The Best Luxury Hotels in Kauai, Hawaii

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.