Yesterday I reviewed a standard room at the Grand Hyatt Kauai and was pretty pleased if not amazed, but I also took advantage of a suite upgrade as a result of my Gold Passport Diamond status. I usually reserve these for big vacations like Hawaii, Europe, or Asia, and this particular resort was a good choice. Unfortunately, demand for a suite was so competitive that they could only accommodate me for two nights of our four-night stay.
We moved on our third day to another room down the hall that was closer to the pool but still opened onto the lawn. I already said I enjoyed this for the extra space it offered on the patio, but there still wasn’t much of an ocean view. Keep that in mind if it’s important to you when you visit Hawaii.
Everything about the suite was much more grand than the standard room, which is unusual in my experience. Many suites are just larger rooms, hopefully with a door separating the bedroom, and the furnishings tend to be about the same — just more of them. This suite, however, was a notch up.
Our room had a legitimate foyer, large enough for a couple people to stand and have a conversation while enjoying the art. 😛 That opened up into the living room, with a round dining table for four and a large sectional sofa facing the patio. A microwave and wet bar made it a little easier to whip up a snack or a drink.
But as you can see, the blinds were dysfunctional. A broken string meant that one end was always drooping down. I tried to ignore it as I wasn’t in Hawaii to spend my day inside. It was still very pleasant when we were sitting outside in the late afternoon or at night when they were likely to be lowered.
The bedroom was through a set of slatted doors and had a nice hardwood floor and four poster bed. There were also separate his and hers closest on either side of the television.
If you know anything about me, you’ve probably already guessed my main complaint with this suite. The blinds were a minor issue that could be fixed in a jiffy, and I was just too lazy to call for a service engineer. But someone intended for the televisions to hang off the walls in the bedroom and bathroom.
I really don’t like watching television when I travel and prefer that if they are around they should at least be discreet. These were difficult to ignore and, I thought, haphazardly installed with their dangling cords and awkward angles. At least buy a proper mount so they can sit flush against the wall.
But yeah, besides the televisions the suite was great. The living room and bedroom weren’t the only areas that received an upgrade over the standard room. The white tile and marble in the standard bathroom were upgraded to something a little more luxurious, and a separate tub and shower are, in my opinion, almost requirements for a suite. The toilet had its own separate room, ensuring a little extra privacy while someone else is using the sink.
In summary, our suite was a very definite improvement over the standard room, which had left me feeling satisfied but not entirely impressed. The sofa, wood floor, his-and-her closets, and four poster bed were my favorite features. The televisions were an unfortunate design choice.
I definitely recommend reserving a suite if you can and plan to bring your family. I arranged in advance for a birthday cake to be delivered for my mother-in-law while we were there, and it was great having all the extra space so we weren’t squeezed into their room. If you need it, our suite had the option of an additional connecting room.
Another benefit of my Diamond status was access to the Grand Club. Because it’s on an upper floor (the hotel is terraced) and can expand onto the patio, it’s also much larger than the club at the Hyatt Regency Maui without sacrificing the view.
We only came here in the mornings since we somehow managed to stay very busy and never made it for evening canapés. But the breakfast spread was good. There was usually a frittata, miso soup, fruit, pastries, coffee, and cured meats. I would have liked one or two additional hot options, like potatoes or sausage, but this was enough to satisfy us until lunch.
Finally, I thought I’d mention the luau. I’ve been to a lot of luaus on Ohau, Maui, and now Kauai. (And I’m actually kind of tired of it, but I went for the sake of my in-laws.) In Oahu they bus people in and some are so large I had trouble finding the food. In Maui they’re more reasonable. I liked the luau at the Grand Hyatt because it was much smaller and the only one I can recall that was oceanfront. We got to watch a show and the sunset at the same time! So if you’ve never been, I recommend it.
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