Kiahuna Plantation Resort: Good value for the money, even without mai tais
Written: Mar 01 '06 (Updated Mar 01 '06)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Great location, comfortable condo units, beautiful grounds
Cons: Confusing ownership (and thus rates and booking), NO BAR!!!
The Bottom Line: Our Bottom Lines enjoyed three relaxing days here, but our Upper Throats had to go next door for refreshment
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| Penguinlady's Full Review: Kiahuna Plantation & Beach Bungalows |
When we planned our recent trip to Kauai, we decided that we’d spend four nights on the North Shore in a vacation rental, and three on the South Shore. The two shores are quite different in climate, ecology, and feel, and we had no resort experience, which is what predominates on the South side. So after a lot of research, we found the Kiahuna Plantation Resort.
LOCATION
The Kiahuna Plantation Resort is in Poipu, on the South Shore of Kauai. It’s located at 2253 Poipu Road, Kauai, Hawaii 96756. Phone 808/742-2200, Fax 808/742-1047.
Information is available at:
www.http://www.outriggerkiahunaplantationcondo.com/index.cfm
and
http://www.castleresorts.com/KIA/?gclid=CM6p-d-Hv4MCFQkaLAod00K0oQ
Poipu Road runs along the southern edge of the island and is lined with resorts: from east to west, Hyatt, Marriott Waiohai, Kiahuna Plantation Resort, and Sheraton. There doesn’t seem to be much of a town in Poipu, there’s a shopping mall almost across the street from the Kiahuna Plantation Resort, and Koloa Town is about five miles inland. It’s also easy to reach from Lihue, the largest town on Kauai and the site of the airport.
GROUNDS
The resort encompasses 35 acres, right on the ocean. From what I could tell, the property is shaped somewhat like the Big Dipper, with the handle reaching behind the neighboring Marriott Waiohai resort.
The grounds are beautifully landscaped and maintained. Most of the buildings are two storeys tall and are grouped around large open lawns. Walkways meander through the property, and there are lush gardens everywhere. The biggest lawn runs along the ocean, about 8' above the sand; a lot of people chose to sunbathe there rather than right on the beach.
There are several professional-quality BBQs scattered around the grounds, each set into a brick unit. All grilling has to be done there; you can’t fire up the hibachi on your patio.
The resort bills itself as family-friendly, and we did see a lot of families with young kids, but we didn’t see a playground or any features just for them.
The beach is quite narrow, maybe 25' at the deepest. It’s also slightly sloped. But it covers most of the crescent of the little baylet and while it’s mostly protected from big waves, there’s enough that you can do some body-surfing. We saw some kids with long boards, but they paddled quite a way out. But the best thing about the beach is that we were able to see whales about a mile offshore. That alone was worth the plane fare.
OUR ACCOMMODATIONS
The Kiahuna Plantation Resort is a condo development, not a hotel or time-share. That means that each unit is privately owned and can be rented either via the reservations desk or the individual owners.
Our unit was in the low-rent district, in one of the buildings in the panhandle, behind the Marriott, so we didn’t have a view. But it had everything we needed and was quite pleasant. We had one bedroom, a bath with separate vanity, a small but complete kitchen, living room with dining area, and a nice balcony with table, chairs, and chaise. The furnishings were standard rental property style, mostly white with oak edging. The king bed was very comfortable and there were good reading lamps on each side. The unit had color cable television, VCR, an in-room safe, a ceiling fan, an iron and board, and a full kitchen with dishwasher, coffee-maker, blender for the mai tais, and a microwave. Ocean-front and ocean-view units get upgraded amenities, including bathrobes and daily papers. According to the literature, there was supposed to be a sleeper sofa, but our sofa didn’t open out.
The oddest thing about the unit is that instead of windows that open and close, there were plantation shutters... on the outside. The screens were inside, as was the lever to operate the louvers, but the actual slats were outside, for both the bedroom window and the front door. So a really determined desperado probably wouldn’t have too hard a time prying them open. And of course they bear the disadvantage of all such arrangements: fresh air OR privacy, but not both.
