Advertised as a hotel and basically that is exactly what it is, this isn't a resort /complex.
The rooms are a good size, some upgrading needed.
Location is excellent, nice beach front and grounds clean and tidy.
Rooms cleaned every day, pool a bit small but adequate.
Staff ok, no bar, restaurant needs upgrading but ok.
Would stay there again no problem.

The hotel room we had was a king size bed with bug catchers underneath. There are no irons, no coffee makers in the rooms and little bathroom counter space. There is no internet access. NOT a place for a business traveler. The window A/C unit barely kept the room cool at it's highest setting. The restaurant was not open at all during our stay. Bring your own towels unless your like small sandpaper towels which are provided. Staff was friendly. Sunrise view from the beach was lovely. Pools were never busy.

After reading the previous reviews before leaving and nearly rebooking to another hotel I took the unknown leap into the Kauai Sands Hotel.

To be blatantly honest it was a fantastic surprise. After the long 11 hour flight from Australia via Honolulu and at check in( which was very friendly), I was given the opportunity to upgrade to a room with a view garden or ocean at a price of course - however because I knew I was hardly going to be there (I was out except sleeping) I was happy to stick with a standard room.

The standard room was very clean and huge with two double beds and a single bed. It had airconditioning that works really well and a ceiling fan also a refridgerator to store those cool beers. I didn't find it noisey at all.

Don't expect a royal dulton bathroom but it's good for a quick shower and a shave. The towels are there for showering not taking to the beach. A quick tip if you're staying here bring your favourite beach towel on holiday with you.

There's plenty of free parking and a safe at reception which is free to store those precious items.

Missed the restaurant from 6-9am?? Well right next door 3-5 minute walk is the Coconut Market Place with every type of food you could want to eat. Eggberts is a busy place in the morning so get there early. There's a bar there also.

At night you can go down by the beach and listen to the waves crashing in against the sand. If you're lucky you have the beach to yourself.

Give it a go!! Be bold, be daring you can only know the truth by experiencing it for yourself.

After accidentally missing our flight and "getting stuck" in Kauai for another two nights, hubby and I needed an affordable place to stay. We had blown the budget staying at the Marriott for five nights, but were able to get a "poolside" room at the Kauai Sands for $128 a night. It wasn't exactly poolside, but you could see the pool if you were out on the patio.

Here's the scoop:

* The front desk staff was very nice and accommodating, seeing as we called for a room at 9 pm when a lot of other places were already closed for the night.

* The place was very quiet and not crowded at all.

* The hotel restaurant which has great ocean views was "closed due to filming of Tropical Thunder", the Ben Stiller/Jack Black flick. They must have needed an older, kitschy looking place. :) No actors or crew there when we were there though.

*There was a small gecko on the wall when we unlocked the door to our room the first time, but neither hubby or I freaked out b/c we're used to critters (from living in the country at home). We just coaxed him out into the hall where he hopefully made a break for the exits.

*Linens and towels are thin and cheap, but are passable. Towels are tiny and they don't have different towels for the pool/beach, so bring your own. I felt like I was trying to dry off and cover up with a washcloth after leaving the beach.

* Our room was very hot when we arrived, but the wall unit and overhead fan (a huge blessing) cooled it down relatively quickly.

* The bathroom was ridiculously small, but we made do.

* Nice to have a small fridge in the room, where we kept water and sodas cold.

* The pool and pool area is small, but was clean.

* The beach area isn't big, but was nice that they had chairs out there to sit in. Pretty views and rough waves, but hubby and I did brave the surf to snorkel a bit. Not super clear water, but we did see several types of fish and tons of sea cucumbers. We gave up after about 20 minutes or so after feeling like we were on the spin cycle. Wouldn't recommend swimming alone or allowing children or weak swimmers here. Okay for snorkeling for stronger swimmers and boogie boarders.

*Lost key fee is only $10 (which we found out thanks to hubby's wooops!).

The Kauai Sands is definitely not the Ritz, but if you're on a tight budget and want a place on the beach, this was the best deal we found. And hey, it's Hawaii....just enjoy being there.