Back to the subject of extraordinarily high Hawaii hotel prices, there’s a new Kauai hotel reopening, the 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay. It’s the latest Starwood hotel reprise of what we’ll always think of as the Princeville Resort. In its last iteration, it was known as the St. Regis Princeville Resort. We’ve recently seen a great deal of promotion for the new hotel and looked into it a bit further. When it opens, we’ll also provide some on-the-ground feedback.
The 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay will have 252 rooms, of which 51 are suites. The website says that “Thoughtful touches will bring nature into each space, with native greenery, reclaimed materials, organic cotton linens, and views of lush gardens, soaring mountains, or sparkling Hanalei Bay.”
Set apart by its iconic Bali Hai view.
The hotel features an iconic Bali Hai view that knocks you off your feet when you first walk into the lobby. It is that magnificent.
The resort was bought in 2018 by Starwood Capital Group and was destined to be one of its 1 Hotels and Resorts brand. It will finally be opening in the next few months and they are taking “discounted” opening special reservations starting February 1.
Fresh off a $250M renovation.
The 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay has had a significant makeover, for which it has been closed for more than two years. The last time it saw any real redo was in 2009, when about $100M was spent and the hotel was closed for about a year. This time, the resort shuttered conveniently in May 2020, right as Covid shut down Kauai.
The resort has always been a special place for its Makana Terrace dining with unequaled views. The food was never very good, frankly, and hopefully, that too will change with this latest iteration.
Mildew has also plagued the property since it was built. Because of its location, the resort needs to remain largely air conditioned 24/7 in order to help prevent the return of mildew which was hard to avoid or remediate, and unpleasant to experience.
Best rates at 1 Hotel Hanalei range from $8,000 to $77,000 per week.
A variety of room categories are available with some geared towards, well, the more reasonable. A mountain view king room, for example, will set you back just $6,406, for a 7-night stay, which with resort fees and taxes comes to $8,011.
Heading up towards the higher end of extreme prices, a large oceanfront loft suite, for two guests, will cost $48K plus resort fees and taxes for the week, which comes to a total of just over $57K. But it still goes up from there, if you’re willing.
Keep in mind that the above rates are the cheapest we found on their website. These rates are “fully pre-paid and non-refundable.” There are somewhat higher “pay later” rates which let you cancel up to 14-days prior to arrival.
The only rooms with a lanai are marked as “terrace.”
Sadly, as has always been the case, only a small number of rooms at the hotel have a lanai. Otherwise, you’ll be enjoying the beautiful views strictly through your room’s large windows. If you want a lanai, be sure to check for the room categories that have the word terrace in the title.
Gorgeous views but not much beach to speak of.
The hotel has a small strip of mostly rocky beach which is also used by the nearby Hanalei Bay Resort. To enjoy the beach magic associated with the new hotel’s name, it is about a 15-minute drive to arrive at iconic Hanalei Bay, which sits just across the Hanalei River but is otherwise inaccessible. Most visitors will opt for that choice.
The $250M makeover.
The resort said, “Every corner of this irreplaceable property is being reimagined — the results will boast 252 transformed rooms and suites; a 7,900-square-foot wellness center; renovated pools, including the addition of a new adult pool with sweeping tropical views; and an 18,000-square-foot spa and fitness center.”
Retreat accommodations are also planned in association with the hotel’s wellness concept. That includes sage-burning, special lighting, and sleep tracking too. Look for personalized nutrition and exercise programs as well as restorative therapies for wellness.
Reservations are being taken now for arrival dates starting in February. The resort was bought in 2018 by Starwood Capital Group when it became part of its 1 Hotels and Resorts brand.
Do you plan to stay at 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay and be what’s your take on their opening prices?
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Have you done an update on this resort since it opened? I’d love to hear a solid review on it since your article stated that when it opens you’ll provide feedback. I have been hearing and seeing a lot of mixed reviews and some 5 star reviews that look like fake or paid ones. It seems as if it’s understaffed and the service is lacking. The travel agent community has been talking about it lately and we’d love an honest review about it so we can make informed decisions for our clients. Mahalo!
Hi Rebecca.
We have not done that yet but it is on our list for articles being considered. Thanks for suggesting it.
Aloha.
