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.
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Cheaper
Average
Higher
About
4.5
#3 of 8 hotels in Poipu
Location
4.8
Rooms
4.6
Value
4.3
Cleanliness
4.9
Service
4.8
Sleep Quality
4.7
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.
With a view of sunny golden beaches and Kauai's closest hotel accommodations to the waterfront, Ko'a Kea is an intimate resort where guests can experience the authentic essence of Hawaiian culture with the charms of island hospitality and a comfort that embodies the aloha spirit. It's with great pride and honor that Ko'a Kea is the only Kauai resort in the Travel + Leisure Hall of Fame for making the World's Best Awards list for 10 years in a row.
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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Ko'a Kea Resort on Poipu Beach is widely celebrated for its enviable beachfront location and serene atmosphere, complete with cultural live performances that add to the luxurious vibe. Guests have called out the spectacular ocean views and modern comforts in the rooms, despite some remarks about their size and dated feel.
While the hotel's cleanliness and amenities receive high marks, the high cost of dining and services has been a concern for guests seeking value. The staff's friendliness and attentive service are often noted, although there have been occasional lapses in room and valet service.
Location
Beachfront
Atmosphere
Serene
Rooms
Comfortable
Value
Expensive
Cleanliness
Meticulous
Service
Friendly
Amenities
Top-notch
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Becca was wonderful and very helpful. She made us feel so important on our anniversary. There entire Red Salt staff is amazing. We got in late and Allen took care of us for dinner and perfectly executed our dinner. Be smart and just come and Sue will seat you perfectly! Maholo!
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Date of stay: July 2023
Value
Location
Service
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.
Response from KoaKea Team, Other at Ko'a Kea Resort On Poipu Beach
Responded Jul 31, 2023
Aloha V3548ZGjasonh, Thank you for sharing a 5-star review of your recent experience. We’re so delighted to see that you chose to celebrate your anniversary at Ko’a Kea! Also, we are thrilled to hear that Becca, Allen, and Sue made a good impression on you. We look forward to welcoming you back soon. Mahalo, Joanna
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I was concerned about the few negative reviews but having spent 5 nights in a partial ocean view room, which was lovely, to save a bit of money, absolutely do not understand the complaints. We enjoyed coffee on the lanai and were glad we could leave the door open at night to hear the waves and get fresh air because the sliding doors had screens. Room did not smell and we had no noise issue. Staff were *wonderful*, beds perfectly comfortable, being right on the ocean was fantastic, and the Nespresso machine made wonderful coffee so I didn't have to go out and buy it, which i really appreciated. The absence of a beach did not interfere with the gorgeous ocean view but did cut down on the noise that always accompanies beachgoers and their kids--and nice beaches are literally a few steps away to the left or right. The only thing I would complain about is the resort fee, which all places seem to charge. At least Koa Kea gives guests some credits, including $50 for dinner and $100 for (generally incredibly expensive) spa treatments. We loved the complimentary macadamia nuts, leis, and wine on arrival as well as the beautiful orchids from the extremely efficient housekeeping staff each day. Wonderful place to stay.
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Date of stay: January 2020
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Room Tip:Of course full ocean view is the gold standard, but unless you're going to be in the room a...
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 ExperienceDirector, Sales & Marketing Coordinator at Ko'a Kea Resort On Poipu Beach
Responded Feb 3, 2020
Aloha 634anon, Thank you for your glowing review of Ko’a Kea Hotel & Resort. We take great pride in our customer service and amenities and are glad to see it reflected in your stay. We look forward to welcoming you back in the future. Mahalo, Chelsea
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We were hoping to find a nice, upscale, non-megaresort hotel for a short trip and Koa Kea ended up being perfect. Most guests were other couples, so there weren’t many children and things were pretty calm. There were always open lounge chairs at the pool, and we didn’t have to wait to get the (very good) breakfast.
There were lots of nice touches that made this an especially comfortable stay. There was a nice turn down service each night and a (free) bottle of wine in the fridge waiting for us. There are several piles of towels throughout the hotel so you can grab beach towels for your outings. Every night, there is a great view of the sunset over the water. We spent a little extra for the ocean view room and were glad we did. There are some rooms that face the pool and are on the first floor which are less private and a bit noisier, so having an upstairs room away from the pool was a plus.
