Help with Wyndham resort in Kauai (2020)...

[Doug7856]

Hello, we are planning a trip to Hawaii for a family of four with two boys age 17 and 11. We've narrowed down our top choices to Wyndham Pahio at Ka'Eo Kai (one bedroom) or Makai Club Cottages (2 bedroom). Other potential locations are Wyndham Bali Hai Villas or Kauai Beach Villas, but some of the reviews have been fairly negative. We are asking for help in making our choice and seeking any suggestions or insights you might have for us.

Here are our questions:

1. Is the lack of A/C a problem for a summer visit?
2. Do you recommend one resort over the other?
3. Is each resort kept up well?
4. Is there easy access to the beach areas from the resort? Could we use bikes to get to the beach?
5. Any recommendation for view or room location requests?
6. Any other recommendations for the area? I hear this part of the island is rainy, but less so in July.

We purchased our Wyndham membership through a TUG member in 2010 and own in Myrtle Beach, but have never stayed there. Have loved our membership with stays in Nashville, Smokey Mountains, Florida, Williamsburg and Lake Tahoe.

Thanks for any insights you can provide!

 

[jjking42]

Have not stayed at any of those properties but my choices would be

1 Wyndham shearwater for the views
2 Wyndham Kauai beach villas because easy beach access




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[Eric B]

Bali Hai has some decent pools. Ka'Eo Kai is right next to a road in Princeville and can be noisy. I'd go with Bali Hai between those two. We've walked by the Makai Club ones, but didn't really look into their facilities. Lack of A/C wasn't a problem for us.

Not sure if the beach is swimable at KBV.

 

[dagger1]

We have travelled in Hawaii for many years to visit our son who was in the Navy there (Kailua on Oahu). He had a nice, older house with no AC. The bottom line is the humidity and heat could be pretty bad some days if the trades weren’t blowing. Of course we got a great deal on our lodgings cost: free. We swore then we would never pay to stay in a resort without central AC. That’s why we purchased only Marriott’s and Hyatt’s. (Westin’s, Disney, and Hilton would be fine too.). We are from Houston and know what heat and humidity are, and we don’t want to deal with it, especially on vacation.
That being said, we stayed at the Wyndham Shearwater last January (no AC) and it was fine. The views were fantastic and the Lanai was huge! But we probably wouldn’t stay there in the summer or fall.

 

[slip]

We have been to Kauai many times but have never stayed at any of these. But we know and have been by them all. If you are a/c people that could be an issue in the summer. It depends on how the building is facing and if the trade winds are blowing.

I would take Kauai Beach Villas. I just
Prefer that location over the others in Princeville. You will be traveling to see the island anyway so I would stay there where you are more central.

 

[bnoble]

When we went to Hawaii last year, I chose KBV in an ocean front unit. With the prevailing wind it was easy to get a great cross-breeze through the unit with the front door and sliding doors both open. The views and the sound of the ocean were well worth it. The beach right at KBV is not swimmable, but the one to the left (as you face the ocean) is, and you can get to it by scrambling over a few rocks/driftwood.

I would go back in a heartbeat, and if I were in a slightly different personal situation, would consider buying a week there.

 

[geist1223]

We have stayed at Bali Hai a couple times and K'a E'o Ka'i once. As others have said KBV is the only one on the Beach. The other 3 are all in the Princeville area and there is no direct access to a beach. KBV is also the most centrally located. Remember Kauai has 1 2 lane Road that goes from the North to the South. No road all around the Island. So at times travel can be very slow. We are not Wyndham Members but WMTC Members. We have also stayed at Kapa'a Shores and the Point at Poipu.

So long as the Trade Winds are blowing ceiling fans and open Windows do fine. If the Trade Winds stop you will wish for AC. The longest we have gone without Trade Winds blowing was 3 days during a 2 week trip to Maui during a September. Luckily we had AC on that trip.

 

[Doug7856]

We have stayed at Bali Hai a couple times and K'a E'o Ka'i once. As others have said KBV is the only one on the Beach. The other 3 are all in the Princeville area and there is no direct access to a beach. KBV is also the most centrally located. Remember Kauai has 1 2 lane Road that goes from the North to the South. No road all around the Island. So at times travel can be very slow. We are not Wyndham Members but WMTC Members. We have also stayed at Kapa'a Shores and the Point at Poipu.

So long as the Trade Winds are blowing ceiling fans and open Windows do fine. If the Trade Winds stop you will wish for AC. The longest we have gone without Trade Winds blowing was 3 days during a 2 week trip to Maui during a September. Luckily we had AC on that trip.

It appears that KBV has air conditioning in the bedrooms. Did you find this to be the case? The pictures of the resort look less lush than the Princeville area and that's one of the reasons we were leaning to the Princeville locations. We are locked into summer travel so the air conditioning is appealing. The location also looks good, but the resort grounds don't look quit as appealing. We're having a hard time deciding!

 

[Doug7856]

Bali Hai has some decent pools. Ka'Eo Kai is right next to a road in Princeville and can be noisy. I'd go with Bali Hai between those two. We've walked by the Makai Club ones, but didn't really look into their facilities. Lack of A/C wasn't a problem for us.

