Ko'a Kea Resort

Enjoy the whole experience from checking in ( which they let us Check in an hour early since our room was ready) to the last day . The room we had overlooked the beach and the sunrise every morning was fantastic . The pool is clean and temperature of the pool water is perfect. We will be coming back

Excellent staff and great location. We have stayed at Ko'a Kea before, but it's now completely overpriced and not worth it. It almost feels like there's price fixing happening with some hotels on Kauai. Ko'a Kea is definitely NOT worth $1,000 per night for their standard garden room. Yes, that's their standard room. That price includes the $40 a day plus tip for compulsory valet parking. Check out VRBO for a better value. Also, the room was supposed to have been recently renovated. It still needed work. Other guests had the same overall sentiment. Not a good value.

We stayed here for five nights. Pros Location great Very clean Our garden view room had some ocean view The Yoga class and Yoga instructor deserves a ten star. Valet was great. Free drinking water. Cons Not enough loungers by the pool Nobody was there to set up the towels Very short staffed Concierge were not very knowledgeable or helpful. The food at hotel was very expensive.

Resort did not meet our expectations being priced on the high end. we stayed for 4 nights. The hotel needs updating. The access to beach is damaged, and stairs of the sand bags felt very unsafe. I looked forward to the lamb chops at Red Salt and they did not have it, wait time to be seated is 6 minutes with reservation - TONS of open seats. Mandatory valet parking to out car 20 steps away on top of resort fee. The room came with a bottle of wine, but we aren't allowed to drink it outside of our room. We took the wine elsewhere and paid corkage fees on our anniversary night. We had to make other plans to make our 10th anniversary memorable - we were roomed near Marriott and people can see us from their rooms, not private. What we like: arm band keys, welcome leis and 2 pieces of chocolates.

I really enjoyed my stay here while in Kauai. All of the staff that we encountered were so friendly. The room was beautiful, too! The bed was very comfortable, and I really loved the bathroom! The shower was huge! We didn't partake in any of the hotel's activities, but it is right next to the beach. And they offered complimentary Mai tai's when we checked in. It's within walking distance to the Poipu shopping plaza. Parking is valet only, which we didn't mind. But it is something to be aware of. I would definitely stay here if I come to Kauai again.

Beautiful hotel. We had the best time here during our visit to Poipu. Last minute we had to get a hotel and I'm so glad we went with this one. We had stayed at a resort very close by with the America's best pool reputation so the first part of our vacation was full of families . This place however is practically adults only so this was a welcomed change of ambience. I love a no splash zone. There's an extremely pricey onsite restaurant and a casual pool bar. The drinks at the pool bar are a bit steeper than other Hawaii hotel pool bars but theyre good and they have a daily happy hour starting at 3. They also have Alo sunrise yoga but I did not partake as I don't wake up at the crack of dawn. We really loved our beautiful oceanfront room. My favorite part of the room was the Nespresso machine, cozy robes and a dual head shower. Some of the best snorkeling is a two minute walk away. I will say that the pool lounge chairs did get snatched up quickly so if you're visiting in the summer that could be an issue since I think the occupancy was probably half full when we were here in January. As another review mentions KoaKea is really more of a hotel than a resort. There's just one pool and one very hot jacuzzi. We still had a lovely stay here. It's in a wonderful location. Only downside was that they only offer valet only so someone always has to go get your car and park it, probably due to lack of parking. All in all I wouldn't hesitate to stay here again.

We love Kauai, we pick a resort to stay in after our timeshare week. Loved this place so relaxing lovely and great service. We did get very bored with the food options as I'm vegetarian. I'd have ordered the veg burger twice but it wasn't available evenings. In fact, that's when food was hard here. Very very lovely spot but since only two nights we didn't want to drive out to a restaurant because we were drinking some and just wanted a pool beach lounge time. We'd come back but have to bring more actual foods instead of just snacks.

We stayed at Ko'a Kea after some nights at another hotel. We arrived much earlier than regular check in but there was a room available, which was really nice. We booked with Chase so there were some extra perks, which were nice, like free breakfast and a credit for food or retail. Room was nicely decorated. Robe and flip flops to use, a chilled bottle of wine in the fridge and some chocolates. Service was excellent. I took advantage of sunrise yoga most mornings we were there. The hotel was very quiet, which I appreciated. The pool is small. You should know that the property is not on a beachfront. You either walk a couple minutes to Poipu Beach, or go down some sandbag "stairs" to the beach that is adjacent to the hotel. Overall a nice property that I would consider staying at again.

Highly recommend staying at Koa Kea Resort on Poipu Beach. It's peaceful and quiet, so perfect for adults. The rooms were very clean and all the staff were so nice. The location is amazing with walking access to the beach and great snorkeling spots. The view is also incredible. Can't wait to stay here again!

