We spent the first week of our 2 week Princeville vacation at this resort. It was the only thing RCI could find for us that week (adjacent to our other week at a nearby resort) so it's not like there was any choice in the matter.

Having said that, it was not a bad place to stay. We were not on the cliffs, but our 2nd story balcony did have a view of the ocean. The grounds were well kept. There are 2 pools, but you only get keys to 1 of them (depending on where you stay is what I was told). The pool we had a key to was only available a couple days and then closed for renovation. The hot tub was under construction the entire time. The pools were very cold and not very exciting (we have 3 kids 6 and under) compared to some others in nearby resorts.

We were on the 2nd floor and I felt bad for whoever was staying beneath us. Sound seemed to travel very well and I'm sure they didn't appreciate the constant pitter-patter of 3 children.

We were in a 2 bed/ 2 bath condo. There is a stacked compact washer/dryer which worked fine. The furniture and setting are outdated, but functional. The counter tops are all formica, dinner table is glass, and the oven/stove is electric. All the appliances worked fine. We had a leak in the shower head which caused it to spray all over the bathroom bit they were very responsive to come and fix it right away.

You might want to bring extra toilet paper. My father in law staying in a nearby unit that week asked for another roll when they ran out and they told him basically "sorry".

Overall our stay was enjoyable and we spent most of the time away at the beach or in other places anyways. We wouldn't be opposed to staying here again if we had to, but would probably look at other options first. I think this place is due for some major renovations and with that it has potential to be an above-average place to stay.

We were given this unit by a friend as a timeshare exchange. It is a very nice, basic apartment but more than adequate for our needs. We had a lovely ocean view, even though we were in Alii Kai II (see other reviews for the distinction). Management was nice and helpful. We attended the hokey Sunday morning presentation with various folks trying to sign us up for adventures - we did learn a lot and did some of these on our own. I liked the fact that the kitchen is very well stocked, and the resort let us borrow basics like beach mats, instead of charging for them like other more high-end resorts. Downsides included pool being closed due to maintenance, and the constant rain (not their fault, but bear in mind that if you are planning on a winter vacation, you will have to drive over awful roads to get to the sun).

We stayed in Alii Kae Unit 12a November 19th-26th

Our trip to Kauai was amazing. However, our condo was misleading.. The first thing I noticed is that we were booked at Alii Kae but our condo was actually Alii Kae II. The difference is when we read other reviews, it stated that Alii Kae is almost all ocean views, but if we had looked up Alii Kae II, we would have read that we would definitely not have an ocean view and in a slightly different location. I think the description should specify which division so when customers who are researching the property they knows there are two divisions which have completely separate views.

Our reservation said we would have two queen beds. We did not, we had one queen bed and the other room at two single beds. While this is not the end of the world, when we are expecting two queen beds and it states that on our reservation, that is what we expect.

Hotwire's describes the condo as this: Alii Kai offers 60 accommodations, which are accessible via exterior corridors and feature CD players and DVD players. Rooms open to balconies. Accommodations at this 3-star condo property have kitchens with refrigerators, microwaves, and coffee/tea makers. Bathrooms include makeup/shaving mirrors, complimentary toiletries, and hair dryers. This Princeville condo property provides complimentary wired high-speed Internet access. Televisions come with satellite channels, VCRs, and pay movies. Additionally, rooms include irons/ironing boards and ceiling fans. Housekeeping is provided daily.

- We did not have a cd player.
- Our washer was broken. We tried to wash a load of towels and it did not drain. They did come by the next day to fix it. We asked if they could provide laundry soap for one load so their towels were not sitting around soaking wet for a week and they said no. We told them their towels would mold if we don't wash them and they didn't care. So for the entire week, we had their soaking wet towels in our bathtubs because we did not know what to do with them. We could not put them into the dryer because they were too wet.
- The unit had a wireless internet but they did not know the password. We finally took the very short cord and plugged it into our computer. During our stay, the internet and phone stopped working. We called and the property management told us that internet was a perk and they were not required to provide it. As we looked at all the connections, we realized it had stopped working because they had a power strip plugged into another power strip and it was all overheating. We called and told them this seemed to be a major fire hazard.
- We did not have ANY housekeeping and we were only provided three rolls of toilet paper for 8 days/7 nights. They provided a coffee pot but no coffee filters.
- We did not have satellite channels or maybe it was but it did not work well.
- The stove had a short, when we tried to cook something on one of the burners, it shocked my friend. We called and told them and they didn't seem too concerned. This is also a fire hazard and it hurt my friend.
- We had a cockroach in one of the bedrooms. There was an ant problem. The lockbox that we had to get the key out of when we arrived was swarming with ants. We did not even call and complain because the property management team was not the least bit helpful.
- Neither room at alarm clocks.

