Pono Kai Resort — Hotel in Kauai

Pono Kai is a nice resort on the Eastern Shore of Kauai in Kapaa. We are Marriot time share holders and did an exchange that gave us Pono Kai resort. Typically we would stay at the Marriot Location in Lihue but since it was booked Pono Kai was recommended to us so we decided to give it a try. The resort itself is fairly average hence the 3 star rating. Its not bad but its not great either. As others have mentioned it is in desperate need of a make over/pick me up. The pool is not much to speak of unfortunately so we didn't even bother with it except to get towels. The units themselves are sufficient but definitely need updating. We had a couple things that weren't working upon check in but I will say Pono Kai resolved them for us pretty much immediately so we were impressed with that service. They do make an effort for the guests. Some buildings on the property were showing serious signs of wear and tear but I will also say they were in the middle of fixing the buildings that were in need so again they are aware and working to upgrade. A nice touch to raise the guests first impression would maybe be to offer a lei or welcome drink - there is none of that and then you head into the room which is also very average so your first and second impression are lacking. The location in Kapaa is pretty central for heading to the North or the South of the island so that was nice. Kapaa itself is an ok town that is also showing some signs of being run down in parts. But you can walk to the town from Pono Kai so that was great for restaurants, shopping, etc when you didn't feel like hopping in the car again. There is some homeless in Kapaa and I know that is becoming more common in some Hawaiian towns - no issues with anything on our end but it gives the area a more run down feel that it should have considering the beautiful location on the water. Its not at California beach levels by any means thankfully but it could go that way in the coming years if they let it. There are a fair amount of structures/homes that are run down near the resort as well. The cost of living in the area is astronomical so not sure how it will go. There is a great path at the back of the resort that goes for about 6 miles - really nice for a walk, run, or bike ride along the water - we utilized that daily and it was a really nice feature to the property. The resort also has a small gym (really tiny actually) but its has some weights and a couple machines and can be efficient for a quick workout. Its already crowded with as many as 3 people so keep that in mind. The resort offers free towels daily for beach or pool use - you can exchange once a day which was perfect. They also have an activities/rental center right in the reception area where they rent beach chairs, umbrellas, boards, snorkel gear, etc... very affordable as well which we appreciated. We found the shopping in the area to be pretty decent overall - the restaurants are very average and my suggestion would be to call ahead to make sure they are open. There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to some of the nights they choose to close despite the internet saying they are open. We had planned to go to one and walked about 15 minutes to find they were not open. When we called the next day they said they were closed for a couple nights or maintenance - no sign outside or anything but that is sort of a common theme in Kauai so definitely check ahead so you don't get dissapointed or spend too much time planning or getting there. In the end Pono Kai was a nice option that allowed us the freedom to cook a meal if we wanted and a nice central location on the island. As a side note we are a married couple, no children so this was our experience and perception of the resort and the area. Some may like it more than others - we have stayed in all kinds of accommodations all over the world and always happy to share our experiences whether they are positive, negative or a mixed bag! Thanks Pono Kai...

This was my second stay at Pono Kai. The first was in 1983 for my high school graduation present with my whole family, and this time was myself and a friend for my 60th birthday. We had a ground floor ocean view the first time, so I chose the third floor for this trip and stayed six nights. The view was amazing and the beach was about 50 steps from the building.

The room was absolutely spotless, and we didn't see a single bug the entire trip, inside or out. The wild chickens do their job well.

There is air conditioning and a fan for the living room and kitchen, so it was always very comfortable in there. The bedroom was sweltering with a ceiling fan in there, and a floor fan. We used the tower fan in the living room and turned it to face down the hall into the bedroom and kept it on 24/7. That kept the bedroom cool enough to sleep for my friend.

I had decided to sleep on the pullout bed because I wanted to be up with the sun every day. The couch is nice, but the mattress is like sleeping on a bed of different sized marbles. I had to wiggle around to get aligned with the lumps. That mattress definitely needs to be replaced.

The kitchen is well stocked with everything you need to cook except for a spatula. It's a weird thing to be missing, so I assume someone either took it or accidently tossed it out. I was excited to see a set of copper pot pans, but when we tried to use them, they've been so beat up by people cooking with metal utensils that the pans are all pretty much useless now. No matter how much oil/butter we used, everything stuck.

The hall closet was a nice surprise. There were a few extra towels and the bedding for the sofa. Additionally, it looks like people have been leaving their extra's behind. There were almost a dozen bottles of sunscreen, some unopened cough medicine, soap, bug repellent, a boogie board, and at least 8 folding beach chairs, along with a few other things I'm forgetting.