Enjoyed a three night stay for a baby moon at Ko'a Kea. All the staff were very friendly and room was very clean and comfortable. We ate breakfast at the onsite restaurant which was a little pricey but delicious. We were here during the bad storm and the power went out around 3am but it wasn't out long. Great location to the area beaches.

Pros: Beautiful setting Red Salt (only tried breakfast) Beachside Yoga Nespresso in room Clean Cons: Front desk staff not very friendly (save the one that checked us in later) Unaccommodating (even with significant notice, unable to let us do early check in OR late check out) Limited hours for the available amenities (which felt minimal for a "resort") No included beach equipment (available for added fees) No one aware of included perks of our reservations (even when I asked it was hard to find someone to direct us) like included breakfast and experience credits Valet parking ONLY (where they park 20 ft away) Flip Flops included with the room did not fit (asked the front desk for a larger size but they didn't have one that would be appropriate for a size 9-10 women's) $$$ I have never felt less accommodated at a hotel, let alone a luxury hotel claiming to be a 4 star that costs as much as this one does. Unfortunately we had only one night to spend on the island. We arrived very early in the morning to Kauai from Oahu and I called first thing when we arrived on the island to see if it was possible to get an early check-in (particularly as this was booked through my capital one as a part of their "Premier Collection" which promises things like early check-in, late check-out, and room upgrade when available). They told me they would try ("no promises") and that it wouldn't be until after 1pm. So, we do some other activities on the island and swing by around 2pm. We pull up to find that the only parking on the property available is a paid valet ($35 for them to park your vehicle less than 20 feet away with no apparent security or other benefit to merit this). We go in and are told that they do not have our room ready for us and it won't be ready until closer to 4pm (regular check in time). Front desk person was the same woman I had spoken to in the morning and was not apologetic or helpful at all on arrival. While in town, we were visiting family and had dinner obligations so were hoping to freshen up and relax for a bit, but had no time if we couldn't check in until 4p. We pre checked in and then headed back out. We were at dinner visiting until around 7p so didn't get to officially check in and get to our room until about 7:30/8p (by this time the pool bar and most of the other "resort" amenities were closed or closing). The woman at the front desk this time was very kind and offered me a spot in the morning yoga class (even though you are supposed to have signed up before 7p the evening before class) which I accepted. The next morning, I got up early to participate in yoga which I really enjoyed- calming class and lovely setting overlooking the beach. While I was at yoga, my husband went to the front desk to request a late check out which we were denied completely. I have never had them unable to accommodate AT LEAST one of those things (early check-in or late check out) especially given advance notice both times and our type of room was not a particularly exclusive room where there were few available. Now, our room came with "breakfast for 2" and a "$100 experience credit" per our booking confirmation. No one seemed aware of this or offered any explanation about how to go about using it and what we could use it on. Upon further investigation we were told we could get breakfast at Red Salt and spend $100 on uncovered amenities (dining, gift shop, etc.). So, we went over to Red Salt for breakfast. Again, no one was able to tell us what "breakfast for 2" meant, so we ordered whatever we wanted and discovered that this meant $100 towards breakfast so after drinks and breakfast we still had a pretty decent bill. The food and waitstaff at Red Salt were excellent though! Following breakfast, we tried to go out to the beach. We waited until the beachside stand on site opened (9 am) and then rented (surprised to find there were was NO included beach equipment at this resort and prices were fairly expensive on an hourly bases) a surfboard and fins/body board. We enjoyed about an hour out as we then had to get back to our room to shower up and pack so we could get out by the 11 am check out time. I can't speak to many of the amenities given our limited available time at the resort, outside of the ones mentioned above. We had to say past check out to even use our complimentary drinks at the bar because they were already closed when we checked in and they didn't open until after check-out (11am).

The entire stay was glamorous and very homey. The view from our balcony was spectacular. The staff is incredible and so nice and efficient. Housekeeping is always on it and does an amazing job each day, providing new towels and a nice clean bed. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner at Red Salt is to die for. Happy Hour down by the pool is amazing, while being able to watch the waves or just sit by the pool and soak up the sun. We definitely will be back and recommend to friends!

