The St. Regis Princeville Resort

Fantastic views and beautiful hotel! Not 5 stars only because somehow they completely lost our reservation, despite us having a confirmation number and multiple emails from them confirming our stay. They managed to find us a room and the rest of our stay was beautiful!

This hotel boasts some of the most impressive views of the north shore. There are two restaurants on the eighth floor of the hotel, one serves breakfast and the other dinner, and both of them lookout into the ocean from a high perch (8^th floor I believe). One can also go to an upstairs 9^th floor location and get to see similar views. A great location for whale watching as well, especially in the winter months.
The lobby itself is also tastefully decorated with understated opulence. The staff is all class. Very down to earth and friendly with everyone — hotel guests or not. Definitely worth a visit and definitely 5 star!

Gorgeous hotel with a fantastic beach. The services was what you would expect for a resort of this price and setting. The staff was extremely accommodating and friendly. Our room was outstanding as well.
The food, although expensive, was very very good.

Last time I was here, I had just ok service at the beach bar and other places throughout the property. You’d think that the prestigious brand of St. Regis could attract the quality employees you experience at places like Park City. The grounds are amazing though! Sadly, for higher prices than most anywhere on the island, you’d expect similar service that the brand offers elsewhere in the world. I suggest trying an employee exchange program between all properties worldwide. The Kauai team can benefit from meeting and working with the quality employees at other properties. I probably won’t return until major staffing issues are fixed.

We had a birthday lunch by the beautiful pool overlooking the ocean.
The service was adequate and the food good for poolside food. We had fish and chips, poke nachos and a bottle of wine. The bill was $ 150, the wine a nondescript bottle of Chardonnay from an unheard of restaurant was $ 100.
We had other meals on the island and the Fiddlehead Sauvignon Blanc was $ 70 another places a Wente Chardonnay Alison reasonably priced. The long and short is the premium for the St Regis wine is not worth it.

Butlers: Doug was great but we didn’t see him again. Recommendation for St. Regis: assign 1or 2 butlers per suite so you can count on them –the rest of the butler team was just okay.
Grounds/​rooms, etc: good, but not a single USB connector. Love the view. Fun pool. Fun beach.
Food: Hanalei has better food.
Activities: SUP FOR SURE. Helicopter ride and hiking, lots of fantastic hiking.
Service: some of the service people were fantastic. Some not so good, especially if you don’t look like the «standard» St. Regis guest.

Today is our last day at this beautiful resort and we are sad to be leaving!
The entry drive and lobby are absolutely beautiful. There are floor to ceiling Windows that show Hanalei Bay and the backside of the mountains that form the Napali Coast. We were lucky in January to have three clear non cloudy days where we could see the whole range. It is a beautiful sight!
Our rooms were very nice, always clean, and we had a great view. We liked that you could open the windows and listen to the ocean while sleeping at night. The rooms are a little dated, but the décor keeps it elevated and sleek. The beds were comfortable and we had a huge shower/​bath. We were eligible for butler service and they were very attentive and helpful throughout our stay.
The pool and beach are very nice. We didn’t spend a whole lot of time at either because we were always out exploring the areas around Princeville. You are only a two minute drive away from Queens Bath, a ten minute drive from Secret Beach, and a 15 minute drive away from Hanalei. There are also great walking/​biking paths for two miles along the driveway.
My parents golfed for two of the five days we stayed and they said the golf course was beautiful, fun, and challenging. The only downside was that the St. Regis did not offer a shuttle or a way for them to get to and from the golf course. We felt that since the hotel advertises this golf course very heavily, they should provide transportation for their guests, especially being a five star resort.
We also had a small issue with the first concierge we spoke with. This person was not very helpful, told us their shift was done at 2pm, so they could not take care of making dinner reservations for us. We talked to a different concierge throughout the rest of our stay and had great service. This was just a minor bump, but once again, as a five star resort we were hoping the concierge would go above and beyond.
We ate at the terrace grill for breakfast every morning. The buffet offers a large selection of breakfast items ranging from muesli to fried rice to eggs Benedict. We ate at the terrace grill one night for dinner and it was decent. The menu was very limited which was disappointing. Our meals were decent but not as good as the restaurants you can eat at in Hanalei. We wanted to eat at the Kauai Grill but it was closed and we did not get the chance. We also ate at the grill by the pool one day and it was average. Overall, I feel like this is where the resort is lacking, it needs to elevate it’s restaurants and menus. We had decent meals, but nothing amazing, which is once again what one would expect from a five star resort.
We had a great stay at the St. Regis and the butlers, front desk agents, waiters and waitresses and valets were very friendly and happy and helpful. We are sad to go, but hopefully will be back again one day soon! We want to come back in the summer months when the bay is suppose to be very calm and great for paddle boarding, kayaking, and snorkeling.

