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.
Nestled amidst the lush greenery of Kaua'i, Royal Sonesta Kaua'i Resort - Lihue is a Garden Island oasis. Our Kaua'i resort enjoys a glorious setting on golden sands, with opportunities to indulge in beachside spa treatments, four restaurants offering a variety of cuisines, a weekly luau, and the largest one-level pool in Hawaii. And if you're here for business or planning a special event, we have over 27,000 square feet of flexible indoor and outdoor meeting and event space.
Make yourself at home in your stylish, modern, recently renovated guest room, with views of the ocean, gardens, or pool. And when you set out to explore, the natural beauty of Hanalei Bay and the nearby Waimea Canyon State Park are sure to fill your days in paradise with enchantment.
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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The Royal Sonesta Kaua'i Resort Lihue offers a mix of experiences, with its stunning location and ocean views earning high marks from guests. While the hotel's cleanliness and recent updates add to its appeal, some guests have voiced concerns over noise and maintenance issues in the rooms. Opinions on value are divided, as the costs and additional fees have left many travelers feeling the pinch.
Service quality and the atmosphere also garner mixed feedback, with both commendations for staff attentiveness and criticisms regarding inconsistency. Despite this, the resort's amenities, especially the expansive pool, are often highlighted positively, though the bustling public beach and ongoing construction can detract from the tranquil experience.
Location
Central
Atmosphere
Uninviting
Rooms
Mixed
Value
Expensive
Cleanliness
Mixed
Service
Inconsistent
Amenities
Relaxing
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Wow, this place is doing things right! From the courteous front desk, staff to the upgrades in the rooms and the new sushi bar on the second level above the pool. This used to be a Marriott property but since the Sonesta took over, it has elevated the guest experience. Hands-down, the best swimming pool of all the islands. the perfect beach about 100 yards from the pool. Perfect location for that true love slang feel. So gather your family and friends and head to the garden Island for a great vacation experience.
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Date of stay: March 2024Trip type: Traveled on business
Room Tip:The rooms come with a mini fridge, but you’re able to request a microwave to heat up leftovers...
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.
Response from D'Anne A, Guest Services / Front Office at The Royal Sonesta Kaua'i Resort Lihue
Responded Mar 28, 2024
Aloha Bubbeye, We are so happy to hear all your positive feedback regarding the new upgrades to the resort. We hope to see you on your next trip. Mahalo, D'Anne A. Front Desk Manager
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
We stayed for 4 nights in 2 rooms near the pool & beach which was very convenient. Rooms were nice, clean and spacious. We were on the first floor and there were roosters every day making lots of noise when the sun came up. There are lots of wild chickens in Kauai and you see them everywhere. They are very loud! Gym was also very clean and modern with a separate room for cardio. The pool is huge with fountains and 5 hot tubs. The beach area is a bit small, but you can walk directly to a few shops and casual restaurants. The biggest issue we had was breakfast. The restaurant where they serve breakfast is incredibly slow and you need to wait a long time for a table. We had to go out to breakfast every morning which was very inconvenient and not good at all. They did have washers and dryers in 1 building which was good for us because we were very muddy from hiking and needed to wash our clothes. There have alot of corporate space for meetings, and there are time share buildings as well. The hotel is 5 minutes from airport.
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Date of stay: January 2020
Value
Rooms
Service
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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We booked a beach cabana for $200 which was fine as we had done many times on previous trips, There was always a nearby bathroom available in the past. No one told is that they had been locked since Sonesta took over management from Marriott. The reason given was that homeless people were using them and had made a mess, I was forced to use the poolside bathroom which i barely made in time.There are no plans to remedy the situation, possibly caused by staff shortages or lack of security to keep undesirable people out, Tip : Ask the pool hut about this before you pay,
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Date of stay: August 2021
Rooms
Service
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.
5 minutes from the airport,lots of amenities. Free shuttle service,property located on the Kalapaki Bay. Front desk staff, eager to help and very friendly. Used the Gold-Elite check-in since there was a group in the que at the desk area.Upon arrival use the valet bellman for luggage check, the assigned towers by the pool area is a long walk with luggage and other items. Monthly booklets printed by the elevators for kids activities,shopping,restaurants,spa, sundry. All within walking distance on the property. The resort fee is 30.00, you get a towel card upon check in. There is service on certain days from the hotel and back for grocery shopping. I used uber and lyft for walmart and off property restaurants and safeway. The bellmans and the shuttle drivers are a great source for information: aka local guides, all the guys treat you like family, Gabe,Dennis to name a few,kudos to the whole valet staff. Stayed during rainy season {Dec.-Jan.} always carry an umbrella.