There’s daily maid service, but all they do is make the beds. (Ocean-view and -front units get upgraded maid service.) So all other housekeeping is your responsibility.
Our building was three storeys tall and we were in the middle. So while we could look out on a lawn edged with trees that separated us from the Marriott, access to the lawn and BBQ area was via the front door and around the end of the building. If we’d wanted to do some grilling, that would have been a nuisance.
AMENITIES
Swimming pools and tennis courts are available, but they are across Poipu Road. We didn’t get to them; who wants a pool when there’s the entire Pacific awaiting?
There’s a rental kiosk next to the beach access where you can get a beach chair and towel free of charge, and purchase soft drinks, beer, candy, and film.
The Activities Office has literature on all the attractions of the island, and the staff there will help you book reservations.
There’s a coin laundry center on the grounds.
There’s also a restaurant, the Plantation Gardens, which I will review separately.
There’s more, according to the website:
- Across the street from the Kiahuna Golf Course
- Near Poipu Bay Resort Golf Course, home of the PGA Grand Slam of Golf
- Barbecue and picnic areas
- Access to the amenities and services of the neighboring Sheraton resort
- Steps to shopping and dining at Kiahuna Shopping Center
- Upscale shops in walking distance at Poipu Shopping Village
- Activities desk
- Family-friendly accommodations
- Seasonal children’s program
- Postcards from Paradise, mailed free of charge
- Island Explorer Program, for kids staying at least three nights
WHAT WE MISSED
There is no beach, or any other, bar, other than the small one in the restaurant, which is only open at dinner and is away from the beach. So when we were ready for our 3:30 mai tais, we had to go to either the Sheraton or the Marriott. We aren’t huge drinkers, but a tropical drink on a hot afternoon at the beach is a real pleasure, and we couldn’t have that at the Kiahuna Plantation Resort. Big mistake on their part.
There’s also no lanai or patio where you can sit and enjoy the view. The lawn by the beach is the closest there is, and the view is impeded by a low hedge.
RATES
Here’s where it can get confusing. From what we could tell, the Kiahuna Plantation Resort is managed by both Castle Resorts and Outrigger Resorts. Each has their own website for the property, and each claims that they offer amenities that the other doesn’t. And of course, they both want you to book through them, rather than directly from the owners or each other.
Complete rate information from Castle resorts is available at www.http://www.castleresorts.com/KIA/rates.html.
If you want to book through Outrigger, go to www.http://www.outriggerkiahunaplantationcondo.com/index.cfm
Penguinman did the booking for this trip, so I don’t know for sure what we paid, and I’m not sure if there’s a difference between booking through Castle and Outrigger.
But on the Outrigger website, a unit for two adults at this time of year ranges from $235 for a garden view to $445 for a partial ocean view.
The Castle website lists rates for the Garden View, Ocean View, and ocean Front units, so that seems to be the place to go if you want the premium units. Castle's site also shows Internet specials that I didn't see on the Outrigger site.
Outrigger's site only mentions Garden View and Partial Ocean View, with discounts in several categories, but no Internet specials.
And of course, if you Google on “Kiahuna,” you might come up with individual condo owners who do their own booking, in which case, there’s no predicting the tariff.
SUMMARY AND VERDICT
We were on a budget and didn’t want to pay the outrageous freight at the neighboring resorts, so the Kiahuna Plantation Resort was just right for us. The condo unit was small but attractively furnished and supplied; we would have liked more of a view, but enjoyed the balcony facing the lawn and lush green trees. The only thing we definitely missed was a beach bar, and the resort lost some money because of that lack. (They must be aware of that, because the website boasts that guests have Access to the amenities and services of the neighboring Sheraton resort. Yes, where two drinks at their bar cost $18... no thanks. We did our imbibing at the Marriott Waiohai where we paid $14.)
If you’re looking for luxury and all the resort amenities, the Kiahuna Plantation Resort probably won’t suffice. But if you’re like us, looking for the crossroads of comfort and value in a low-key environment, it’s a good choice, and I give it four stars. Just be prepared to do your drinking elsewhere.
Recommended:
Yes
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