Visit Hawaii: Hanalei Bay Resort Kauai

1. Location

Hanalei Bay Resort Kauai is a well-run hotel but the real draw to this resort is the location. 16 low-rise buildings sit atop a cliff overlooking Hanalei Bay and the North Shore.

The grounds are great for roaming - there are 22 acres of lush gardens, winding paths, palm trees and waterfalls. Plumeria trees are blooming everywhere, and make the grounds smell fabulous. It feels that Hanalei Bay Resort Kauai still keeps the genuine spirit of old Hawaii.

There is a beach a short walk downhill, and the resort is also very close to the best beaches of the North Shore.

One thing to keep in mind is that the North Shore of Kauai gets more rain than other parts of the island - still plenty of sun though. North Shore is more lush, less crowded, and has more outdoor things to do than other areas of the island.

2. Rooms

Your room at Hanalei Bay Resort Kauai will be very spacious, with high, sloping ceiling and large private lanai. Rattan furniture and island art add a casual feeling to the room. While is is not a luxury room, the amenities are more than adequate.

Your balcony will have a patio table and 2 chairs. In the morning, you can eat breakfast while looking at the Na Pali Coast and listening to the birds - unforgettable time.

If you splurge for a 1-bedroom suite, you will get a full made-to-order breakfast and 2 afternoon cocktails each day. There is also a full kitchen which is very convenient if you are staying for a week or longer. It includes full-size refrigerator/freezes, stove wtih oven and dishwasher. Another nice feature is the 2 TVs, one in the bedroom and another one in the living room.

Each room features:

Size: studio and hotels rooms are 570 sq ft, 1-bedrooms are 1,091 sq ft
Beds: 1 king or 2 doubles
Air-conditioning
Private lanai
Hotel rooms have refrigerators;
Studios - kitchenettes (2-burner stove and dishes);
1-bdr suites - full kitchens
Color cable TV
In-room movies (fee)
Coffee maker
In-room safe (fee)
Daily maid service

Hotel room/studio floor plan:
Hotel or studio floor plan

1-bedroom floor plan:

3. Restaurants

1) Happy Talk Lounge
This is one best places on Kauai for sunset cocktails. You can listen to live music while sitting outside and enjoying the ocean breeze and soothing sounds of a nearby waterfall.

Open from 11am to 10pm

2) Bali Hai Restaurant
This is one of Kauai's most romantic restaurants. The views of the ocean, setting sun, and the rugged Bali Hai peak are so gorgeous that you can hardly concentrate on the food.

The restaurant's specialty is Pacific Rim cuising made from fresh island ingredients, many of the herbs are grown in the resort's own garden.

Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

4. Things to do

Beach Activities
Hanalei Bay Resort Kauai is not on the beach but on a cliff right above it. Hanalei Bay shares this beach with Princeville Resort.
A 3-minute stroll down the hill through canopy-like lush foliage, and you reach a beautiful quarter-mile, golden-sand, palm-fringed beach. If you don't feel like walking, you can ride a golf cart down.
The resort rents out boogie boards, and offers scuba and snorkeling lessons.
Pools
Hanalei Bay Resort Kauai has 2 pools. The upper pool is one of the nicest on the island. It looks like a lagoon with a small sandy beach and realistic lava-rock waterfall. There is also a nice sand-bottom Jacuzzi next to it, that is never too crowded.
Second pool is smaller and round, with a few sun loungers and barbecue area.
Golf
While Hanalei Bay Resort Kauai does not have its own golf course, Princeville Resort's Prince and Makai courses are next door. You will receive discounted rates and prefererd tee times at both courses.
Makai Golf Course has 27 holes divided into three 9-hole tracks - Ocean, Lakes and Woods. The Ocean/Lakes combo is the most popular, with Ocean the most challenging of the three. The inland Woods is a wind test and includes Zen bunker, with a boulder plopped in the middle of the huge sand pit.
Prince Course is currently ranked #51 in Top 100 US Courses Poll by Golf Digest. It may easily be the most challenging course in all of Hawaii. This is an incredibly difficult 18-hole, par-72, 7,309-yard course. Tiger Woods has yet to match par in 3 attempts at the Prince.
The course consists of 390 acres of rolling jungle, gorges and cliffs, and you can see the ocean from all 18 holes.