Kauai, Hawaii: Kauai Marriott Resort on Kalapaki Beach

At one point in our Kauai family adventure, I asked my 7 year old what she thought family-friendly meant, she responded, “cool pools at the hotel!”  That is indeed true at the Kauai Marriott Resort on Kalapaki Beach!  If you take a look at one of the state’s largest pool from 25 stories up, you see this, what does it look like to you?My daughter told me without hesitation as we walked out onto our balcony, “it’s a hibiscus mom!”  In my head I could have added the DUH she was probably thinking but didn’t verbalize.  She has a point, the long pistil could be seen in the stream of waters coming from the fountains, and the shape was similar.  Along with enjoying the beauty of the renovated resort, it was my goal to find out what everyone else thought about the pool.

I know, being just beside Kalapaki Bay it’s hard to understand how we spent so much time at the pool.  With a child my daughter’s age, I don’t feel that alone it was safe to sit beach side in a chair watching her in the ocean.  The waves were a bit active during our stay, so we took it upon ourselves to enjoy the heck out of the 26000 square foot heated pool with less worries. 

4 feet all the way around, my daughter and I splashed our hearts out and her tippy toes could touch the bottom, so it was a blast.  The fountains made for good massages on mom and a great place to swim under.  We moved about the pool sitting near the whirlpools (5 beneath each covered column) and on the center “island” we called it.  Plenty of lounge chairs were available, poolside Cocoons and Cabanas are available to rent by the day.  Cocktails and snacks are available for order and there’s always plenty of room to swim around.  There is also a children’s pool with slide, we stopped by for a bit, but my daughter wanted to be a big girl this time around.Something neat we found on site is an interactive map.  With a touch screen you can work your way around the property, as I needed to do a few times when we got lost!  I’ve never seen this before and with a large resort it really came in handy.There are 345 guest rooms and 11 suites on site, 500 square feet with gorgeous views.  Our room was great with the orange and tan color scheme, there was a sofa sleeper, but we enjoyed the large comfortable bed.  The bathroom was spacious and I loved the Bath and Body Works shower amenities and Kauai coffee!  The views from the balcony were lovely!Early mornings (due to the time change adjustment I never got used to) you’d see surfers out ready for their next set!Often you can catch a cruise ship in port which will bring a lot more people to the area for a few days!Within walking distance of restaurants and shopping, we took a stroll and found this great spot that needed a photo moment!We enjoyed some meals at Kukui’s that serves great breakfast buffet and dinner as well as Aupaka that has a great continental breakfast that you can grab and go like we did for our excursions.

The hotel staff is so generous and helpful, answers any questions with a smile and a Aloha, and it’s truly a lovely place to sit and take in the beauty of the island.

Onsite you can enjoy the Alexander Day Spa& Spa, Monday nights offer a Polynesian Dance Review, there are daily Hawaiian cultural and beach activities for the whole family, and there’s a complimentary sunset Hula and Torch light ceremony Monday-Thursday.  The latter were witnessed just before a downpour moved our dining location to a covered area!  Never a dull moment.  Close to the airport in Lihue, the Kauai Marriott on Kalapaki Beach is a memorable place to bring your family.  Remember the hibiscus pool thought my daughter had, well no one on property including the sales manager and the Kauai Visitor’s Bureau had heard it before and thought that it was brilliant!  That’s my girl!

Our stay was hosted as part of our press trip, all opinions are our own.