Kapa'a is a great locaion for Kauai if you are going to check the whole island out. If it's raining up north, then I head south for sun. Kapa'a has plenty of restaurants and grociery stores to choose from also. The hotel is located across from a big green field that is in front of the beach, 120 yards to the beach ,no good swimming anywhere near, yet great to watch the sun rise and then get on with the day. Nothing fantastic but it had it all a pool, hot tub, lanai, cable, seperate room bedroom, and full kitchen.

Great concept – all the convenience of a fully equipped condo combined with the daily maid service of a hotel – plus a location close to beaches, shops and services, and all at a very reasonable rate.

We had a one-bedroom suite, spacious at 775 square feet and well laid out. The kitchen is a bit dated, but all the appliances worked well, and there’s a good supply of dishes, cutlery, pots and pans. Housekeeping replenishes coffee and tea supplies daily, along with dishtowels and dish soap. The bathroom is also showing its age a little, but likewise, everything was in good working order, with constant hot water. Towels are replaced daily and sheets every three days. Both the living room and bedroom have sliding glass doors opening to a lanai overlooking an attractively landscaped garden. The units are kept immaculately clean, and we saw the pool and grounds being tended ever day.
In-room wifi is included. If you don’t have your own laptop, there’s a computer for guest use in the lobby where you can print boarding passes. The front desk also provides beach towels whenever needed, and you can borrow DVDs or BluRays at no cost.

There’s a Foodland supermarket with a good deli counter in a little strip mall just a few minutes drive along the highway from the hotel. Be sure to ask for a Maika’i card so you can take advantage of weekly specials. The next strip mall has a 24-hour Safeway, and beyond that there’s a Big Save (same mall as Kapa’a post office). For convenience items, you can just walk over to Whaler’s in the Coconut Marketplace, which is opposite Plantation Hale.

Farmers markets are great for fruit and vegetables. You’ll find a much better selection of produce than in the supermarkets, and at lower cost, and you get to talk to the people who grow it. We missed the weekly market in Kapa’a (although we did find various little stands in and around town selling produce) but drove into Hanalei on a Friday morning just as its market was getting underway.

If you’re looking for gluten-free treats, check out Java Kai coffee shop on the highway in Kapa’a (they make a mean latte too) and Sweet Marie’s Bakery in Lihue, just along from Hilo Hattie’s. The supermarkets in Kapa'a carry GF breads and some other items. Papaya’s Natural Foods, tucked away in a corner of the same shopping centre as Safeway, is another source for GF items, and there’s also Hoku Foods Natural Market not far from the ABC store in town.

Nearest public tennis courts are at Kapa’a New Park in town, next to the ball field and skate park. There are two courts, not in the greatest condition but perfectly playable. Nearest swimming beach is Lydgate State Park, which has a couple of protected areas, along with a long beach for walking and walking paths set back from the beach.

Front desk staff were helpful in providing directions to places we wanted to hike or visit. Kapa’a’s location around mid-island means that nowhere is more than 90 minutes or so by car, though driving north was definitely easier in December as there was no road construction. Give yourself a little extra time if you’re heading south to Poipu or Waimea Canyon, as you may run into traffic congestion around Lihue due to roadwork.

Lots of good hiking, but be prepared for liquid sunshine (there’s a reason for Kaua’i being so green). Showers can be so sudden that you’re soaked before you can get a jacket on, but you dry out quickly. Just be careful on trails because these downpours can quickly turn them muddy and slippery. Packing hiking poles is a good idea, but failing that, you’ll often find that people who’ve picked up a stick along the way will leave it at the trailhead for the next person.

There are three pools at the hotel, two with hot tubs. The pools are unheated, which means that they’re cold – really cold – but the tubs are just the right temperature for a relaxing soak at the end of the day.

Our room was filthy. There were dead bugs all over, the blinds were so thickly covered with dirt and we pulled them up so we didn't have to look at them! There was an odor in all of the dresser drawers and the insides of the kitchen cabinets were disgusting. The sleeper sofa was so old that the springs were all shot. Housekeeping came once even though we requested it three times.

At least the sheets and towels were clean and the staff was friendly.

Went to Kauai for a three-day break and stayed at Plantation Hale. The apartment actually seemed larger than the website pictures indicated, and it was spotlessly clean. The kitchen had been refitted nicely, and there was a very nice, large flat panel TV. Patti at the front desk was outstanding in every way and helped make our stay nice. I would only suggest that those who are light sleepers request a unit not backing up to the highway. We could hear road noise despite a thick hedge between us and the highway. I was, however, able to sleep. The location is central in terms of Kauai's arcane road system. Overall, I recommend this place and will probably stay there again.