I've only stayed once at each of these two places, so my perspective is limited, but here are my recollections.
Ka Eo Kai: One of the most spacious units I've ever seen anywhere, with a huge wraparound deck where we loved relaxing. However, I don't think the 1br units have a second bathroom, and air conditioning wasn't available. I believe the "plus" designation means you'll be on an upper floor, where you'll likely have cathedral ceilings and a bit more quiet. But I'm not sure whether your friends could access the unit's only bathroom without going into at least the entry of the main bedroom.
Bottom line: I'd stay here again as a couple, or maybe a family with small kids on the pullout couch, and not in the heat of summer. I likely wouldn't choose it for traveling with friends.
Bali Hai: The units aren't as spacious, but you do have the option of getting a 1br with 2 baths. (You can also get a 1br with only 1 bath, so be careful when you book.) Air conditioning is available for a fee. We had a ground-floor 1br with only 1 bath, and kept doors and windows open (with screens) instead of getting A/C, so we had to deal with noise from the sprinklers and noisy kids at the pool.
Bottom line: I'd consider this a better choice when traveling with friends because of the 2nd bath. If I had enough points, I'd also opt for upper level to reduce the noise.
Other options, if you can get them:
- Cliffs Club: As far as I know, all the 1br units have 2 baths. There's no A/C, but the units are well designed to capture the breezes. And the property is oceanfront (at the top of a cliff), with beautiful sunset views. This is one of our favorites, although I've only seen it occasionally through the Wyndham site. We've traded into it several times through RCI or II.
- Makai Club Cottages: We haven't had the chance to stay here, but my understanding is that these are stand-alone 2br cottages, and each bedroom is like a "primary suite" with a king-sized bed. It appears to take fewer points to stay in a 2br here than to stay in a 1br with 2 baths at Bali Hai.
- Kauai Coast Resort at the Beachboy: This resort is in Kapa'a, not Princeville, and the units are less luxurious, but A/C is included at no extra cost. A 1br only has 1 bath, but you can get to it without going into the main bedroom. This property is beachfront — not swimmable, but great for walking along the ocean. Even if your unit doesn't face the ocean, you'll typically have both ocean and mountain views from your balcony. The on-site Hukilau Lanai restaurant has amazing food (get reservations). And you can walk right across the street to the Coconut Marketplace shops and restaurants. This is another of our favorites, and it's relatively cheap in points compared to the other options on Kauai. A 1br is 168k to 182k points per week, depending on time of year, and we've booked a 2br week for 232k — again, cheaper than some of the 1br options at Bali Hai. The 2br units don't pop up often for me, but we've had decent luck finding 1br units through Wyndham right at the 10-month mark.
Bali Hai and Ka Eo Kai will have more availability than any of these other options, but I'm making note of them in case you happen to come across one.