I was looking at their rates a couple of days ago and cheapest rate (PRE-PAID) was $1,500. And taxes and fees and you are looking at $1,750 per night. Entry level room too!!
Thanks for the info! Great article. I love the 1 Hotel properties , but also love St Regis properties. Haven’t been to the Princeville since 98. Such amazing views! Looking forward to getting out there with my family one of these days.
1 Hotel is obviously catering to a clientele with which I am not familiar, or necessarily care to be. But if there are people who can afford this type of extravagance, more power to them. Let them enjoy the fruits of their labors. Me, I just enjoy being on Kauai, experiencing the culture, picking up a few Hawaiian phases-“Aloha Kakahiaka” anyone?- and everything else the island has to offer.
I commented earlier but I thought of something else. I haven’t stayed overnight in Kauai but I have taken a day trip and thoroughly enjoyed myself. The places I considered for overnight are Plantation Hale on the windward side and the Tip Top which has a cafe. They are more in my price range. Thank you for allowing me to share.
On our next trip in 2023, we will stop by the lobby bar for drinks and pupus and the magnificant sunset view like we did often when it was the St. Regis. That will only set us back about $200. A bit more doable than $1000s per night. As a side note, the condo we rented in 2022 and we are renting in 2023 went up a mere 36%. Yep, the price of Hawaii keeps going up beyond even normal infaltionary rates. These increases clearly must be forcing many Hawaii lovers to consider other options.
Last year I spent 2.5 months on Kauai and $20k. This year it’s going to Costa Rica and I’m paying 1/2. Good bye Kauai until you stop ripping people off.
Costa Rica is a Wonderful Vacation Destination, the savings will make you feel much better. Hawaii has been taking advantage of Tourists for much too long believing that They were the Best and no one could do better, they’re finding that they were wrong. Enjoy staying away from Hawaii, you’ll find Many comparable places without the Ignorance and Over Paying.
Yes
I noticed the Hotel listed,”Sage Burning”. Are they Native Americans? Otherwise, this would be Cultural Appropriation at its’ finest.
Just sayin’…
Mahalo
We’re Maui vacationers, but for research on Costco Travel I plugged in a 7 night stay on Kauai first week of May found 5 resorts under 3k and an additional 5 more under 4k all with a rental car.
Price didn’t include flights.
All were offering some combination of the following perks no resort fee, Costco Rebate cards or resort food credits.
Example was Royal Sonesta Kauai Resort Package for $3,205.44 includes rental car, 188.00 Costco Rebate card, 100.00 food credit and no resort fee. I don’t know anything about the resort other than it gets excellent reviews, but this sounds like a very reasonable package for a 7 night stay.
Hi Richard.
Good to hear from you again! Sonesta is the new name for the Marriott at Kalapaki Beach. It is not at all comparable to the Princeville Resort or the new 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay. Just saying.
Aloha.
I get that, but you’ve run so many articles about the high cost of traveling to Hawaii that I felt the need to balance the perception with there is still reasonable resort priced accommodations available on the islands.
Hi Richard.
Got it. We mentioned them before when we did an article on using Costco Travel if you saw that.
Aloha.
We stayed at the Royal Sonesta last October. It was fabulous! Reasonably priced abs great location. 5 star accommodations and would absolutely go back!
Someone commented earlier about camping on the beach. Say what you will, but during my years on Maui, that was my reality at times. One beach in particular is probably still my favorite place on the planet. Great memories. Being just down the road from the billion-dollar hotels, I can remember on many occasions looking back from the beautiful ocean up towards whichever million-dollar condo/vacation rental which loomed in the background and thinking,”I bet I’m happier than a lot of these people.” Of course, how could I have known. But you get my point. (And for sure has to be that it’s much more difficult now to camp on the beach as more of these types of projects go live.)
Yep it’s an expensive hotel.. like a lot of the other high end places throughout Hawaii and the rest of the world. Heck, there’s a Ritz Carlton in Dana Point, CA that’s Not in a tropical paradise or fancy resort area that goes for $880 all in and that’s on a cheap day. And that’s not even the most expensive place in the area.
These hotels aren’t meant for average Joes like us. They never have and never will.
Are they supposed to pump $250 million into a hotel renovation and charge $200 a night?
I ran a phantom booking scenario and was a bit amused by the exorbitant taxes and fees added on. They make up about 20% of the overall cost. Heck, they even tax the resort fee.
