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.

We stayed at this hotel for 5 nights and were pleased with the accommodations. Room/linens were clean. Truly beach-front property, but way too choppy for swimming--try Lydgate Park down the road if you have kids. I did see a turtle in the water by the hotel which made my day.

We found we had to drive almost everywhere--the exception was a meal or two @ the outdoor mall next door (the pizza place was very good--get your crust brushed with garlic butter). Olympic Grill in Kapaa was also good--my husband loved the ahi burrito so much we had to go back later in the week for another. The main thing that surprised us as first-time Kauai visitors was the traffic--it's not as sleepy an island as we had expected.

The ladies at the front desk were helpful in planning our trips. The laundry facilities were fairly clean. I would recommend this hotel to my family and we would probably stay here again.

Stayed here for the most part of two weeks while working. Rooms were very basic and functional. Mostly used by retired people and people on a budget. Staff was helpful and pleasant. Pool closes at 6:00PM so it was hard to use for those of us that worked until 5:30PM. Showers are very narrow and towels are thin and small. Some times we would go down to the a lobby next to the pool to get extra towels. In that same lobby there is a n ice machine that is available 24-7. Each building has one ice machine which was fine except if you wanted to put ice in a small cooler befor 8:00AM, they lock up most of the machines at night. Rooms have air conditioning howerver I never used it, the winds were usually enough to keep us comfortable. While staying here the sun was seldom out longer than an hour or two, but I was glad for that because it was very intense when it was out. When it rains here it comes down in sheets, but it seldom lasted for more than a couple minutes while we were here. There is a nice mall right next door, though it doesn't look like a mall from the road, It has a large variety of shops and a few restaurants, we enjoyed eating at Trpical Burgers and More. Prices meals and store bought items run 10 to 20% higher than Oahu prices. The hotel is right on the beach so you can spend time there if you wish. There is a reef there so the waves break early befor the shore. Do to the weather, the water for the most part was pretty choppy. I live on Oahu and I'm used to much more relaxed waves hitting the beach. There are for the mostly only single lane roads where ever you go, so during the day most of the roads are backed up, so relax and know it will take extra time going places because you will rarely be able to drive faster that 35mph. The Hotel has a restaurant but did not try it, prices were higher that those in Kapaa and didn't look very impresive. We ate at a lot of places, most I would not recommend but in Kapaa we enjoyed "Lemon Grass" for a nice evening meal and the "Ono Family Restaurant" where we had several breakfasts and lunches. We did some work in Hanapepe and found "Grinds Cafe" a good place for lunch and breakfast located in Eleele. And in Kalaheo "Brick Oven Pizza" serves a good pizza for dinner. I would use this hotel for anything romantic, but staying here could save you enough money to enjoy having adventures you now can afford.

We stayed in early March 2006 (during the storms of the century)

The Kauai Sands Hotel is just an okay budget hotel on the beach with well maintained grounds and older style rooms. If that is what you're looking for and/or want a hub to explore the rest of the island, the location is centrally located for which to do so at a budget price. We had no problems.

If you're looking for a place with on-site activities and attractions for a couple or a family on which to lounge and be taken care of by others, this is probably not the place.