 |
|
|
The Best Inns and Bed & Breakfasts
Hale Ho'o Maha (tel. 800/851-0291): Kirby Guyer and her husband, Toby, custom-designed this B&B located on the North Shore in the Hanalei area known as Wainiha. Overlooking the mountains, waterfalls, and pristine Wainiha Bay, the Hawaiian antiques-filled home is just 110 steps to the beach (and a 10-min. drive to golf courses, shops, restaurants, and two riding stables). This spacious five-bedroom/five-and-a-half-bathroom home features an elevator (something you don't often see on Kauai). Guests are welcome to use the gourmet kitchen, gas barbecue, washer/dryer, refrigerator with ice maker/water, and TV/VCR/DVD in the "great room." Use of the boogie boards and snorkel equipment, beach chairs, towels, and coolers is all complimentary.
Lani-keha (tel. 800/821-4898): Step back in time to the 1940s, when Hawaiian families lived in open, airy, rambling homes on large plots of land lush with fruit trees and sweet-smelling flowers. This gracious age is still alive and well in Lani-keha, a kamaaina (old-timer) home with an open living/game/writing/dining room and oversize picture windows to take in the views. Bedrooms come with private bathrooms. The house is elegant yet casual, with old-style rattan furniture -- practicality and comfort outweigh design aesthetics.
Marjorie's Kauai Inn (tel. 800/717-8838): This quiet property, perched on the side of a hill, is just 10 minutes from Poipu Beach and 5 minutes from Old Koloa Town. From its large lanai it offers stunning views over rolling pastures and the Lawai Valley. Every unit has a kitchenette with dining table, ceiling fan, and lanai. The new Sunset View unit has a separate sitting area and a futon sofa for extra guests. On the hillside is a huge, 50-foot swimming pool, perfect for lap swimming. Former owner Marjorie Ketcher has sold her popular inn to the new owners, Mike and Alexis, who have kept the motto "do one fun thing a day" (and have a treasure-trove of beach toys from mask-fins-snorkels to kayaks, even bicycles and bike racks for cars to help you live up to the motto).
The Palmwood (tel. 562/688-3433): This is a unique property: tranquil (located atop a hill of a 4-acre estate), fabulous views (360-degree view of the rolling hills of Moloa'a Valley and out to the ocean), and unbelievably beautiful rooms and surrounding landscaping. From the stone entryway to the leather/palm-wood chairs (so comfortable you will be hard-pressed to leave them) to the sound of water falling -- this is the lap of luxury in a tiny (only two units) inn with a full breakfast (crab cakes with sliced mango and banana bread). The amenities are endless: comfy beds, flatscreen TV on a swivel, double doors leading to a large lanai with your own personal water feature, hot tub and Japanese Zen gardens outside (with barbecue area). Relax in the free-form hammock -- why leave -- this place is paradise. Yes, it is pricey (from $280) and worth every penny!
Rosewood Bed & Breakfast (tel. 808/822-5216): This lovingly restored century-old plantation home, set amid tropical flowers, lily ponds, and waterfalls, has accommodations to suit everyone. There's a Laura Ashley-style room in the main house, and two private cottages on the grounds. There's also a bunkhouse with three separate small rooms with a shared shower and toilet.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without
notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before
planning your trip.
|
|
|
