Best Kid-Friendly Hotels in Poipu, Kauai

One of the best luxury resorts on Kauai, the 602-room Grand Hyatt Kauai draws guests with spacious, Hawaiian-inspired rooms, three incredible pools, a behemoth saltwater lagoon, 10 dining options, including a host of high-end restaurants, a renowned spa, a twice-weekly luau, and immaculately kept tropical grounds. Its large range of features allows it to have broad appeal, and a non-stop cycle of families, honeymooners, business travelers, and wedding parties filter through the property week after week. Travelers looking for an equally luxurious property without all the fanfare should check out nearby Koa Kea Resort, which is smaller, cheaper, and offers half of the amenities of the Hyatt. 

The upscale Villas at Poipu Kai is one of the top condo-style properties in Poipu, with 32 three- and four-bedroom apartments. Huge villas are tastefully decorated with elegant Hawaiian decor, and feature Tommy Bahama furniture, travertine bathrooms, and KitchenAid appliances. The mid-size pool is centrally located in the middle of the resort’s six buildings, and has a neat water feature and small hot tub. However, guests shouldn’t expect a swim-up bar or poolside service. Brennecke and Poipu, the two nearest beaches, are within a 15-minute walk. There’s a small fitness center, but no on-site restaurant or spa. Note that the similarly upscale condo property Koloa Landing at Poipu Beach Wyndham Grand Resort offers more amenities for comparable nightly rates.    

Located next to the Kiahuna Plantation and Koa Kea, this 238-room Poipu resort offers huge two-bedroom villas with kitchens, three great pools, and a 24-hour fitness center, but there's no full restaurant and you can find more luxurious units on Kauai for a similar price.

This luxury hotel has villa-style rooms that are some of the largest in Kauai, ranging from 1,300-square-foot one-bedroom apartments to 3,600-square-foot four-bedroom penthouses. All villas have huge private lanais and modern Hawaiian decor throughout. There are three beautiful pools -- including one for families and one exclusively for adults -- but the nearest swimmable beach is a 10-minute walk from the hotel. The spa is smaller than at other luxury resorts in the area, but the hotel's newer features, like a 13,000-square-foot lagoon pool and poolside bar and grill, are welcome additions. The Villas at Poipu Kai offers equally luxurious accommodations for similar nightly rates.

A so-so condo-resort tucked away in the outskirts of touristy Poipu, the Point offers huge, two-bedroom suites with full kitchens and a sandy-entry pool, but little else. It lacks a beach, the food is bad, and the grounds aren't well maintained. All-around better beachside hotels are the Castle and the Outrigger Kiahuna Plantation.

A 333-unit, south shore condo fronting Poipu Beach, with limited service and varying decor, though plenty of open space, the Outrigger Kiahuna Plantation offers an experience similar to the Castle Kiahuna, with which it shares the Kiahuna Plantation; both have access to the pool, golf, and tennis across the street, but there's slightly better service here.

Aston at Poipu Kai is a mid-range condo-complex comprising individually owned one-, two-, three-, and four-bedroom units. Rooms are spacious, with full kitchens and large lanais, but most do not have air-conditioning. It's quiet, and perhaps a bit boring, with not much to see or do on the property, save for a few small pools and a couple of tennis courts. Though a few rooms have fantastic ocean views, the nearest swimmable beach is about a 15-minute walk from the hotel. Considering there is no restaurant, spa, or workout facility, some travelers may find the daily “amenity fee” a bit steep. For a beachfront option in this price range with restaurants and a fitness center, consider Kiahuna Plantation -- but note that its rooms tend to be more dated than the ones here.

One of several resorts on Kauai's Poipu Beach, the Sheraton Kauai offers 394 basic rooms (all with private balconies) and solid, if not spectacular, amenities -- a fitness center, three eateries, a spa, two small pools that aren't quite as nice as those at pricier resorts -- all at attractive rates. And the hotel sits on a long stretch of gorgeous, calm oceanfront. A popular pick on Poipu Beach, the Sheraton often has an amusement-park atmosphere; for visitors looking for peace and quiet, the Kauai Beach Resort may be a better fit.

A 115-unit south shore condo fronting Poipu Beach with limited service and varying decor, though plenty of open space, the Castle Kiahuna offers a similar experience to Outrigger Kiahuna, which is part of the same Kaihuna Plantation; both have access to the pool, golf, and tennis across the street, but service here doesn't quite match that at the Outrigger.