1號漢勒灣飯店(1 Hotel Hanalei Bay)

We have been to the Princeville Hotel around 25 times or so since the early 1990’s. Now that 1Hotels has taken over the hotel, they demolished the stately lobby, removed most of the retail stores & busy sundry shop – and replaced it with a wood/steel parking canopy and an open-air entry walkway that is okay but not elegant. Walking into the hotel lobby, the terrace seating area has been completely redone, replacing the elegant deep finished woods with modern cheaper finishes. The entire terrace seating area previously had the “Bali Hai” view from “South Pacific”, but now the view has been diminished by placing the bar in the center of the room instead of its previous position on the side, resulting in less seating with a view. Walking through the hotel, they placed sand on the sides of some of the hallways to try to evoke an image of the beach indoors. Unfortunately, every day, guests and their children kick the sand into the hallway tiled areas, making a mess for the hotel staff. {Picture #1). Also, many hotel hallways are maintained at temperatures substantially below 72°F, probably 60°F or possibly even lower, defeating the 1Hotel LEED goals. We heard several guests complain about the temperature. The bottom floor rooms used to have shallow decks that faced the “Bali Hai” view, but they added ramshackle bamboo/wood extensions that result in giving the rooms a tunnel aperture that limits the room view. (Picture #2) The new showers still have view windows, however, the smaller shower with no door allows the water to spray over an area covering about 4’ around the shower entry, and provides no privacy for the showerer. The new showers use an integral blind in the view window for privacy on that side, which is harder to operate and maintain than the previous design which opaqued with a simple wall switch. The shower floors have slick tile on the floor with no abrasive assistance to prevent slippage. The beds have been moved to the room center facing the window, instead of facing the opposite wall, so there is only room for a narrow path on one side. People with mobility issues may have trouble with the narrow paths. There is a counter height desk in the room with a standard height chair, making it unusable. (Picture #3) The new room furniture is okay but relatively inexpensive. The room lighting is terribly dim, probably to meet LEED standards, although LEED can still be satisfied with bright LED lights. My wife found it frustrating to apply her makeup, and when we questioned the hotel about the lighting, we were told all rooms were similar. The lighting was tolerable during the day with the curtains open, but at night, it was problematic. There are some mattresses set out by the pool. (Picture #4) The mattresses are a poor choice for a pool where it rains nearly every day. They are wet and cold, so the water soaks into your swimsuit, and they cannot be inclined. The picture shows people propping themselves up. (Picture

I want to start this off with a Wow, The hotel in itself is a dream. I’ve traveled to many places, and this is by far my favorite hotel I’ve ever been to. It’s like a sanctuary. It’s beyond beautiful; the sun/rainbow always comes out. Everyone is so accommodating. Especially Vincent, the general manager at the hotel, and took the best care of us. He went above and beyond. Thank you so much again, Vincent. What a mark this place left on my friends and I. I cannot wait to come.

The 1 Hotel should be on everyone’s bucket list. The property is incredibly beautiful. The architectural design of the resort flows so beautifully and everywhere you sit, you have the most breathtaking views of Hanalei Bay. A few months back, my brother came back from his visit and he told me it’s a 5 star hotel, but don’t expect Four Seasons service. Well, I am the first to tell you that their new hotel manager has created a 5 star culture with his employees. The service and attentiveness of ALL of their employees are impeccable. For a recently hired hotel manager to influence so many folks is simply astonishing. We have told all of our friends and family about The 1 Hotel. And we ourselves cannot wait to return. If you need a ride to and from the hotel, ask for Karen S to pick you up. She charges a total $300 to and from hotel. She is punctual and friendly. A few notables, Susan, the waitress at breakfast is spectacular and if you’re lucky to have Jenifer D answer your phone to help you plan your trip, you will be in perfectly good hands. And for those of you who read the review in its entirety, I want to share with you a “hideaway beach” hidden at the corner of the employees’ parking called The Kaumumene Trail. Make sure you go there! And don’t tell anyone else. It is really beautiful and secluded. Aloha!

My husband and I love staying at luxury resorts, so when the 1 Hotel opened, we were excited to stay there. Our last trip to Kauai was filled with excursions and activities, this time, we planned to relax and enjoy the resort. Day one, we were still jet lag so we were wide awake at 6am and ready to start the day. We began the day with a fitness class which envigorated our start to the vacation. The instructor was great, knowledgeable, and friendly. Next, we enjoyed the extensive breakfast buffet while taking in the views of Hanalei Bay. What a great start to our trip! During our four-night stay, we swam in the adult and family pools, snorkeled right off the beach, booked the float tank at the spa on a rainy day, took advantage of multiple complimentary fitness classes, explored the shoreline along the hotel, and enjoyed the entertainment at the sandbox Monday night. The entire team was welcoming and we felt they truly enjoyed their jobs. Especially the bartenders at the adult pool. They were relaxed, friendly, and eager to help us pick the perfect drinks. They took their time, and we never felt rushed. Also, the breakfast team including Eliza and Phillip were great. It was the perfect laid-back Hanalei Bay vibe we hoped to experience. We stayed in a junior suite with oceanview, the extra space was great, the sofa was great to lounge on, and our windows were always kept wide open so we could enjoy listening to the waves crash and feel the ocean breezes. It was perfect. My favorite thing about the room is the filtered water dispenser. How unique is that! My least favorite thing is the low water pressure in the shower. My only complaint is the layout of the hotel. It's a bit cumbersome to always need to access an elevator (sometimes multiple) to get where you need to go. I realize this is no fault of the hotel as this is the result of a hotel built on a mountainside but it's worth mentioning since I noticed it as a negative for me during our stay. Honorable mention must be given to the breakfast buffet at this hotel. It's quite extensive and all the food is fresh and flavorful. After our stay here, we went to the very well-known, 5-star hotel, the Four Seasons Hualalai on the Big Island, and my husband and I both agreed, that the 1 Hotel has a better selection and quality.

This place is magnificent. From check in, everyone was so welcoming. I don’t know how we got lucky with having Vincent as our concierge but he made our trip 100x better. I really felt like I was being submerged in the culture in luxury. Everyone from Dana at check in, to Reed who brought our bags up, and Jenny at 1 kitchen deserves a gold star. HIGHLY RECOMMEND staying here. What a magical property.

This was a really great stay! The view, land and property was absolutely stunning. We had great service, an amazing tequila tasting, enjoyed lots of time in the pool and hot tubs and restaurants. My only feedback is that the room was small for the price but the view made up for it.

One Hanalei hotel brings the Kauai experience to you like no other. It’s sustainable approach, blending in to what makes Hanalei beautiful and breathtaking sets it apart from all others. Its views, dining, spa, beach, pools are all first rate. The service to very good and the room views very good.

This place is simply fantastic! The views of Hanalei Bay are tremendous, particularly around sunset. The cocktails and small plates were all delicious...and I mean "all" of them. We tried everything. This is a must-visit. It gets busy, though, so make a reservation and expect that your server may have to attend to several other tables.

We stayed here many times as the St Regis. It was a 5 star hotel then but not now. Our room, (king, ocean view) had the most uncomfortable furniture I’ve ever experienced. The bed was low and mattress was soft. The couch was hard like a futon. The only amenities in the bathroom were large bottles of shampoo, conditioner and lotion. There was no explanation of whether there were costs associated with the mini bar or the aluminum water bottles. In the 4 nights were were here, there was no indication of turn down service. The property is beautiful, the views spectacular and the staff are very nice and friendly. We probably won’t be back but I wish this was still the 5 star experience we have previously had.