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ResortQuest Islander on the Beach
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11 reviews for ResortQuest Islander on the Beach
Beautiful lobby. Friendly, helpful staff.
Our ocean facing room did indeed face a lovely stretch of beach and was close enough to the water's edge that the roar of the ocean was always with us. The room had just a touch of that hotel mustiness but not enough to be a cause for much concern.
On the whole a good place and a good value.
When my husband asked where I wanted to stay in Kauai I specifically asked for something that wasn't too resort-y, ie Hilton-esque. Afterall you don't need too much luxury if you're already staying on Kauai...
The hotel was a very pleasant surprise.... Located in a quieter (if you can get any more quiet) area of Kauai--(Kapaa to be exact) its conveniently located across from a shopping plaza with some cafes and touristy shops (Hilo Hattie, Whalers). Also a 5 minute drive to Longs, Safeway, Foodland, Starbucks, Jamba Juice, and Mickey D's. Drive down another 5 minutes and you'll hit downtown Kapaa.
We stocked up on snacks and drinks at Foodland and took advantage of the hotels roomy refridgerator.
You don't see too many roosters and chickens here but you can hear them cock-a-doodling at the break of dawn and continuously after that. We didn't hear too much of that in the evening.... and on a few occasions housekeeping will knock at your door at 9am. But they do come back if you request it.
Very friendly concierge. Also, if you're going to rent snorkeling gear, go across the way (next to Trees Lounge). Its dirt cheap there and the guy who works there is knowledgeable about surf conditions, good snorkeling spots etc.
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Well after almost 30 yrs.of going there I finally have give them a POOR review. They have turned a nice little hotel into no more than a MOTEL.
There were problems with the Jaccuzi pretty much all of the 10 days, no longer including coffee (a tiny 2 cup coffee maker, but no makings), and even though its against the law in Hawaii to smoke in any building, they were reluctant or slow to enforce it. They said they would apply a penalty fee when the offending person checks out. I somehow doubt it. I paid extra for a 'oceanview' room - my wife enjoys the sounds of the waves. BUT because the idiot next door continued to smoke on his patio, even after admitting he knew it was wrong, we had to keep closing the slider to keep the smoke out. Five complaints to the management didn't hep solve the problem. In fact the manager did not even want to talk to me!
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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2/9/2009
Nothing fancy about this hotel - YEAH! No frills, no gym, no restaurant, nothing fancy. YEAH!… Read more »
As has been noted, it's not the Hilton or one of the other major resorts, so don't go expecting 5-star luxury.
So if you go expecting a clean room, mostly friendly staff, just about right on the beach, with a pool and hot tub (very hot tub), in Kappa, a nicely centrally located town, well then you won't be disappointed. The rooms have microwave, coffee maker and fridge, so go to Food Land or Safeway and stock up on breakfast and snacks.
Oh, and if you see a small white-black.gray stray cat with a clipped ear, be nice to it...give it some fish and clean water and it'll be your buddy for the duration, sleeping on your deck (see pic).
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First off, you have to realize that this is not a 5 star resort. I think a few people are just expecting too much out of a beachside hotel.
I got an partial oceanview room off priceline for $90 a night. What a deal! I was nervous that I might of been ripped off, but as soon as we drove into the hotel parking lot I was relieved.
The rooms are nice and clean with a hawaiian motif, the bath room is decent sized, and the balcony is big, so you can relax and enjoy the scenery. The beach is RIGHT near the hotel, you can just walk to it, and there is barely anyone there!!! We traveled during peak season, and there was less than a dozen people chillin on the beach on a beautiful day. That is a far cry from Wakiki, where my friend and I went to after our stay in Hawaii (reviews to come!)
If you are on a budget like me and my friend were, I reccomend shopping for breakfast items, beer, and bottled water at the safeway down the street, and keep them in the fridge that is in your room. There is also a microwave, basic silverware, bowls and plates, as well as a cutting board and cups.
Overall, I was very impressed. I wouldn't pay the rack rate for this hotel, as you can get something much better for that price on the island. However, if you end up scoring this on priceline (try http://biddingfortrave... for some hints), CONGRATS because it is well worth every penny that I paid, for $90 a night!!!
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We came here to this small, nicely-landscaped three-story hotel after I ran the Honolulu Marathon in December 2007. Very low-key, which was nice after the big hotels, mega traffic, and slow-moving tourist crowds (Mooooo!) in Honolulu.
We came to ResortQuest Islander on an Aloha Airlines package deal, so we paid peanuts for our room. It didn't overlook the beach, but our second-story room had a peaceful garden view and balcony. At night, we heard the waves crashing against the shore, which lulled us to sleep.
