Visit Hawaii: Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort

1. Location

Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort (former Hyatt Regency Kauai) is located on the white sands of Shipwreck Beach in Poipu. Stroll through 50 acres of lush gardens to discover waterfalls, free-form freshwater pools, and a 5-acre saltwater swimming lagoon.

Green-tiled, double-pitched roofs cap the white stucco buildings – none higher than a coconut tree, according to Kauai law.

As soon as you arrive to Grand Hyatt Kauai, you will be greeted with an orchid lei that will make you feel like you are in paradise. The lobby will remind you of a grand and elegant plantation overlooking the sea. It is decorated with Italian marble, koa wood, old stone crocks and wooden bowls. There are lush gardens filled with tropical plants and flowers that you can smell everywhere. Alongside the gardens, you will see wild-colored parrots, some in cages, some sitting on perches.

2. Rooms

Rooms at the Hyatt Regency Kauai are spacious and stylish, decorated with bamboo furniture and unique island art. Full-length sliding glass doors lead to a private balcony. Your room will have a comfortable bed with two nightstands, two chairs, and a dresser/entertainment unit.

Marble bathroom is larger than at most hotels, and includes everything from suntan lotion to sample lotions from the on-site Anara spa to bathrobes. It has a shower/tub combination, and a double basin vanity area. It comes in handy when two people are trying to get ready at the same time! There are convenient glass shelves on each side of the vanity where you can put all your toiletries.

Every room has a great view of sweeping ocean vistas, the hotel lagoons, or the Haupu Mountains. Royal Garden View rooms are located on the ground floor, nestled among lush tropical gardens.

There are 565 rooms and 37 suites in 2-story buildings. Each room features:

600 sq ft
Beds: 1 king or 2 doubles (over 100 rooms have 1 king + 1 double)
Air-conditioning
Private lanai
Color cable TV with pay movies
High-speed Internet access
Minibar
Refrigerator
Coffee maker with coffee supply
2 phones
CD player
Hair dryer
Bathrobes
Iron and board
24-hour room service
Daily maid service
Turndown available upon request

Regency Club
This concierge level consists of 40 incredible beautiful rooms with a private lounge access. The lounge serves complimentary food all day, starting with continental breakfast and ending with evening drinks and snacks. You will not even need to go out for dinner. The lounge décor is very comfortable, and it is a great place to meet fellow travelers.

3. Restaurants

1) Tidepools

Grand Hyatt Kauai's most romantic and unique restaurant! It is set up in grass-thatched huts nestled amidst flowing waterfalls and koi fish lagoons. Make sure to request a table next to the water so you can enjoy the view. Food is excellent, especially grilled fresh fish and steaks.
Open for dinner 6pm-10pm, lounge open 5:30pm-10pm.

2) Ilima Terrace

Tropical gardens, lagoons filled with brightly colored fish and rare must swans surround Ilima’s open-air dining area. This restaurant features breakfast buffet, lunch and theme dinner buffet.

Breakfast includes everything you could possibly want: eggs, pancakes, toast, bacon, sausage, variety of cereals, miso soup, rice, fruit, juices and milk.

Lunch menu includes crisp garden salads, specialty pizzas, mouth-watering sandwiches, or the fresh catch of the day.

Stop by on Sunday for the lavish Champagne Brunch Buffet (6am-11am) that features made-to-order omelets, sushi bar and pasta station.

Serving breakfast, lunch and dinner daily.

3) Dondero's

Italian bistro beautifully decorated with inlaid marble floors and exquisite Franciscan murals. Experience the regional cuisines of Italy with classic dishes that have been passed down from generation to generation.

Begin your meal with a superb Carpaccio Salad, then select a savory entrée such as Dondero’s Ahi, Cioppino, or freshly made pasta. Dessert choices include flavored Grappa, classic Tiramisu, or Vanilla Crème Brulee.

Open for dinner 6pm-10pm.

4) Poipu Bay Grill and Bar

Hyatt Regency Kauai’s newest restaurant is located in the Clubhouse of the Poipu Bay Golf Course adjacent to the resort. Begin your day overlooking brilliant Mt Haupu and the 18th hole of the golf course while feasting on mango, berry and banana pancakes, or dungeness crab hash.

After a tough day on the course, try the local Hawaiian Plate, ahi sashimi, or a tasty crab melt sandwich followed by one of their tropical drink specialties or an ice-cold beer.

Open for breakfast and lunch daily.

5) Stevenson's Library

This is a lounge reminiscent of a late 19th century “library/game room”. It has high ceilings with floor-to-ceiling sold wood paneling in a mahogany finish, certainly different from usual Polynesian bars that you see in Hawaii.

