We had a fantastic time! The Royal Sonesta is more affordable than the Marriott side and the building we stayed in had been updated since the last time we were there 4 years ago. The pool is always so awesome, hot tubs are exquisite, the whole ambiance is great. The kids’ pool is fantastic, the beach is clean, and calm enough for our kids to play and boogie board in the surf. Shopping close by. The koi fish feeding in the mornings were an absolute highlight for our kids. Our 4 yr/o ran away from us and ran fast and far really quickly. The staff and security responded so quickly and empathetically, I’ll never forget their help and how grateful I still feel to this day for their help in finding him. The beds were comfy, even the sofa bed was good for our kids. Plenty of pillows for my pregnant belly. It was an all-around super great location.

I honestly can’t think of anything we didn’t like. Maybe the pool was a little cold, but it was also January and we left 7” of snow to go to Kauai so we were just fine in that lovely pool! :)

Spectacular, beautifully maintained facilities on surprisingly uncrowded, beautiful Kalapaki Beach. Our king room was huge, comfortable and spotless, with a balcony overlooking the pool and beach. There was a mini-fridge and safe, Keurig coffee maker stocked with locally grown Kauai Coffee pods. The helpful people at the lobby desk are happy to provide more pods upon request. The swimming pool is huge and never crowded. The beach is perfect for strolling or swimming, with plenty of chaises placed under shady trees. The gardens are lush and beautifully kept, with a wonderful koi pond where we enjoyed a chorus of frogs at night. We chose not to rent a car, and we never missed it. The hotel airport shuttle is quick & easy, and there are fantastic restaurants and cute shops all within a lovely walk along a hard surface boardwalk. There are several restaurants spread-out within the resort - all offered interesting and delicious menu choices. When we wanted to see more of the island (Waimea Canyon is a must!) Polynesian Adventures picked us up and returned us to the hotel after a full day tour.

This was the perfect location for our active family. We loved the beautiful pool located on the property and beach access. Beach Boy rentals had boards to rent and the kids had a blast. We were also easily able to drive to areas to the North and South to explore during our stay. The newly remodeled room was very clean. The elevator was always available with minimum waiting. The food was good, but was pricey. Dukes is nearby, but there is also a small shopping center a short (.2 mile) walk from the resort with several restaurants and an ice cream shop. We happened to have amazing help at check-in and check-out. Parking is expensive, but we sort of went into this as a splurge for our family, so the convenience of having a rental car on property was worth it for us. You could certainly take the shuttle from the airport and stay on property without ever really needing to leave if you wanted.

Staff and services were excellent from the time we were picked up at the airport in the complementary shuttle to the time we checked out. The only hiccup we had was at check-in, but staffing went above and beyond to address our situation. It made for a memorable experience that put me over the fence about returning. We look forward to coming back!

As previously mentioned, we had a minor setback during check-in , which was handled with care by the front lobby staff. A special thanks to Saowalak at the front desk for going out of her way to make sure our concerns were properly handled. Thank you so much for that.

The layout of the pool and hot tubs and proximity to the beach. The ease of the takout breakfast.

Housekeeping every other day? I think it’s poor service for the price. Requested a bar of soap it took two calls and a day to receive it. Charging for parking for guests when the public parks for free and makes it difficult for guests to park close to their room. These items seemed petty and cheapened the experience.

beautiful location, staff was terrific and helpful, pool was awesome and the beach was great

absolutely nothing

we liked the swimming pool and spent most of the time by it. Unfortunately we did not know that in June the ocean on the south side of the island is pretty active and it did not allow us to swim.

I might be spoiled but non of the restaurants in the resort or outside of it had really good food. Everything was pretty expensive so my expectations where high but it turned out to be just ok. I realized it's across the island as we tried to eat outside of the resort as well.

We loved the local restaurants within walking distance. The grounds were beautiful and pools pristine.

Alacarte breakfast was very expensive and the wait excessive.

The pool was great, the access to the beach was so convenient not to mention all the restaurants at the hotel. The woman who checked us in was so nice and helpful. The room was comfortable with a stunning view.

When we checked out, the woman who checked us out was rude and sassy. Unfortunately that was the last experience we had with the resort and it wasn’t a good one. It almost negated the awesomeness of the woman who checked us in.

Everything was great! Nice rooms, great staff, great bar, great food at the bar, location is central so you can go to either side of the island easily. Close to great restaurants, airport and easy to get on the road to see other beaches on the island. The concierge had contacted me before our stay to ask if he can book anything for me or see if I had any questions. I have never had a hotel do that in the past. Overall Great Experience. We will be back!

if I had to choose something it would be that the bar didnt open till after breakfast. We enjoyed sitting and eating at the bar and would have enjoyed that at breakfast time as well.