The Royal Sonesta Kaua’i Resort Lihue

Great location central to north or south parts of the island. The pool is amazing. Duke’s has delicious food. And the beds are comfortable. Rooms are spacious with great view of the bay. Make sure to try Lilikoi across the street for breakfast.

We’d stayed at the Royal Sonesta in New Orleans, so felt comfortable booking in here. Wow. Were we ever wrong. I should have read the negative reviews (and the boiler-plate response from management that doesn't care). We're only halfway through our stay, but I'm writing this review now in the...

We’d stayed at the Royal Sonesta in New Orleans, so felt comfortable booking in here. Wow. Were we ever wrong. I should have read the negative reviews (and the boiler-plate response from management that doesn't care). We're only halfway through our stay, but I'm writing this review now in the hope that it will save someone else from this disappointment. There’s a $45 a day “resort” fee. That got us (literally) broken-down beds, no internet, and a customer service person who said, “well, we haven’t had complaints about the beds” and “oh, yes, we’ve had internet issues in some of the rooms”. First, she offered to send someone up from housekeeping and IF they agreed about the beds (!), they’d replace the mattress. Really!?? Finally, we were moved to another room where the beds are slightly better (you’re not sitting almost on the floor, but the creaking springs sound like a cheap boarding house), there is internet, and a lanai (balcony) with a single chair for the two of us with broken plastic webbing (see pic). Customer service said, “we’re waiting for furniture, it’s been delayed, so some rooms only have one chair”. I suggested they bring up the two not broken chairs from the room with a broken bed, but that didn’t happen. Since almost every other lanai has 2 chairs, and there are empty rooms, I wonder if this is payback for having the nerve to complain. Oh, and your resort fee gets you 2 beach towels and access to an unpadded chaise that’s 8” off the ground. If you need or want a more upright chair – or one with padding – that’ll cost you extra – a LOT extra. This is a TIRED hotel – someone should tell them that removing the curtains altogether from the hall windows is a better idea than leaving ripped and torn sheers on them (see pic). Someone should also tell them that if housekeeping is only provided every other day (!), they should include more than two tiny trash cans – both the size you normally find in a bathroom. Yes, there’s room service, but not from 11am until 5pm. There are more grab bars in the bathroom than I’ve ever seen before, but it turns out that’s a good thing – the tub is like a skating rink. I've never seen anything like it. I have good balance, but I grabbed that bar every time I turned around and if you were foolish enough to try to take a bath, you’d need both levels of bars to haul yourself upright. Note to management: this is a lawsuit waiting to happen. I realize this is an island and there can be supply issues, but for $500 a night, I really expected more than this – and I REALLY expected customer service people who were more interested making it right rather than in making excuses. There are lots of other places to stay – I strongly suggest you try them.

Got Covidi and had to extend our stay in Kauai after 10 nights at Grand Hyatt. Only rooms available for an extra 3 days were $1300/night. YIKES. Our first 10 nights were a little over $500. Someone recommended Sonesta and I was expecting a moderate motel like from the 1980's...

Got Covidi and had to extend our stay in Kauai after 10 nights at Grand Hyatt. Only rooms available for an extra 3 days were $1300/night. YIKES. Our first 10 nights were a little over $500. Someone recommended Sonesta and I was expecting a moderate motel like from the 1980's and wow was i surprised. It was as nice as the Hyatt, 1/3 the price, beautiful, clean, top tier - very pleased and would make it my first choice on Kauai after 5 stays at the Hyatt. Great value for a hotel that far exceeded my expectations. Liked mid-island location too.

My husband and I just returned from the Royal Sonesta for our honeymoon and it was a DREAM! We are already planning our next trip back to Hawaii. We had never been and were debating which islands to visit. Kaua'i was truly magical and the Sonesta was a perfect destination...

My husband and I just returned from the Royal Sonesta for our honeymoon and it was a DREAM! We are already planning our next trip back to Hawaii. We had never been and were debating which islands to visit. Kaua'i was truly magical and the Sonesta was a perfect destination - if you are debating, we would highly recommend! From the second we arrived until we departed every staff member was so kind and welcoming. There was a beautiful view in our room of the pool, beach and mountain. We ate all of our meals on site and each restaurant offered a unique cuisine and was reasonably priced! Duke's had fun live music and famous hula pie, the sushi restaurant was delicious and fresh, and Kukui's had a pool side location that we visited each day. The concierge was also so helpful before our arrival and during our stay. Special thanks to Belinda who helped us create a well-balanced schedule that included a rental car to explore (which I recommend since ride share apps can get pricey), doors off helicopter tour (incredible), hike/kayak adventure, beach cabana, classic luau, spa services, complimentary yoga - even a Thanksgiving Meal on Thanksgiving! We are so glad that we chose Sonesta for our honeymoon. They went above and beyond to make it so special!

Found the Sonesta to be a nice property with convenient beach, large pool complex and great golf course. Lots of dining options just off the property a short walk away including Duke's Barefoot Bar. Only some 20 miles from Poipu Beach area and about 30 miles from Princeville-Hanalei area. Room...