Great place for a light dinner or drinks. You can sit down to listen to some jazz in a cozy book-lined room, or go out to the ocean view terrace. Try pizza, or fondue, and their signature cocktail – Lava Flow (pina colada with pureed strawberries).

6) The Dock

This is just the place when you are in the mood for a quick burger, sandwich, salad, cold drink or a frozen confection.

Get a to-go snack like freshly cut pineapple and head out to a hammock to read a book and relax in the sunshine while enjoying the cool tropical breezes. Waitresses come by regularly to bring you drinks, so there is no need to get up.

Open 10:30am-5pm

7) Kuono Cafe at Anara Spa

This open-air café offers light and healthy cuisine for breakfast and lunch.

8) Drums of Paradise Luau

Discover culture and cuisine of Polynesia at this lively celebration. The feast includes local favorites like Kalua pork (baked in the underground oven), sweet potatoes, poi, haupia (coconut pudding), fresh salad and fruit, and open bar with tropical drinks all night. In the beginning, you will see some Hawaiian craft demostrations. Then a talented cast of performers will show you the island legends through music and hula, Tahitian and Samoan fire dance.

You can make luau reservation at the hotel after you check in. It runs Thu and Sun 6:00pm-8:30pm.

9) Private Dinner Experience

What better place for a romantic dinner for two than in a tropical garden under a ceiling of brilliant stars? Personal waiter will serve you a complete dinner at a private table on the beach. You can choose one of 3 pre-set menus, or create your own menu from a delectable assortment of the Chef's specialties.

4. Things to do

Beach
The beach in front has beautiful white sand, but it's not very good for swimming. There is high surf most of the time, and many rocks near the shoreline - that is why it is called "Shipwreck Beach". The east end of the beach is marked by a large cliff that is a popular spot for local guys to jump off into the ocean (don’t try this at home). It is also a wonderful spot for watching the sunset.
Outdoor showers and water taps are cleverly tucked away in convenient spots along the path from the beach to the Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort, so you can rinse off sandy feet and swimwear on your way.
Pools
Hyatt Regency Kauai has 2 swimming pools (one of them adult-only), plus an elaborate 2-level fantasy pool that meanders over a couple of acres and includes waterfalls, caves and 150-ft waterslide. There are several small “islands” with relaxing Jacuzzis and hammocks swaying between palm trees.
All pools are open 24 hours a day, making it easy to forget that the ocean is just beyond the sand dunes. There are many lounge chairs poolside, and you can get anything else you need (sun umbrellas, floating lounges, games or towels) for free from the rental booth.
Anara Spa
This is a wonderful spa with lava-rock shower gardens, 10-headed Swedish shower, health-food cafe, 25-foot lap pool and hot tub.
You can relax with native Hawaiian treatments offered nowhere else, like cocoon seaweed wrap or special Lomi Lomi massage that begins with ancient chant.
Daily Spa Fitness Membership is available and includes use of all exercise equipment (they have stairmasters, treadmills, lifecycles, gravitron and free weights), all fitness classes, and the lap pool.
The spa’s selection of fitness activities has earned Anara praise and recognition as one of the world’s greatest spas.
Children's Program (fee)
Camp Hyatt offers half- and full-day programs for children age 3 1/2-12. They will learn to hula, make flower leis, create seashell sculptures, feed Koi fish, play games and discover Hawaiian arts and crafts.
Camp Hyatt is open every day. Full day sessions are from 9am to 4pm and include lunch. Half-day sessions start at 9am, noon, or 1pm and last 3-4 hours. Night camp is available from 4pm to 10pm.
Poipu Bay Golf Course
This links-style 18-hole, par-72 course is truly one-of-a-kind. It is backed by lush emerald mountains and sculpted from a rolling plateau 8 stories above the blue waters of the Pacific Ocean. Manicured greens are accented by ancient stone ruins. Robert Trent Jones Jr. designed this course so that each hole has a magnificent view.
Quite often, you will see rare Hawaiian monk seals and green sea turtles sunbathing on the beach below, or humpback whales playing in the ocean. You’ll have lots of wild excuses to back your scorecard!
Each November, Poipu Bay Golf Course hosts the star-studded PGA Grand Slam. At the 2001 event, Tiger Woods became the first player ever to have 4 consecutive wins in this competition.
This outstanding course offers some exceptional amenities. In-cart high-tech satellite navigation system lets you find out the exact distance to the hole and pin placement, and you can compare your scores to the previous players – Nick Faldo, Greg Norman and David Duval. Average players should arrive with adequate supplies of anti-depressants!
To tune up your game, you can participate in the daily clinics and video instruction sessions from the helpful golf pros.
Hyatt Regency Kauai guests received discounted green fees and preferred tee times.