A GUIDE TO PARADISE
I’ve already been over the fantastic experiences I’ve had at the Grand Hyatt in Kauai, so now I’d like to share some tips with you.
I’ve spent 17 nights at the Grand Hyatt, and I’ve experienced 8 different room categories, from a Pool View to a Presidential Suite. So I’m going to start by sharing which rooms I’ve stayed in and giving you the pros and cons.
The lowest category room is what the Grand Hyatt Kauai classifies as a standard room. Standard rooms will vary in location, but all share common traits. Each of these rooms will either face the parking lot or the gardens on the south side. On the Poipu wing, these will be 1st floor rooms, in the shipwreck wing these will be from 3rd to 6th story rooms. In my opinion, the worst of these rooms is a 4th-6th story room in the Shipwreck wing, as these will most likely have Parking lot views. You will not be able to see the Ocean from these rooms. All of these rooms will feature a terrace or balcony to relax outside.
Room 3132: The very first room I experienced at the Grand Hyatt was a pool view room on the ground level of the Shipwreck wing. The room is spacious, and incredibly convenient for pool access. The terrace has an obstructed view of the pool. Pool view rooms will be located in the Shipwreck wing at ground level (3rd floor)
Room 3092: As a late checkout accommodation, I was assigned this partial ocean view room for several hours until it was time to leave. This room is not too far from the lobby in the Poipu wing. It would be ideal for access to the club, or for wedding guests who would not have to wander far from the outdoor altar to return to their room after the ceremony.
Partial Ocean view rooms will be spread across both wings of the hotel, and are basically defined as rooms that have less than a premier view of the Ocean. Close proximity to the lobby can be viewed as a pro and a con. Shorter walks to the car are appreciated by many, but it’s always possible the Ilima Terrace restaurant may be hosting an event. In such a case, it’s possible the noise will disturb guests located here.
Room 6093: The last two nights of my first stay were upgraded from a paid standard room to this Deluxe Ocean View Room. In size it is similar, if not the exact same as most of the rooms on property, but the view was spectacular. Unfortunately it was not well appreciated by me or my girlfriend, as we had downgraded from a suite just a few doors down. Along with said Suite, this room was not all that ideal location-wise. Stairway access to the pool is a long walk through the hall, and compared with the pool view room we stayed in for our first two nights it felt like a significant trek. It shouldn’t discourage most people though, as compared to rooms in the Poipu wing it was a cakewalk to get places.
Room 1029: A single night in this Garden Suite was sufficient for us. Larger than the Ocean Suite we had spent a night in the previous year, this suite did impress us in size, and it would certainly be comfortable for up to a family of four. It was also fantastic to have a hammock right outside the room. Yet we discovered here that ground floor rooms are not our forte at the Grand Hyatt. You too may realize that the ground floor is grounds for many critters, and while geckos and other reptiles are scattered everywhere at the resort, the ground floor is the most occupied. Plan to encounter at least a few creatures in your room.
We also realized just how inconvenient this suite was. It’s quite a roundabout trip to the club, and very distant from the lobby, the pool, and the parking lot. We utilized the valet while staying in this room, and it’s likely you’ll want to do the same.
Room 6083: I blame this room for many of my financial woes. We were given a complimentary upgrade to this room for a single night from the paid Deluxe Ocean View Room. While I found out later this is the smallest room in the Ocean Suite category, it was by far the most luxurious accommodation I had experienced at any hotel I’d ever stayed in. Like all the Garden and Ocean Suites, this room features a wet bar, a table for four, and an L-Shaped Couch with a TV in the living room. In the separate bedroom is a Hyatt Grand King bed with a TV. The master bath is equipped with a shower and a jetted tub, along with a small TV above the sink. This particular room had sliding glass doors leading out to an oversized balcony from both the living room and the bedroom.
Room 2029: This standard sized Ocean Suite was directly above the Garden suite we had stayed in the previous year. In layout and features it was exactly the same. The sole difference was that instead of access to the Garden and a hammock directly outside the room, a balcony offered ocean views.
Room 2038: While this Large Sized Ocean Suite essentially had the same features as the other standard suites I had stayed in, it was significantly better. It’s location was slightly more convienent than the Standard Size Ocean Suite and Garden Suite I had stayed in, but most impressive was the views it offered. This room featured an oversized living room and an oversized balcony off the living room. Additionally, the bedroom featured sliding glass doors with a small balcony on the other corner, meaning you could view the ocean or the hotel lobby from the room. Of all the rooms I have stayed in at the resort, we spent the most nights in this room (5 nights).
Check out the video below for a preview of four different standard suites in the hotel.
Room 6127: This Deluxe Ocean Suite is impressive in size, views, and location. Featuring a 6 person formal dining table and a half-bathroom along with all the other features found in the hotel’s standard suites, this is one of the best rooms on property. French doors off the bedroom lead to views of the expansive pool. The oversized living room has two sets of sliding glass doors that open to a giant balcony with premier ocean views. Ultimately, my assessment of the property has led me to believe that this room has the best views on the resort, though there are a few rooms closer to the ocean. The following video is a tour of this incredible room.
….AND THE BEST FOR LAST
Room 6026: This is one of two Presidential suites at the resort. From what I’ve seen of the other and because of the location of this room, I’m led to believe it is the better of the two. While clearly the most luxurious accommodation offered, unfortunately you have to sacrifice the best view and a premier location to get it. Granted the views are nothing short of spectacular from this room, but having a line of sight to all of the pool grounds and having convenient access to the lobby and pool in room 6127 was invaluable to me.
Despite that, if I had to choose between 6127 and this room, I would take the Presidential Suite. This suite is the ultimate in entertaining options at the resort, and would be a spectacular family retreat for a week. From separate living, dining, and entertaining areas to the oversized Jacuzzi tub in the bathroom, this suite has it all.
The suite entrance features double doors. For additional space, the adjacent room can also be rented, and an additional set of double doors in front of the suite entrance and prior to the adjacent room can be closed to turn this suite and the adjacent room into a 2-bedroom, 2 & 1/2 bath suite.
Enjoy the video below for a preview of this home-sized suite.
I hope you’ve enjoyed my review and guide of the Grand Hyatt Kauai. If you have time, check out my video of the Garden Island below. (2D Version on Top, 3D Version on Bottom)