Hawaii Mom Blog: hotels kauai

September 4, 2025

Visit Kauai: Our Staycation at the Outrigger Kauai Beach Resort & Spa

Early risers at the Outrigger Kauai Beach Resort & Spa are treated to gorgeous sun rises!

While searching for hotels on Kauai, I found that the Outrigger Kauai Beach Resort & Spa had great reviews, is centrally located, and had affordable kama’aina (Hawaii resident) rates. Located directly on Nukolii Beach, the plantation style property spans a vast 25 lush tropical acres, but never feels overwhelming. The property is currently preparing for a remodel of the lobby, conference rooms and other public spaces.

We were fortunate to be upgraded to one of their newly redesigned Signature suites which has a separate living area and sleeps up to four guests with a king bed and sofa bed. One of the best features of the suite is the additional half bath at the entrance which was very convenient with three people sharing a room.

This pool view 1-bedroom suite has a spacious 673 square feet and two private balconies.

While I can’t attest to the sofa bed, I slept like a baby in the king bed the first night. The
next morning we had an issue with the room so I alerted hotel staff and they moved us
to another suite immediately. It was nice to have the situation remedied so quickly.

The signature style rooms are designed with tranquil colors with bright accents
providing a cozy haven for your stay. I enjoyed relaxing and reading on the modern
chaise lounge chair in the bedroom while my daughter used the dining table to finish
homework and my son watched Netflix on one of the two televisions.

You'll find a second large screen tv in the bedroom and a relaxing chaise lounger, which was my favorite spot to curl up with some reading.

Living space amenities includes sink, coffee maker, and mini fridge.

Half bathroom located by the entrance of the suite.

The resort is home to four pools – including a kid friendly sand bottom pool; a 75-foot
waterslide, and two hot tubs. There’s also plenty of beach lounge chairs and umbrellas.
Activities offered to guests include lei making, ukulele and hula lessons, and daily
beachfront sunrise yoga. The Outrigger Kauai also has a 24/7 Fitness Center and a full
service spa and salon.

Pools hours are 8am to 10pm.

Net up for volleyball.

Signature treatments and sauna are available on property at the Hawaiian Rainforest Spa.

Although the resort does not offer room service, guests can dine in or take-out at one of
the property restaurants: Naupaka Terrace (breakfast and dinner), Driftwood Bar & Grille (pool side), and Shutters Lounge (happy hour and live music). We enjoyed the
breakfast buffet at Naupaka Terrace which offered cold selections of fresh fruit, oats,
yogurts, and pastries and hot selections of made to order eggs, breakfast meats,

French toast, pancakes, and more.

All you can eat pastries at Naupaka's Breakfast Buffet.

Enjoy live music at Shutter's Lounge.

Poolside dining at the Driftwood Bar & Grille.

Beautiful lobby area.

The resort's onsite gift shop also offers made to order coffee drinks.

Gift shop.

It's no surprise the resort was awarded Tripadvisor Traveler's Choice Award 2025: Top 10% worldwide. The Outrigger brand provides a home away from home feel and this was no exception. We loved the resort's intimate and relaxed vibe and with the stellar service, convenient location, and overall value, we would not hesitate to stay here again.

Thank you to the Outrigger Kauai Beach Resort & Spa for the complimentary upgrade. All opinions are honest and entirely my own.

September 8, 2015

Visit Kauai: The Incredible Pools at the Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa

by Hawaii Mom Blog

Our recent stay at the Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa was spectacular, and one of the big reasons why was because of the pools. Yes, pools - plural. And not just any kind of pools, but incredible salt water and fresh water pools that span acres and provide hours of fun (or relaxation).

Each day, after going to the recreation desk to get our towels and wristbands, my kids went straight to the 150-foot long water slide.

The waterslide is open 9am to 6pm, and guests at least 42 inches tall slide as fast (or slow) as they possibly can into a 3.5 feet pool at the bottom.

My kids spent a lot of time at the waterslide. It was so nice to see them enjoy themselves so much.

In addition to the waterslide, the lazy river also provided a lot of fun.

Tubes can be rented, and as you float down the lazy river you'll pass secret caves and waterfalls.

One of the pools is equipped with a volleyball net and basketball net, providing even more fun!

We also spent time at the salt water lagoon. The lagoon is huge at 1 1/2 acres, with most guests swimming, kayaking, or snorkeling in the central area, but there are several quiet areas at the far ends of the lagoon.

Salt Water Lagoon

There is also an adult pool for guests 14 years of age and older (and no cell phones).

Adult Pool

There is no shortage of seating around the pools, but seats under umbrellas or trees are limited, so find a shaded spot early, or you can also rent a cabana!

The pools are open 24 hours a day, but no lifeguards are on duty.

Water stations can be found throughout the pool grounds, and sunscreen is provided as well.

Needles to say, we stayed at the pools all day long, which meant we ate lunch there too. Hale Nalu is located right near the pools if you want to take a lunch break, or they also provide poolside service from 11am to 5pm.

I was pleasantly surprised with the keiki meals. For $11, kids get an entree, side and a drink, and it was actually a lot of food. One day I ordered a yummy fish sandwich, but the next day I just ordered the kids their meals and munched on their leftovers.