Please help- Kauai advice needed

We are looking for a package deal for 7 nights in May- hotel and car rental. We are not looking for anything too luxurious, but rather something moderate ranged, ideally beach front with lots of water sports and activities available but not a mecca for families and children (we are a couple in our 20 and 30s) nor a honeymoon retreat!

We plan to spend the week exploring Kauai- hiking and driving the coast, SCUBA diving, snorkeling, sailing etc. For this reason it is not so important the quality of our hotel- something that is nice but does not need to be extraordinary as we imagine that our experience is going to be mostly shaped by our adventures outside of the hotel!

Our budget for the hotel and car will be $1000- $1500 for 7 nights (as we want to spend our money on SCUBA and dining!).

Please let me know your thoughts on which is the best hotel and location for us. It is our first time to Kauai.

THANK YOU!!

Please help- Kauai advice needed

I%26#39;m a firm believer in condos, both because they%26#39;ll give you much more room than a hotel room, but also because you get a kitchen. Since it sounds like you have a bunch of activities planned, the kitchen allows you to put together your own snacks and drinks together to support them.

That being said, I love Poipu Kai on the south shore. I just did a quick check on suite-paradise.com, and they have a 1BDR condo at 1000 sq ft for 7 nights with a full-size car for less than $1,400 including taxes.

This puts you near a bunch of dive operations that can take you out to Sheraton Caverns or even to Niihau. It%26#39;s also not too far from the great hikes around Waimea Canyon and the Napali Cliffs.

The beach out front of Poipu Kai isn%26#39;t great for snorkeling, but Poipu Beach is only 5 minutes away, and there are tons of beaches all over the island to explore.

Please help- Kauai advice needed

Aloha!

Your budget will limit your choices a bit.

I suggest you look into the ResortQuest Islander on the Beach, the Kauai Beach resort, or the Kauai Coast Resort. All three are well located east side. The beaches for these resorts are not really swimmable so you will have to travel a few minutes by car to get to a swimmable beach. You MIGHT get a condo at Kiahuna Plantation that would place you on a GOOD beach.

Bryan Brown

BBrown9825@aol.com

Thanks guys! We had actually considered a condo to begin however, as it is going to be my birthday I would prefer not to have to clean up after my partner for the entire week! (

Hotel= maid service= happy birthday girl. :-)

Had already been looking at the ResortQuest Islander.... definitely on our options list. Will check out your other suggestions Bryan.

Any comments on the Aloha Beach Resort?

Many thanks!

Aloha!

FYI...many condos have daily maid service!

Also, Aloha Beach resort is not my favorite...a little worn around the edges, but not bad. Definitely not a first choice.

Bryan Brown

BBrown9825@aol.com

I am also a big fan of the condo%26#39;s on Kauai! I found that one of the best values on a nice condo was the Wailua Bayview on the east side. Not only are all of the units OCEAN FRONT (not just a view of the ocean, but only about 30 feet from it!) but most all of them have in unit laundry (a real plus if you have ever tried to use one at a resort or hotel!). They all have A/C too which is nice, especially in the summer months when the humitity is high. You can see them at www.wailuabayview.com. One of the best units there is #201, and you can check it out at:

http://wailuabayview.com/wbv201.html

an can be had for just $750 a week and they have deals on rental cars there too.

I hope that this helps out some ;-)

Aloha :-)

Dan

Why are there two different websites for the same property?

http://www.wailuabayview.com

http://www.wailuabay.com/

Confusing isn%26#39;t it?

wailuabay.com is the rental agent. wailuabayview.com is the photographer%26#39;s site. He is a sub-agent for the rentals. Your inquiry goes to the reservationist at wailuabay.com no matter which website you use. Might as well go straight to the source. The reservationist at Wailua Bay View can offer package with air and/or car.

BTW - Wailua Bay View doesn%26#39;t have daily made service. So, you can make your own bed - or leave it unmade. It%26#39;s all good!

Thanks Hula. It is an interesting sales strategy - saturate the market!

Returning to my original plea for help. I am looking for HOTEL recommendations in the moderate range on the island of Kauai...

If anybody out there has any additional suggestions for a basic yet nice place to stay that is not over-run with children nor honeymooners and can provide basic services in a clean, safe, and appealing setting, please advise.

If you have any particular opinions about the ResortQuest Islander that would also be helpful.

Thanks again to all.

-zen

For an active couple in May, I would recommend staying on the east side. That will put you midway between scuba on the south shore with hiking in Waimea Canyon, and hiking and snorkeling on the north shore. It%26#39;s also where you%26#39;re more likely to find accomodations in your price range.

Islander On The Beach has recently been renovated and the rooms look pretty nice. But they are just that - hotel rooms that have been converted to condo ';suites';. Very small and no kitchenette, but a fridge and maybe a microwave oven. The beach there is relatively non-swimmable due to the rocks and shore break.

The Aloha Beach Resort is OK, but very kid friendly....with lots of them.

The Coast Resort At The Beachboy is a great place and is home to one of my favorite restaurants, the Hukilau Lanai. Might be too expensive, but check with them for specials. If you%26#39;re in the military, they have been giving some amazing discounts.

You might also take a look at the Courtyard by Marriott. It%26#39;s not a bad place and pretty reasonably priced.

The Marriott in Lihue is conveniently located with a nice pool area, but might break your budget.

Good luck with your decision, and have fun diving!

Dear Kwils and others-

Thanks again for your guidance. I know that if you are a regular to this forum and active contributor than you probably see the same requests for help over and over. But for those of us who only get to visit the beautiful island once, we rely on the insight from folks like you.

I am taking your advice about the East coast- the logic seems good to me! I think we may splurge on a Jeep just to make it fun. :)

I will let you know what we decide. We simply do not want to spend a fortune on lodging- as a. it is NOT our honeymoon (not yet!) and b. we don%26#39;t plan on being in the room all that much!

I will let you know how we go.

-zen