Sheraton Kauai Resort Review

A visit to the Hawaiian Islands has been on my bucket list for some time now. My husband and I got married in 2020, so we were not able to have the big honeymoon I’d dreamt of. In October of last year, we decided we had waited long enough and began planning our trip to Kauai. 

We talked with a travel agent (who is also a friend) to get our trip in order. After talking about what each island had to offer, we knew Kauai had to be on our list. We decided to book our trip for late April/early May of 2023. This time of year did not intersect with spring break, offered moderate weather, and the flights were the least expensive.

In total, we spent 18 days on the islands of Oahu, Kauai, Maui, and Hawaii. We spent 5 of those days on Kauai at the Sheraton Kauai Resort. 

How To Get To The Sheraton Kauai Resort

The Sheraton Kauai Resort is located in the Poipu area, about 15 miles (30 minutes) from Lihue Airport. We rented a car for the trip and started on HI-50 as we left the airport. The landscape quickly changed from a typical town into a mountainous tropical paradise. There were very few turns on the trip, which allowed us to enjoy the views of the mountains to the north.  

The tunnel of trees engulfed us as we turned left onto HI-590 and continued south past Old Koloa Town. As we pulled into the Sheraton Kauai Resort, we got our first look at the ocean to the south. There was a gentle breeze coming off the shore and surfers riding the waves off the horizon. We had arrived!

Check-In

When we entered the lobby of the Sheraton Kauai Resort, we felt as if we had entered another world. The tall ceilings, exquisite landscaping, and friendly staff faces welcome you upon arrival. After spending 4 busy days in the bustling city of Waikiki, we could sense the shift to island time immediately. 

This is the picture-perfect scenery most people imagine when they dreamt of a trip to Hawaii. At the resort check-in, you’re offered a map of the property, a parking pass for the lot, a decadent box of chocolate-covered macadamia nuts, and a skincare package (sunscreen, aloe, and lip balm). Valet is offered, but my husband, looking to get a better lay of the land, parked our Jeep in the lot and met me across the street at the concierge.

As you enter another beautiful open-air lobby for the concierge, there is a gift shop to the right, firepits on the left, and another beautiful view of the ocean. I couldn’t wait to explore the rest of the property. 

The Rooms

The room was absolutely perfect. We booked a first-floor Luxury Oceanfront King room on the Southwest part of the property. The room door was sunken in a bit to create a little shared foyer between us and the neighboring room. This was where the cleaning carts were parked, and room service was left to keep the hallways clear. 

As we entered the room, the spacious bathroom was on the left. The bathroom had double sinks, plenty of counter space, and a large mirror with great lighting extending from wall to wall. I would come back to the room some nights after a long day expecting to look worn down and messy, only to find that I somehow looked bright-eyed and glowing in the lighting of this magical mirror. 

There was a full-length mirror to the right as well, so we could do a proper outfit check each day. The shower and toilet were in a separate room. In the shower, there was a large shelf extending past the tub which we used for storing our shower products and also to sit on as we scrubbed the day’s adventures off of our feet each night. My husband is very picky about hotel water pressure, and I’m happy to report the shower pressure at the Sheraton Kauai Resort met his standards.  

There were “warm oak” scented shampoo, conditioner, and body wash dispensers in the shower.  My husband enjoyed the scent so much that he used the complementary products instead of his own each night during our stay. In a closet off the bathroom, we found an ironing board and a safe for our valuables. 

As you enter the bedroom area after checking in, you can see a welcoming Aloha message made of shell leis laid out on the bed. The bed was comfortable with high-quality linen. There were side tables and reading lamps on either side. Across from the bed was a big screen TV, dresser, mini fridge, and Keurig. Past the bedroom was the living area. There is a sitting area to the left which includes a couch, coffee table, lounge chair, and a side table. To the right was a small dining table with two chairs. A large sliding door opens up to the walkout patio. 

The Southwest part of the resort property that the patio overlooks has a manicured lawn surrounded by palm trees. Just past the palm trees, the black lava rock framed a beautiful ocean scene. In addition to the table and chairs you have for the patio, there are a few Adirondack chairs down by the rocks for other guests to enjoy the view. I sat there many times watching surfers and the waves roll in.

It was a very peaceful spot, popular for sunset, tucked in a lower elevation area near the lava rock, hiding it from our view. The walking path was also far enough away from us that we still had plenty of privacy. I loved being on the first floor because you can exit through the sliding door to access other parts of the resort property. 

Facilities & Amenities

In addition to the incredible view outside the room, the Sheraton has many other scenic spots to spend time in. There are fire pits on the south side that are always blazing around dusk. This is a wonderful place to relax and watch the sunset or the crashing waves. There are a few lawn games including cornhole and giant lawn chess near the pool area. The pool area has plenty of chairs and umbrellas available. 

There are also cabanas for rent (both by the pool and on the beach). Regardless of where you sit, you can get service from the on-site restaurant, Lava’s. You can just scan the menu on the small flag attached to your seat and raise it. Your drink or meal would be delivered to the seat. There is also a bar area near the pool and a sit-down restaurant called RumFire if that’s more your style. 

The activities desk provided various rentals. We rented snorkels one day, and signups for daily complimentary activities like yoga, pond fishing, and lei making are available. You can also check out as many towels as needed from the activities desk and exchange them whenever you like. 

The pool has a direct view of the ocean with a quiet private beach. I like the fact that you can walk directly from the pool area onto the private beach. Other resorts we stayed at had a fence between the two. A winding path lines the property on the ocean side and is great for a scenic stroll with manicured lawn and foliage to the north and lava rock and ocean on your right. The Sheraton Resort is truly enchanting.

Nearby Attractions

One of my favorite things about the Sheraton Kauai Resort is its close (4 minutes) to Poipu Beach Park, where you can find sleeping turtles and monk seals at sunset. We went almost every night to watch the turtles pull their way up on shore. Poipu shopping center is right across the street as well with a few restaurants and shops. It’s fun to drive north for about 5 minutes to Old Koloa Town for more shopping and food variety and ice cream of course! 

As for food in general, you can find everything from hole-in-the-wall walk-ups to sit-down fine dining restaurants within 5 minutes of the resort. There is something for everyone’s tastes and at every price point. We did two excursions outside of the Poipu area, which allowed us to explore some other parts of the island. 

We did a kayak and hike to secret falls in Wailua (to the northeast) and a raft tour of the NaPali coastline (to the west). The Sheraton Kauai Resort was conveniently located right in between the two. We took a lot of time to explore all coasts of the island during our stay. We found that the south side offers everything we wanted, from sunny beaches to rustic hiking trails, shopping, and restaurants at all price ranges. You can’t ask for a better location.

During our five miraculous days in Kauai, we did our fair share of exploring during the day, but I loved coming home every evening to our room at the Sheraton Kauai Resort. By the end of the stay, the resort truly felt like home. We got to know our cleaning woman, who stopped by the room every day to tidy up and always greeted us with a warm smile as we came and went from the resort. 

The property has many secluded locations where you can steal away for a bit. However, at the same time, there is always plenty of activities bustling near the pool. Some evenings you can even curl up on a pool chair or on the beach to listen to Hawaiian music and watch the hula dancers perform at the on-site Luau. I would have stayed at the Sheraton Kauai Resort forever if I could, but after 5 days in paradise, we said Mahalo and Aloha until next time.

Written by: Kylee Bailey