We did a lot of research trying to pick a nice, clean, and comfy place for lodging during our baby moon and Ko'a Kea checked off all those boxes. We often make the excuse, "well the hotel doesn't have to be perfect, we'll be out most of the time and just need a place to sleep at night," while traveling, but seeing as how we couldn't be as adventurous as we usually are, the room was a huge factor in our decision. I'm not sure why, but a lot of other hotels looked outdated and weathered, but this place is beautifully maintained both inside and out. The grounds are perfectly manicured and the rooms are cozy enough to stay inside all day if you like. Ko'a Kea is a stones throw from Poipu beach, so bring your snorkeling gear and reef-safe sunscreen. The lawn is the perfect place to catch the sunset, which we wish we would've done more of. The pool is not the most impressive, but it's clean and gets the job done. The staff is very attentive and the overall service is what truly makes it feel like a 4 star experience. As great as our whole stay was, there are a couple things that stood out to us. To call this place a resort is a stretch. There aren't enough recreational activities and amenities for this to be a resort. It's quite small, so unless you're an expert in lounging, you'd probably be bored after the first day. With that said, it is a lovely boutique hotel. Because of the size of the hotel, you'll probably be in and out frequently while exploring the island. This is where the valet-only option may become a bit annoying. Also, keep in mind you'll be paying nearly $100/day in parking, resort fees, and taxes, so having to rent beach umbrellas and chairs, along with tipping valet so frequently makes you question where all those fees are going. Overall though, the staff all around the hotel are courteous and quick with all requests. If you're all too used to the hustle of living in a city and caught up in the rat race, it might be hard to shut off. We learned that's a skill in itself. Kauai really taught us to not constantly look to the next destination, but to take a moment to enjoy where you are and take a beat. Ko'a Kea's setting and service helps to do just that and although it might cost a pretty penny, I'd say it was totally worth it.

Beautiful location , walking distance to Poipu beach . The hospitality was amazing. We loved drinks by the pool , starting with a complimentary Mai Tai. The restarting Res Salt was delicious . Room was comfortable and loved it . We will be back.

Ko'a kea is an amazing destination. I can't emphasize what a perfect experience we had. The room was nice size great patio close to the pool and the bar. The proximity to the ocean is great. The on site restaurant red salt is incredible and convenient. It's a small resort geared to adults. The vibe is chill and enjoyable. Personally I don't care for screaming and splashing at the pool. The pool and spa is super relaxing. All the guests are nice honeymooners and couples. The bed was comfortable great size bathroom. The patios are so enjoyable. Great tvs (we were there for the super bowl and Olympics) so we did fire up the tv. The staff are helpful and friendly from the front desk ,valet,housekeeping everyone. The location is perfect. We can't wait to return

THIS IS A WONDERFUL PLACE!!! From the arrival greeting, to the check in process and then being escorted to our room, we were so taken care of! Everyone has been so kind and helpful! Traci who checked us in, was so very courteous and thoughtful making sure that we knew of all the amenities the hotel has to offer and adventures that are available if we wanted to purchase those. So far this has been a wonderful experience! (Costco Travel)

Nice hotel with a good location. All of the staff were friendly & helpful, especially Matty!!! The hotel was clean & housekeeping came daily. They have washer/dryer available, pool bar & restaurant along with a nicer restaurant option. My recommendation is that they have larger beds in a double room, self service parking option (we come & go frequently) & remove the lighting between the bathroom/bedroom area. The lighting looks nice but disrupts guests that are sleeping. Overall it was a nice hotel, very pleased!

Hands down one of the best places to stay in Kauai. Yes, it is pricey but the rooms are wonderful and access to Red Salt (restaurant) is such a plus. It is our favorite restaurant on the island. breakfast or dinner, you won't be disappointed!

I would love to give this resort more then just 5 stars. This place is moreeee than amazing and the staff at the whole Resort are incredible, from the General Manager Sharolyn, Michael Front Desk Manager, Becky Front Desk Agent, Elisha Rental booth, Valet Staff, Bar staff, etc .. the connection you make with these incredible people made it so hard for my Fiancé and I to just say goodbye to them. For a person who has a phobia of water and has never stepped foot in an ocean their entire life to just falling in love and swimming 24/7 in it is unbelievable. The beauty and peace you find on this very Resort is breathtaking and unexplainable. This is the place you NEEED to be !!!! Thank you Ko'a Kea Resort for this amazing experience I will definitely be going back.

This hotel was fabulous. Very small, which is what we were wanting. A small walk to a shopping mall with restaurants and a close walk to the beach with some sea turtles. The staff was super nice and when our early car service didn't show up was very helpful in getting us their local cab so we wouldn't miss our flight. Definitely would stay here again and highly recommend!

Great poolside bar for afternoon cocktail. The bartenders are friendly and engaging. I enjoyed the Poipu on the Rocks, Ciroc mango vodka, passion fruit purée and sparkling wine. It was light, refreshing and just sweet enough.

The most amazing resort. So peaceful and relaxing and not too many kids running around. The staff were amazing so attentive and helpful and the most spectacular experience. I will 100% be coming back here soon!!

Hotel was great, maid service was awesome, front desk very nice and helpful. Valet was great except one guy every single time he worked not friendly. Doesn't even say hello, he always works during the day. Otherwise the hotel is great.

