The location is pretty good- in Princeville, on the north shore of Kauii, one of the most beautiful places on earth.

The condo itself was nice and the kitchen was well equipped.

The pools were drab and uninviting.

The construction noise was unbearable, as was the noise of the locals partying in the condo above us, all night long.

The management was disinterested in helping us with the noise problems.

You can do alot better than this in Kauii.

We stayed here as a timeshare exchange. We stayed in Unit 10E in the Alii Kai II., an upstairs end unit with beautiful mountain view. We would love to go back. When we made the booking we didn't know anything about Kauai or Alii Kai.After making the booking I read the reviews on TripAdvisor and became a little worried about our choice. After receiving a letter and a phone call about the construction noise I was really concerned. But I figured, how much time will we spend there anyway?

My worries were completely unfounded. Jodi, the concierge, was very helpful during the entire stay and let us check in early. The unit was clean, the furnishing comfortable and in good repair. The kitchen had everything we needed - dish washing soap, paper towels, coffee filters, etc. There was even plenty of detergent for washing clothes. The best surprise was the cooler! We used it every day. We were never bothered by construction noise. Except for enjoying our balcony view every day, we didn't spend much time at the resort. We only went to the pool twice. The pool was nice and never crowded. We didn't use the grills.

The location of Alii Kai was perfect for our visit. A short drive in any direction took us to beautiful beaches. Between the Foodland Shopping Center in Princeville and the Ching Young Shopping Village in Hanalei we could find everything we needed. There are plenty of restaurants and shops. Our favorite meal was at Hanalei Dolphin.

I highly recommend the following tour operators: Kayak Hanalei for kayaking and snorkeling and HoloHolo Charters for a NaPali Coast catamaran trip.

The unit was as advertised. Very spacious and clean. Great East view in 4202, from a cliff. Not on the beach, above it. Very quiet! Good beaches nearby. Hanalei is sandy, Annini is calm, Kee is picturesque but very limited parking. The beach East of Kee is great if the waves are not big. Plenty of parking and life guards. Great snorkelling on the right side. Closed due to a storm in New Zealand! Good jogging along the golf course. Drop into the Princeville Hotel for an experience pf excess. They have a beach but is is one long walk down and harder back. The lighthouse was interesting.

My husand and I (late twenties) stayed in these condos for ten days in early April '08. First to clarify, there are two sections to Ali'i Kai, an older and newer (I and II respectively). This review is for the older ones, that is were we stayed. They were built in the 70s and have not had alot of exterior work done. If you want to be right on the bluff (water's edge) you need to book in the older ones, the newer ones are set further back with no ocean views. Never being to this island before, my husband and I were not sure what we were looking for, but we were adamant about finding a condo with an oceanview balcony. We had a price range in mind, and that is what led our internet search to Ali'i Kai I. It was one of the only ocean view condos in our price range, witch exception of Cliffs and Sealodge. Cliffs was right next to us and seemed average, Sealodge was a few minutes away and was way below our standards.

From our trip we learned quite a few things, biggest being that being on the ocean (for us) was nice but not the end-all be-all. We learned we could have a much more upgraded unit with beautiful mountain views for much less money. Being on the ocean will really hike up your price, so decide if its really worth it for you. There were many other complexes nearby with mountainviews that we will consider for next time... Plantation at Princeville, Nihilani, Hanalei Bay Villas, Bali Hai...

Second thing we learned is that units within a complex can really vary, depending on who owns it and how they have kept it. Our unit, 5303, could have used alot of rennos. It was relatively clean, spacious and very functional, it had everything we needed. But alot of room for improvement as well... Bad/crusty carpets, very weathered and windows/balcony door, needs a fresh coat of paint, and just overall decor was very dated and worn. Everyone's standards are different of course, but there were much more updated units available in the area for less money...just without ocean view. As well we noted a unit directly below us with ocean view that was completely and beautifully rennovated, 5203, for the same price we were paying. It was not available when I booked, otherwise we would have stayed there. My point--just make sure you know what unit you are getting and how it compares to others available for the same price. There are many different owners at Alii Kai who either deal privately or through management companies. Check all your options.

Third thing we learned was the importance of the grounds. We initially didn't think we'd stay at the condo much, but we did. It would have been nice to have access to a BBQ (all they had was those dinky briquette ones you see at local parks, we didn't use them once). A nicer/larger pool/lounging area would have been nice too...we only did that once as it was very small and somewhat uninviting (note, no jacuzzi either). The other complexes I mentioned above have much nicer grounds and facilities for the afternoons you just want to hang out at the condo. I'd also recommend Ali'i Kai II --it's pool and BBQ area was much better, and the buildings were newer and less expensive as well.

One thing we don't regret is the area of Princeville itself. It was by far our favorite part of the island. We went everwhere...east, south, west and enjoyed the northern shore the best.

Kauai on the whole was an excellent vacation choice, we had an excellent time and plan to return for years to come. But we will not be returning to Ali'i Kai I when we go back next March. We'll look at some of the other ones I mentioned. It is a decent place, but there were much better if you don't care about being on the water. Email me if you have any specific questions, love to hear from you!