Hanalei Bay Resort by TO, Princeville in Princeville

Just home after a week here. This location is so beautiful, it deserves better. Look over these reviews and you’ll see many common themes. People are there for the views, and the location, so you can basically go there if you need a place to stay and do fine, but, being honest, this place has become a bit of a disaster. Again, you can pop over to Hanalei Bay town or up to Kilauea, or up to the little Princeville market, and the food at Happy Talk is pretty good, and the pizza place is actually delicious imho, and even the gluten free crust is excellent. So how could it go wrong?

You’ll see the notes of old rooms and such. It’s so moist, in many years we’ve learned to get a top floor unit to avoid mustiness. We figured out the Parrish managed units are a little loophole that is helpful. So our unit was beautiful.

• However, the pools are all unheated and therefore, very cold.
• There are gas powered gardening projects happening for many hours. Full on gokart backpacks.
• There is an active fleet of gas powered golf carts zipping around at high speed on the paths that form the only way around the place. At one point a kart forced me and my kids over so far my daughter ended up falling into the gravel. The guy stopped to ask if she was ok, but I said actually you were a factor, and should just move on.
• “Happy” Talk has apparently gone through litigation to remove the little bar by the pool. You used to be able to literally swim up to a bar and order food and drinks. No more!
• The unheated pool has shaky and dangerous railings at many of the staircases. On a previous year there was a lamp housing hanging only by the wires, yet the lights came on nightly. Hopefully that has been addressed, but the pool was so cold we didn’t get around to that side.

If you allow yourself to glide along here you can have a wonderful time. It’s such a blessed area, that’s why this undercurrent feels off, and while I’ll be back to Kauai forever, I’ve had my last time spent here.

The staff was great. The views were nice. The property is beautiful. There was nowhere to eat at night except for a crowded sports bar, not great for kids. The room was sickening, filthy and had cockroaches. The walls were so thin that I never had a full night of sleep. The sports bar is the only option for breakfast and it was limited menu wise.