Just loved this boutique hotel. Oceanfront room well worth it as it's like you are on the ocean. Rooms spacious and beds very comfortable. It's the little details they paid attention to that makes your stay excellent. Grounds are small and pretty. Staff very nice. Only have valet but staff are super nice and will get your car anytime. Highly recommend

Overall, we enjoyed our weeklong stay at Ko'a Kea. It was a pleasant but unspectacular stay. The rooms are clean and tastefully appointed; the Nespresso machine was a nice touch, for instance. The pool and hot tub are average. The restaurant is incredibly expensive and we didn't bother trying it. Also, bear in mind that full ocean-view rooms are more akin to partial views (you need to upgrade to a deluxe room for an entirely unobstructed view). Service was good and we appreciated the front desk offering us a complimentary 1 hour guest room to get ready for our flight after checking out.

Here's the thing - nothing they did was terrible. Everything could probably be bucketed into first world problem. And if you see my other reviews, the trip itself was fantastic. BUT this resort has amazing reviews - most romantic resort, best in Kauai, etc. I don't get it. It's nice - good views, nice little spot along the beach. It is small so it's fairly quiet. That's where the good ends. Now the not so good - the pool is nice, but you also need to stale your claim early since there aren't a ton of available chairs, it's a windy part of town and the towels that fit on the chairs were out after our first day and never came back the rest of the trip, so any of our other resort days, if we got up for a second, all our stuff would go flying away. When we arrived, we couldn't check in until the last possible minute - we arrived at 12:30 but they had said we may not have a room until as late as 4 though they would try to get sooner. After eating by the pool and leaving to go to the market and coming back, we checked in at 3:15. Still no room. While we waited, the manager came by and said for our patience they would like to give us some chocolates. Nice gesture, problem is we were going to get that for our honeymoon anyway - I know this because they ask if you're celebrating on your reservation so 1) why ask if you're not going to do anything and 2) our neighbors got the same chocolate on their door a few days later. So yea, thanks for the nice gesture? Anyway, I digress. Overall, great experience in Kauai, but do yourself a favor and don't pay extra for this boutiquey resort since you don't get anything special for the up charge. Last note - big shout out to Amber, cocktail server at the pool. Best staff member there!

This was my third trip to this hotel. It is our favorite hotel in all of Hawaii. The place is literally falling apart right now. The staff apologizes for everything and informed us that there is a huge renovation happening shortly and the decision has been made to not fix or clean anything in the meantime. Here is an example: we check into our room and under the AC unit the carpet is covered in black stains. Looks like black mold, super great. We call to change rooms and are informed that there aren't any other rooms available and not to worry as "those stains aren't mold, but chemicals the exterminators used". OK, don't worry about mold, just suck down some industrial-strength exterminator chemicals...awesome. Wait until this renovation happens...definitely not worth the price, especially if you have been there before and walk in with any expectations for how great it has been.

We had stayed at Ko'a Kea while honeymooning. Upon arrival, the valets were nice, but didn't help us unload our luggage. We were ushered to the front desk and were checked-in, which took about 7-minutes. The gentleman then walked us to our room, showed us some features the resort had to offer, and left. Another reviewer described this hotel perfectly: it gives off remodeled motel vibes. BATHROOM/LIGHTING: The bathrooms in the room are OK, but the functionality of the room itself was infuriating, especially the lights. The brightest light in the bathroom also controlled the world's loudest bathroom fan - without having that light on, it was hard to get ready/do my make-up, but the fan was like a turbo jet engine. They also had these weird like candles that were connected to a light switch that provided little to no-light whatsoever. Some major design flaws with that. ROOM: The balconies weren't very private. If you went to the edge, you could see right over into your neighbors (or literally hop over) if you really wanted to. From our room, you could see right into other guest's rooms if their blinds weren't drawn from across the hotel. The room was decorated very dimly/with dark tones, not exactly a bright and airy beach-vibe. The carpet was like a mustard yellow and the chair was a burnt orange. Again, giving 60's motel vibes. The bed was also super uncomfortable. It was basically like a taco when you went to go to bed, as we both rolled to the middle. ROOM CLEANING: Subpar. We had requested cleaning every day - we were out of our room every morning by 8 AM, sometimes not returning until 3-5 PM and our room still wasn't made up until about 3-4 PM everyday. It was super frustrating and they didn't even bother to clean our room one day when we came back at 5 PM when we wanted to start getting ready. POOL: This hotel boasts ~120 rooms. We counted, there's approximately a combination of 28 lounge chairs/pool beds in the immediate area surrounding the pool. If you wanted a seat, it's first come, first served and they did have signs saying "if you're gone for more than 30-minutes they'd move your stuff to the lobby", but that never happened. There are other chairs that were on the lawn that overlooked the ocean, however, they offered no shade/umbrella. The pool itself isn't deep (only about 4-feet) and the staff did come around and take drink orders BUT I did get yelled at by this random security man because I had my drink in the pool, yet every day we had been drinking in the pool no issues? We were with 3 other people and he only singled out me, super weird. LOCATION: The location of the hotel was really awesome. It rained in the mornings and sometimes in the afternoon but usually for less than 20-minutes. It's on the dryer side of the island and was close to great restaurants and beaches. **BEACH/RENTALS: I wish we would've known this prior to booking our trip - we were warned that the ocean is rougher in Kauai. With that being said, this is an oceanfront hotel that didn't provide any free seating at the beach. We understood that the beaches in Hawaii are public, however, we had came from Maui at the Four Seasons and they had free beach chairs for their guests. If you wanted a beach chair, umbrella, snorkel gear, etc., it had to be rented for a fee (it was conveniently located near the hotel pool) but was frustrating because you're already paying a premium for hotel. Overall, the hotel was just "meh". The best thing about it was probably the location and we did have a nice view of the ocean, but that's about as good as it got. Nothing stood out to us, no staff went above and beyond, it was just a standard stay at an oceanfront hotel. Would I recommend it, probably not, and especially not for the price. My suggestion to the hotel owner would to be to completely revamp the rooms. They're like ocean dungeons - the lobby looks like the one from the Shining, the furniture looked cheap, and it just gave off "overpriced motel".