I emailed the property management my experience and never heard back from them.

The unit is large, nicely furnished and well (if not over) decorated, just as it is pictured on several online rental sites. From the living room and bedrooms, the blue-gray ocean and horizon can be seen in the distance above a dense jungle of tall plants growing in the steep bluff slope. One can step down from the lanai onto the rolling hillside and its neatly mowed lawn. The views are especially good on the edge bluff in front of Building 5.

When we first entered the unit. we found that the hall bathroom toilet seat was soiled, the ceiling fan in the Master bedroom was inoperative, that the refrigerator door was "dirty" around the door handle and 2 of the adjustable door shelves fell onto the floor. We called the maintenance number provided and they said they would get to it by the next day.

Later in the evening, when my daughter found and used their hair dryer in the master bathroom, the lights and TV in the Master bedroom and bath went out. (Luckily I'd noticed earlier where the beaker box was located and just reset the breaker--it's behind the hall bath door.)

After arriving back in the unit the next day, we found the 2 frig shelves reinstalled. The "dirt" on the door was still there; when I looked more closely, they're really rust marks and touched-up paint spots. The ceiling fan still didn't work, but now there were dead bugs or dirt on the comforter directly underneath the fan. The hall bath vanity was also covered with broken glass from a burnt out light bulb that apparently decided to separate from its base sometime during the maintenance guy had visited. No note was left; we just deduced it from observation.

So I have a poor opinion of the property manager and feel very sorry for the owner who is being short changed. I didn't bother to report the the broken bulb until our last morning; they're worthless.

The unit has no A/C, but can be fairly comfortable with ceiling fans circulating the air in and out of the louvered windows; unfortunately we didn't think of moving the floor fan in the living room into the master bedroom.

The kitchen has been remodeled and looks nice, but the cabinet layout was unfortunate. Instead of placing the dishwasher at the end of a narrow passage, it's at the entry to the kitchen. If the dishwasher door is opened, it blocks entry into the kitchen and also blocks the refrigerator door from opening more than 3-4 inches. Very awkward. The cookware and utensils are basic. Don't count on using the vegetable peeler (mangled) or the manual can opener (rusted blade). Minimal seasonings, no condiments except for a couple of take-out packets. So don't count on being able to cook anything beyond frying a few eggs or boiling some pasta. The microwave turntable rattles because it's not the correct glass replacement.

Several of the slats in the vertical blinds on the patio door are missing, so from 5 PM or so, the strong, low sun will wash into the living room. It doesn't completely wash out the flat panel television, but that's only because the 32" TV on a high shelf--almost touching the ceiling. (Now I know never to buy a Vizio model--slow channel changes, their large logo stays lit)

We all showered in the hall bathroom because it had better ventilation. The tub is on the slippery side. On the other hand, we had to move the plush floor mat in front of the vanity into the hallway because we couldn't close the bathroom door over it.

I asked the Ahh Kauai rental people (in El Paso, TX) specifically said the unit's broadband internet. They said it was Ethernet only, so I brought my laptop and a 25' cable instead of my iPod. But the unit had a wireless router. They also said the unit only had starter supplies except for dishwashing detergent; so I hauled over toilet tissue, paper towels, and laundry detergent inside my roller carryon. But the unit had ample supplies and I unexpected had to bring them all back.

We nevertheless had a good time in Kauai. I guess we were spoiled by a previous stay at a SeaLodge condo where we had encountered no problems. We had to be more resourceful here to workaround the quirks.