TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

Kiahuna Plantation- Castle Resorts December 2022 The good: The Poipu area is beautiful. The beach is gorgeous and we saw Monk Seals and Humpback whales from the balcony. The grounds are beautiful and well maintained. There are a number of outside grills available for use that are well lit. You can walk to a number of good restaurants and shopping areas are very close as well. The beach shack has towels to check out and patio furniture you can use on the grass and on the beach. The not so great: There is no pool on the property. You have access to an athletic club a 10 minute or so walk across the main road and up the hill. There are nice workout facilities, a pool with slide, tennis and pickle ball courts and a nice field. There is a small bar and restaurant that are ok. It is not the resorts fault, but unfortunately the beach has erosion that makes it difficult to get down to. Stairs have not been repaired or created. There is a considerable drop off several feet off shore making it difficult to get out if you are older, especially if the swells are bigger. The bad: I don’t know where to begin. We rented through Castle Resorts and Hotels. We were assigned unit #:2006 ( Building 2; Number 6). My wife and I have rented multiple condos throughout the islands and this has to be, except for the view, the worst. We upgraded to an ocean front 1BR one Bath room with the final cost *815/night ( rent $700/night). We stayed 11 nights. There was no housekeeping, which we have usually seen provided if staying 7 nights or more. We can take care of things ourselves, but there were no supplies to do so. We would have been happy with clean linens and towels every 3-4 days. That is not provided, though if you haul towels up to the office yourself, they will exchange. Linens you have to wash yourself or pay for. We planned to do laundry while there but when we went- the soap dispenser was broken. We went to the office and were told “someone else runs that”. They reluctantly provided us with a small packet of soap. On entering the unit, the furniture was dated and worn and the carpet in poor condition. There was a hide a bed that was impossible to sleep on. The advertised flat screen tv was smaller than my computer monitors and one of the remotes had no batteries. In the kitchen, there was rust on the side of the refrigerator ( new in 2004). There were limited kitchen supplies and no grill utensils. There were no Tupperware containers and no condiments like salt and pepper. The bathroom is small with a single sink. The fixtures are worn and the toilet is very short with hardly any space between it and the shower. The shower had mold and the louvers and light fixtures were crusted with rust. The fan does not work. The lanai has a great view- but my wife caught her foot on exposed nail. The advertised beach equipment was unusable as both chairs and the umbrella were broken. When we asked about this, we were told that was an owner issue and we could rent them from the beach shack. The unit has no AC, you have to rely on trade winds for cooling through the louvers. A few units seem to have added AC. Besides this one getting hot if over 80, it was loud from the waves but you couldn’t shut the doors as too hot. If this was not enough, there was updating going on in the unit next door and they were sanding doors all day on the lanai instead of the parking lot. At other properties, we have been notified of construction ahead of time. I understand that these units are owned by individuals, but when you rent from Castle Resorts or Outrigger, I would expect they would have standards that their owners would have to adhere to for them to list it. That is not the case- and they have you once you get there and there is nothing you can do. We will not be returning. If you do choose to visit, I would choose your unit carefully with specifics as to exactly what is to be provided and what updates have been done.

This was our first trip back to Kauai since the start of the pandemic and at least our stay at the Kiahuna did not change (onsite restaurant is closed but we never dined there). Unit 185 never disappoints. It’s steps away from the beach or a short walk to the Poipu Athletic Club and their fabulous pool with a slide. This is a 1 bed/1 bath unit, but the bathroom has 2 sinks which is not common for a 1 bed unit. Bed was a little firm for us, but not a big deal. Keep in mind that not all units are furnished the same or have the same amenities since each unit is individually owned. The property is managed by Outrigger and Castle Resorts, depending on the building/unit. Unit 185 is an Outrigger property. Front desk staff were friendly and helpful. My husband and I stayed 10 days and the unit was cleaned twice (towels and sheets refreshed). Perfect for us since we like to unpack and spread out. We love visiting this property in December and can’t wait for our next visit. Aloha, until we meet again.

My wife and our six month little girl stayed in a property managed by Castle Resorts. From the moment we arrived to the second we left, the hospitality and generosity of Roy and his team made our entire experience everything we imagined and more. The grounds were beautiful and the beachfront was breathtaking. Only thing I would advise anyone booking at the plantation is to check and see if the unit you’re looking at has AC. Fans are provided in the units without AC but that was an overlook on our end but the fans worked out nicely. I would strongly recommend not only the plantation, but choosing a property managed by castle resorts. 5 stars and will be coming back.

We have stayed at the Kiahuna many times.This time we stayed in unit24.This unit had no ac but we adjusted.Then when going to bed we noticed a Big roach.Then 3 more.Then we got a notice tree cutting for 2 days.advised to visit the island and not be in our room.We are vacationers not tourists.e mailed owner .Won't return

List of issues found in unit #436 1. The plantation shutters have broken pins 2. The tub needs refinishing 3. The tub has a rust spot outside (right) ½ inch square 4. Some tiles in the bathroom and hallway are cracked. 5. The bedroom TV stand is a safety hazard. It is easy to hit your head on a sharp corner. We banged our heads several times before adding a tissue flag to avoid further injury. 6. The bathroom sink is dirty 7. We had to carefully remove/ scrape the protective film on the LG stove as it had melted, and crinkled, from prior use of the stove. You could hardly read numbers. 8. The dishwasher will not heat water nor dry the dishes, they must be hand dried. 9. The bathroom windows case needs work, rust, mildew. 10. The tub stopper does not work. It will not screw into the drain and just falls off. 11. The mattress is very lumpy and should be replaced. 12. Power plugs are outdated and some do no longer hold appliance plugs, ac adapters, etc. 13. Snorkeling gear. Fins and masks were great, but there is a broken snorkel and one is missing. I had to buy my own at Snorkel Bob’s. The defective one is marked. 14. A Champagne glass is extremely cracked, and should be discarded. We provide these items for consideration and hope you will also resolve them for others to enjoy this unit as soon as possible. When we rented the unit, in this price range, months ago we expected that the unit would be clean, appliances working and the bed would be comfortable. In the future, we will do a full walkthrough and not accept a unit/ condo with issues. Recommend engineering to do an inspection prior next renter. Please don’t say that it is up to the renter to inspect and complain as soon as possible when they are enjoying their vacation. At check-in, we were not asked to report any issues with the unit as soon as possible. Maybe you should. Some amenities were satisfactory. The A/C, the stove, the refrigerator, the microwave, the fans, seating areas, audio equipment, cleanliness of carpets, the cooler, the umbrellas, etc. We feel obligated to leave a negative review on YELP, TripAdvisor, and Google Reviews so future guests are aware of building 41, unit 436.