ʻAuliʻi Lūʻau — Attraction in Hawaii

This was our first luau and we were not disappointed! Here's what you can expect...

Parking at the event was super easy. Look for the special event sign, but they said valet parking was free. We did special event and figured we could leave faster.

When you register online you get the choice of "premium" or "standard" seating. My advice is if you have a large group of more that 4 you do "premium". They get to sit at round tables in the very front of the stage. Which are reserved, so no worries if you arrive closer to 5:30pm check-in. "Standard" is seated at long rectangular tables and it's first come first serve. We got "standard" tickets and I highly suggest you arrive early and stake your place in line. There are two lines and like I said seating for "standard" is first come first serve. We were there at 5pm and we're still not the first people! There were several people serving cocktails to adults and juice to children while you waited in line. It was a nice touch! The line moves quickly so it isn't too bad and we got close seats to the stage. Once inside head to the bar and get your cocktail so you can at least enjoy it while everyone gets seated.

The food was good, was it a 5 star Michelin meal? No. Did they have food for my vegetarian husband? Yes! It's comfort food and everyone at our table agreed that it was filling and had good flavors. Yes, they call you table by table but it goes pretty quick considering they have 4 buffet lines going. Same with dessert, lots of good food and moved pretty quickly. There were 2 mixed drinks available and the bartender never stopped getting them out. No lack of Mai Tai or Blue Hawaiian's at this event! They also had pog and orange juice for the kids. Water, tea and coffee were also available.

The entertainment was excellent! There were stories and dancing that had meaning. The MC was hilarious, he kept the party going. The dancers were beautiful and the fire show at the end was a nice touch. They keep you mesmerized and happy, everyone was smiling.

Overall, it was a well organized event, with good food and wonderful entertainment! We would definitely return with others so they could...

I booked this luau one week before our last minute trip to Kauai. I found it listed in the Blue Book about Kauai as well as on Google. I chose it because it is the only luau that is located on the ocean. It was so beautifully staged as well as relaxing as you could hear the waves crashing along side of you. I highly recommend the premier seating package. Yes, it is an additional $25 per person and since we had 6 of us, it seemed expensive when I booked it but it was more than worth since you get to be seated first (not wait in the long line to enter and be checked in), you are in the first 3 rows seated at large round tables (as opposed to the regular seating at very long tables where it appeared to be difficult to get in/out of your seat), and you get to go to the buffet tables first. We had a 7 yr old and 10 yr old with us, so eating first was a great option for us as well as having that front row view of the show. The live band played the entire time and they were amazing. The announcer was amazing as well. I cannot say enough about the show we saw. It was just outstanding. I did not expect to see so many different shows, after the first one, I thought this was great! But then the announcer explained that we would see the history of the Hawaiian people and how the dance has changed over the years, how it tells a story. There were so many shows with costume changes and even a fire dancer. VERY impressive performance by all! It was worth every penny. I would definitely recommend this show and I would attend it again. Also, the food, it was delicious and there were so many different choices. It also caters to the vegetarian. The desserts were so great also! The non-alcoholic punch was so good and there were many other options also. The mai tais and blue hawaiian drinks were great too.

Thank you so much for providing this wonderful luau! We were lucky it was so close to our amazing condo at the Kiahuna Castle Plantation. But I must write another 5 star review...

My review will focus on three things: service, food, and atmosphere.

With respect to service, it's below sub-par. Advertised time for arrival was 5:30. The location can change to indoors from outdoors if there is rain.

We were stuck in Kauai traffic and arrived close to 6 pm. I called the office number around 5 pm to confirm the show start time and event location (i.e, indoor/outdoor) at least a few times without anyone picking up, though their office is open till 6 pm.

After we reached the hotel, there was not a single person or any sign to indicate where Luau was going to happen. I am sure that there were folks prior to 5:30 pm or maybe after that as well, but no sign to indicate incoming guests where to go?

After we were checked in by the organizers, it was embarrassing to see that everyone was greeted with Shell Lei, and we, for some reason, were not. I definitely brought it up to the host and believe this was a genuine mistake, but still, this is something that you should not expect with the price tag that comes with the event.

Food was medicore. If you're a vegetarian or vegan, you'll have trouble eating anything other than vegetables. Dishes were empty frequently, and the lines had a long wait for refill, and this happened several times during the buffet.

The atmosphere was okay. The location is beachfront, and that comes with a great view and ocean breeze. stage was small, and the performance was interactive. I liked the fire show.

Overall, it was not worth it for the price tag, and I wouldn't...