While staying at the Westin they recommended to checkout The St. Regis, so we did. A nice 2 mile walk in the morning to take in the views is recommended.
I had an amazing spa treatment, the spa services and the facilities are tip top and the gals at the counter are very friendly. Beach front was beautiful and the service out on the beach was fast and the fresh fish and chips were delicious. FYI Westin guests receive 10% off food and spa services, and you can charge it all to your room (just don’t forget your Westin beach towels.)

We very much enjoyed our stay with excellent hotel staff. The pool staff are beyond compare, and we’ve been to Resorts on Maui, Big Island, and Kauai. The hotel lobby is one of the most beautiful anywhere. Mahalo to the sweet lady in the coffee shop for making everyone’s morning enjoyable. And they are fine baristas. I never had a scalded drink.
That being said, skip mixed drinks from the outside bar. Only order beer or wine. On Multiple occasions, we got very subpar drinks from the outside service that were not even similar to the drink we ordered. A standard frozen margarita once was served as almost just a slushee of frozen ice for $ 16. At first, I thought this was a bad bartender, but this was one consistent disappointment during our stay.
Also, be aware that internet service at the resort is very variable. It turns on and off, even when plugged in using the Ethernet wire. Sort of bothersome, if you’re working on important business.

Yes. Yes. Yes.
Wait, oh, yes!
This is a very good hotel, with basically everything you’d want in a luxury hotel in Hawaii — views, nice rooms, enough amenities and space that it doesn’t feel crowded, etc., etc.
I’m going back to this hotel. I want to lie by the pool for another few weeks. I know the weather can be bad, but not for us, and I wouldn’t care, anyhow!