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Date of stay: November 2019
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Traveled on business
Room Tip:book rooms away from the elevator.
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 was our second trip to the island of Kauai in couple of years. We stayed at the Poipu area last time. Lihue is the main town closest to the airport. We enjoyed the hotel as it had every amenities that you’re looking for. Fantastic pool area and just walk few steps and you’re on the beach. What we like the most is that there are so many great restaurants that are local favorites, not necessarily catered to tourists. You’re 20-30 minute drive to most parts of the island attraction. If you’re a golfer you can enjoy the ocean course at Hokuala which is on the property. Also, 10 minutes away, there is Pukakea golf course, which is a better value but no oceanside holes. Great view of the mountains. 20 minutes away there is Wailua golf, which is Kauai’s municipal course. For me Lihue is a better location as I am not constantly among so many tourists and get more feel of the local culture.
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Date of stay: March 2020
Value
Rooms
Service
Room Tip:If you’re not concerned about the ocean view, try the garden view to save some money.
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 grounds are beautiful, yes. Service was good too. However, the rooms themselves were not nearly up to the Marriott standard that I’m used to. I am titanium elite, on track to be ambassador this year. I expect a higher standard. The air conditioning I had to set to 65 degrees (the lowest it will go) and it was still very warm in the room. The bathroom shower head was suitable for anyone under 5’5. Being 6’ tall, I had to bend down every time I took a shower. Everything looks like it was redone in 2000. The other floors looked like they had been renovated but ours was not. I used suite nights and they “upgraded” us to this very outdated room. Would definitely NOT recommend or return. I wasted my suite nights on this?? Awful.
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Date of stay: February 2020Trip 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.
Response from GeneaA1, Front Office Manager at The Royal Sonesta Kaua'i Resort Lihue
Responded Feb 23, 2020
Aloha, Thank you for your feedback on your recent stay. I apologize we did not meet your expectation in rooms and accommodations. We will be embarking on our resort renovations starting August 2020 and hope you return once all enhancements have been made.
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This resort is lovely, but: 1) Prices are high for restaurants. 2) Do not have a meal at Cafe Portofino, on the premises. The food was substandard and under cooked. The kitchen staff did get the entrees out at the same time, but were staggered by as much as 30 minutes! 3) The resort charged us for a bar order, before we even arrived on-site. 4) Even though our credit card was presented at the time of arrival and I personally checked on our bill, at the front desk, twice, the charges were incorrect for our room charges (there were NO room charges, except for taxes on our room) and the initial deposit was not applied to our room (Note: a deposit was made more than 9 months prior to our visit and it was not on our account!) When I called the front desk the night before we left, because I was concerned that the charges were STILL incorrect, I was placed on hold for 20 minutes. I phoned back and voila! the mistakes were corrected. It makes you wonder that if there were mistakes of this magnitude, what other mistakes are made on other customers' accounts? It is scary! We had booked 3 rooms at this resort for four nights, so I was closely watching charges. Upon checkout, I asked about the incorrect charges and why it was so messed up. No really good explanation. They did thank me for catching the errors, but nothing other than a thank-you. I will never return to this resort again and I would not recommend it to friends or family..
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Date of stay: December 2019
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.
Response from GeneaA1, Manager at The Royal Sonesta Kaua'i Resort Lihue
Responded Jan 6, 2020
ccccolson, Thank you for your feedback on your recent stay here with us. We apologize that you endured a few accounting issues during your time here with us but are glad to hear that it was straightened out before departure. I did take a look into the matter of your deposit and do see that it was always on the account however was posted to the main account for charging then later sent over to the account with the new credit card provided at check in for the remaining amount and incidentals. I have also passed on your feedback on the food and beverage offerings here on site and will pass over the comments about café Portofino to their management.
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My husband and I visited for my work conference. Beautiful lush, natural gardens all around, very well maintained. It is an older hotel but the rooms are very nicely updated, and the pool area and common grounds are very pleasant. All rooms have some slice of ocean view. At our conference or at dinners we had outside of the resort, we did catch Covid on the last day of the conference. Absolutely not the hotel’s fault. We were very worried about what to do, as rooms on the island are not cheap, but my husband got very sick, and neither of us wanted to get on a plane home.
