St. Regis Princeville - A Plush Paradise

I’ve been to Hawaii several times, but this was my first trip to the island of Kauai…and all I can say is, “Why didn’t I come here sooner?!” I totally fell in love with the lush island, and it’s become my favorite place in Hawaii. Kauai feels so much more remote and exotic than the other Hawaiian islands. And nestled up on the quiet North Shore, the St. Regis Princeville provided the perfect plush accommodations to relax and enjoy it all.

The view from the hotel lobby is STUNNING. Walking in, you are surrounded by two levels of floor-to-ceiling windows looking out onto Hanelei Bay and the Bali Hai Mountains.
Our ocean-view room was comfortably furnished. My only complaint is that we had reserved a room with a king bed, but got one with 2 queens. The St. Regis was completely sold out, so they couldn’t switch our room. Not a big deal, but it would have been nice if they’d been more apologetic about their mistake.
But none of that mattered after seeing the spectacular view from our room. If only I could wake up to this *every* morning! The beach is conveniently close to the pool, which makes it easy to enjoy both areas as well as getting food and drink service.

I was also REALLY impressed by the hotel’s spa. Super luxurious facilities and amenities, including the most awesome shower stall...a huge rain showerplate overhead, four heads on the sides, and a mini waterfall over a bench. I felt like a queen sitting on the bench as the waterfall washed the shampoo from my hair. The spa treatments are pricey but well worth it if you want some serious pampering.

On the otherhand, the hotel’s restaurants weren’t as good as expected from a resort of this caliber (yes, even with Jean Georges’ new restaurant but I’ll get to that later). Most of the food was just ok and could use a lot of improvement, especially given the prices. Breakfast was actually my favorite meal while staying here. I’m usually not a morning person, but I’d wake up early each morning to have breakfast on the hotel’s terrace - an absolutely breathtaking setting!
One of my favorite breakfast items – perfectly toasted bagels with a generous serving of velvety smoked salmon and toppings
Overall, I really enjoyed my stay at the St. Regis Princeville and will definitely be back. Comfortable hotel room, good service, and gorgeous setting. Although the resort was fully booked, it didn’t feel too crowded and they had a good number of lounge chairs for their guests (nothing ruins relaxation in paradise faster than constantly having to fight for your own spot!) And I definitely felt like I was in paradise while at the St. Regis.

BITE METER: St. Regis Princeville – 4.0 bites (out of 5)