520 Aleka Loop, Kapaa, Hawaii, United States | (808) 822-3441
Full kitchens in one- and two-bedroom condos
Inexpensive mai tais at the pool bar
Across the street from great restaurants and shops
Free parking
No resort fee
Free in-room Wi-Fi
Small pool
Can't swim near its rocky shoreline
Not very scenic; behind outdoor shopping mall
Fluorescent-lit bathrooms
Poorly maintained tennis court
No on-site breakfast options
This 108-unit time-share resort in Kapaa offers full kitchens (in most condos), free Wi-Fi, a popular seafood restaurant, proximity to good beaches and dining, and one of the cheapest resort pool bars around. You can't swim off its shore, but all told, it's one of the best deals in Kauai.
Scene
Not the most scenic locale, but still a great small resort with affordable rates on big condos and a popular island seafood restaurant
Hands down, this is one of the best value hotels on the island. The 108-room Kauai Coast in Kapaa rates high on many points, from its highly regarded seafood restaurant and cheap pool bar, to its affordable time-share condo units with kitchens, free Wi-Fi, and flat-screen TVs.While its location may not be the most scenic -- it's off the side of the highway, bordering an unswimmable stretch of the coast, and about a five minute's drive from the closest swimming beach (Lydgate) -- Kauai Coast's five manicured acres of plumeria gardens and coconut trees, bordering the east shore, make the most of its location.And while the condos at Kauai Coast Resort aren’t as cheap as the rooms at the next-door Aston Islander, they’re much improved. Service is better too: daily housekeeping, 24-hour front-desk receptionists, porters, and a knowledgeable concierge.Sure, you could get more features like a kid's club or direct beach access at the similarly priced Sheraton Kauai in Poipu or the Kauai Marriott in Lihue. But then you’re also looking at the several-hundred-room mega-resort vacation versus a more intimate experience at this 108-room hideaway.
Service
Far better service than at most other condo-hotels
At most condo-hotels, like Hanalei Colony and Whalers Cove, you're basically on your own. But the service at Kauai Coast Resort is closer to the level of service you'd find at a more conventional hotel or resort.- 24-hour front desk staff
Location
Less scenic locale, surrounded by affordable shopping and dining
Admittedly, Kauai Coast lacks the ruggedly scenic North Shore environs of the Hanalei Colony Resort, or the romantic rocky coastline of the south shore’s Whalers Cove or Castle Kiahuna Plantation. Instead, it's located right off the highway in Kapaa (a small town known for its shopping malls, hotels, and tourist-heavy traffic). Tucked right behind the convenient, but not too picturesque, Coconut Marketplace shopping village, it sits in between the Best Western and Aston Islander.- Over 70 souvenir shops and affordable, midrange restaurants at Coconut Marketplace shopping village -- just across the street
Beach
Shoreline isn't swimmable -- must drive to the beaches in Lihue or Lydgate
Kauai Coast fronts an unswimmable stretch of coastline -- rocks and choppy waves make for unpleasant wading. For the best beaches in Kauai, you'll have to drive at least 30 minutes to Kalapaki Beach outside the Kauai Marriott in Lihue, or 40 minutes to Poipu Beach (near the Sheraton Kauai, Outrigger Kiahuna Plantation, Castle Kiahuna Plantation, and the Waiohai Marriott).- Choppy waves; not good for snorkeling or surfing
Rooms
Big, time-share condos -- most with full kitchens -- but the charming island decor is standardized across units
All of the 108 units are actually time-share condos. But Kauai Coast ensures that each unit is kept to the same standard and furnished in the same charming -- slightly kitschy -- island decor: gold, red, and green curtains and bedspreads, four-poster beds, and dark-wood furniture.- Studios -- the standard room with a king-size bed -- start at 364 square feet (smaller, even, than the average standard hotel room at the Sheraton Kauai, Hilton Kauai, or Kauai Marriott).
Features
Not the features of a mega-resort, but still ample, including a small spa and fitness center
Kauai Coast Resort boasts just enough features to qualify it as true resort -- unlike other faux-resort condo complexes like Whalers Cove. Kauai Coast also has much more to offer than Castle Kaha Lani, and its unimpressive next-door neighbor, Aston Islander.- Single small pool with Jacuzzi and separate kids' pool and the Beachboy pool bar
Cleanliness
Clean rooms, pool, and common areas
Family
Fair for families: big condos with kitchens, but you can't swim on its beach
While it can't touch the kiddie dream that is the Kauai Marriott in Lihue (26,000 square feet pool, shallow-water section of the beach, craft lessons), Kauai Coast does offer a few advantages for families.- Small main pool and shallow toddler pool
All-Inclusive / Food
No breakfast, only sandwiches and salads at the pool bar for lunch -- but a top-notch seafood restaurant for dinner
While Kauai Coast's on-site (but independently owned) restaurant, the Hukilau Lanai, can be counted on for dinner, and the Beachboy pool bar serves a small menu of salads and sandwiches for lunch, there's no place open for breakfast -- guests will need to either cook in their kitchen or head across the street to the Coconut Marketplace shopping village, where you can find family-friendly restaurants like Eggberts that serve breakfast (mac-nut pancakes, eggs Benedict) into the afternoon.- Hukilau Lanai, an on-site but independently owned seafood restaurant, focuses on island cuisine that's made with locally sourced ingredients. Entrees -- like filet mignon or fresh mahi mahi; far less than it would cost at a resort in Poipu or Princeville. (Open for dinner only)
One Bedroom Garden View Condo
One Bedroom OceanView Condo
Studio
520 Aleka Loop, Kapaa, Hawaii, United States
(808) 822-3441