Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa Quick Thoughts
Poolside at the Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa, I overheard a little boy proclaim, “This is the best day of my entire life.” I couldn't resist a smile. Because honestly? Same. The hotel is arguably one of the most coveted Hyatt redemptions. The sprawling 50-acre property is absolutely lush. The grounds are saturated with divine green landscaping. The 1.5-acre saltwater lagoon is worth spending hours in. (And I did.) It's the kind of setting that's difficult to pry yourself away from. And that's saying something given all the magic that Kauai itself has to offer. During an extended trip to Hawaii last month, I found that the Grand Hyatt was an equally famed destination for locals. Almost everyone I met, both on- and off-property, had a story about it, whether they had a family member who worked there or had celebrated some sort of milestone there. Here are my quick thoughts on Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa.
What Was The Cost Of Booking the Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa & Is There Is Value In The Price?
Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa is a Category 8 property on the World of Hyatt award chart. A standard room is currently bookable from 35,000 to 45,000 Hyatt points per night. I booked at 40,000 points per night when rates were running around $900/night, for a value of about 2.25 cents per point. The rates on this property will increase dramatically on May 20 thanks to the upcoming Hyatt devaluation, with the potential to cost as high as 75,000 points per night. There's been plenty of panic booking since the devaluation has been announced, but it's worth noting that there is still solid availability as of today for this winter and next spring. By this time next week, I am not sure how many travelers will be able to justify the new top-level pricing to stay here. Not knowing if or when I'll be able to return to this property in the future, I decided to take advantage of as many amenities as I could during my stay. I wanted to drink in as much of this magical property as I could!
Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa Quick Thoughts On The Room: What I Liked About It & What Could Be Improved
Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa is a massive property, with just over 600 rooms. Only 42 of these are suites, and upgrades are anecdotally hard to come by here regardless of status. I was satisfied enough with our 2 Queen Beds – Resort View Room. The interiors were dated and not really my style, but the space was comfortable. I appreciated the size of the bathroom and thought it felt just luxe enough, with marble countertops, double sinks and a Toto bidet. The best part, though, was the balcony overlooking the beach and the pool. Waking up to that view in the morning was enough to remind me that the room was the last place I wanted to be, anyway. The resort was always beckoning me outside.
What Are Some Of The Better Amenities Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa Offers & Is It Missing Anything Important?
Amenities
At check-in, we were handed a weekly events calendar. This is the sort of resort travelers could easily spend all day hanging out at, with a mix of free and paid activities available onsite. Think everything from lei making to yoga to kid's fun. Perhaps because of this, the property draws all kinds of guests: large families, solo travelers, honeymooners, couples celebrating their anniversaries. The appeal is broad. One of our favorite amenities was a free laundry room for guests, which was much appreciated after we'd spent several weeks in Hawaii. It was a bit cramped and small, but we had no problem grabbing a spare washer and dryer.
Attending the Luʻau
We bought tickets to the on-property lu'au, which is offered on Wednesday and Saturday nights. It was about $200 per person after taxes. I used this Amex Hyatt offer to charge the tickets to our room, so we got $75 cashback. Admission included unlimited cocktails and a buffet-style spread. Food included poi, two different kinds of poke, salmon, chicken, steak, lots of sides and fresh fruit, multiple kinds of desserts, and, of course, an enormous roasted pig. Seating was arranged at long communal tables, and we immediately befriended two newlywed couples sitting across from us. The lu'au itself was enjoyable, with traditional Polynesian music, drumming, hula dancing and some jaw-dropping fire dancers. P2 had previously attended the Smith Family Garden Luau, which some say is the best on the island. But there was no availability during our trip, and we loved the idea of being able to attend a lu'au without having to worry about transportation to and from. I won't disclose how many mai tais we had, but we definitely got our money's worth.
Anara Spa
It had been years since I'd last booked a hotel spa treatment. What sold me on Anara Spa: Booking a treatment affords an entire day of access to the 45,000-square-foot spa, complete with open-air lava rock showers, hot tubs and a pool. I reserved a Lohaki Garden Massage. It's an open-air treatment in a private room, with running water and birds chirping on surround sound. I would have preferred a little more pressure from the massage, but the setting alone was enough to be healing and restorative.
Dining
Grand Hyatt has six restaurants and bars onsite. We tried almost all of them, with the exception of Seaview Terrace and Hale Nalu. Tidepools is the most visually beautiful setting, situated in a series of thatched-roof bungalows atop a large koi pond. We most enjoyed the breakfast at Ilima Terrace, where we watched a swan floating past us and feasted on a buffet that kept us full the entire day. Globalists can also access the club lounge, which is refreshed multiple times per day with spreads for breakfast, hors d'oeuvres, desserts and drinks.
What Was Your Favorite Thing About The Property?
Grand Hyatt Kauai is situated on Shipwreck Beach, which has a rocky shoreline and a rough current. The view is gorgeous, but it's not a place to swim. The property's multiple pools, connected by a cascading walkway framed by flowers and plants, more than make up for this. Incredibly, the pools are open 24 hours, which I've rarely even seen at a property of this scale. We adored the saltwater lagoon and spent a late night there under the stars with one of our friends. The next day, we acted like kiddos as we rode the waterslide multiple times. There's a sort-of lazy river, but the current is not strong and the only floats available require renting. Despite the popularity of the resort, we never found the pools to be crowded.
What Was Your Least Favorite Thing About The Property?
This property is utterly sprawling. We dreaded going back and forth from the room to the pool and dining areas because of how long the walk was. We almost regretted the time we spent doing laundry, too. The laundry room was difficult to find, and the walk back and forth was winding. I think some people appreciate the property's size and all it has to offer, but this kind of setup is not for every traveler. With the new pricing in mind, I would only recommend booking Grand Hyatt for the days you plan to spend hours on-end at the hotel. There's so much else to see in Kauai, it'd be worth it to switch to another hotel for the days you plan to be out-and-about.
Would I Stay At Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa Again?
One night, we scoped out the 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay, which is likely the Grand Hyatt's main competitor on the island. 1 Hotel is available to book with Chase's The Edit program, but it's quite pricey. We rode over to the luxury property for dinner and drinks instead. The grounds are stunning, like straight out of a Jurassic Park clip. The rooms, pools and restaurants are almost unapproachably modern. These two properties are often pitted against each other, but I think this is an apples-and-oranges comparison. While 1 Hotel's rooms more match my personal aesthetic, I think Grand Hyatt feels more classically Hawaiian and brings much more value—even once it switches over to the new pricing next week. While I don't see myself being able to stay at Grand Hyatt for multiple nights at the future top-level 75,000 points/rate, I do hope to return someday.
Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa Quick Thoughts
On our last day in Kauai, I truly grieved leaving this hotel. I wore my then-wilting purple flower lei to the airport, too sad to let go it—and of the person I'd become during my stay at Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa. I felt myself glowing the longer I spent there. This is nothing short of a glorious property, from the moment you walk into the lobby and catch your breath at the lobby's picture-frame view of the rolling blue ocean ahead.
Have you stayed at the Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa? Give us your quick thoughts in the ToP Facebook group.
