Hanalei Bay Resort on the North Shore of Kauai review

If you ask me where on the north shore of Kauai I would like to stay again my answer would be at the Hanalei Bay Resort. I just came back from a 5 night stay there. The resort is very beautiful and lush. Located on a hill with marvelous views to Hanalei Bay and Bali Hai, the resort is surrounded by beautifully-landscaped tropical gardens and has two pools (one of which has saltwater and is connected to a few waterfalls), a jacuzzi, laundry facilities, tennis courts, a gift shop, a food booth that is open for lunch, and of course… plenty of chicken running around!

Both pools are very nice, especially the saltwater pool. It has a rock bottom (which looks more natural) and most of the pool area is shallow (around 4ft). It is a little deeper only in one area (near the Jacuzzi, where it is around 5ft). Here they also offer free diving lessons.

The other pool has a round shape and usually fewer people go there, so if you want to sunbathe and swim at leisure, this pool is a good choice. One note I would like to make about this pool is that even though it says it is 4 feet deep, it is actually deeper. It is 4 feet only on the sides, but in the middle it is around 6 feet. It is good to know this if you can’t swim!

We were lucky to stay at a very nice recently renovated condo rented directly by the owner. If you book a room directly from the hotel, ask about the condition of the room because some of their rooms are a bit outdated.

If you plan to stay in this resort, having a car is highly recommended. I was originally planning to come to the resort with a taxi and just walk to the grocery store. But then I changed my mind and now I’m glad I did! The grocery store is far from the resort and if you don’t have a car you will be stuck.

Here I will briefly review the pros and cons of the resort.

Hanalei Bay Resort Pros:

• Located in one of the most scenic locations on Kauai’s north shore
• Well-maintained resort with nice ocean and mountain views. When it rains you can see cascading waterfalls running down the maintains in the distance.
• A complimentary shuttle service to the resort’s beach, Pu’u Poa, or anywhere within the resort
• Two great pools
• Internet access (for a fee) at the gift shop
• All rooms have lanais

Hanalei Bay Resort Cons:

• The resort restaurant is closed, so nowhere to dine out at the resort. Overall there are not many dining out options in Princeville. The only place is at the Princeville Resort, which is next door, or around Hanalei. Or you can buy some groceries from Foodland (the only grocery store in Princeville), located in the beginning of the town at the Princeville Shopping Center.
• Some of the lanais are not very private and they overlook other lanais
• The walls are thin and it can get a little noisy if you have noisy neighbors. For example, we had a very talkative neighbor who was sitting on his lanai across our condo and I could hear his voice all the way in the bathroom.
• Maid service is once every four days

Overall I really loved the resort and I enjoyed taking the videos and pictures below. I hope you enjoy them too!

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