I believe all the rooms have a refrigerator, microwave, and cutlery and dishes, as ours did. There is no restaurant, though you can walk to Coconut Grove Mall (a bit hit-and-miss, although there is REALLY good shave ice at one of the stands there, and Eggberts has a decent breakfast) or to the Hukilau Grill at a neighboring hotel.
The staff was friendly and helpful overall, although the front desk can be a bit neglectful at times. We took full advantage of the free Wi-Fi in the newly-renovated and well-appointed open-air lobby.
The hotel doesn't have a gym, but we ran on the beach path just a mile or two north. Parking is free, but watch out for the plentiful roosters, lest you inadvertently run them over.
There are tons of roosters on the island. Someone needs to bring in a crate of mongoose to keep 'em in check. :-)
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THE GOOD: Friendly, gracious front desk staff, the sound of waves crashing on the shore at night, Easter egg hunt for all the kids on the lawn the Saturday before Easter, newspaper at the door every day (except Sunday), free parking.
THE SLIGHTLY LESS THAN GOOD: No elevators (pack light if staying on the third floor!), no restaurant on site, housekeeping didn't finish cleaning the room until nearly 4 pm both days (and we were out all day).
THE BAD: If you are traveling with kids, they (or you) are going to have to sleep on an uncomfortable sofa bed, because they had just one Queen size bed and a sofa sleeper. It would be fine for a couple traveling without kids, though.
THE UGLY: When we pulled the sofa sleeper out the first night, there were about 8 dead bugs on the sheet. My wife called housekeeping and a man came with sheets, and proceeded to hand the sheets to my wife.
Wife: Aren't you going to change the sheets?
Housekeeper: Don't you know how to change sheets?
Wife: What do I do with the dirty sheets that are on the bed?
Whereupon he changed the sheets. My wife DID NOT give him a tip. She's a lot tougher than me. If I had been in charge of this transaction, I would have probably changed the sheets, apologized for bothering him, and then cooked him some dinner.
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Definitely more of a three star hotel, but the fourth star is for sheer value. We got a great deal using http://bookit.com (if you plan on staying here, I think there are numerous web rates that are significantly less expensive than the hotel's posted rates) and what we got for the money was fantastic.
Free parking, free WiFi in the lobby, and a Honolulu Advertiser outside your door every morning. I read that they did an extensive remodel not so long ago, and it's evident in the stone floors and nicely done plantation style buildings. The pool area is kind of underwhelming, but it is on a lovely beach, and within walking distance to Hukilau restaurant, as well as the rather touristy Coconut Grove (but useful in a pinch for their movie theatre and general store).
If I were a rich girl (nananananananananana) I would stay at Princeville, but on my current budget I would not hesitate to go back to the centrally located ResortQuest.
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We ended our trip to Kauai by staying at this property. We opted for the ocean view room ...which was nice but underwhelming as the balcony is at an angle and in order to get the best view you have to actually step outside onto the balcony. But, the beach is nice, hardly anyone around, quite relaxing, as long as you enjoy watching the waves and not splashing in them.
The hotel itself was good but not as great as the prices would suggest it should be. I agree with the other reviewer that you should try to find a site online like http://bookit.com for better deals. This is not the kind of hotel which offers the lowest rate on their website.
We tried the hotel dining room for dinner one night and found the service impeccable, the food just decent. They did have a well-priced prix-fixe however. And the breakfast buffet is scrumptious! A definite "must buy" when you book your room.
Other than that, the best part of the hotel is it's location to the north side. Getting to Hanalei and Princeville takes about 40 min. And the same to Poipu (although there's tons of traffic through Lihue so it can be much longer).
Bottomline: Don't pay more than $250 a night for an oceanview room. There are better places to stay for that kind of money and with better views. You'll just have to book well in advance.
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This place was very nice. That's about it. Nothing to fancy, pool is nice, the hot tub was nice, it was nice to come back to and sleep at, the towels were nice.
Nice location too.
Though it would've been nice to walk to more places, it's not near much except a kind of sad mall.
My boyfriend and I stayed at Islander for a week in August 2007. Upon arrival, we upgraded to an ocean front room. It was definitely worth it - the waves were hitting the beach just a few yards from our lanai. The room was clean and well-appointed, with a microwave, coffee maker, and small fridge. The staff were friendly and very helpful. The whole property seems to have been recently renovated and it looked like part of it still had building crews in it. Overall, a very good experience. I highly recommend it.
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