I planned a big Hawaiian birthday adventure for my husband in February. We spent two weeks there and visited three islands. This was our third trip but we had not been to Kauai before. Since this would not be one of my usual budget trips, I immediately knew I wanted to stay at The Grand Hyatt Kauai.
Location & Hotel Description
The Grand Hyatt Kauai is a luxury beachfront property featuring an amazing pool complex, a beautiful golf course, a spa, and multiple dining options. It is located on the southern tip of Kauai in Poipu just 11.8 miles from Lihui (LIH) airport.
This resort is renowned for being one of the best places to stay on Kauai so we were excited to have the opportunity to visit there during our trip.
Price
At the time of our stay, the Grand Hyatt Kauai was a Category 7 Hyatt property which cost 35,000 points per night for a standard room, 45,000 points for a room with Lounge access, or 70,000 points for a suite. Unfortunately, Hyatt has just announced their annual category changes and this resort will increase to a Category 8 by the end of this month.
I began trying to book this hotel in September for our February stay. Because our dates fell over President’s Day, many families were there on winter break. Availability was limited and our dates weren’t flexible, so we had to settle for only 2 nights.
At the time of our stay, a Standard King room was $2,724.92, but I booked it for 35,000 Hyatt points per night. One of the best parts of paying with points is you also avoid paying the long list of hotel taxes and fees.
Although I was happy with our booking, I got lucky and received a Hyatt Guest of Honor Certificate that some very nice people shared with us. Thanks Stephen & Shae! We only have a low-tier Discoverist status with Hyatt. The GOH Certificate provided us with top-tier Globalist status and all the benefits that come with it. That meant we got Lounge access, free parking, a 4 pm late check-out, and a mind-blowing suite upgrade! This really provided an elevated experience for my husband’s birthday trip!
Customer Service
When we arrived at the hotel, Coreen expertly handled our check-in. She pulled a rabbit out of her hat that landed us in an amazing suite! She also gave us a bottle of Champagne as a Welcome Amenity. While we were unpacking, they also delivered a bottle of red wine and 4 cupcakes for my husband’s birthday! He was truly spoiled on this vacation.
We requested a late checkout in order to enjoy the fantastic property as long as possible. Because they were fully booked, they could not accommodate the request to extend our stay in the suite. However, Coreen asked us if we were willing to move to a standard room at regular check-out time. We agreed and they sent a Bellman to move our bags. It worked great and we got to spend 5 more hours floating around the lazy river and snacking in the Lounge. We were so impressed with all the staff at the Grand Hyatt!!!
Our Room(s)
Welcome To Our Suite Life!
I am pretty sure my jaw dropped when I walked into our suite. We came into a large entryway with a full-length mirror and a bench perfect for putting on our shoes. The first thing I noticed was how much space there was.
Once inside the suite, there was a dining area for 4 along with a kitchenette which included a microwave, refrigerator, and a Nespresso machine. There was also a comfortable workstation positioned next to a window that provided lots of natural light. There was a full living room with a large flat screen TV (never turned it on) and an entrance to the bedroom.
The bedroom had large louver doors that could be closed for additional privacy. It also featured 2 massive closets, a chest of drawers, another TV, and underbed lighting. The closets were filled with fluffy robes, suitcase stands, ironing supplies, a safe, and a handy reusable beach bag.
I loved the large bathroom. There was a separate toilet room, a soaking tub, a large shower with handheld and rainshower faucets, a double sink vanity with plenty of storage, and decent lighting.
The luscious bathroom amenities were from the Anara Spa.
We were located in the building below on the ground level. It’s a bit of a hike to the Lobby, Shops, and Dining but we didn’t mind. We enjoyed spending time on the walk-out lanai. It had an ocean view and we saw some beautiful sunrises there.
Our Standard Room
When we were moved for our late check-out we were informed that all Standard Rooms have a golf course or garden view. The room was on the opposite side of the resort from where our suite was. We thought it was a bonus because it was very near the Lounge and the Pool area where we planned to spend the remainder of our time.