The pool is nice. There are a couple beaches within a five minute walk of the hotel, including Poipu beach (which gets crowded). The hotel also serves as a great home base as you explore Kauai.
Red Salt was excellent, worth a visit.
This hotel really was perfect for what we were looking for. Highly recommend
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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 Chelsea Smith-Wishard, Marketing at Ko'a Kea Resort On Poipu Beach
Responded Feb 24, 2020
Aloha benst28, Thank you for your glowing review of Ko’a Kea Hotel & Resort. We are so pleased to hear our resort was the perfect destination for your quiet getaway. We hope you have the opportunity to visit us on a future trip to Kauai. Mahalo, Chelsea
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My boyfriend and I had found this resort through some Google searches and from the pictures alone, we were hooked! Once we arrived, we had our car valeted and were greeted with flower leis upon arrival. Our concierge helped make a reservation for us in the red salt dining room later that evening. From the moment we stepped into our hotel room, we were in awe. On a small dish on the dresser we were treated to some packages of macadamia nuts which were just heavenly. We also were gifted with a chilled bottle of white wine in the fridge as well as our towels folded into beautiful flowers on the bed. Our room had a partial ocean view and while it was close to overlooking the parking lot, I did appreciate the landscaping right off the balcony in front of us to make us feel like we were secluded.
Later that evening we went down to the Red Salt restaurant for dinner and it was a treat. The Mahi mah was so flaky, it practically melted in your mouth. The waitstaff was very professional and offered some great recommendations for our meals.
During our second day at the resort, we found out early in the morning that our snorkeling excursion was canceled so we had to reschedule for another day. My boyfriend and I decided to take advantage of the beach and then went to the pool bar to come up with a new plan for the afternoon. This is where we met Jessa and Nick, two hotel employees. Both of them had asked us about our trip so far and were able to provide some suggestions for us as to what we should take advantage of during our time on the island. They had recommended taking a short drive from the hotel and there was a path that would take us to a secluded section of a beach that also had a cave and a turtle sanctuary there. Even though we were disappointed about the snorkeling, this was just as fun of a day trip.
Would definitely recommend this resort if you’re looking for something different than your typical hotel chain. From the very beginning of our stay to the end, we felt like royalty.
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Date of stay: January 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 Chelsea Smith-Wishard, Marketing at Ko'a Kea Resort On Poipu Beach
Responded Feb 24, 2020
Aloha 1230BriG, Thank you for your outstanding review of Ko’a Kea Hotel & Resort. We take great pride in our customer service and are so glad to see it reflected throughout your stay. We hope to welcome you back soon. Mahalo, Chelsea
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We planned our wedding and honeymoon for Kauai and we did our due diligence of resorts on the island. Koa Kea was the absolute perfect resort for us. This resort is THE spot for couples. It is a smaller resort compared to others on the island which is exactly what we wanted since it meant not many kids would stay there(There are plenty of family resorts on the island). After having a rough time getting to the island due to airline issues, Koa Kea did everything they could to make our stay magical.
Driving up to Koa Kea the first time it was well lit(We came at night time), very clean and greeted by valet parking (Special kudos to all the valets at Koa Kea. They were so helpful to us the entire trip. We even gave them slices of pizza and slices of our wedding cake). Immediately we were treated like we were the most important people at the resort and this stayed that way the whole time we were there. Our room had a complimentary bottle of wine, chocolates and two beautiful leis set out for us. The room had a great view of the ocean and pool(Room 224 considered a partial ocean view room).
My wife and I had an unbelievable couples massage located right on the beach facing the Pacific Ocean. It took away all the stress from flying. Our package included a $50 breakfast credit per day and we had it delivered most days to our room. The server was exceptional! She was great at her job and was very funny! Breakfast menu is very good with solid choices(we loved the macadamia nut pancakes). The pool and pool bar are solid. Not a huge pool but doesn't need to be for this resort. Hot tub is great too. Enough room for several couples. Pool bar has a nice selection of food items(Wings and hurricane fries were stand outs). Drinks are expensive but expected.
