiting access to the beach (no vehicles, only shuttles, or limited number of vehicle permits sold per day). Parking fills up fast here, and these beaches are the end of the road on island.


GUIDED TOURS
1. Wailua River + Secret Falls Hike. 30-45 minute drive from hotel. Cost $40/pp. 4 hour+ trip. 1 mile of kayaking followed by a short hike to a large waterfall. Some tours offer pineapple as a snack at the waterfall. Some offer just chips or granola bars like what you might buy from Costco.
2. Kauai Sugarloaf Pineapple. See the Huber families sugarloaf pineapple farm. Hole in the mountain farms is situated on 38 acres of land, where you will be given the rare opportunity to taste sugarloaf pineapple. An extremely low acidic pineapple that has a core that is edible, and not stringy. $65/pp w/ free pineapple and smoothie. The ARV of the pineapple you receive will be around $8-15. Sugarloaf pineapple sells for $3-4 a pound, with an average pineapple being 5-6 pounds in size. This is a once in a lifetime experience. 1 hour from GH Kauai http://kauaisugarloaf.com BOOK TOURS IN ADVANCE. We booked two weeks in advance, and at the farmers market on a Wednesday we overheard them say they were booked out for 2 weeks (so almost September). They only do tours on Thursdays.
3. Chocolate Tour. Lydgate Farms has a chocolate tour. $95/pp
4. Captain Andy's Tours. Captain Andy is currently leaving out of the south shore in Port Allen. He offers all 3 kinds of boat tours. 55ft catamaran w/ restroom, warm water rinse, cooked lunch, snorkeling, napali coast, alcoholic drinks included (up to $179 pp). They have smaller boats that do not have restrooms/rinse/cooked lunch, but will go in the sea caves. And then they have raft boats that require you to wear gloves, and are very much a thrill ride. They do beach landings in those, and basically anything. The choices are listed from most comfortable to least comfortable. 55ft catamaran is the preferred way for most

HIKING/SIGHTS
1. Kalepa Ridge Trail. 1 hour from GHK. Free. 2 hour round trip. 1.7 mile hike. Classified as hard by alltrails.com. For the time and distance you walk, this trail beats the Awaawapuhi Trail
2. Awaawapuhi Trail. 55 minute from GHK. Free. Half day. 6.7 mile hike. Classified as moderate by alltrails.com. It is a longer hike, but once you get to the end, the views are IMO better than the Kalepa Ridge Trail
3. Canyon Trail to Waipoo Falls. 50 minute from GHK. Free. 3 hours. Hike to a the top of a waterfall on the Waimae Canyon.
4. Heritage Trail. Literally on the beach at the GHK. Free. Not necessarily a crazy cool hike
5. Wailua Falls: do some research if you plan on doing a hike down to the waterfall
6. Spouting Horn. 7 minute drive from GHK. Underwhelming, but worth it to say you've seen it. 2-3 minute drive from Spouting Horn is the Kukui'ula Village Shopping Center, which has a Bubbas Burger/Tortilla Republic/The Lanai/Merriman Fish House/Eating House 1849, Dolphin, Ruth's Chris and other restaurants. To see the spouting horn, you will walk past a 150-200ft of street vendors selling crafts, everyday of the week.
7. Queen's Bath-dangerous, slippery and muddy on way day, rocky and if you are inside you may get washed out by the waves. But go at sunset and you'll see why.

FARMERS MARKETS
1. Kukui'ula Village Shopping Center - Wednesday Evening, 3:30PM - 6PM. Kauai Sugarloaf Farms attends this, and will let you try their pineapple and buy tours here. There is supposedly a beer garden, but I didn't find it. There is also food from restaurants there, as well as a booth by the "Pie Lady" (The Right Slice).