Ok, so this place is great, but not what I expected for paying 500 $ (!)a night and expecting a 5 star hotel.
Background: born and raised below middle class, my parents worked hard for me to be successful, so at 26 and stressed from work, I decided to take a week to enjoy and spoil myself. I never «pamper» myself and I enjoy living simple, so my expectations for a FIVE star hotel and the BEST in Kauai might be unrealistic (movies, whatcha gonna do?). This place just hasn’t cut it for me when it comes to a top notch experience. I think I could get equal if not a better experience for a fraction of the cost at just as nice of a place. Let me explain the good briefly before the bad.
The good: the place is beautiful of course, it’s in Hawaii and the mountains are nice. You really can’t go wrong when it comes to the view in Hawaii at any resort. Mountains: check, ocean: check. Well done.
Service is great, people are annoyingly friendly of course, «would you like a bottle of water while you wait for the elevator?» No thank you I think I’ll survive the trip to the 1^st floor. The staff is great and not much gripe there. If you enjoy a fake smile and being treated like a king, you will love it.
Free wifi! Up to 7 devices if I remember correctly! Who has 7 devices that need wifi?! Clutch!
The bad: ok here we go, because I paid 500 $ a night, I expect the best of the best right? I mean goodness, 500 $ should cover the electricity for the 1 lamp I have on for an hour and the 10 minute shower I took a night right? The rest of the 480 $ should go towards the «experience» right?
1. My 500 $ clearly doesn’t pay towards a better cable service. Want to watch sports center for an hour before bed or when you wake up? Think again. I wish I could attach photos to the review, (I can and will) because I have been staring at a «no signal» screen the whole time I’ve been writing this review, just hoping to see some sports highlights. That’s for all the «free» cable channels. ESPN was going strong last night for about an hour, but soon went in and out and the dreaded bouncing «no signal» started plaguing the screen. TV, besides the 20 $ movie, is a no go.
2. Free wifi is awesome, but seems like a logical plus to a 5 star worthy hotel, but how about the service otherwise? NOTHING. At least for Verizon that is (I heard att might be different… Better or worse who knows). Have a business where you might expect important calls? Forget about it, it’s a Dead zone here. I’m sure it could be a good thing for those that truly want to get away, but come on, if you’re coughing up the dough to stay here, you might have a job where you need to get contacted in an emergency.
3. The doors to the rooms are old, and maybe my room is just an exception, but it either SLAMS shut or doesn’t close all the way. Have you ever had a door that closes so hard you have to guide it closed so it doesn’t explode? That’s my door. But if you slow my door down at all from its powerful determination to shake the entire hotel, it won’t close all the way. Which luckily I caught after leaving my room on the second day, requiring me to jerk the door shut myself.
4. The place smells strongly of lavender. all the time. Everywhere. It’s like, really strong. I swear my grandma was buried here. Lavender scented towels in the exercise room. Easy on the lavender people.
5. Chickens. I get it, I’ve lived on Oahu for 3 years, and there are chickens, but not at a lot of the top resorts. Want to relax by the pool? How about 4 chickens pecking around your chair? Literally. It’s cool if you’re not used to wild chickens, but if you are like most people and would rather relax, chicken free, at a resort you paid 500 $ a night to stay at, then this is not your place.
6. Flies. By the pool, by the outside bar, in your drink. I mean come on. Once again, I’ve lived on Oahu for 3 years and don’t this many flies, maybe it’s the chickens bringing in the flies somehow.
7. Kids. This isn’t really the resorts fault, they do have a Keiki (kids) room to keep kids entertained, but there are still a lot of kids running around the pool/​bar area. I just want to relax, read a book, have a drink or twenty, and maybe nap, but it’s hard when you hear screaming Devils all the time running around you and jumping in the pool.
8. Their lounge area is NOT that big, and it’s outdated. I’ve been to the ritz Carlton in Maui for a fraction of the cost than here and the pool was much larger, more luxurious, and had much more room to find your own area to get away from everyone. The pool bottom here looks like it was last updated in 1970 and has a few tacky fake rock fixtures around it. The hot tub is just a tacky fake rock section of the pool, which a majority of the time is occupied by the screaming children running around.
I have more problems for a supposed 5 star hotel, but as I’ve been typing I hit the text limit, so here’s a few more. The beach is completely fake, fake sand. Not smoker friendly.

This is our forth visit to Kauai and second stay at the St. Regis and we love it here. Last year we visited in May, this year the last two weeks of Sept. Great time of year as its cooling down and less people.
The hotel is amazing. Great staff, super attentive. Rooms outstanding, large, clean, well stocked, comfortable beds. And there is this great scent in the hotel, it is a custom scent, and it just puts you at ease.
Sunday brunch is a must! Make sure your stay extends into a Sunday as it will take care of all three meals for the day.
The St. Regis is my favorite hotel here on Kauai. I highly recommend it!