Not sure if the beach is swimable at KBV.

I know it would be a chance, but we were thinking if we did Ka'Eo Kai we would ask to be in a quiet unit away from the road. We could get an extra night with our points there, so it had a bit of an edge, but we don't want to be miserable, LOL. Thanks for your thoughts!

 

[Doug7856]

We have travelled in Hawaii for many years to visit our son who was in the Navy there (Kailua on Oahu). He had a nice, older house with no AC. The bottom line is the humidity and heat could be pretty bad some days if the trades weren’t blowing. Of course we got a great deal on our lodgings cost: free. We swore then we would never pay to stay in a resort without central AC. That’s why we purchased only Marriott’s and Hyatt’s. (Westin’s, Disney, and Hilton would be fine too.). We are from Houston and know what heat and humidity are, and we don’t want to deal with it, especially on vacation.
That being said, we stayed at the Wyndham Shearwater last January (no AC) and it was fine. The views were fantastic and the Lanai was huge! But we probably wouldn’t stay there in the summer or fall.

Thanks for your insight! We would be have one less night at Wyndham Shearwater so it's further down the list. For our Oahu stay we'll be using our Disney points at Aulani so we'll have AC there.

 

[Doug7856]

We have been to Kauai many times but have never stayed at any of these. But we know and have been by them all. If you are a/c people that could be an issue in the summer. It depends on how the building is facing and if the trade winds are blowing.

I would take Kauai Beach Villas. I just
Prefer that location over the others in Princeville. You will be traveling to see the island anyway so I would stay there where you are more central.

There seems to be a consensus that Kauai Beach Villas is a good choice due to location. It appears they do have AC in the bedrooms there, so that would ease our concern of being there in the summer. Thanks so much for your insight!

 

[Doug7856]

Have not stayed at any of those properties but my choices would be

1 Wyndham shearwater for the views
2 Wyndham Kauai beach villas because easy beach access




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks, these two resorts seem be a consensus here!

 

[jacknsara]

It appears that KBV has air conditioning in the bedrooms. Did you find this to be the case? The pictures of the resort look less lush than the Princeville area and that's one of the reasons we were leaning to the Princeville locations. We are locked into summer travel so the air conditioning is appealing. The location also looks good, but the resort grounds don't look quit as appealing. We're having a hard time deciding!

Aloha Doug,
Your questions inspired me to submit a review on KBV from our recent May stay. I'm not sure when it will be posted. Its about 700 words according to Microsoft. The only detail I'll share here is that whole unit air conditioning is likely to be in all units before the end of 2019.
Jack

 

[geist1223]

Ok now that your resort location has been decided now you have to get a copy of Kauai Revealed, either online or hard copy. It is the best guide book and is written by a guy who lives on Kauai but travels on all the Islands. We prefer hard copy.

 

[DeniseM]

Also - KBV is very close (a mile?) to Lydgate Park which has swimming lagoons and all of the beach amenities that you could want.

RE: AC - in hot weather, if you close up the unit and the drapes and turn on the AC before you leave in the morning for your activities, it will cool down the whole unit nicely. There is a setting on the AC that reduces humidity and we have found that is the best one to use. Usually in the evening, you can open up the windows and let the ocean breeze flow through. That being said, on most of our trips (almost all during the summer) we have never used the AC at all.

The charm of KBV is really the ocean front location, so if you can afford the points for an ocean front unit, you will be glad that you did. There are also privately owned full ownership ocean front units for rent at this resort. View from the lanai of our favorite unit:

The hotel on the same property is also very nice with a lot of amenities and it has great pools, and restaurants, bars, live music, gift/convenience store, etc:

VIDEO:

 

[geist1223]

A few things to do on Kauai: Remember there is only 1 two lane Hwy from north to south. Down south you have Waimea Canyon. To do this properly is about a day. Take a picnic lunch. Drive to the top. Resist the turn outs. Drive as far as you can and then hike past the top parking a bit. There are several View Points up there. Have your picnic lunch in the Park at the top. Then stop at all or most of the View Points on your way down. There is the Kauai Coffee Planation. There is zip lining in Koloa. There is an inner tube float down the old sugar cane canals in Lihue. This includes several caves that were dug with pickaxes and shovels. There is Poipu Beach. There is the Alakai Swamp Trail. There are Cruises out of Hanapepe Bay to the Napali Cliffs and snorkeling. There is the Spouting Horn. There is the Mala'ulepu Trail that starts on the top of the Cliffs just north of Shipwreck's Beach. There is the Makauwahi Cave. The light house - a National Park. Also a bird nesting area. Luau: some of the large Hotels have Luau. The two I would recommend are Kilohana just outside of Lihue or Smith Family by Kapa'a. Kilohana has the more traditional entertainment telling the Polynesian story through song and dance. Smith Family has greater diversity to honor the many people that have emigrated to the Islands. Remember Poi is not a dish by itself but to dip your Pork. There is Anini Beach. The town of Hanalei. The beach at Hanalei. The Road to Ke'e Beach (end of road) should be open with limitation and you may need to make a Reservation. Kayaking up the Wailua River to the Fern Grotto and Secret Falls. It is about a mile hike to the falls. Sometimes the trail is very muddy. In Lihue there is a Costco. Cheapest gas on the Island by a lot. Great Fish Tacos at the Food Truck by Hanalei Pier. Some of the best Chili Pepper Chicken is at the Chevron Station in Priceville. Best Loco Moco is at the Food Shack on the side of the Sueoka's Market in Koloa. Jump off the Cliff just north of Shipwreck Beach and swim to Shipwreck Beach do this only if you are truly a great swimmer. Hopefully the Pier at Hanalei has recovered from all the storms in 2018 and You can jump off it.

