1 Hotel Hanalei Bay

TLDR: terrible service and cockroaches in the room. My husband and I have been staying at the hotel the past few nights for 4th of July and are surprised by the terrible service. We originally were going to rent a car for the duration of our stay but since the hotel offers car drop offs and a 2 hour car rental (audi experience) we figured we could get by without a car as we only wanted to go into the town of Hanalei which is right across the waterway (1-2 miles as the crow flies). However, the entire fleet of rentable cars are down for service for multiple weeks and the house cars refuse to take you into town as it is outside of their zone. Despite saying the rentable cars are available through instant messaging, the service staff treated us rudely and informed us that they were not and refused to offer any way to get us to town. For $2k a night, we expect better service and will be taking our money elsewhere on subsequent stays. Also, we found 2 cockroaches in our room.

Rose was amazing! She helped me figure out why I have so much tension in my neck and worked it out for me. She also gave me exercises and ways I can’t help with it.

We are just finishing up an incredible stay at 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay from June 27 through July 3, and it exceeded every expectation. From the moment we arrived, the level of service was exceptional. The valet team was consistently attentive, friendly, and incredibly efficient, making every arrival and departure effortless. A very special thank you goes to Vincent and the concierge team, who was absolutely outstanding. Vincent and the entire concierge staff provided some of the best service we’ve experienced at a luxury hotel. Whether it was securing hard-to-get restaurant reservations, arranging activities, or offering thoughtful local recommendations, everything was handled seamlessly. Their professionalism, warmth, and attention to detail made our vacation effortless and allowed us to simply relax and enjoy Kauai. Our room was absolutely gorgeous—beautifully designed, impeccably maintained, and perfectly captured the relaxed luxury that makes this property so special. Waking up each morning to the breathtaking views and the beauty of Hanalei Bay was unforgettable. The property itself is simply spectacular. Every aspect of the resort is thoughtfully designed, from the lush tropical landscaping to the stunning pools and public spaces. It’s the perfect combination of world-class luxury and the natural beauty of Kauai. What truly distinguishes 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay, however, is its people. Every team member we encountered genuinely cared about making our stay exceptional, and it showed in every interaction. Thank you again to Vincent, his outstanding concierge team, the wonderful valet staff, and everyone else who made our stay so memorable. We left already looking forward to our next visit.

Totally overpriced yet they failed to deliver on quality: 1. Check in- room we booked wasn't available despite prior email confirmation - when I receptionist finally agreed to get the manager she was great at finding a solution, but felt like a battle 2. The restaurant is abysmal especially for breakfast- almost $60 for an at best average buffet with no à la carte options- I've had better at a Hilton 3. Staff rude- in coffee cafe, totally unfriendly and the worst happened was when I accompanied my 8 year old for the kids buffet- I did not have breakfast. I tried to encourage her to eat her eggs by taking a bite to show they were tasty (they weren't) and within seconds a waiter standing like a vulture slapped down a $60 bill (I refused to sign but was speechless by his behavior). Dinner - service unacceptably slow and priced like a high end Beverly Hills restaurant without the quality - and an annoying waitress who wouldn't take no for an answer when we said we didn't want desert: felt like she was trying to extract every dollar out of me 4. Building - although they've renovated it to the best of their ability, it's essentially an ugly building and the rooms didn't have balconies 5. Cafe- processed food and a cappuccino was $11- that in itself is expensive but would be willing to pay this...if it tasted good- but it was terrible- like the staff had never had barista training 6. Valet - painfully slow - had to request car 45 min ahead of time : appreciate it was peak season but then the hotel should staff-up appropriately when guests are paying $1500/night/room. And no self - park options 7. Tennis courts - not on site 8. Pool - music too loud and locals would just come and take a lounger without staff asking them to leave 9. Gym spectacular but classes meh 10. Final insult was when we ordered breakfast to go for our flight back to Los Angeles, and my oldest daughter was the only one of us who had sausages, and became violently unwell, vomiting on the flight. To be fair to management when I finally spoke to the senior manager-which was very hard to do, she refunded the final night.

A very expensive room with nothing else included. Everything is an add on as if they know you have no near by alternatives - rent 2x snorkelling masks is $42 (for 2h), 1x morning coffee/croissant ~$19 (breakfast not included), valet $55, water not included after spending $380 for golf. They even wanted my wife to pay $59 to ride in a cart we already paid for. Playing music in a room is $12.99 per night, 2x drinks were $75 (double gin and tonics). It becomes a bit of a joke. The pool is accessible to the public so again, you’re really just paying for the room. And of course when checking out there is a $59 resort fee. ‘What is that for’ … ‘using the pool’. Pretty funny. We wanted to apologise for waisting Nicki Wittiker’s time at concierge. She seemed distant and not willing to help us get transportation to leave the money drain of the hotel - telling us to ‘use the app’ even though the app was glitching and that’s why we needed her help. All other staff seemed nice. Definitely get an airBnB for 1/3 of the price and use their pool like everyone else. Get coffee/food out and explore the real Hawaii - not this Bali want-to-be, playing Kygo on repeat.