Found the Sonesta to be a nice property with convenient beach, large pool complex and great golf course. Lots of dining options just off the property a short walk away including Duke's Barefoot Bar. Only some 20 miles from Poipu Beach area and about 30 miles from Princeville-Hanalei area. Room was clean and modern - for 8-night stay they cleaned the room 4 times. Hotel itself is quite large and from our location in the East tower it was a bit of a walk to get to the entrance where we had valet parking. Food selection at the hotel was a bit limited - breakfast, lunch and dinner choices were pretty much a single page of selections with emphasis on seafood entrees for the latter two meals. Only two drawbacks I personally found was (1) lack of a microwave in the room and (2) large swimming pool temperature was a bit colder than I prefer. Previous reviewers had mentioned construction onsite during their stays in October - there was no such activity during our stay.

FYI This hotel is near the airport. That means it is far from almost all attractions. Expect to drive 20minutes, to over an hour, to get anywhere, even adjacent towns. The hotel is situated so that sunrise and sunset are not visible. The hotel is on a bay, so the...

FYI This hotel is near the airport. That means it is far from almost all attractions. Expect to drive 20minutes, to over an hour, to get anywhere, even adjacent towns. The hotel is situated so that sunrise and sunset are not visible. The hotel is on a bay, so the water is sheltered. This calmer water might be good for young children. I did see people surfing, so maybe the tide or distance from the shore affects the waves. Pros The entry drive into the hotel complex is beautiful. Landscaping is beautiful. Self park is close to the entrance. But the self park costs $10/day and is crowded. Slots are small and many people are double parked, because the lot is not designed correctly. I got a “ticket” for double parking. So parking is more a ‘con’ than a ‘pro.’ Rooms seem to have been remodeled and are clean. The rooms are “industry standard” size, so they are not large. The staff is friendly if not always helpful. The spa is good and not crowded. The gym is good. Large flat pool that would appeal to children. A small kiddie pool with slide. Several hot tubs. Cons Infrequent room service. We had service twice over seven nights. There was also a towel refresh. This automatically reduces the review by a star. I’m not interested in how the hotel rationalizes this poor service. This is a beach hotel, sand sneaks onto the floor. Some add on charges are ridiculous. While we were here, we noticed that the in-room charge for a liter of Evian water went from $7 to $9. Let me repeat, the price of water increased two dollars for no reason in front of our eyes! Another star off. Why don’t they give us water, anyway? The bathroom is substandard. One sink. Shower in tub. No glasses (!?). No amenities like Qtips. WiFi doesn’t work well. The restaurant situation is not good. There is construction going on but the workarounds are poor. As far as I can tell, the only place to get a drink during the day is the pool bar, or the unappealing pool restaurant. All food and lounges close at 9pm (… not positive about this, maybe there is some hidden bar). The place is large and not really romantic. There are some closed shop fronts, suggesting that there might have been more shopping options in the past. So, I recommend staying elsewhere in Kauai.

Kauai will always have my heart - along with this resort. Had the best time. Great location, great rooms, and great staff. Bar by the pool was the spot - good vibes all around 🤙 Walk to the Jammin Banana for a quick coffee/bfast snack or across the street for...

Kauai will always have my heart - along with this resort. Had the best time. Great location, great rooms, and great staff. Bar by the pool was the spot - good vibes all around 🤙 Walk to the Jammin Banana for a quick coffee/bfast snack or across the street for a Thai dinner.

We booked this trip this year because our original date in 2020 was cancelled due to Covid. The resort is beautiful, and the staff was good, but most areas have poor accessibility for someone who is handicapped or partially disabled. Main parking was slightly more than a 1/4 mile walk...

We booked this trip this year because our original date in 2020 was cancelled due to Covid. The resort is beautiful, and the staff was good, but most areas have poor accessibility for someone who is handicapped or partially disabled. Main parking was slightly more than a 1/4 mile walk to and from our room in the east tower, with ramps that were NOT ADA compliant due to their steep slope. It may be ok for someone who has no handicaps or disabilities, but not for those that do. There is a guest parking lot outside the east tower which would be ideal, but good luck finding a parking space. The parking lot is regularly used by non-guests to go surfing or by contractors working on the grounds. Contractors are SUPPOSED to use the dirt lot next to the guest parking. And while all beaches in Hawaii are public and must be made accessible to the public, the property owner is NOT under obligation to provide parking for the public. In our experience, if you have any disabilities, have a handicap or just have trouble walking, you may want to look at other properties for your stay in Kauai

Everything was fine for the first 3-4 days we were there. We were leaving the hotel in the morning and coming back at night. But when we wanted to stay at the hotel during the day to enjoy the pool and dining, the construction noise made it nearly impossible. So,...

Everything was fine for the first 3-4 days we were there. We were leaving the hotel in the morning and coming back at night. But when we wanted to stay at the hotel during the day to enjoy the pool and dining, the construction noise made it nearly impossible. So, I wouldn’t recommend staying there if you plan to spend time at the resort during the day until the construction is finished.

This is the second year in a row at this resort. We feel the location is perfect. Especially if you plan to explore the island. Just a couple of miles from the airport (don’t really hear much at all from planes). Staff get an. A+. Everyone very helpful. Yes, there...

This is the second year in a row at this resort. We feel the location is perfect. Especially if you plan to explore the island. Just a couple of miles from the airport (don’t really hear much at all from planes). Staff get an. A+. Everyone very helpful. Yes, there is construction right now. Main restaurant and bar are closed but a tent and tables are set up by the pool along with a bar. There is a limited menu but the food was very good and servers very good and friendly. There is also construction on hot tubs but 2 of the 5 were open when we were there. Rooms are nice and beds very comfortable. It was very hard to keep humidity out of the room, but expected with rainy island. Not sure why all the negative reviews. We had a fantastic time once again.