In our travels around the world my wife and I have stayed in some of the best and some of the worst. The Kauai Beach Resort falls into the former category. While not a 5 star Hyatt, or Marriott it is a close second and is excellent value for the money. First off, the staff were all very helpful and friendly and always a pleasure to deal with. The hotel itself is a four story structure designed in the shape of a "U" and all the rooms facing inward look out over the gardens, the waterfalls, the four pools, two hot tubs and the ocean. Facing inward on the fourth floor, we were the furthest from the ocean and could still watch the whales spouting at sea as they swam past the resort. The rooms facing outside the "U" look out over the surrounding hills and fields. Our room was spacious and clean with a chaise lounge, couple of chairs, a desk, large dresser with a 40" TV, a small fridge, coffee maker and a great little deck (all rooms have decks.) The king size bed was extremely comfortable with all new linens by the looks of it and the bathroom was clean with marble and granite. The beach, while beautiful, is probably dangerous for swimming but there are so many beautiful beaches nearby this is hardly an issue. No one should go to Kauai without exploring the beaches! The restaurant dinner menu is a little tired and unfortunately it is closed for lunch but one can enjoy beach fare and burgers from the poolside bar or drive out and explore the island - this location is about dead center. The main bar inside is full of activity in the evenings with live music and a party atmosphere - a good mixture of young and old. The gardens, lit by the tiki torches at night make for a wonderful stroll or just relax by the fire pit. In summary, we had a fun stay, look forward to going back again and would not hesitate to recommend this resort to our friends.

My husband and I booked this hotel through a beachdestinations.com package and stayed for three nights. After a three night stay at a large chain hotel in Waikiki just before coming to Kauai, this hotel and island had a completely different vibe. It took a little bit of a transition for us, but after about a day, this hotel and the beauty of the island of Kauai really grew on me.

I wasn't too happy with our room view when we checked in - it was technically ocean view, but I could mostly see dirt from the parking lot construction. However, I asked if any pool facing rooms were available and even though the hotel was mostly full, we were able to switch (thanks to Krystie at the front desk!).

We didn't eat in the main restaurant, but had drinks by the pool at Driftwood and in Shutter's Lounge. Prices were reasonable and what we expected. They have happy hour every night, live music, and on Tuesdays (at least the Tuesday we were there), they had live Hawaiian music and hula dancers out by the pool with complimentary mai tais! We heard multiple ads for Shutter's Lounge on the radio, so it must be a pretty popular place in Lihue.

Pros:
Nice pool area
Live music/happy hour
Pleasant staff, including Expedia guest services department
Location on the island is not only near the airport, but within reasonable driving distance to restaurants and beaches in Poi'pu and Kapaa, as well as sight-seeing locations
Nice rooms and bathroom - Hawaiian decor
Able to check in early

Cons:
Rather steep parking fee of $13.95 per day for self-parking, $16.95 for valet, BUT there's also no extra resort fee so it kind of balances out
No beach swimming or lounging - even though we know this when booking the hotel, it was still disappointing
Rooms that are not facing the pool may have bad view of parking lot/dirt
Lines at reception were long when large groups came in
No private pool or gym showers to use after checking out of room - we had a red-eye flight home and wanted to freshen up before traveling, after being at the beach during the day, but the only showers available were the rinsing ones by the pool
Roosters started crowing around 5 am - just the nature of the island and I'm sure this would be the case at any hotel!

Advice:
Ask for an ocean view room facing the pool. We were in building 3, which was nice. Building 2 also has good views on the pool side.
If you're looking for a bigger hotel with more resort amenities and are willing to pay more, recommend looking at other places on the island like the Grand Hyatt or St. Regis. If you're looking for a more low key resort with relaxing atmosphere, this is your place.

Am not usually a fan of big resort hotels, but we enjoyed this one very much. Upgraded to a super ocean front room in the central Kalihi Tower. Well worth it. Dead center beach views, swaying palms...quintessential Hawaii. Excellent beach & amenities. Food very pricey but that's HI. Great poolside bar. Don't miss their chili pepper cocktail! Older hotel, has been remodeled and had lush landscaping, beautiful koi pond, lots of lovely lanais. Would happily return here!

We were booked at this resort as part of an Island Vacation Package from Island Air. I was delighted to find out how close it was to the airport! We had a lovely ocean view room on the fourth floor. The property itself is beautiful. Room was spacious and clean and even had a small balcony. There was a tiny crack in our bathroom sink and an old spot on the carpet, but everything else was top notch. Pools were gorgeous, although we did not take advantage of them because we were out sightseeing every day. One evening one of the two hot tubs was overheated (scalding) and could not be used, which caused the other hot tub to be crowded. The beach is not for swimming, but it is beautiful to walk along. Had the seafood buffet at the restaurant, but it was not exceptional. Front desk and housekeeping staff were friendly and helpful; wait staff at the restaurant not so much. Did not like paying for parking. All in all, it was a good experience, and I would definitely come back again.