Luxury family travel has a whole new meaning when you are in Hawaii, especially when you are staying at the Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort and Spa. This sun-kissed tropical paradise is located in the heart of the island. It is a luxury oasis with lush gardens and acres of pools that also offers ocean view dining, rooms with private lanais, championship golf, and a spa. This south shore escape is located in Poipu and is central to so many beaches, hiking trails, snorkeling area, site seeing tours, waterfalls, restaurants, shops, and more! My family and I had the opportunity to stay at this blissful beachfront property for a week and we will never forget the memories we created on the island. It was an epic vacation to say the least.
One of our favorite aspects of the resort is the fresh flower lei tradition when you first arrive, that there was fruit flavored water at the entrance to the resort every single day, and that you can grab a pineapple candy at the bell desk each afternoon. We also loved that they provide towels for you to take off property to go to the beach. You can also fill up your water bottles with the complimentary water stations all over the property. And there is also an area in the back of the resort for you to leave your lei if you’d like before you head home.
We loved the hospitality and our welcome gift from the resort!
The Property
Let me first share about this stunning 52 acre property. I will share in more detail later in the blog, but 7 of these acres are just the pool and water areas, which include a lazy river, a water slide, a saltwater lagoon, and an adult only pool for 14 years+.
Each and every crevice of the property is extremely clean and maintained. I don’t think I saw one piece of trash or unattended items the entire time I was there. I was truly immaculate! The entire property is extremely gorgeous day and night. And because the weather is ultimate perfection, warm with the perfect breeze, walking around at night with all of the lit torches is my favorite. Oh and did I mention a huge perk of this property is that there is ample FREE SELF PARKING?
And the property is just as beautiful in the evening!
And there is plenty of ways to shop without leaving the resort!
The Rooms
We stayed in an oceanfront view double queen room on the 6th floor of the resort. Since the property is so large, make sure you book a room in the location you desire most. Do you want to be closer to the pool and parking lot? Do you want to be closer to the Club access and spa? Our room was close to the spa and it definitely took about 10 minutes to walk to the car in the parking lot. It was quite a walk, so if you forget something (once we forgot our car keys in the room) it is a little time consuming to go back and forth, but after getting familiar with the resort and doing the walk a few times, it doesn’t feel bad at all.
The room was spacious for a family of four and I never felt crunched or compromised. The bathroom area was huge and we were all a little obsessed with the remote controlled bidet. We loved spending time on our private lanai (our balcony) that overlooked the ocean. We even had a few to-go meals that we ate on our lanai. The room also has a dining table area inside the room and a second table on the lanai. Furthermore, there is also a refrigerator!
The Pool Areas
We spent a lot of time in the pool areas and we couldn’t get enough. As I mentioned, 7 of the property’s acres are just the pool and water areas, which include a lazy river, a water slide, a saltwater lagoon, and an adult only pool for 14 years+. There are floats to rent on property and I highly recommend doing so (unless you can find an abandoned one near the pool). We grabbed ours the first day we arrived and left them on our lanai in the evening when we were back at the room so we had them for the entire week.
I don’t know if I had a favorite area, but my kids sure did! They loved the saltwater lagoon area. It’s shallow and has a walk up area with sand, similar to if you were at a calm beach. We probably spent most of our time there. We also spent a lot of time in a cabana near the 150-ft waterslide at the main pool (you need to be 42 in to ride). And I can’t tell you how many times my husband went down the lazy river while we were there. That was definitely his favorite! Check into the Recreation Desk to get your towels, floats, and cabana!
And you can always walk down to the beach…you can’t swim in the water, but you may see some sea life! There are also washing stations around the resort to wash off sandy feet!
The Food
We ate everyday on the property. We had Club Level access, so we ate breakfast every single day there. We also had lunch at the poolside restaurant while we were in our cabana, and we had two dinners on property, at Tidepools and The Luau.
Club Access
If you have the means, make sure to book a room with club access. You can eat there throughout the day and they have the best selections. They will also accommodate allergy sensitivities! In addition to a hot/cold breakfast, they also serve snacks midday, appetizers, soups, salad, etc., during happy hour, and desserts in the evening!
Tidepools
This top of the class restaurant is the ultimate dining experience where you have your meal in thatched-roof bungalows floating above a koi-filled lagoon at the base of a waterfall. Make a reservation at least a month in advance, because tables go quickly.
Hale Nalu
This poolside restaurant is located in a vintage surf shack and offers a satisfying menu with everything from fish tacos to fresh salads, burgers to smoothies, and assorted lite bites. They also have shaved ice and my favorite, Lappert’s, ice cream, too! You can order right from your pool chairs or cabana! Also, if it’s on the menu, my shrimp salad was incredible!
Ilima Terrace
This open-air breakfast spot comes with an ocean view! Order from a buffet or ala carte from the menu each morning!
The Luau
If you have the opportunity to book the luau while you are in town, I highly recommend it. Honestly, they served the best poke I have ever had (seriously the best on the island) but it is also an entertainment experience you will never forget and your kids will love it! The show is a journey through the rich cultural history of the Hawaiian people where you can discover the stories of Hawaii’s land and people through ancestral music and dance.
Includes: All you can eat buffet dinner, open bar and entertainment. The luau runs Monday, Wednesday & Saturday 5:30pm.
I’ll be sharing more in a separate luau post soon!
The Activities
There is a lot to do on property while you are there. There are hula lessons, lei making lessons, morning yoga, ukulele lessons, artisan shopping, live music, bird watching, lawn games, koi feeding, bike rentals, and so much more!
There is also a fitness center on property.
There is also a full service spa on property!
And there are walking trails and mini hikes on both sides of the resort!
Nearby Attractions
The island is small enough that you can go to each side of it and back in one day. We took a day and drove to the North side of the island and it’s only about an hour or so drive. We just stopped a bunch along the way to drink out of coconuts, eat shaved ice and açaí bowls, and see waterfalls! It was a fun adventure!
We also went tubing while we were on the island as well as took a boat tour to the Na Pali coast. We didn’t do a helicopter tour or ziplining during this trip, but we have it on our list when we come back one day!
Thank you again to the Grand Hyatt Kauai for hosting us and partnering with us for this magical trip to your paradise. If you are considering going to Kauai, this is your sign to book your trip and reserve your rooms now!
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