Extremely nice hotel. Everything was clean, staff was friendly, and location was superb. You're a stones throw away from two of the nicest beaches on the south shore of Kauai! Very nice and clean pool and hot tub. Housekeeping was impeccable. My only real issue with the place was the mandatory valet service. It costs $35/night to park and then you have to tip the valet drivers on top of that even when your car is only 20 feet away. Highly recommend this resort tho and props to all of the front desk staff and housekeeping!!!

My husband and I celebrated our 1 year wedding anniversary here! Jenny Racello made this experience for us, romantic & personable! She truly went out of her way to make sure our day was special. Our room was clean, and accommodating. Our bed was extremely comfortable & gave us restful sleep. The air conditioning was ice cold. Outside our room, he had our own table with 2 chairs to enjoy after a swim in the pool. Room service is available as well. Our room was adjacent to a little boardwalk we had no idea existed, this is a path way between the ocean front and hotels adjacent of each other. A nice huge lawn with many seats available gave us the best seating view of the clear night sky. Our anniversary dinner was of course spent at Red Salt, restaurant on site, where we enjoy our favorite sushi on island! If you are looking for a more relaxing stay, this truly is the place to be.

I'll start with the positives: The oceanfront room was incredible. I've stayed at many five star resorts over the years, and I'm not sure I've ever had a better view. You are literally a stones throw from the ocean. The only way to get closer would be an overwater bungalow. This view is where most of the three stars come from. We were upgraded by our credit card and very grateful. The "ocean view" room I'm not so sure would have been a hit. Outside of the view, the rest of the room was average. Nothing bad, nothing spectacular. The gym facilities were great. Good amount of variation and big enough to not feel cramped with several people. Lastly, and most randomy, the laundry facilities were a nice add on. They have normal washer and dryer for their guests to use. This is a positive if you plan to workout and don't want to bring home sweaty gear. The negatives: It definitely feels like a 3-4 star resort upon arrival. No grand entrance like you'd find at your five star options. No wow factor. Interestingly enough, they charge $45/day resort fee and $26/day valet; however they don't offer any amenities outside the mentioned gym that seem relevant. The valets were not the friendliest and didn't even open my door on most occasions. Also, it was torture just to find a seat by the pool. They have a very limited number of umbrellas, and due to the weight (at least I was told), they cannot move them around. For an extra $100, they can ensure you get a chair and an umbrella. What is the resort fee for if you can't even sit by the pool? The pool bar is OK in terms of food and beverage. Pretty basic. The room service menu is deplorable. Yes. Deplorable. They stop serving regular menus at 8pm and after that, there is a "late night menu". I suggest you take a look yourself and you'll understand what I mean. I actually laughed because I thought it may be a joke. Clif bars, Cheerios, a piece of fruit, etc? You'd be better off finding a 7-11. Overall, because our room view was so fantastic, we overlooked most of the negatives and still had a great time. Our last night we visited the Grand Hyatt for dinner, and we quickly realized the difference between 4 stars and 5 on this island. Much better service and grander atmosphere.

This is our 5th time staying at this amazing resort. Kauai is so special, peaceful and beautiful and this resort incorporates that. The people make this place great. One person in particular, Erin who serves the outside bar most of the time. She is the most accommodating and friendly person. She makes us want to come back these many times. The concierge was also amazing. Tracy got us dinner at a hard to find place. We unfortunately were flying out that same night and gave it to two new friends we made at the resort. The valet and bell hops were also very friendly. With Covid, they take extra precautions which I appreciate. Red Salt, the restaurant on site is amazing. The filet, lobster knochi was off the chart. A place we love to go over and over again!

