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The Best Luxury Hotels in Kauai, Hawaii

Relax in style with a stay at one of Kauais top luxury hotels
Relax in style with a stay at one of Kauai's top luxury hotels | © Maridav / Alamy Stock Photo

Anyone can live the island dream on Kauai, where a law bans any building taller than a coconut tree. Explore the Hawaiian island’s tropical rainforest, emerald-cloaked spires and breathtaking beaches, and splurge on a five-star hotel in Kauai for the ultimate pinch-me holiday. Think floating restaurants, oceanfront massages and villas big enough to get lost in.

Ko’a Kea Hotel and Resort

Boutique Hotel, Resort, Luxury

An ocean-view guestroom at Ko’a Kea Hotel & Resort with a double bed and balcony
Courtesy of Ko’a Kea Hotel and Resort / Expedia.com

Be pampered in true Hawaiian style at the Ko’a Kea resort, steps from the sand at Poipu Beach. Book an oceanfront room for sweeping Pacific Ocean views, and retreat to the spa’s candle-lit treatment room for treatments using locally produced coffee, nut oils and clay. Breakfast at award-winning Red Salt is a particular highlight, renowned for its Poipu specialities including lobster benedict and the divinely decadent lemon-pineapple soufflé pancakes drizzled in caramel.

Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort and Spa

Resort, Chain Hotel

A dining room at Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort and Spa with white chairs and views to the Pacific
Courtesy of Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort and Spa / Expedia.com

There’s no need to leave this expansive resort on Kauai’s sun-soaked south shore. Even the pool area feels like a destination in itself, with waterfalls, a 150ft (45m) water slide, a lava rock-lined lazy river and its own saltwater lagoon. There’s also an 18-hole championship golf course, Kauai’s largest spa set among flower-filled gardens, a top kids’ club and even a twice-weekly party celebrating the history, music and dance of Polynesia. You won’t go hungry either with a vintage surf shack, sushi bar and floating seafood restaurant.

Koloa Landing Resort at Poipu, Autograph Collection

Resort, Chain Hotel

A suite at Koloa Landing Resort at Poipu with a flower-motif rug and balcony with views of palm trees
Courtesy of Koloa Landing Resort at Poipu, Autograph Collection / Expedia.com

Call a corner of Kauai your own with this resort’s lavish villas complete with gourmet chef’s kitchens, a fully furnished lanai (balcony) and between 800 to 2,700sqft (75-250sqm) of indoor and outdoor living space. Doze away days in a private cabana by the 350,000-gallon (1.3million-liter) pool or luxuriate in the island’s only Japanese Ofuro soaking tub in the spa. The dedicated activity concierge can arrange over 600 activities or adventures on the island if you want to up the pace.

Sheraton Kauai Resort Villas

Resort, Chain Hotel

An outside dining table next to a working firepit at the Sheraton Kauai Resort Villas
Courtesy of Sheraton Kauai Resort Villas / Expedia.com

Foodies are spoilt rotten at this Sheraton resort in the heart of Poipu Beach on Kauai’s south shore. Guests can feast on Kalua pork quesadillas and cocktails, served in fresh pineapples at the poolside Lava’s restaurant, or even book a private meal under the stars on the beachfront. But elegant restaurant RumFire is the real highlight, with 180-degree ocean views, the island’s most extensive rum selection and locally sourced dishes including Hawaiian seafood banana curry.

Kauai Beach Resort

Independent Hotel, Resort

A columned common space at Kauai Beach Resort with sofas, armchairs and indoor tropical plants
Courtesy of Kauai Beach Resort / Expedia.com

Tucked away in 25 acres (10ha) of tropical gardens that lead straight to the ocean, the Kauai Beach Resort is the perfect place to do nothing. There are four pools – three with their own waterfalls – two hot tubs, oceanfront cabanas for massages and even a fireside Chef’s Table to feast on the freshest Hawaiian produce. Discover even more about the island with the hotel’s complimentary classes in everything from hula to the ukulele.

Hilton Garden Inn Kauai Wailua Bay

Chain Hotel

A pool-view guestroom at Hilton Garden Inn Kauai Wailua Bay with a double bed, desk and patio area
Courtesy of Hilton Garden Inn Kauai Wailua Bay / Expedia.com

Choose a two-room suite to up the luxe quota at this Hilton property in Wailua Bay. These elegant rooms come with bags of space, a soaking tub and walk-in shower, and a separate sitting room with a wet bar and Keurig coffeemaker. There’s an on-site car rental desk and activity concierge if you want to explore the island, but you’ll be hard-pressed to leave the poolside tiki bar, which serves handcrafted cocktails including the smoky Shipwrecked, the island’s answer to the classic old fashioned.

Princeville Resort

Resort, Chain Hotel

A regal common space at Princeville Resort with a fountain and chandelier in the center
Courtesy of Princeville Resort

The great outdoors have never been easier to explore than in Princeville on Kauai’s North Shore. Named after Hawaii’s Crown Prince Albert, who visited the area in 1860, the spectacular resort covers soaring green sea cliffs, miles of rolling pasture, gurgling streams and the idyllic white sand beach at Hanalei Bay. Make the most of it by horseback-riding to an 80ft (24m) waterfall, soaring through the forest on zip lines or hiking to a hidden valley.

The Villas at Po'ipu Kai

Hotel

A pond-style swimming pool with boulders on the edge at the Villas at Poipu Kai
Courtesy of the Villas at Po'ipu Kai

Everything at the Villas at Po’ipu Kai is extravagant. Lavish villas have either mountain, pool or ocean views and come with granite countertops, natural stone bathrooms and expansive balconies; a four-bedroom penthouse is also available for anyone with cash to splash. Lucky guests can access eight championship tennis courts close by, a dreamy tropical pool and three beautiful beaches including Brennecke’s Beach, known for its year-round sea turtles.

Find even more inspiration on our expertly curated guides to the best hotels in Kuaui for every traveler and the top resorts on the island.

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