RESORT FEE INCLUDES
1. Free self-parking (for all, not just Globalist)

2. Free laundry in each guestroom with free laundry pods

3. Towel at Valet for excursions (and after 7pm for pool)

4. Free bike use

5. Sunscreen at pool

6. Hospitality lounge for early arrival & late departing flights

7. Refrigerator in all rooms
  1. Self-parking
  2. Two complimentary refillable water bottles
  3. Purified water stations
  4. Poipu Bay Golf Course and Clubhouse shuttle service
  5. Coffee maker in room with Hawaiian coffee and tea
  6. Complimentary self-service washer, dryer and detergent
  7. Reusable logo tote bag located in closet
  8. Access to 24 hour Anara Spa fitness center
  9. Fitness and yoga classes at Anara Spa
    1. See daily activities schedule, 14 years and older
  10. Hospitality lounge for early arrival & late departing flights
  11. Welcome lei greeting
  12. Guided sunrise walk Monday - Saturday
  13. Hawaiian crafters daily in lobby
  14. Wildlife Walk twice weekly
  15. Hydroponic Garden tours twice weekly
  16. Entertainment and hula at Seaview Terrace
  17. Torch lighting ceremony three times per week
  18. Ukulele, lei-making and hula lessons
  19. Koi fish feeding and parrot talk
  20. Sunscreen samples at pool recreation desk
  21. Mountain Bike use - based on availability
  22. One hour tennis court time daily
    1. Reservations required, equipment rental available
  23. Complimentary boarding pass and incoming fax printing
  24. Unlimited local and toll-free calls
  25. In-room safe
Print Wikipost

Grand Hyatt Kauai REVIEW- MASTER THREAD - mid-2011 Forward

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Feb 17, 2017, 12:15 pm
  #1411  
 
Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 470
Originally Posted by levilevi
Wow - I had no idea! Where??
There were three sets of machines in the ice room outside of room 1026 (or near there) in the poipu wing.
We also noticed a set of machines on the 3rd floor of the shipwreck wing. Not sure where else they are.
pickles1107 is offline  
Old Feb 17, 2017, 12:33 pm
  #1412  
skj
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: IAH
Programs: UA 2MM, Hyatt Diamond, SPG Gold
Posts: 2,164
Originally Posted by levilevi
Wow - I had no idea! Where??
I know there's one laundry room on the 1st floor of the Poipu wing. I think there's 1 or 2 others on the property. There's maybe 3 washers and dryers in each room. They tend to be heavily used throughout the day, and of course, there's a few who think the facility is only for them and they leave the clothes in the machines long after the cycle is done. While it's great they're there, surely you can find something better to do on Kauai than your laundry :-)
skj is offline  
Old Feb 21, 2017, 4:29 pm
  #1413  
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
 
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: PHX and LIH
Programs: AA: 2 MM
Posts: 85,572
Just finished a stay of a couple of days to destress from the "working vacation" of a stay at our condo down the road.

Everything is still excellent, except the club certainly isn't what it was a couple of years ago. (Of course, that free Champagne in the old days was part of what made it great!) Breakfast was OK each day. The croissants used to be great - that wonderful flavor and flakiness you get in a good patisserie. Now, kind of like an OK buttery crescent roll. Nothing in the chafing dishes (morning or evening) was ever anything but lukewarm. Several times, the afternoon and dessert cookies (the chocolate chunk especially), hadn't seen the inside of a hot oven any time lately, that crumbly tastelessness of an old cookie. The macadamia nut cookies were usually better - sometimes, actually chewy. The shortbread quite good. The evening hot choices were very good, just not hot.
ILuvParis is offline  
Old Mar 9, 2017, 7:35 am
  #1414  
FlyerTalk Evangelist, Ambassador: World of Hyatt
 
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: NJ
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, Fairmont Lifetime Plat, UA Silver, dirt elsewhere
Posts: 46,919
A heads up for this summer. I just spoke with the reservations manager at the hotel, and they told me they will not be offering cash & points during the summer.

All other options, such as points & points with a suite upgrade are available - of course, if the rooms are available.

