We LOVE kauai!
The location and the grounds of HBR are excellent.
We stayed at unit 8231/2, beautiful view, nice furniture. Definitively the place needs a bathroom and kitchen update. We were thinking to cook every night but there where almost no pans and what was left was in bad condition. In addition the resort restaurant was closed! Well, we managed ti anyway using the BBQ in the common area.
The really bad side was that the condo was very dirt, I mean DIRT! Can't take the time to write all of it. We also had several animal drops on the veil above the bed and on the lamp! We like to believe they were from birds, but they could have been from mice.
My husband called the concierge right away complaining about the dirt and dust everywhere, they said they would see what they could do. Well, since nobody showed up, he called again asking at least for some cleaning supplies, we would have clean it! Again nobody came or had the courtesy to call.
So, because we are a very good "sport", we decided not to let this incident ruin our vacation. So, the four of us did our best, cleaning around with some clorine left over and found out we had also toxic paint cans piled up in one of the closets.
I have to add we booked these units trough the owner, so I do not know which kind of agreement they have there and honestly I don't care. We also thought to call the owner, but...he lives in California ( I guess) and we really didn't want to start our vacation arguing.
When we came home I e-mailed the owner just to let him know what happened to us and what is happening to his condo. We thought maybe he doesn't even know that whoever is supposed to manage his units is not doing a decent job, it felt right for other future guests. Well, guess what? No answer at our message, he must be used to these kind of complains.

If you're heading to Hanalei Bay, privately-owned condo 4323/4324 at Hanalei Bay Resort is exquisite. 4323 is a one-bedroom with sleeping loft; 4324 is a connecting second bedroom. The condo is a very large upscale unit that is beautifully appointed, and the owner has thought of absolutely everything, right down to a drying rack for your clothes. (A mini washer/dryer is available in the condo.) The rooms are bright and clean with spectacular views, and the lanais are spacious and inviting. Note: the units are on the top (third) floor.

The beach is a five to 10-minute walk down a steep path rich in vegetation. At the end of this path is a phone that connects to the front desk of the resort, so a pick-up is very easy. Each time we called it took no longer than 60 seconds for a friendly bellhop to arrive in his golf cart. In fact, every single staff member was courteous and helpful.

The grounds of this resort are gorgeously maintained.

A word of warning: If an on-site restaurant and bar are important to you, call the property first to ascertain the progress of their renovations. Both were closed August 22 through August 28, 2008. Based on other accounts I've read, the restaurant has been closed for a very long time. It didn't matter to us, as we were expecting the bar to be open. We were quite stunned to find both closed. We were told that light fare was available by one of the pools during daytime hours, but it doesn't take the place of an evening pina colada in a dreamy tropical setting a few steps from your door. The restaurant, once it finally reopens, will have one of the best restaurant views on the island, as it faces Bali H'ai directly. If you plan to do all your cooking in the condo, this issue is moot, as the condo has a large and complete kitchen. Also, the Princeville Hotel is right next door, accessible at the end of the path to the beach, or by car.

Overall, we had a very lovely stay at the Hanalei Bay Resort, and highly recommend units 4323/4324.

We had reservations for August 12 - 15, 2008, and because of the beautiful pictures of the resort posted online were so excited to arrive!

I booked and pre-paid through Hotels.com.

Upon check-in, I was very disappointed to learn the resturant was closed, and even more disappointed to enter room 2203 to find it wreaking of mildew!!! YUK!!! I am very alergic to mold and mildew and my husband and I returned to the front desk to voice our disappointment and disgust and asked to be moved or for a refund. The night manager said he had no other room to move us to and that we had to call Hotels.com for a refund and that he would agree to it. We did call Hotels.com, who called the night manager to verify his agreement to a refund, and did receive a refund. We left in the dark to find another room, which, luckily, turned out very well for us. We found a 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom, 1600 sq. ft. condo at one of the Wyndham properties down the street for half the price!!! The Wyndham property had a large kitchen, wrap around lanai with a beautiful view of the golf course and ocean below.

I just read from these reviews that the Hanalei Bay Resort has just been sold and now understand why the property is barely functioning. The smell of mildew is unacceptable under any circumstances, especially when people are paying to stay at a property on their vacation! The location is absolutely incredible, and for the owners sake I hope the new developer will spend some money to get it back up to par. The only good thing about room 2203 is that it has a nice view of Bali Hai from the lanai.

We stayed in Joan’s HBR 4222 for four nights mid August. The place is perfectly decorated, and all the furniture is so comfortable. It’s stocked with anything you might need for your stay. We had just come from 4 nights at a resort, so were a bit spoiled but quickly fell in love with 4222 and the Hanalei area. HBR is remodeling the restaurant as well as the Happy Talk bar so they were both closed, but there are plenty of great places to eat or drink 5 min down the road, so we didn’t see that as a problem at all. The views from 4222 lanai are wonderful and can’t be beat. We booked directly with Joan, who is very professional, and goes out of her way to answer any question you may have about her place, or anything on the island. I would highly recommend 4222 and would stay there again if we get the opportunity to travel back to Kauai.