I really love the St. Regis although there are a few changes from when it was the Princeville Hotel that I’m not very fond of. The hotel setting and service remain unparalleled. The staff continues to be very warm and welcoming without a trace of stuffiness. Such service has remained constant since I began staying here 15 years ago.
The butler service is exceptional. The room service was very good too although it took quite a while for them to answer the phone. The bellman was very informative and pleasant.
The staff in general have been very accommodating. I was wanting a side of grilled asparagus from Kauai Grill. A hotel staff member named Michael walked by and greeted us. We asked him if it was possible to order grilled asparagus from the restaurant. He informed us that the restaurant was not open for that evening, but told us to contact room service and let them know that Michael, the Food Director said it was alright to get grilled asparagus. Very accommodating and exceptional. I guess we asked the right person. We had no clue he was the director of food operations.
The dining choices seem to have become more limited regarding menu selection and somewhat overpriced. The exceptional luau from when it was Princeville Hotel has been replaced with Mailani Dinner Show. Really miss the luau.
The Valet service has been very accommodating. Earlier today, they allowed us to leave the rental car with them for 5 – 10 minutes so we could get something from our hotel room without having to go through the process of calling and waiting for the car again.
The views and location are exceptional. The swimming pool has been transformed into a faux infinity pool. I miss the walking bridge that went across the old pool.
There was no spirit of aloha from the haloe in the Napali Café. We were in there earlier today. I was planning to purchase the St. Regis Princeville backpack, but the employee never even acknowledged us. She was too busy talking story with what appeared to be another employee of the hotel who was waiting for her latte. It was a red flag when the backpack had no price on it. Either way, I was willing to pay and anticipated the price to be approximately $ 150.
I know the hotel was «remodeled» when transitioning from the Princeville to the St. Regis a few years ago, but I feel the rooms have been reconditioned rather than remodeled with no technical updates to meet 21^st Century requirements. It’s unbelievable how there are really no electrical outlets available other than the overabundance of outlets in the bathroom.
Valet parking is the only option for parking. When it was Princeville Hotel, self parking was an option, more convenient and less time consuming. Earlier today, we were in our car for 10 minutes waiting for Valet; there was significant backup. The Valet staff are exceptional, don’t get me wrong, but having Valet as the only option isn’t acceptable.
Overall, I still love this hotel and will continue staying here when visiting the island.

The spa here is amazing! I usually don’t talk during my massage but Michelle was a fantastic masseuse, super friendly, a local, and had tons of great stories. For being so petite, she has super strong hands. I felt so relaxed after.
The spa has a steam room, sauna, and spacious lounge areas. The showers had spouts on the ceiling and both walls. The water pressure was incredible. Everything was immaculate too and smelled so fresh!

Oh my god, I love this place! We didn’t even stay here but we didn’t care. They even valet your car. We walked all the way out to the pool area. The food and drinks were good. Then we made our way to the beach, the first of many on my vacation. It’s so beautiful, I wanna drop tears just thinking about it
Afterword we hung out at the pool and I took some nice pictures. I will never forget this place. The people were nice too. You don’t get that cocky stuck up attitude from people like in the Bay Area. Out here they respect you and it’s a nice vibe. It was cool how the rain came and gone too. I could get very used to that :)

Loved it. Hotel is beautiful and despite being sold out it never seemed crowded or busy. Great bars. Great restaurants. Great pool and beach. And great service everywhere.
We spent a week here with our two children ages 9 and 13, and could not have expected more. Located close to Hanalei with lots of shopping and restaurant alternatives.

Wonderful place! Full of Aloha! Front desk, spa, waiters! Just First Class and five star. At time of writing this we are still staying here and love it !! The breakfast in sumptuous! You can have hotels with stunning locations who get lazy, not here!
One of the finest hotels I have known! I will vote for them on any survey !! We spent 5 heavenly days there and cannot say enough about the wonderful people work there. I can imagine they see a lot of tourists, and it might seem routine, even annoying. But everyone went over and above to help us. It’s a truly impressive place, but the staff matches it in their painstaking attention to detail ! Mahalo !!