Apparently, they are under siege with people trying to redeem their points and suite upgrades
Mary2e is offline  
Old Mar 9, 2017, 7:37 am
  #1415  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: DTW, but drive to/from YYZ/ORD
Programs: Chase Ultimate Rewards 2MM, Diner Club points
Posts: 31,920
Originally Posted by Mary2e
A heads up for this summer. I just spoke with the reservations manager at the hotel, and they told me they will not be offering cash & points during the summer.
How in demand is c&p at this GH? Just noticed c&p disappeared for a week around thxgvg. would have been going back with the amazing F fares out of YYZ.
rufflesinc is offline  
Old Mar 9, 2017, 8:59 am
  #1416  
FlyerTalk Evangelist, Ambassador: World of Hyatt
 
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: NJ
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, Fairmont Lifetime Plat, UA Silver, dirt elsewhere
Posts: 46,919
I didn't ask. But I was told they don't offer it during periods of high demand. Thanksgiving would probably be high demand
Mary2e is offline  
Old Mar 9, 2017, 9:04 am
  #1417  
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
 
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: PHX and LIH
Programs: AA: 2 MM
Posts: 85,572
Originally Posted by Mary2e
I didn't ask. But I was told they don't offer it during periods of high demand. Thanksgiving would probably be high demand
I would think they would be in huge demand. 12.5 thousand points and $150? IMHO, it's an incredible deal. We used it in February (though it was booked many months ago).
ILuvParis is offline  
Old Mar 9, 2017, 9:10 am
  #1418  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: DTW, but drive to/from YYZ/ORD
Programs: Chase Ultimate Rewards 2MM, Diner Club points
Posts: 31,920
dubsdubs
rufflesinc is offline  
Old Mar 9, 2017, 9:13 am
  #1419  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: DTW, but drive to/from YYZ/ORD
Programs: Chase Ultimate Rewards 2MM, Diner Club points
Posts: 31,920
Originally Posted by ILuvParis
I would think they would be in huge demand. 12.5 thousand points and $150? IMHO, it's an incredible deal.
Dang, should have booked it when it was offered. Now its gone, every single day of the week I wanted to go
rufflesinc is offline  
Old Mar 11, 2017, 11:19 am
  #1420  
Moderator: Hawaii-based airlines & Hawai'i forums
 
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Ka ʻĀpala Nui, Nuioka
Programs: NEXUS/Global Entry, Delta, United, Hyatt, IHG, Marriott, and Hertz
Posts: 18,043
Just returned from a four-night stay. Overall, we were very satisfied.

We booked a points and cash stay late last Autumn and then used my 2017 TSU to get us into a Garden Suite. I made some soft inquiries before our arrival for an additional complimentary upgrade but upon check-in, we were told that nothing was available. We were offered an upgrade to an Oceanview Suite for $150 a night and after thinking about it, I bit. Boy, was I glad that I did!

We were given Suite 5016, a corner suite in the Poipu wing just past the Club. The suite was extremely spacious and had spectacular views of the ocean and beach below. The bedroom windows face east and we saw some spectacular sunrises (sadly, we were on East Coast time for most of our stay). The best part of the room was being able to leave the lanai doors open at night (there are screen doors) and enjoy the cool night breeze and listen to the surf outside. During the day, we opened up the bedroom windows to get some cross-ventilation going. One day, I had the windows open too wide and a bird flew in, but luckily it was able to find its way out. I heard that the bedroom rooms may have had screens at one point but I think they were removed to make it easier to clean the windows (and maybe too many guests were removing them to take photos out the window).

The staff we interacted with were universally friendly and helpful and full of the Aloha Spirit. Some nice touches for our stay included a bottle of red wine and a cookie and dried fruit amenity one day and a bottle of sparkling wine the next day. We also received phone calls and emails from various managers and representatives introducing themselves to us and checking on our guest experience. The lounge staff made it a point to greet us by name each time we saw them and we were given two drink chits from one of them for our pool day.

The only negatives were very minor; the most serious was the staff's unfamiliarity with the new Globalist benefit for the Resort Fee waiver when it comes to cash and points reservations. I've covered this in other threads but to recap, only one person (the Assistant Manager) I spoke to seemed to know that cash and points is an eligible rate for the fee waiver. I spoke at length with her at check-out about this, so I hope she's able to get the rest of the staff updated for other guests (although from Mary2e's post, this may be a moot point for the majority of the year).

