Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Bikes, Kayaks, SUPs and beach gear included.
Fern Grotto Inn offers newly renovated plantation cottages with island-inspired furnishings and modern amenities.
Tucked away on the east side of the island in historic Kapaa town and centrally located on the banks of the Wailua River, surrounded by a lush landscape of fruit trees and only a block from the beach, this is the Kauai paradise you desire.
Paddle down the Wailua River with the complimentary kayaks and stand-up paddle boards, or take our bikes for a spin on the Kauai Path, a ten-mile trail winding along the stunning coastline. Fire up the gas grill for a barbecue, or pack a picnic lunch and walk one block to the beach.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travelers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
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Nestled in a central location, Fern Grotto Inn garners praise for its charming atmosphere and well-appointed rooms that guests find clean, spacious, and adorned with local decor. The plethora of complimentary amenities, including kayaks, bikes, and snorkeling gear, coupled with the inn's proximity to local eateries and attractions, underscores its value and convenience.
Reviewers consistently applaud the hotel's exceptional cleanliness and attentive service, ensuring a comfortable and memorable stay for many travelers.
Location
Central
Atmosphere
Charming
Rooms
Comfortable
Value
Economical
Cleanliness
Spotless
Service
Attentive
Amenities
Abundant
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Hard to put into words just how thoughtful Paul and his team are. No stone left unturned in this place; they literally thought of everything for their guests' comfort. We stayed a week and were so happy to return to this sanctuary every night after adventuring around Kauai.
From our arrival finding relaxing music playing and cold beers in the fridge to our last evening reflecting on a perfect vacation while listening to the breeze blow through the leaves of the starfruit tree outside our window, we were so happy we chose the Fern Grotto Inn.
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Date of stay: January 2025
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Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Room Tip:Â Take advantage of the beach gear, and do not miss kayaking the Wailua River outside of your...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Fern Grotto Inn spectacularly exceeded my expectations -- and that despite knowing to begin with that it was rated #1 in Kauai at 5.0 by TripAdvisor reviewers. If you're looking for something different than your average bear, whether that be a typical resort or a run of the mill airbnb, you cannot do better than Fern Grotto Inn.
I was in Kauai not for vacation but on a real estate scouting trip. I was not only looking at property, I was also looking to see if Kauai could be a place that I would want to live long term (I already knew it's a great place to visit). So in looking for accommodations, I wanted something that resembled the kind of property I was looking at in the area (Wailua / Kapaa) that I'm interested in.
The Fern Grotto cottages are indeed set up like small homes, or cottages, or apartments. On a riverside property that is beautifully landscaped with tropical plants (as most homes on the Garden Island are). The location is amazingly central -- easy day trips to the North Shore, South Shore, and Waimea (did them all). OK, traffic wasn't great through Lihue at rush hour, but otherwise it was not an issue at all.
Best of all, the Kapaa area is right there within easy striking distance -- the beaches, the bike path, the Wailua River, the upcountry hiking trails and waterfalls, the resort restaurants along the waterfront, the rest that Kapaa has to offer (cafes, bakeries, farmers markets, bars, restaurants, brew pub, art galleries, first Saturday night art walk, shopping of all stripes).
With respect to the first three items, Fern Grotto Inn has kayaks that you can hop in and take up the river to the waterfall and grotto, bikes that you can ride up the Kapaa bike path, and chairs and things that you can take to the beach. Everything was readily available, easy to access, in good working order.
Coco A, where I stayed, had the extra benefit of having a private garden with hammock. It's beautifully decorated in Hawaiiana and quite comfortable. It has an extra added bonus for honeymooners or other romantic couples. The kitchen is fully furnished. There's coffee, they start you off with a couple of Kona's and chocolate macadamia bites. Plenty of towels. Everything.
If I have one recommendation for improvement: the water temperature in the shower was not consistent, with occasional bursts of hotter or cooler water. Not enough to be a problem, probably just a hot water heater issue. No big deal. On the other hand, bathroom-wise, love the bidet!
Overall, having been there for the minimum five night stay, just a wonderful place, a good value, so happy I chose it -- and yes, the taste it gave me for Kauai life makes me want to go ahead and live in Kauai (at least part of the year). Thanks Paul!
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Date of stay: October 2023
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Trip type: Traveled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Our friend recommended Fern Grotto Inn. We were thrilled with the location in so many ways - access to West and North side of island [roads do not connect], great restaurants and activities nearby. The apartment is very thoughtfully set up for our trip [shampooh, conditioner, olive oil, salt&pepper, guidebooks, flowers, greetings]. The kitchen is very well stocked for cooking. The apartment was immaculately clean. We LOVED our kayak trip to the Secret Falls using Fern Grotto Inn provided - kayak, lifejackets and paddles. We are very grateful for our stay. Highly recommended.
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Date of stay: October 2024
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Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This is very private, great views of river and palms (garden cottage) and has everything you need to be comfortable. You can walk to the beach crossing just one crosswalk but even driving there is always room to park (Lyndale beach). The access to free kayaks, paddle board and bicycles is a plus as the river and bike path are great. There are no additional fees for parking or use of resort fees, just simple and easy. The gas bbq grills were a plus as well as the multiple areas outside to have dinner.