But I guess if u really care about such a thing you can’t afford it.
The General Excise, State Transient and Country Transient taxes add up to nearly 20%, not counting resort fees. And all of the taxes are also assessed on the resort fees.
Despite the amount of money that they bring in isn’t it strange that they can’t manage to build some Affordable Housing?
This hotel has several liens place against it for failing to pay subcontractors including Island Glass here on Kauai. Wonder if the hotel paid up?
Looks nice & since it sounds like a hotel for the obnoxiously wealthy. I’m not a millionaire, but I have friends that are. The reason they are fortunate as far as money goest is because they are frugal. A place like this would be out of the question!!! I say “obnoxiously” Wealthy, because I imagine a lot of entitled individuals will pay more for their stays.
Way too expensive. Why? Living here on Kauai residents can’t afford to stay there for one night. I have been coming here for over 40 years. Coco Palms and Hyatt all the hotels here. Now I live here and can’t even stay at a hotel. Have to fly to Oahu for a resort vaca
Aloha Beat of Hawaii.
You’re amazing and I’m very thankful for you both.
To answer the questions,no I’m not going to stay there.
This is a free market situation. Capatalism.
The sky’s the limit. If people are willing and able to pay those prices, so be it. If they’re not, it’ll show when the prices drop.
Simple and easy.
Stay safe and blessed!
🌺🌺🌺🌺
Hi Pam.
We understand entirely and hope we’ll get to see you here, wherever you choose to stay.
Thank you!
Aloha.
Oy. So $1000/night for their ‘bottom of the barrel’ rooms (My terminology), non-refundable rate, is considered “reasonable”. It’s clear that the wealthy and the rest of us live in two different worlds
Who can afford to stay here?.Hawaii will unfortunately become a place only for the elite.very sad
This yearly Kauai vacationer can not afford those prices but I wish them the best with the re-opening. My husband and I were treated like royalty by restaurant staff on our wedding day in May of 2007. We had stopped by earlier in the week to make a reservation for our wedding dinner after our Anini Beach sunset wedding. They created a private dining area for us on the end of the lanai with a partition and we enjoyed a delicious meal with a million-dollar view. We will always have wonderful memories of that night thanks to the staff.
$8,000-77,000 for a week? Once again the super rich can vacation in Hawaii but regular people no…it is so very sad that we see only the exclusive can see the beauty that is Hawaii. I’m pretty sure that’s not what the new Native movement intended…
Well, golly! Guess I’ll have to camp on the beach! Let’s hope that at least the cuisine has improved. Hate to pay big bucks and have to deal with Denny’s class food. That won’t get them a Michelin rating to go with high-end lodging.
It’s sad.. but the north shore are only for the rich and famous. There’s not enough worker bees to staff this kind of establishment. It’ll be sub-par for sure! Even if you bring in your own workers.. where are they gonna live? You have to build worker camps, just like we just did on the South shore here on Kauai. Hey.. here’s an idea, they could bring over all the illegals from the boarder??? They like camping right???
For what it’s worth, many service industry folks on north shore that I’ve spoken with recently have interviewed for jobs and are hoping to get one. They believe the money will be better than their current gigs. Some who worked there when it was St Regis were/are in a union that is helping them to get hiring preference with “1”.
Separately, in my opinion, this place is a giant eyesore/scar on the Princeville shoreline. Always has been going back to its Princeville Hotel days.
I enjoyed the friends and family rate of $250 nt at the St Regis version 10 years ago. Great memories. Lots of people can afford $1000 nt you and I just know any of them.
I know people with money but most would rather stay at the 4 seasons Big I/Maui at that price. I just don’t think there will be enough people willing to pay these prices long term.
That is… just Don’t know any of them
The strange thing is that I do know people that could easily but wouldn’t, they’re not into vanity. Even if I could I wouldn’t either. Paying that amount of money for a fancy place to sleep isn’t on my bucket list nor anyone that I know. I would rather take a trip with a little of that money and have fun for a week to ten days.
Same here. It was quite the treat for us. Just beautiful and the price back then was well worth every cent!!!