The property itself is very nicely maintained and beautiful. There is an elevator in each building and a laundry room. There is a housekeeping staff, but we never saw them and had to take out our own trash. We didn't run out of towels until the last morning, but we did run out of the 1-ply toilet paper twice. The first time, they had some at the front desk, and the second, my friend had to walk down to housekeeping to get it. Oh, and the shower water pressure is amazing.

The resort itself is in a great location. It's the perfect home base because you can easily get to the North/South sides of the island with no trouble, but it's in a very walkable area for food and tons of gift shops and places to eat. There is also a (very expensive) grocery store about a mile away and regular fast-food joints. If you exit from the main entrance of Pono Kai, you can only go right. But if you use the side entrance (closed at night) you can make a left if you're feeling brave or it's not rush hour. One thing I noticed about Kauai drivers is they seem to run on the 'just go for it' method of driving. They will dart their cars into the smallest gaps in traffic. If you want to go South from the resort, just go right to the light, then left, next left, and now you're back on 56 South. It takes less than a minute.

The beach is nice to go sit and watch the water, or get your feet wet, but it's not really swimmable because there is no lifeguard. I did see people do it, but I wouldn't recommend it. The beach was a lot wider back in '83 and there were a lot of swimmers, but now it's narrow and mostly for looking. There are beaches with lifeguards down the road. We went to Poipu and snorkeled. It was a nice, safe day.

There is plenty of free onsite parking for all guests. We didn't use the pool.

There is a concierge on site. We didn't find any help there but try it anyway.

Overall, if you're looking for a clean, safe, centrally located vacation spot, I'd definitely recommend the Pono Kai and I would return for a third time if I ever go...

First allow me to preface my evaluation of Pono Kai by saying that the Front Desk staff Dawn was very professional. With that said, whomever assigned us our room must have hoped we would leave, as I suspect it is their problem unit. The bed was hard as a rock and the pillows flimsy, my wife had to sleep on the lawn chair and I felt like bugs were biting me all nite. The pipes made weird sounds late at night and we had to get up on multiple occasions and flush the toilet to make the siren squeal stop. Even if they did clean the Unit prior to our arrival it wasn't done well, much to our surprise there was a dead gecko in our bedroom in plain site, there were hand prints on the coffee table, arm chairs, and arms of the couch; the mat under the coffee table was sticky. The sectional was worn and ragged, needing to be replaced. The back right burner on the stove shocked my wife whenever she would touch the pan resting on it. We couldnt even get into the Unit when we arrived and needed maintenance to update our key cards.

However, we were grateful for the partial ocean view, a spacious but odd floor design, and for the first time our two kids could share a room because they each had a twin bed; as opposed to my son sleeping on the hideabed in the living room; which eventually he did anyway because it was bigger, but it was nice to have options and guests if we wanted.

It was like pulling teeth to get our reservation approved to begin with, being that we were haole and lived on island; it seemed difficult for the staff to wrap their heads around the concept. In all fairness though I have noticed a general sense of laziness that has set in here on Kauai, present company included being a State Employee, having limited service be the norm due to COVID restrictions. I wouldn't be surprised if the staff have a pool to see how long we will last in our unit. I've already  scheduled appointments with chiropractors and massage therapists, because we need to make the best of the situation. Our house is being tented for termites, and my father who currently has stage 4 bone cancer, wanted to help us out; the last thing he needs to deal with is drama. I suppose we could ask for another room, or request repairs, but I'm too stubborn to give them the satisfaction; enter Randy Quaid National Lampoon's Spring Break Staycation (Cousin Eddie's Island Adventure). Besides, I already know how things will play out. The unit has probably been vacant for a year and these are all new developments that the staff were unaware of, and any complaints would be villianized during these "unprecedented times"; I think Kauai averages 1 positive COVID case a day from a traveler? In all fairness the staff are probably running on a skeleton crew, and the Jacuzzi / Hot tub was great, it was otherwise relatively quiet, and it was easy to get fresh linens. The front desk staff let us check out 7 hours later than scheduled so I left a $60 tip.

Summary: Rough start, but the kids enjoyed their stay, and it was nice being able to run home to feed the cats, and attend to all the preparation that goes in to having your house tented. I'd have to say things ended on a good note, and you can't beat being right by the Beach path; you have your pick of beaches. I even met a couple from Alaska who got a great deal and stayed their for months on end; they were very happy. Great staff, conveinant location, nice amenities, and once they are fully staffed I'm sure all the units will...