1 Hotel Hanalei Bay

Hotel 1 Hanalei Bay is the single finest hotel I have experienced in my many years on this planet. Having traveled to 77 countries and stayed in every sort of hotel from hostels to the finest that Dubai, Saudi, Paris, the Maldives and Bora Bora has to offer, this experience was second to none. Upon arrival, we walked in the airy open lobby and in the distance could already see it in panorama - the cliffs, greenery, and blue waters of the Nā Pali coast. It felt ethereal, like we were floating on a cloud. We just looked at each other, without words. To the left an open air jungle, ahead the wild ocean and cliffs, and to the right our hostess who explained the amenities and schedule in detail. (Too much detail for my GF who had to go explore : )). We were early and our room was not yet ready so we drove to town in our convertible (already forgetting the super-cool electric Audi's at our fingertips, or the bikes... I guess I should have paid more attention.) Returning we were escorted to our breathtaking room - perched up in the 10th floor, the ocean view studio king was gorgeously laid out with a sheepskin rug in front of the bed with the single softest sheets and pillows we have ever slept on, a sprawling couch, expansive closet, lovely welcome gifts to the left on the bar / console, and then, of course the coup de grâce - the full fold out windows - essentially making our entire room one big cozy balcony. We never closed them unless we left the room, waking and sleeping and relaxing to the waves below. The bathroom was luxurious with a full stand alone tub, also with full window views of the coast. We had been asked if we wanted a welcome gift and I decided to be ludicrous and said, "a baby bobcat, but if not, some organic tequila or champagne would be nice." Sure enough there he was - a stuffed baby bobcat with a hand written note from "Vincent". along with some organic tequila, flavored salts and sliced fruits, some colorful macaroons, and a bottle of fine champagne chilling in a silver bucket of ice. Service wise, everything we needed was at our fingertips. The app was helpful and easy to use and we did use it to make a dinner reservation or two but found that a quick call was faster and easier. (We were in low season though - other reviews suggest booking well in advance in high season.) The semi-private beach at the foot of the resort (Pu'u Poa) was absolutely lovely - with clear water, corals, lots of fish, and no less than 7 sea turtles my first snorkeling outing. Service for the daybeds in terms of setup, food and drinks was seamless. Once inside the resort we didn't really care much to leave - which is very uncommon for us, but we just wanted to eat it all up - walk the stairs vs. the elevators to our room, walk the beach to the Hanalei pier, catch sunset from the upper and lower viewpoints and during dinner from both the 1 Kitchen and Welina Terrace. Both restaurants were lovely - particularly the rare find of "fish collars" at Welina. Coffee at Neighbors Cafe was perfect as well. However, we did leave each day to catch sunrise (which is behind the resort and hence not viewable.) Secret beach was probably our favorite for that - but also the east facing beach past Hanalei bay. We are both of the philosophy that our food is medicine, and it felt very good to know that nearly all of what we ate was organic and some even raised on the roofs of the hotel. In conclusion, yes, the sea life is better in Bora Bora, and having an overwater cabana with glass floors in the Maldives is exceptional, but the 4 days of watching the ever changing weather, clouds, sun, sunsets, rainbows and crashing waves of the world's single most beautiful and totally wild place - the Nā Pali coast - from the comfort of the highest thread count sheets... we left very, very sad, and nostalgic for our 4 days in heaven.

Best resort we have ever been do. Amenities are wonderful. Adult pool is luxurious, & interior of hotel is spectacular. The resort is a bit pricey, but if you're willing to spend the money, enjoy, views are breathtaking ! They thought of everything. Only suggestion is: binoculars, include in the room for quests to enjoy view more.

I apologize - this is long overdue but I wanted to so justice to this amazing hotel. I still probably will not have time or memory to do this well but trust me. You will see many negative reviews. They are accurate but here’s the thing…. it’s amazing nonetheless. And they are rapidly fixing what’s broken and I feel 100% confident you will have a 11 out of 10 experience here. Our breakfast and coffee each day was extraordinary. Dinner is solidly good and getting better. Good wine selection. Pool is perfect. Decor is very aloha which is so wonderful. The place weirdly does not feel touristy. We slept GREAT! This hotel is on its way to be a Forbes 5 star if it isn’t already. The lobby space is so pretty. The spa!! Do not neglect the spa! Fabulous massage experience! Thank you especially to Matthieu for making this a wonderful place. We want to return asap.

During my last stay at 1Hotel on Kauai, I had a massage with Wanda, and I highly recommend her as a professional therapist. Her expertise and attention to detail were impressive. Thanks to her exceptional skills, I was able to fully relax and release both physical and mental tension. Her techniques were not only soothing but also highly effective—my week-long headache completely disappeared.

We have just checked out of 1 Hotel and had an absolutely amazing stay. This is our second time staying here and we have nothing but rave reviews. Our room, which was an ocean view lounge king, was spectacular. The space is organized well and the decor feels both homey and luxurious. We really like the sustainability practices throughout the property and conscientious efforts to not waste anything. Every single staff member we interacted with during our 5 night stay was friendly and helpful. Special shout out to William who is one of the general managers in 1 Kitchen. We had 2 dinners here and he checked in on us both nights. He really ensured we were happy and comfortable, and is just a genuinely great person to have a conversation with. Thank you William, you helped make our anniversary feel extra special! Also special shout out to Anthony, who is one of the waiters in the sandbox pool/beach cabana area. Despite having many people to help, he was somehow always able to check on us for anything we needed and an all around nice person to converse with, thank you Anthony! We also had 2 dinners at Wellina terrace that were excellent, all the dishes had fresh and delicious flavors. You can't go wrong with staying at 1 Hotel. Not only is every inch of the property stunning and clean, all the amenities are wonderful, and most of all the resort staff has exceptional hospitality that in our opinion, really makes your stay special. We look forward to staying here again! -Christine & Samir (from California)