Our stay at Ko'a Kea was amazing. The pool was under construction but that didn't hinder our experience at the resort. It is one of the more pricier resorts, but they make you feel right at home. Every morning water and coffee are delivered to your door. The resort itself was an older building, but the inside did not look old. I think that was part of the appeal of the resort. It was a cute little place to stay. There is a beach at the resort that you can use, and along the walkway between the resorts and Po'ipu Beach Park. Snorkeling in this area was great. We were able to see a ton of fish, eels, a seal and even a sea turtle! The resort is within walking distance to Puka Dog (amazing hot dogs) and Little Fish Coffee (must try!) It is also very close to a shopping center ***just as a heads up- if you decide to rent a car, the resort ONLY has valet parking.

Visiting here for only the 2nd time with the first being in December 2018. Lovely place here in Poipu with top notch service that one would expect at a luxury service hotel. Ko'a Kea is part of the Montage hotel group in which this particular property exuded warmth & friendliness by the staff during my 3 nite stay. Card keys are starting to be a thing of the past by many resorts as I learned one wears an electronic bracelet which allows you to enter your room which is super

One word! OVERPRICED! No decent coffee in the resort. Nickle and dime you for bikes , snorkel gear, boogie boards. The drink pours at Red Salt we're laughable!!!! No one wants that! So offensive.

The property was beautiful, staff attentive and kind, and pool and restaurant were fantastic. We especially appreciated the detailed recommendations from Dean of Security about Waimea Canyon spots/hikes in the best order, and the Ishihara Market poke & plates. We were so happy to take his advice and wish we'd run into him again to thank him.

Another day in paradise. This hotel is so much more than I expected. It is located on Poipu Beach with direct access to the beach and is much more contemporary than anticipated. First of all, just walking into the main lobby felt like I was entering an island paradise. It's extremely calm and inviting, and a beautiful place to just unwind, relax, and enjoy the serene atmosphere. The hotel is definitely geared towards couples and adults, although there was the occasional toddler there as well. They take Covid extremely seriously and everything is sanitized and cleaned multiple times per day, including the beach chairs, tables, and cabanas. The restaurant (Red Salt) is fantastic and the gym is impeccable for a hotel gym - both require advance reservations. I was also able to signup daily for their morning yoga classes which are free, during sunrise, and directly on the beach which made for the most amazing start to my day. I'd HIGHLY RECOMMEND staying here in Kauai - I look forward to coming back to stay here whenever I'm back in Kauai (which hopefully is soon!)

Generally here's what I'd say about this hotel. We spent over $500/night for just the room. We booked through Costco. And for $500+, the room felt about right, the pool area felt a little small/dated, and the restaurant/reception were hit and miss. We had a good time and there was nothing terribly wrong... OTOH it wasn't seamless/magical either. If we had paid say around $350 for the same room then I'd probably have given 4 stars. Relatively easy things they could do to improve: 1) Ensure all credits from Costco Travel are applied properly. 2) Ensure breakfast is billed/credited the same way each day. 3) Improve consistency in speed of breakfast - it doesn't have to be super fast, but shouldn't ever take 15 min to get coffee or 45 min to get entrees. 4) Add some combinations and smaller menu items to the breakfast menu. 5) Get an espresso machine & hire a barista. 6) Have someone from the outside bar circle the pool routinely (hourly?) to take orders. 7) Since the restaurant is so full, email guests 2-4 weeks before they arrive to see if they'd like a dinner reservation during their stay. 8) Add HBO+, Disney+ and other mainstream streaming apps to the TV menu. 9) Add a few more lounge chairs outside. With those changes I'd also go 4 stars. Details (sorry my formatting is lost) 4 stars: ROOM (DELUXE VIEW) Nice View of surfers Clean Bed/bedding/pillows comfortable Roominess decent TV Netflix only, no HBO or mobile phone compatibility (so we used laptop) Housekeeping stayed out of the way but was good when used Shower good Lighting sorta weird, only bright light in bath required loud fan, other lights dim Safe Secure access to both building and room Key not waterproof, weird Fridge in room, useful Nespresso in room, surprisingly decent 3 stars: MAIN RESORT AREA Pool ok, basic Not enough chairs for all who want them Barely any poolside service You could arrange service from the bar Lava flows and fries pretty good, pizza/salad ok Good view of ocean Several ways to get shade (umbrella/tree/building) Water dispensing machine really useful Can rent chairs/umbrellas, snorkel gear, etc. Wifi strong across resort 2-4 stars: RED SALT RESTAURANT Completely sold out for dinner a week plus out - could not go Breakfast Nice setting Limited menu No combos, either large sweet or large savory, odd No smaller portions (3 giant pancakes or 3 egg breakfast $27) Food pretty good Coffee varied from meh to good Coffee cups often sorta dingy/stained - washed but just not enough Time required extremely inconsistent - sometimes 10 min to food, other times 45 min Prices/credits applied incredibly inconsistently 3 stars: NEARBY ATTRACTIONS Can easily walk to other hotels on same beach Shopping/restaurant areas .3 and 1 mile away, walkable Rocky in front of hotel 2 beaches within 5 min walk Beaches are steep with sizable wave action daily (in Nov) Probably calmer in summer Snorkeling ok on the left beach but generally not a great snorkel island 3 stars: RECEPTION No line but slow They showed us as having $200 in spa credit instead of $300 in resort credit, had to resolve twice Bill had 3 mistakes, all in hotel's favor Took time and multiple iterations to resolve We arrived at 3:00, room not ready until 4:10PM To make it up to us they gave us Mai Tai vouchers, but we don't like Mai Tais - why not a voucher for any 2 drinks instead? OTHER Valet required Expensive but was always fast4)