I was also annoyed by the lack of bedside electrical outlets; the only one was a single quad outlet in the middle of the wall behind the bed. I had to pull out the poster bed and nightstand to use it as I have to use a medical device at night. If you have similar needs, I suggest you contact the property before arrival and have them connect a power strip so you won't need to do what I did.

I also didn't like the soaps and lotions - they are a coconut and mango scent and pretty aromatic. Sadly, I am allergic to mango and while I doubt I was at risk from the bath products, I asked for them to be swapped out. This was quickly done and replaced with the standard KennetMD products. I'll just mention this for anyone else with similar sensitivities.
Attached Images      

Last edited by FlyinHawaiian; Mar 22, 2017 at 3:12 am
FlyinHawaiian is online now  
Old Mar 11, 2017, 12:16 pm
  #1421  
skj
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: IAH
Programs: UA 2MM, Hyatt Diamond, SPG Gold
Posts: 2,164
Originally Posted by FlyinHawaiian
I also didn't like the soaps and lotions - they are a coconut and mango scent and pretty aromatic. Sadly, I am allergic to mango and while I doubt I was at risk from the bath products, I asked for them to be swapped out. This was quickly done and replaced with the standard KennetMD products. I'll just mention this for anyone else with similar sensitivities.
I realize you're concerned about an allergic reaction, and that changes the entire equation, but ... I love this stuff. My wife thinks I'm nuts because it's the only cosmetic type item that I get excited about. I don't know exactly what it is, and it's probably something as simple as a reminder of many great stays at GHK that I can bring home with me. I know I can get it by mail order, and I don't do that, but I do carry home a bunch of it after every visit.
skj is offline  
Old Mar 11, 2017, 4:52 pm
  #1422  
Moderator: Hawaii-based airlines & Hawai'i forums
 
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Ka ʻĀpala Nui, Nuioka
Programs: NEXUS/Global Entry, Delta, United, Hyatt, IHG, Marriott, and Hertz
Posts: 18,043
I wish I had known; I would have gladly mailed you a set of our bath amenities. For those not familiar, here's a link to the products of which I speak: http://www.anaraspa.com/products.aspx
FlyinHawaiian is online now  
Old Mar 31, 2017, 9:56 pm
  #1423  
 
Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 227
Trying to find out the room situation here in the coming days as I booked a GOH reservation for a friend's honeymoon, to see what their upgrades chances are and/or how much it will cost to confirm an upgrade. But I keep getting transferred to Hyatt corporate reservations phone line by their phone operator. How does one get in touch with someone in reservations at this hotel?
princesakura is offline  
Old Mar 31, 2017, 10:01 pm
  #1424  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Depends on the day!
Programs: Marriott/Lifetime Titanium Hyatt/Explorist, Hilton/Silver, IHG Spire,UA Gold
Posts: 17,832
Originally Posted by princesakura
Trying to find out the room situation here in the coming days as I booked a GOH reservation for a friend's honeymoon, to see what their upgrades chances are and/or how much it will cost to confirm an upgrade. But I keep getting transferred to Hyatt corporate reservations phone line by their phone operator. How does one get in touch with someone in reservations at this hotel?
Call the hotel directly, and ask to speak with in house reservations. I've always done that in the past, and they've been helpful and knowledgeable.
bsdstone is offline  
Old Apr 1, 2017, 11:00 am
  #1425  
FlyerTalk Evangelist, Ambassador: World of Hyatt
 
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: NJ
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, Fairmont Lifetime Plat, UA Silver, dirt elsewhere
Posts: 46,919
I emailed with the in-house reservations team, and it really is only 1 person who is very busy.

They are not able to do what most in-house groups are able to, particularly since everyone wants to go to this hotel and think that by calling the hotel directly, they can get more of what they'd like.

And as much as I'd like to help, please don't ask me for the name of the person or the email address because of the staffing situation there.
Mary2e is offline  


Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

This site is owned, operated, and maintained by MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Designated trademarks are the property of their respective owners.