It’s wonderful that they have spent the time and effort, not mention the money, to make this into their vision. The Price of the rooms and suites should have been expected with the considerable investment, maybe if we were to hit it big,after considerable taxes,it would become somewhat affordable to us. With the upscale decor and amenities one can only hope that a Highly Rated Chef and Cuisine will follow. There’s nothing that can spoil a stay like a “toxic” kitchen. I’m Certain that You will keep us up-to-date on this Amazing Hotel. Thanks BOH, You’re the Best!
I will not be staying at the Hanelai Bay. I don’t have that kind of money to spend on a hotel room. You can spend it on other things on you vacation such as food and tours. As a thrifty person (cheapskate)! I can’t see spending $200 or more a night on a room. I mentioned the Ilima hotel in another reply. It has the nice view, grocery store and restaurants close by, comfortable bed, a kitchen, a gym and pool. They have decent prices even with a resort fee added. They start at $115 and I believe the resort fee is about $40. That’s all I need in a hotel. I’m out a lot in the day sightseeing. A hotel is a place to sleep at night. I don’t need a lot of extra frills. Thanks for letting me share!
I see the garden view king room is $6406 which is enough for a week … then the ridiculous resort fees and taxes add $1605 for a grand total of $8011 . Most people of normal means would feel that the $1605 would be a more reasonable cost for a week but in this case $1605 is the greed of “additional” charges. While there is a market for upscale accommodations , there is a bigger market for reasonable priced places to stay … but reasonably priced in Hawaii is a thing of the past. I think many people will go elsewhere both because it is too expensive now and the uncomfortable feeling of being ripped off that ruins a holiday faster than being sick .
Way over priced like most of Hawaii.
You didn’t mentioned the ongoing litigation by the terminated contractor. Who terminates a contractor at over 90 % complete? Never good for the project. And I don’t believe the project is completed yet? Be sure to but travel insurance if you book a prepaid room. I’m very suspicious of the claimed new (“latest”) opening date. The history of this project and the numerous claimed open dates are not good. We’ll see…
Who was the contractor? That is terrible they did that at 90% complete
This resort, with the proposed process, wold seem to meet the new goals for Hawaii tourism. Reduced b=numbers of tourii with significantly increased costs f=so income remains high. A win-win for loudest voices.
When I walked by a couple months ago, the property didn’t look anywhere near ready. I believe they will be much later than February. Also, prices are absurd and will need to come down. Grand Hyatt is also way over priced at the moment, who is paying 1k+ per night?
I noticed that … someone is trying to make the blue collar type hard worker can not vacation in Hawaii. This is price gouging without a pandemic. They just want the rich over there. It really makes me sick. I know who will respond negatively will be the rich.
Good post by Nancy. Several of the locals on this site have recently commented that Hawaii desires “high-end” wealthy visitors. With the rates that this resort is proposing, maybe they are getting their wish. But then again, be careful what you wish for.
On my bicycle trip up the East Coast this summer, late one evening, a sub shop south of Boston tried to charge me almost $13 for a six-inch sub(turkey was it?). Thankfully it hadn’t been made yet. The price gouging is everywhere. “The new normal.”
Thanks for the update, BOH guys! I’m glad our last visit to the StR in 2016 was awesome as at those prices, we’ll never return to the property. I’m not sure 1Hotels can overcome what Starwood Hotels couldn’t: a 5-star view with 2.5 star service. Tough to staff a truly luxury resort in Kauai. Completely agree with you regarding the food under the StR name; worst meal I ever had in fine dining establishment was our 25th anniversary at the Kauai Grill there at the hotel! That being said, I’m sure they’ll have no problems booking the rooms; it’s the only hotel on the north shore. I’ll be on Kauai in March for a milestone birthday. We’ll be sure to stop by for a cocktail and check it out for ourselves.
The original Princeville hotel lobby was breathtaking. I’ll have to opt for skipping the hotel and check out the views from the Hanalei Pier, it’s breathtaking as well,,,
I agree that the original Princeville Resort was stunning—driving up to the main entrance & then walking into the lobby took my breath away. Too bad it’s had to go through so many—what I’ll call needless—iterations. I subscribe to the axiom that “if it’s not broken, don’t fix it.” I understand it my have needed some upgrades over the years, but I believe it lost an element of elegance when it became the St. Regis. More isn’t always better. And, I cannot believe the prices they’re charging for rooms. What a shame, but I’m so grateful I got to know Kauai in the 70s on through the 90s.