If we didn't pay 550 per night it might be a three or four star review. Staff is nice but we felt ripped off all the way around. It's not a resort. It's a motel with lipstick. Small pool. Just one. Small hot tub just one. Small rooms. Dinner that costs roughly 60 per plate for a notch above Dennys. It is right next to Poipu but still such a rip off.

Don't expect anything close to 5 star experience here- travel and leisure recommendation is off here. Maybe new honeymooners have low expectations? Not sure why the huge discrepancy. There are No umbrellas available on the lawn seats. You can rent an umbrella, but you are not able to use the umbrella on the lawn- only the beach. I had an umbrella propped up and was told to take it down. There are not enough umbrellas poolside. The towels are self service- and hard to find in the morning. We often had to walk to the valet to find towels. No fluffy cushions on the lawn chairs. Beach directly infront of resort is unusable because of rocks- walk to the other hotel beaches and they are extremely crowded because it is next to the Marriott vacation club. There are No beach amenities offered by Koa kea. There is a shack that you can rent stuff. Rooms are Small and beds are lumpy and uncomfortable. Did not sleep well. Kauai is a beautiful island, but will not be staying at Koa Kea again at this Price point. DO Not recommend.

Loved this place but the best had to be the staff. Absolutely all were great, always smiling & helpful But there were three that stood out above & beyond the rest. Jaslyn our concierge person could not have been better. Saw her absolutely every day and she always had that smile and gave great advice and assistance So very helpful. Then there was Erin at the pool bar. What a personality. The best bartender. Again always smiling, remembering names, drinks, etc., etc. Last but not least was Bart Thomas, a manager & the guy giving meetings on where to go & what to see on the island. Absolutely very outgoing and friendly. Made you feel like he was a long lost buddy. Had great ideas for where & what to do & see.

This is a great hotel! My wife and I were able to sneak away for a few days to paradise. We found this place on Costco Travel. It's a smaller hotel that is geared for couples. I think that we also went right after spring break for most schools and before summer. The staff is nice, friendly and very helpful to visitors. The food at the restaurant is excellent. Free coffee in the morning in the lobby. Great yoga classes in the morning on the lawn overlooking the beach. The instructor was awesome and guided the class in finding peacefulness, namaste and aloha! I can't say enough about the Ko'a Kea. I can't wait to go back!

Wife and I decided to visit a different Island this year expecting to have a blast and relax, instead are experience was mediocre at best. When booking our reservations, the Mrs. specifically requested a room that was quiet, instead we got the room right by the entrance, everytime someone entered the complex we were alerted all through out the day from morning to night, Making it difficult to sleep. Interactions with staff members was hit or miss. 1/4th were warm, receptive, and accommodating, the rest came off as just cold, disinterested, and like they didn't want to be there. Bartenders and hostesses were friendly. Valet was iffy. Housekeeping was terrible. The worse part about our stay was the food and beverage pricing/quality. We're from San Francisco, so something being expensive isn't usually a problem as long as its worth it. Unfortunately the Koa Kea's food quality was poor or more like bland and dry especially for how expensive everything is making it totally not worth it at all. Portions were very minuscule Majority of the time i ate french fries and the Caesar salad (would recommend) Somehow the kitchen staff manage to ruin the French fries twice The only thing the resort has going for it is location as expected. Very beautiful beach and pool. Honestly would not recommend this resort unless you're older with lots of money to waste on generic, dull food. 5 mediocre days in Kauai :/ When booking, choose wisely. Good luck.