The resort is located right off the Pacific Ocean so the view from the pool area is indescribable and pictures don't do it justice. There is a walk way which takes you to local beaches and everything is centrally located from Koa Kea whether it is fine dining, food trucks or shopping. Nothing more than 25 minutes away.
Thank you to everyone working at Koa Kea for making our wedding and honeymoon the best it could be.
Tips for Kauai travel: - Make sure you tip! Valets, servers, housekeeping, etc... They don't get enough love. Take care of those who take care of you. It goes a long way. - Make restaurant reservations well in advance. They fill up quickly.
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Date of stay: September 2021Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Room Tip:Several tips:
- If you are vacationing in Kauai the South side of the island will have the least...
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 stayed for 6 nights (4 shorter than planned) in April. The hotel is fine but underwhelming compared to other great resorts in Hawaii (e.g., Princeville, Orchid). The best features are the location/setting) and the small footprint of property. The staff are good. Management was lacking/invisible. Why leave early? The architecture, lobby, bar, rooms are equivalent to an upscale apartment complex on the mainland. No WOW factor. The breakfasts were dull and uninspired. The “fresh” fruit was hard and tasteless; never ordered again. The pool bar closed inexplicably at 5pm one night and we were directed to the restaurant bar. The charge for 2 vodka gimlets was $40 – served in a plastic cup, in a room with zero ambiance. We booked ocean-front room – nothing special. Our mistake: no bathtubs. Unusually limited drawer space. As a result. we had to live out of our suitcases. The resort fee of $40/night is not justified – basically a welcome drink and a 6:45am yoga class for early risers. This property really isn’t a resort. We were charged $50 to rent bikes for 2 hours – when most hotels would have bike rentals and some other rec equipment as part of the fee. (Also, no helmet of proper size was available.) Billing was confusing. We signed up for a Food & Bev and Resort package. How charges were applied was like working a sudoku puzzle. (Whitney was great helping sort it out.) For $700+ night you should be able to do much better.
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Date of stay: April 2021
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 hotel is a lovely boutique & quaint luxury hotel in a fantastic location in Poipu. We loved the property and grounds, service was on point, including valet, front desk and concierge/dining services. The entire staff made our experience perfect and we felt very taken care of. The rooms were a tiny bit smaller than expected but still lovely and so nice! We stayed happily there for 6 nights and really enjoyed our time on the island and could retreat back to our relaxing hotel each night. They moved us to Room 136 which was a perfect 1st floor unit with a gorgeous view and patio area that is in front of the pit fire and grassy area, easily accessible to the beach and with views of the ocean. A truly magical setting! My fiancé and I loved our stay. We thought the beds were very comfortable and the shower was just right. No complaints here. We lounged one of the days at the pool and enjoyed swimming as well as the attentive poolside service, and made friends too. You can rent snorkel gear at the hotel to use around the island and snorkel right in front of the hotel or to the left of the hotel in front of the Marriott, and take surf lessons or rent a boogie board, as well as beach chairs and whatever else you need for the day! We loved the private beach access to watch the sunsets and enjoyed breakfast daily at Red Salt. Red Salt dinners were great (Wagyu+Lobster Cheeseburger & truffle fries is a MUST), they are just closed Sunday/Monday for dinner but there is room service! The espresso machine in our room was much needed, we brought our own creamers. We also brought our own water bottles and used the HydraFlow daily, which is GENIUS and smart. Thanks Ko'a Kea for making our stay very comfortable, very easy, super relaxing and very nice. It was a memorable trip. We’ll be back!!!
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Date of stay: September 2021Trip 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 Ian G, Guest Services / Front Office at Ko'a Kea Resort On Poipu Beach
Responded Sep 27, 2021
Aloha, Thank you for the great review of our hotel! We are glad that you enjoyed your stay and I agree the burger and truffle fries are delicious! We hope to see you again very soon. Sincerely,
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Immediately you are greeted with Aloha. Any corner you look, you would never know this resort was once a shell of a past hotel that sat empty for many years. Red Salt was our favorite restaurant. We had an ocean view which I highly recommend. The bed was very cozy and the turn down service was the best in the business. It was a nice touch to come back to the room to mood lighting, soft music and Hawaiian Host chocolate macadamia nuts on our pillows. The in room kuerig and complimentary bottle of wine was also appreciated. It was such a great experience all around and we can’t wait to go back!
