The Royal Sonesta Kauai Resort Lihue

This was the perfect location for our active family. We loved the beautiful pool located on the property and beach access. Beach Boy rentals had boards to rent and the kids had a blast. We were also easily able to drive to areas to the North and South to explore during our stay. The newly remodeled room was very clean. The elevator was always available with minimum waiting. The food was good, but was pricey. Dukes is nearby, but there is also a small shopping center a short (.2 mile) walk from the resort with several restaurants and an ice cream shop. We happened to have amazing help at check-in and check-out. Parking is expensive, but we sort of went into this as a splurge for our family, so the convenience of having a rental car on property was worth it for us. You could certainly take the shuttle from the airport and stay on property without ever really needing to leave if you wanted.

beautiful location, staff was terrific and helpful, pool was awesome and the beach was great

absolutely nothing

We loved the local restaurants within walking distance. The grounds were beautiful and pools pristine.

Alacarte breakfast was very expensive and the wait excessive.

We loved the free shuttle service to/from the airport. Loved the quality of food offered. The bed/pillows were wonderful. The resort looked magical at night when we arrived.

Wish the vending machines had been filled. We were dying of thirst after a long day of travel and didn’t think to order extra drinks with our room service. We arrived just before room service cut off. By the time we were done eating and still thirsty it was too late. We ended up having to rinse our soda cans out in the bathroom and fill them with water and placed in the fridge to get cold. My son tried three different floors for the vending machine drinks to no avail. Also the bathroom was very warm. Bathroom exhaust fans or small ceiling fans would be nice in there.

Too expensive

The staff were hot and cold. In general they were rather surly in comparison with Maui and Honolulu. The pool and location are very nice, as is the gym. Food choices in the hotel are very limited. The main restaurant was closed during our entire 8 day stay. Our room was newly renovated and very nice. One has to ask the question if Hawaii, in general, is worth the serious extra cost in comparison to nearly anywhere else. We paid over $400 per day without breakfast. Other hotels are more….

The beach, the location, the great pool, the room was lovely, friendly staff

If there is anything I would complain about, it’s a few points about the bathroom. - There is a complete lack of shelving/alcove etc in the shower area. You have to put all your shower toiletries on the floor, particularly not ideal if you’re older and had trouble bending over. - The toilet really needs a door to separate it from the rest of the bathroom area, for obvious reasons. - The bathroom door is really heavy and hard to push open and closed. A child could hurt their fingers if caught between the door and frame due to the weight of the door.

Food was great! I was not prepared for the expense of eating at the property.

I did not like hearing the neighbors being romantic. I had to explain to my young children why they heard a woman moaning. Really the only bad part was we could hear everyone getting on and off the elevator and walking down the hallway. Room could have been more sound proof.

We landed on this property after landing in Hawaii to find out beautiful Maui was on fire and we couldn’t travel there for our 10 anniversary as planned (we were married there). Staying here proved to be the best choice we made. Beautiful in every sense. Pool is amazing as are the staff! Rooms are super comfy and well appointed. Right on the beach as well if you prefer. Breakfast is great if you get the breakfast package. Close to the airport (free shuttle) yet you wouldn’t know it. Super quiet. We’ll be back for sure!

Only that we couldn’t stay longer !

The location of this place is great, just 10 mins ride from the airport, with a decent beach just in front of the property. Service is nice, too. I ordered a few bottles of water at 11 pm and they delivered to my room. Food was also great, both at the bar next to the pool and Duke's restaurant. They offer on site COVID testing (though you need to pay for yourself) as part of the resort bubble program. Staff do wear masks all the time and hand sanitizers can be seen everywhere.

The facility is rather old. None of the vending machines in our tower works. Wifi signal was good but comes with a fee, except for Marriott members. The sink of the showers is very slow. The price of this place is significantly higher than nearby hotels that does not participate in the resort bubble program.

Close to airport but no airport noise. great location

property is a bit outdated.