Have a great time.

 

[Doug7856]

Aloha Doug,
Your questions inspired me to submit a review on KBV from our recent May stay. I'm not sure when it will be posted. Its about 700 words according to Microsoft. The only detail I'll share here is that whole unit air conditioning is likely to be in all units before the end of 2019.
Jack

Thank you! I'll be looking for the review!

 

[Doug7856]

Ok now that your resort location has been decided now you have to get a copy of Kauai Revealed, either online or hard copy. It is the best guide book and is written by a guy who lives on Kauai but travels on all the Islands. We prefer hard copy.

Thanks for the recommendation! That's the book I'm using. A friend gave it to me.

 

[Doug7856]

Also - KBV is very close (a mile?) to Lydgate Park which has swimming lagoons and all of the beach amenities that you could want.

View attachment 12163

RE: AC - in hot weather, if you close up the unit and the drapes and turn on the AC before you leave in the morning for your activities, it will cool down the whole unit nicely. There is a setting on the AC that reduces humidity and we have found that is the best one to use. Usually in the evening, you can open up the windows and let the ocean breeze flow through. That being said, on most of our trips (almost all during the summer) we have never used the AC at all.

The charm of KBV is really the ocean front location, so if you can afford the points for an ocean front unit, you will be glad that you did. There are also privately owned full ownership ocean front units for rent at this resort. View from the lanai of our favorite unit:

View attachment 12164

The hotel on the same property is also very nice with a lot of amenities and it has great pools, and restaurants, bars, live music, gift/convenience store, etc:

View attachment 12166


VIDEO:

Fantastic! Thank you for the pictures.

 

[Doug7856]

A few things to do on Kauai: Remember there is only 1 two lane Hwy from north to south. Down south you have Waimea Canyon. To do this properly is about a day. Take a picnic lunch. Drive to the top. Resist the turn outs. Drive as far as you can and then hike past the top parking a bit. There are several View Points up there. Have your picnic lunch in the Park at the top. Then stop at all or most of the View Points on your way down. There is the Kauai Coffee Planation. There is zip lining in Koloa. There is an inner tube float down the old sugar cane canals in Lihue. This includes several caves that were dug with pickaxes and shovels. There is Poipu Beach. There is the Alakai Swamp Trail. There are Cruises out of Hanapepe Bay to the Napali Cliffs and snorkeling. There is the Spouting Horn. There is the Mala'ulepu Trail that starts on the top of the Cliffs just north of Shipwreck's Beach. There is the Makauwahi Cave. The light house - a National Park. Also a bird nesting area. Luau: some of the large Hotels have Luau. The two I would recommend are Kilohana just outside of Lihue or Smith Family by Kapa'a. Kilohana has the more traditional entertainment telling the Polynesian story through song and dance. Smith Family has greater diversity to honor the many people that have emigrated to the Islands. Remember Poi is not a dish by itself but to dip your Pork. There is Anini Beach. The town of Hanalei. The beach at Hanalei. The Road to Ke'e Beach (end of road) should be open with limitation and you may need to make a Reservation. Kayaking up the Wailua River to the Fern Grotto and Secret Falls. It is about a mile hike to the falls. Sometimes the trail is very muddy. In Lihue there is a Costco. Cheapest gas on the Island by a lot. Great Fish Tacos at the Food Truck by Hanalei Pier. Some of the best Chili Pepper Chicken is at the Chevron Station in Priceville. Best Loco Moco is at the Food Shack on the side of the Sueoka's Market in Koloa. Jump off the Cliff just north of Shipwreck Beach and swim to Shipwreck Beach do this only if you are truly a great swimmer. Hopefully the Pier at Hanalei has recovered from all the storms in 2018 and You can jump off it.

Have a great time.

What a great itinerary! Sounds like we either need multiple trips or stay for six weeks. We're really looking forward to exploring Kauai...

 

[Doug7856]

Aloha Doug,
Your questions inspired me to submit a review on KBV from our recent May stay. I'm not sure when it will be posted. Its about 700 words according to Microsoft. The only detail I'll share here is that whole unit air conditioning is likely to be in all units before the end of 2019.
Jack

Thanks for the review. That really helps with our decision! Now hopefully there is availability when booking time arrives.