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Date of stay: October 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.
Response from ExperienceDirector, Sales & Marketing Coordinator at Ko'a Kea Resort On Poipu Beach
Responded Jan 7, 2020
Aloha 546jenniferj, Thank you for your exceptional review of Ko’a Kea Hotel & Resort. We take great pride in our customer service and are thrilled to see it reflected in your recent stay. We hope to welcome you back again on a future visit to Kauai. Mahalo, Chelsea
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Stayed here as part of our honeymoon. It was a lovely, small, quiet hotel located right on the beach. Lots of space around the pool and a good pool bar. Staff were also nice and friendly. We also visited the restaurant for dinner which was delicious. Something we found very useful in the middle of a long trip was that you could use their washing machines for a dollar. The small things that stopped me giving this 5 stars would firstly be the daily resort fee is very expensive. And secondly, we supposedly had an ocean view room, however as we were on the ground floor we could hardly see the ocean and it was pretty much a pool view room. I presume on higher floors this would be better but as the majority of the rooms face towards the pool, not sure how these can be ocean view.
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Date of stay: April 2022
Location
Service
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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 were so excited to stay at the Ko'a Kea after seeing so many positive reviews and seeing the resort featured in so many places as the most romantic in Kauai. We were on our honeymoon and skimped on food and accommodations for the previous week and a half so we could spend the final 3 days of our trip in luxury. When we showed up, our "ocean view" room offered a slight view of the ocean from the balcony-- on the website, they make it look like you can see the ocean from anywhere in these rooms, which is not true. When we called the front desk to see if we could be moved, the first person we spoke with was rude and dismissive and tried to charge us double what it should have cost for an upgrade. Eventually we were able to speak with a different person who was much more helpful and we decided to upgrade our room since we had so much invested already, and our ocean front room was much better, although not worth the amount they charged. Having been in two separate rooms, we can say the ocean front room was much more upgraded, but at the prices they charge, we felt that all rooms should have luxury showers and toilets. Only the oceanfront room had those upgrades.
The initial experience definitely colored our view of the resort, but we did our best to have a good time for the next few days. Overall, most of the staff were fine, with a few who were rude and a few who went above and beyond to balance those out. The spa was excellent ,as were the staff members there. We were disappointed that there seemed to be no real benefit to the cost of the resort, as you had to pay to rent all beach and snorkeling equipment, and there was no way to get into the restaurant for dinner since they do not save any reservations for resort guests. The prices at the restaurant were raised during our stay, which was very frustrating, and on our last day at the resort (after days of purchasing drinks without being carded), the waitress insisted I go back to my room to show her my ID to purchase a mimosa at breakfast. This and other experiences with the staff made us feel unwelcome at the resort, like we were an inconvenience, which was so disappointing during a trip that was so important to us. We will not be staying here again. By the way, if it matters, this was our very first experience at a resort, so perhaps our expectations were too high (although for $1000+ a night, we truly expected better).
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Date of stay: May 2022
Location
Service
Sleep Quality
Room Tip:Ocean front rooms are the only rooms with an actual ocean view
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 KoaKea Team, Other at Ko'a Kea Resort On Poipu Beach
Responded Jul 31, 2022
Aloha jebbpbtravel, Thank you for your feedback regarding your recent stay and we apologize for the inconveniences you experienced. As we always appreciate hearing ways that we may improve, we have forwarded your feedback to our management team and hope to continue to welcome you back to the resort in the future to exceed your expectations next time. Mahalo, Joanna
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Hi. There is a path that runs along the beach and connects all of the hotels along that stretch of Poipu Beach. Early in the morning, quite a few people run on it, but it gets crowded and it would be hard to run on it after say 9 am.
I think a ground floor oceanfront room would be worth it as you have your own grass lawn to hang out on. Otherwise, I would settle for an ocean view room. ENJOY!
There are more places to choose from in the Poipu area.
PRICE RANGE
$655 - $1,002 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
koa kea hotel poipu, koa kea hotel and resort, koa kea resort
LOCATION
United StatesHawaiiKauaiKoloaPoipuKoloa
NUMBER OF ROOMS
121
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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