Of course, this room was much smaller than our suite but it had everything we needed. There were 2 Queen beds, a coffee station with a mini fridge, a table with 2 chairs, and a garden-view lanai. My only complaint would be that it had less natural light, which made the room seem much darker.
The closet had a luggage jack, extra pillow, bath robes (a little less fluffy), some drawers, and a safe. The bathroom was smaller but still met our needs. We were happy to have a place to shower and get ready after our 5 hours of bonus pool time.
Parking and Resort Fees
Here is the current list of items included in the $55/day Resort Fee at the Grand Hyatt Kauai. Whenever I stay at a hotel with a Resort or Destination Fee, I pull up the list of what is included on the hotel website. Sometimes there are fun activities, free equipment rentals, or discounts. When booking a Hyatt with points or a Free Night Certificate, the Resort Fee is waived but you still get all the perks.
Valet Parking is $40 per day or Self Parking is included in the Resort Fee.
Amenities
- The pool complex includes multiple pools connected by a lazy river, saltwater pools with a sandy beach, plenty of beach chairs, and 2 hot tubs. You can rent tubes at the activities desk for $8 for 4 hours.
- Fitness Center – 24 hour
- Anara Spa – 7:00 am – 7:00 pm
- Poipu Bay Golf Course – 6:30 am – 6:00 pm
Dining and Drinks
The Grand Club Lounge formerly Dondero’s
We utilized the hotel Lounge each morning for breakfast and loved the ocean-facing outdoor seating. Each day we were there they offered different entree selections (eggs, sausage, fried rice, etc), fresh fruit, juices, coffee, a variety of meat and cheeses, pastries, and breads. We would visit again between 5 and 7 for a substantial snack and an adult beverage. They had a decent variety of beer, wine, and cocktails.
- Continental Breakfast 6:30 – 10:00 am
- Snacks 12:00 – 4:00 pm
- Cocktails & Hors D’oeuvres 5:00 – 7:00 pm
- Desserts 7:30 – 8:30 pm
Stevenson’s Library
An Elegant location for sushi and cocktails. We popped in for an appetizer and cocktail and really enjoyed it.
Seaview Terrace
Dinner and drinks with live music. They have both indoor seating and an oceanview terrace. We grabbed an appetizer and a drink on the patio while enjoying the beautiful evening and the local music.
Hale Nalu – 11 am to 5:30 pm.
This was a great option for us on our last day when we didn’t want to leave the pool area for lunch as it’s conveniently located in the pool area. They offer burgers, salads, shave ice, and other light fare. The food was good but priced as you would expect at a luxury resort.
Dining Options we didn’t have time to try
- Honolulu Coffee Company – Coffee shop with some breakfast options
- Ilima Terrace – Breakfast & Lunch
- Captain’s Bar – Outdoor bar located in the pool area
- Tidepools – Dinner (steaks and seafood)
- Grand Hyatt Kauai Luau – Wednesdays & Saturdays (click the link for pricing)
What We Like
That’s easy, EVERYTHING! Two days wasn’t enough to experience everything this resort has to offer. This is a fantastic property and we had an amazing experience. I can’t wait to go back. I am already creating a strategy to earn enough points for our next stay.
Some options to increase your Hyatt points are to get a Hyatt credit card and earn through your spending. You could also transfer Chase points to Hyatt or buy points when they are on sale (which would probably be cheaper than paying the cash rate which includes all the taxes and fees).
What We Don’t Like
Cash rates for this hotel are very expensive. Once this property moves up to a Category 8 it will no longer be able to be booked with even a Category 1-7 Free Night Certificate. That tier change also means the number of points required to book an award stay will also increase.
Final Thoughts
This is one of the nicest resorts that we have stayed at. Of course, we can’t wait to go back. The stars aligned to make this a wonderful trip for us.
We have Discoverist status through our World of Hyatt credit card. Unfortunately, we don’t stay at Hyatt properties enough to earn a higher tier status. That means this elevated experience was probably a one-time deal for us. I am just glad we had this opportunity to live large for my husband’s big birthday.
Thanks again to Stephen & Shae for helping make our stay amazing!
The World According to Dev 