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Date of stay: October 2024
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Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The Fern Grotto Inn was a perfect place for our family trip! The Ohana house was so charming and had everything we needed. The rest of our family could stay in the smaller cottages and were right next store to the Ohana house while still having a bit of privacy. It worked out perfectly!! When we arrived, all the cabins were beautifully prepared with fresh fruit and flowers from the garden. The little towel elephants on our grandsons bed were a big hit! There was access to plenty of beach toys, chairs, towels etc… We borrowed the kayaks multiple times and took a family kayak trip to the falls. We also found that the location of Fern Grotto gave us easy access to entire island. We just love Kauai! Thank you Paul and your team!
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Date of stay: October 2024Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Fern Grotto is in an excellent location. It is close to the airport and a drive to the other shores of the island is no more than 45-50 minutes. We enjoyed the peacefulness of the inn and the fact that it felt welcoming. We also enjoyed the star fruits from the tree on the property..yum! Our room was well stocked with towels and bath and kitchen necessities. The bed was very comfortable, and we always awakened feeling rested. Washer and dryer are provided and supplied with detergent pods and dryer sheets. The friendly manager lives at the inn and when we needed an item, he provided it quickly. This is a wonderful alternative to the resort experience. Would stay there again.
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Date of stay: January 2025
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Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We rented the Canal B unit for 1 week and rented the Ohana House for another week when our young adult daughters joined us. Canal B with its screened in porch was perfect for us for the first week and there was loads of room for our family with the House. Both units had a wonderful supply of kitchen tools and extra touches to make both units special. The Inn was generous with the supplies inside the units or for ice coolers, ice packs, beach gear or beach towels. It was easy to use the BBQs and outdoor settings. The grounds are beautiful; peaceful and private, especially with all the trees and greenery. The units are spaced out so you have a lot of privacy. It was very peaceful on the grounds at night. It was terrific to use the bikes and the staff were maintaining & changing out bike seats on one of the days of our stay. The units and its supplies seemed well maintained. It was terrific to use the washer & dryers that were in excellent shape as well. The kayaks and paddle boards are terrific and we had a terrific time on the river. We don't get to use kayaks very often, but we found it easy and so peaceful to paddle up the river. It was also terrific to be able to purchase extra time for a late checkout, especially when we were flying home at 11pm that night. It made the last day of our lovely stay even more relaxing and carefree. There are wonderful restaurants and shops within a 10 or 20 walk from the Inn. The Lyngate Beach is a 15 minute walk for a swimming beach. The Wailua Beach is great to walk along or watch the surf.
Thank you to Paul and the wonderful staff of the Inn. The units were very clean and as decribed in photos. Paul was available for questions/concerns and there was great communication from the Inn. We will return to this wonderful Inn again.
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Date of stay: February 2024
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Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
My husband and I stayed at Fern Grotto Inn on our weeklong trip to Kauai, and we loved our stay. We stayed in the Garden cottage, which was thoughtfully appointed with everything we needed, down to a flashlight on our room key for coming home in the dark and a clothesline for hanging our bathing suits to dry after a day at the beach. Paul and his team clearly put a lot of love and care into this establishment. The grounds were beautiful, too. We also appreciated Fern Grotto Inn’s proximity to restaurants and grocery stores in Wailua/Waipouli/Kapa’a, and that its eastside location meant we never had too long of a drive to sights on the north shore and the south shore. We would highly recommend staying here!
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Date of stay: December 2024Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
My stay at Fern Grotto Inn was truly incredible!! The room was perfect for my solo trip to Kauai, very spacious, clean, and beautiful decorations were prepared for my stay that included towels shaped like swans and gorgeous flowers throughout the room. The amenities were amazing and even a complimentary box of chocolates and refreshments in the fridge was such a sweet touch. The bed was very comfortable and loved the huge shower, views from the room overlooking the river were breathtaking. The property itself was remarkable with the gardens and the easy access to the river with kayaks or paddle boards was so much fun. Everyone I encountered on the property was very kind and welcoming and Fern Grotto truly felt like a second home to me. I could not have asked for a better Kauai experience and I can’t wait to return here for my next stay!!
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Date of stay: November 2023
Value
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Service
Trip type: Traveled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
New York City, New York6 contributions2 helpful votes
We didn't experience any kind of traffic noise problem during our stay. If one focuses on it, it is possible with the windows open to faintly hear traffic from Kuhio Highway, though there's very little traffic at night and it seemed just fine to us.
The smaller cottages (Garden Cottage, both the Canal Cottages) are situated a little further from lightly-traveled Kuamoo Road and perhaps quieter than the other units. We stayed in the Garden Cottage and heard almost no traffic sounds either from that or Kuhio Highway about 150 meters away.
It worked out very well for us on all counts: location, convenience, cleanliness, comfort.
There are more places to choose from in the Kapaa area.
PRICE RANGE
$394 - $416 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
fern grotto hotel kapaa
LOCATION
United StatesHawaiiKauaiKapaa
NUMBER OF ROOMS
9
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
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