We had make reservations for our first vacation in over 20 years. I wnted a room with a view of the ocean and a king bed. I even emailed the manager in advance and stated what I wanted and I didnt want to be near alot of noise. We checked in with a very surly young lady, were informed we would be required to pay a 10.00 per day "hospitality fee" on top of our room and a 25 "towel fee". Already not happy we went to check out our room. Up three flights of stairs to our little vacation spot to find 2 twin beds and major construction going on outside our window. Needless to say we left to find something else.

We stayed at Islander for 8 nights and were very pleased with the accommodations. The grounds are very beautiful and spacious with an orchid garden and reminded us of the days before the mega resorts. The unit was very clean, comfortable and had amenities such as coffee maker, microwave, mini-refrigerator, cutlery, dishes, a/c, etc., to make our stay all the more comfortable. We were able to pack picnic lunches for our outings and enjoy morning coffee on the lanai. While the hotel does not have a restaurant, it is walking distance to some very good restaurants, casual restaurants, and bakeries. It is a great starting point in that it is equi-distant to the north, south and west shore. While we were there we got in some great snorkeling at Lawai beach on the south shore. One suggestion is to go earlier in the day as the surf gets choppy as the day progresses. We have our own beach towels as it's just our preference so we don't have an issue with the towels. And while the staff is not touchy-feely, I find them pleasant and accomodating. I don't understand all the negative feedback as I've never had a negative encounter with any staff while there. While you are in Kauai I recommend the Sunday Brunch at the Kilohana Plantation. One of the better brunches I've been to and probably the best brunch on the island. After brunch it was nice to explore the grounds there and browse the wonderful artwork and jewelry. On the north shore we always enjoy the local entertainment at Tahiti Nui although it's gotten a bit touristy since 'The Descendents' movie. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay on Kauai and at the Islander and look forward to staying there again on our next visit to this beautiful island. In all I would highly recommend the Islander on the Beach.

We stayed at Aston Islander on the Beach last month and we loved. The unit is well equipped, the gardens are wonderful and the location is perfect in the center of the island. The sunshine at the beach is awesome.The only flaw is that the parking lot is often full , but apart from this fact we recommend everyone looking for a hotel in Kauai to consider the Aston Islander on the Beach as a great option to stay.

We were looking for a reasonably priced and centrally located hotel on Kauai and the Aston Islander on the beach didn’t disappoint. It’s close enough to the Airport for convenience (A short 15 minute drive) and almost half way between the major Kauai attractions of Waimea Canyon and the Kalalau trail.

Our room was spacious, and we had a beautiful partial view of the sea from our balcony. It was always kept spotlessly clean and was very well equipped. The grounds of the hotel were also well kept and full of colour. There was a decent sized parking lot and if you couldn’t get a spot outside the hotel there was easily accessibly overflow parking.

There were a few small issues that are worth mentioning, the first being the compulsory $10 a day ‘resort fee’, which if we’d had the choice we’d have opted out of. WiFi is useful but we’re on holiday to get away from the distraction of the internet, and dvd rental again is something which was completely unnecessary for us. Finally like most people holidaying in Hawaii we had our own beach towels, so they added little to our stay. All in all we were made to pay $10 extra a day for nothing of any worth to us and it seemed like a bit of a cheap shot way to pull in some extra revenue for the hotel.

We also had an issue with the service from the front desk, we were provided with a leaflet for the Kilohana Plantation Luau upon arrival and decided to use this to book a trip, we took the completed form to reception and were told to pick up the ticket later in the day, we did this and the hotel kept a copy for their records. Unfortunately later on in the day I misplaced the ticket and on return to reception I apologised for my lack of care and requested another copy. I was informed by a rude and stand-offish receptionist that this was impossible and that the voucher should have been treated as cash, she also said in a patronising tone ‘You should have been more careful.’ I requested to speak to a manager and after a short conversation I was provided with another voucher at no extra charge. Of course I realise that losing the voucher was my own fault, however as the hotel had their own copy of the voucher, it seemed nothing short of laziness on the receptionists part to not just provide me with another copy in the first instance.

Regardless of these two minor problems, I would not hesitate to recommend the Aston Islander on the beach and would happily stay there again should we return to Kauai in the future.