We come here every year because of the amazing customer Service, and the food as well as it's quiet location. However this year it's just not the same, If it was one thing I probably wouldn't have written a yelp but this is quickly becoming a horrible visit. 1. The A/C in the room feels like 76 but the monitor says 72, we called maintenance and a nice man came to look at it, said there was something wrong but looked good for now. We though this must be just an isolated event and we moved on. Later that night we woke up sweating and the adjusted the AC and a bit later we were freezing. Clearly something is wrong because the monitor always shows 72 degrees weather your sweating or freezing. But there are no other rooms available. 2. We ate wagyu burgers for dinner, the service was amazing but the burger was way over cooked. ( we always get these here and these were not good as they were in the past). 3. The resort just went through a remodel and it looks beautiful , but they didn't get new mattresses ours was full of dips and bumps like a very old hotel. 4. Every morning over the years the lobby area has coffee used to be free, this time they charged $4.00 ( ok not a problem we understand inflation and cost of goods) so we gladly paid the $4.00 and didn't think much of it. But then when we asked for a refill they promptly refilled our coffee and charged $1.50. When we asked why they stated it was a sanitary charge. We left our coffee and asked to speak to a manager, they manager stated they did not work in that department, we asked to have the manager call us. ( it's not the $1.50 it's a combination that they never tell you that you will be charged and just do it. Then add all the other negative experiences in our first 24 hours and no manager had attempted to fix the situation. we are truly very disappointed) In summary this hotel isn't cheap $700 per night ish and that $1.50 refill was the final straw. No one in management has followed up with us. We understand that things change and life after Covid is different and business have to make money but they don't even service your room daily ,(which is normal for all resorts now.) You combined all these negative experiences and it becomes an overall bad customer experience. We travel a lot and we had been yearly loyal guests here for a very long time. I certainly can't say we will never stay here again in the past we would alway book this resort without even looking at other places because of the amazing past service here. What I can say is we will now look to see what other resorts or places look like before booking this resort again.

Ko'a Kea Hotel & Resort is where you want to stay on Kauai if you are looking for a great customer experience and service! The staff and management are top notch. We felt right at home and there are great restaurants on campus and within walking distance. I give them my highest recommendations. We will definitely be back! Fun fact, right down the beach at Poi'pu we saw monk seals and a family of sea turtles on the beach, sleeping away. It was just beautiful to sea them in their natural habitat!

We stayed in one of the nicest rooms on the property for our honeymoon. We were in a top floor, ocean view suite that goes for $1500 a night. When we checked in, the front desk told us that there was champagne from the hotel in our room. My parents texted us a few hours later, asking if we'd gotten the bottle of champagne that they bought for us. We let them know we'd just gotten married and our new family name and asked them to update the reservation - we were called by my wife's maiden name the entire trip. When we got to our room the bottle of champagne (that my parents paid for, not that was given to us by the hotel) was there but it was accompanied by two dirty glasses with sediment at the bottom and one that had lipstick marks. The beds are HORRIBLE. We called it a banana bed because of how low it sunk in the middle. It's shaped like a U and we both got terrible sleep the entire stay and woke up with back pain. The mattress pad was also smushed in the middle of the bed, it wasn't properly made upon check-in. They require that you pay $25 a day for valet parking, despite the fact that your car is never more than a 100-200 foot walk away. The drinks at the Pool Bar are way over priced. The food is mediocre. We're fine to pay for a premium experience and we're used to high prices being from San Francisco but this is next level ridiculous. It was very nice that there were pool chairs available anytime we wanted to sit. We could've had the same experience for a fraction of the price if we'd stayed elsewhere. They charge 5 star prices for what is barely a 3 star resort. We're never coming back.

A wonderful resort. A charming place by the beach. A quality resort with smiles and warm hospitality. Highly recommend.

Stayed here for our honeymoon. The staff was really friendly and the property was in a great location but compared to other hotels we've stayed at in the luxury type price point this hotel was 100% NOT WORTH IT. Our shower only had two settings: freezing and burning hot. Which they fixed but was sloppy. We requested room service everyday to clean the room and they didn't come one of the days. Also in the credits tax and gratuity aren't included towards it which we were not informed of. Seemed like they were trying to nickel and dime the entire trip which just seems crazy given the rooms are over $500 a night. Overall had a good time but wouldn't stay at this property over others in the area.

They do all the little things that make me smile. Sure, it's a bit pricey, but I thought overall that it was a good value when you consider everything. My package included a daily breakfast buffet & 3 course meal at Red Salt. I came to love Red Salt, they kill the food game. The hotel itself includes great amenities like complimentary valet (that is mandatory each time you arrive at the hotel), espresso machine in room, welcome bottle of wine, daily chocolates and water bottles in room, excellent "Fresh" brand toiletries, and turn down service (twice per day for us!) They also had a welcome cocktail hour. As I said from the start, it's al the small things. How about yoga classes at sunrise (6:45 am to ~ 7:30), snorkel rentals, delicious papaya juice and fruit in the lobby, and easy availability of lounge chairs, which is often a gripe of mine, not here, plenty of options. My biggest call out goes to the friendly staff, including the concierge, servers at Red Salt, and spa employees. They all contributed to a relaxing stay, nothing like dropping your car off and having them know your name, feels very personal. Would definitely recommend the property for anyone looking to feel pampered and escape life.