The Hawaii Dept of Health recommends isolation for at least five days. We were planning to move to a cheaper hotel for a few days, but when I mentioned that at checkout, the staff, especially Amor, jumped in to help. She got her manager to approve a reduced rate for us to stay and quarantine at the hotel, and they take their duty to keep us isolated very seriously. They helped us safely move to a different room, and put in place protocols to make it easier for us to isolate with less inconvenience. They’re willing to bring anything we need to the room and drop it off with no contact. As soon as we arrived in our new room, they dropped off a weeks worth of extra towels, toiletries, coffee, and coffee supplies. When I have requested an extra comforter, it is at our door within 10 minutes. The other really nice thing about the resort in general, is that when you order room service it is very quick, about 15 to 20 minutes. No one wants to catch Covid while traveling, but we could not have asked for better caretakers well isolating. I think it speaks to their overall level of customer service.
Everyone we have dealt with has been extremely friendly, even before Covid. Bartenders, servers who noticed what I’d been reading since I arrived and chatted with me about it, etc. This resort has happy staff, and you can feel it as a guest.
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Date of stay: July 2022Trip type: Traveled on business
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.
Response from Hannah Taito, Guest Services / Front Office at The Royal Sonesta Kaua'i Resort Lihue
Responded Jul 18, 2022
Aloha Tavia B! I am sorry to hear you and your husband got sick at the end of your conference with us and am pleased that Amor and the rest of our staff took great care of you. We appreciate the kind words and welcome you and your husband back to make more wonderful memories here with us at the Royal Sonesta Kauai Resort. Mahalo!
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We stayed at the mariott for 2 nights Got in at 1am and left at 10am We came back 3 days later to use the pool and hang out until our late flight left. After going for lunch we were debating doing a day pass or renting a room so we could use the faculties. When asking for towels the girls immediately called security. We were shown off the property quite aggressively. Our girls jumped in the hottub and were cold and wanted a towel. While I was inquiring about the price for a room my family was asked to leave. Needless to say we did not do a day pass or get a room.
We drove 20 minutes and got a day pass at the grand Hyatt Kaua’i. The staff is extremely friendly and the pool facilities are much better. I highly recommend it.
The beach at the Marriott was nice but the hotel is someone dated. We will not be going back.
All the staff had to say was please take your time to get your pass or hotel room rather then tossing us out. We will be complaining to Marriott directly as well.
Also the sushi at the main restaurant is very over priced for what you get. I think I could make better sushi at home.
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Date of stay: February 2020Trip 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.
Response from GeneaA1, Manager at The Royal Sonesta Kaua'i Resort Lihue
Responded Feb 7, 2020
Aloha matts543, I apologize about your experience at the pool and security interaction. As far as rooms we will going thru a hotel renovations starting August 2020. I have also passed on your comments to our food and beverage department. Once again thank you for your feedback.
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Although I’ve recently read that people had bad experiences, we enjoyed it. This was our first time on Kauai, and first at this Marriott. Large ocean view room, large grounds (Christmas decorations were up), staff we interacted with were polite (concierge was quite helpful!), but man was breakfast food expensive. Beach was decent, handful of restaurants around there, including Duke’s, close to the airport, and large pool. Now that I think of it, it is a time share resort, as we received daily calls about “special offers”, but again, they didn’t bother us/weren’t relentless. Also, we played golf at Hokuala, which is essentially next door, and the Marriott was able to give us a special rate, which made a huge difference!
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Date of stay: December 2019Trip 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.
I don't have kids neither. But unless you go to an adult's exclusive venue, like what you can find in Cancun or Cabo, there is no getting away from children unfortunately. The Royal Sonesta had all kinds of people of all ages there. The kids weren't any louder or more obnoxious than any other hotel I've stayed, for what's it worth.
The pool and cabanas are wonderful. There were a lot of children there but I don't if there were specific childrens programs.
Their web site should list them if offered.
There are more places to choose from in the Lihue area.
PRICE RANGE
$433 - $570 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
marriott kauai hotel lihue, marriott kauai hotel beach, marriott lihue, lihue marriott, marriotts kauai beach club
FORMERLY KNOWN AS
Kaua'i Marriott Resort
LOCATION
United StatesHawaiiKauaiLihue
NUMBER OF ROOMS
356
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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