Having stayed in Poipu several times before (Sheraton & Marriott), we took the opportunity to stay at the Outrigger Kiahuna Plantation. This should not be confused with the unrelated Castle Kiahuna Resort that shares the same area. Also you should know that several units in the Kiahuna Plantation are privately owned and may be available for rent through VRBO.com search for Poipu and Kiahuna.

Our unit was # 139- partial oceanview (garden and ocean view and ocean front are also available) and on the second floor. Although the units were built in the 80's the overall property is very well maintained and this unit was in good condition. One bedroom and one bath, combined dining and living room, kitchen and lanai (poarch). Fully furnished with great Hawaiian music. A/C is not needed as the ventilation is courtesy of mother nature. Please note that since all units are individually owned (and some are managed by Outrigger), you have have a slight difference in what is offerred inside each of the units. The beach about 300 yds away is very nice. Perfect for catching some easy surf waves.

The restaurant on the proeprty has good food in the evening and the luau at the Sheraton next door is entertaining. Poipu has grown since we last visited 8 years ago. There is a small shopping center across the street from Kiahuna while 1 mile away there are condos and a large center being built. Given these tough economic times, I think all will come to a halt.

Regrettably, this island too is slowly loosing its charm as development continues its progress. Traffic from Poipu to Kapaa (east side of the island) about 15-20 miles away can take upwards of 1 hour. Be prepared for alot of patience....and the ubiquitous roosters that keep you up at night!!

We've enjoyed Outrigger hotels before, such as the Reef on the Beach in Waikiki. Kiahuna is our new favorite. We've been twice before and will be going again next week. We always get a full ocean view unit and just love the relaxing views over the lawns to the beach. It's fun to watch the kids play on the grass.
I read negative comments about the "no a/c". I'd have to agree if you go in the summer or don't have an end unit. We usually go in the fall so it's not an issue. We like the breezes through the louvered windows.
The unit we've stayed in was decorated beautifully and comfortably. We don't use the pool, but swim in the ocean and love the multitude of fish, turtles and other sea life.
If you're looking for night life, this isn't the place for you. If you want the look and feel of Real Hawaii--the Old Hawaii, give Kiahuna a try. No glitz, just island peace and charm.

Stayed for 5 nights in September 2008 in unit #249. The units are individually owned and the grounds are large, so there is a lot of variability among the units. There is no A/C, but the condos have lots of screens for ventilation and temperature was never a problem in our unit.

Unit 249 is at the edge of the grounds adjacent to a busy street with a traffic all night. Since there is no A/C you need to have the windows open, and the noise can be an issue if you are in one of these units. If I stay there again I will get a unit away from the road.

The beach was about 200m from the condo. The grounds are very nicely landscaped. The beach is nice and sandy and not at all crowded. The property is at the western end of a string of small beaches that runs from the adjacent Sheraton eastwards past the Marriott through Poipu Beach Park and beyond. There are several nice surf breaks and some nice snorkeling. The water can be a little rough in places for inexperienced swimmers. Monk seals are frequent visitors. We saw them almost every day. The pool is across a busy street at a neighboring tennis club and has very limited hours closing at 5:30pm. Not at all convenient. We did not visit it at all.

The 1 BR condo was a bit small, but was perfectly adequate. The furnishings were fine and the kitchen was reasonably well provisioned. The housekeeping service was a little spotty and our unit was quite dusty when we arrived. Both relatively minor issues.

I would stay there again. The place grew on me. The area is nice if you like low key and especially if you are a surfer. The breaks aren't too crowded with a mix of locals and tourists. Stop at Costco in Lihue to stock up on provisions. Costco is much cheaper than the local supermarkets and even the most basic restaurants in the area are expensive. There is not a lot of dining options in the area. If you like the beach, then this is a great place.

We had a wonderful week stay over our first anniversary here. We had reserved a Garden View room. They had put us in a ground floor condo which was a wonderful Garden View condo.
The next day we asked if we could move to a condo on the second or third floor (we like rooms a bit higher up). The staff was absolutely wonderful and said they had a third floor room in a building closer to activities. Our first condo was not bad at all and certainly would not have complained if they didn't have anything else. They even told me I should check it out before agreeing. The condo, which was actually a partial oceanview condo (check out the photo), was wonderful. This was certainly an upgrade at no increased cost- we took the upgrade.

Since the resorts condo's are actually individually owed (just managed by Outrigger-or Castle) each is uniquely the same (floorplan) but different (owner decorates and updates). A word of caution for those that have difficulty with stairs: most buildings, unless beach front, have stairs even for ground floor rooms. There are no elevators.

The condo's are very open to the outside with simple screens and heavy wooden plantation shutters which you can open and close. No glass except for the doors leading to the lanais. We loved this open feeling, yet it was still very private. Noise wasn't too much of a problem- shutting the shutters in the bedroom muffled the road noise (we close to the road and directly across the road from Poipu Shopping Village) and the crowing roosters in the morning. Don't worry about security- the doors have secure locks (just like in hotels) and the condos have complimentary safes.

There is a beach hut at Kiahuna's beach where guests get chairs and towels for free and can rent boogie boards and snorkel equipment. You can also purchase drinks and postcards and book activities. Our building, #39, was one of the farthest away from the beach but still only a 3-4 minute walk.

A couple days before were were to leave, I had inquired to see about a late checkout (since out flight left at night and we were planning on spending our last day on the beach). The women at reception said that we would need to ask the day before and that they charge half of the daily rate (fair enough). She said the do have a complimentary day suite which can be booked for an hour- prefect! All we really wanted to do was shower before our long flight back to New York. I booked the suite for 3-4pm on our day or departure.

The next morning we received a call from reception; no one else had booked the day suite or was going to be checking into the condo were were in until the next day. She said we could stay in our condo and just checkout at 4 pm - no additional cost!

Outrigger is A+.