«Hmm… What’s the sun doing there?»
I had been staring at the view outside my hotel room window for over 2 hours now, completely transfixed and mesmerized by the beauty. But, I still couldn’t figure out what it was about the view that was haunting me, much like a scene from a prior life would. Till the sun peaked out from under the clouds and it all clicked together: this was a tryst with Destiny. I had waited over three decades for this very moment — and the realization gave me goose bumps.
You see, the backdrop is that I can’t draw for my life. In school, and a land far far away, I would do well in almost all classes other than Drawing. Knowing how bad I was at it, Mom encouraged me to master one scene, and tweak the elements to suggest different situations. So, the one picture I started drawing was of mountains in the distance, a (choppy or tranquil) sea with sailboats in the foreground, and with the sun or moon above to capture mood, not just the time of day. That was one picture I nailed every single time. But, my older brother used to laugh at the drawing, «It’s completely unreal. Where have you seen mountains with waterfalls, a sea, palm trees and sand, AND lush, green vegetation all in one place?» It made no sense in the concrete jungle I inhabited, and so I would nod my head, embarrassed.
Till that fateful day in Kauai when the breathtaking view from St. Regis Princeville Hotel reminded me that all my childhood the one scene I had drawn, time and again, actually did exist in the physical world… I could not explain how, or what I was doing there, but such is life that little of it is clear till such time that the truth is revealed, and you realize that’s what the sages mean by destiny.
To be sure, St. Regis Princeville has its share of flaws: the dining options leave much to be desired (leading us to eat out most of our meals after breakfast), many areas (other than lobby and dining area) need a face lift, and despite the best of intentions, on occasions, the service did lag, but there is enough in the hotel for me to be a fan: the extremely competent bakery and the pool being foremost.
However, the gorgeous views are why you should come here… for me, what made the stay at St. Regis priceless was the tryst with destiny and an in-​the-​flesh realization that: yes, you should paint your vision — no matter how far-​fetched it may seem to others. In a different context, it might actually make sense.

I love this Starwood hotel! Top class luxury hotel. Magnificent décor throughout. But more amazingly are the breathtaking mountain and water views seen from the rear of the hotel.
They have one main restaurant and one bar and grill restaurant. The food and service are totally impeccable. It’s clear to see that all the staff here strive very hard to accommodate you. Management most certainly have very high standards in delivering this level of hospitality to all guests.
I would love to come back here based on my expectations being exceeded in all categories when it comes down to service, food, friendliness of staff, professionalism and décor.

I have never stayed at a better hotel in all my travels! Thankfully we started our babymoon with two nights at the Sheraton on the southern side of the island where most of our excursions were located (helicopter, snorkeling, and sunset cruise) then spent the remaining three days here. The service is phenomenal, from the valets, greeters, concierge, hostesses, pool/​bar staff, and housekeeping. We were greeted so warmly by everyone, and everyone was genuinely nice about our impending arrival.
We were upgraded to the ocean view suite on the 3^rd floor, a beautiful 1200 square foot room with an unobstructed ocean view. The bathroom was bigger than our bedroom at home! It also came with a personal butler team, which can assist in booking excursions, reservations, packing/​unpacking (if you prefer), complimentary ironing of 2 pieces/​person, and my favorite amenity, serving fresh French press coffee service with chocolate macadamia biscoti in the morning. You just call 10 – 15 minutes before you want it! You can even call them from the pool or beach if you forgot something from the room and want them to bring it to you. We only took advantage of the coffee service — everything else was a little too much for me, but nice to know that you have that option.
The pool is very nice and relaxing, but we preferred hanging out on the beach. The waitstaff come by at regular intervals to take orders, but don’t hover. I really enjoyed their fresh fruit smoothies (mango and strawberry) while hubby tried a few of the flavorful cocktails. It would have been nice to rent out a cabana, but those were $ 400/​day! It also wasn’t too busy, so we were able to get a good spot at the pool or beach regardless of the time of day. The surf was pretty dangerous a few days of our stay, so we weren’t able to go snorkeling, but there is equipment available to rent, including kayaks. The bar was also a great place to hang out and watch the sunset on the outdoor patio or to have a nightcap and listen to relaxing live music indoors.
The breakfast buffet had a nice variety of foods, made to order omelets, Portuguese sausage (Hubby’s new discovery), fresh fruits, and pastries. We also tried the a la carte breakfast one morning — I thoroughly enjoyed the Chocolate Chip and Taro Waffles while Hubby had the French Toast with Caramelized Bananas. It’s amazing to eat breakfast outside and watch the sunrise come up over the mountains. Be careful of the birds, they are cute, but are not shy when it comes from stealing a peck of food from your table.