We stayed the first three nights of our Kauai vacation in Pu'u Po'a 401. This is a penthouse corner unit, which provides views both out to the ocean from the lanais and Bali Hai through the side windows (over the St. Regis parking lot). Upscale furnishings and well cared for. We didn't cook but the kitchen appeared to have high-end appliances. Master bedroom has its own lanai and bedding is very comfortable. One caveat about the master bath: there is no door and the shower is glass enclosed, so unless you are a couple and find that kind of thing romantic, you'll want to use the second bathroom for privacy.

The master bath has a very nice jacuzzi too. This unit is next to the parking lot, as noted, so you get a little traffic noise but not much. Long walk from the Pu'u Po'a parking lot with your luggage and then up two flights of stairs. We arrived after dark and the nightlight was burned out, so until we could find another light we couldn't see the numbers on the lockbox to enter the code. A little frustrating after 12 hours in transit.

The other criticism (minor) is that there were no instructions in the condo about how to use anything. On the second night we finally got the remote to work to use the ceiling fan in the bedroom, but at first we couldn't figure out how. We weren't there to watch tv but never did find a remote for the tv in the bedroom. There were two keys on the counter; finally figured out that one was for the pool. I guess the other one was for the tennis court but we never tried it. The unit has air conditioning which fortunately we didn't need but if we had, I don't know how we would have turned it on.

The unit has a washer and dryer, which was handy.

From what I have read, this is one of the best units at Pu'u Po'a and if we ever visit the area again, we'd definitely stay here. Loved the views from the lanais. We opted to just stay three nights on the north shore because we thought it would be rainy, but I wish we had done the opposite and stayed longer in this condo. We found we really enjoyed the north shore more than the south shore.

Pu'u Po'a has a wonderful location on top of the cliffs looking out to sea, and right next to the St. Regis. The Pu'u Po'a beach is accessed by a very steep set of stairs with handrails, but it is a very pretty beach.

PP 401 gives you just about everything: ocean views, Bali Hai views (with rainbows!), lovely furnishings, beautiful spacious bedrooms and bathrooms, privacy on your lanais (you can see down into the lanais of the lower floors but no one can see into yours), convenient location, peace and quiet, and I have to repeat, because best of all; breathtaking panoramic views!

As with an earlier reviewer of Puu Poa #209 I had sent the requested deposit months ago to the owner only to find out just before the final payment was due that he had rented it again sometime after my initial deposit was made. So if you rent this condo from the owner be sure
you have really rented it before it is too late to change your travel plans.
The owner did refund my deposit with an additional $100 for the inconvenience.

My wife and I stayed here for 7 nights in September. We found the unit on VRBO. The owner Gary was outstanding prepping us for the unit and the island of Kauai. The unit itself was updated and very spacious. My wife loved the kitchen, it was well equipped. We spent a lot of time on the lanai looking at the ocean and the stars at night. The master bathroom was very large with a walk in open area for the shower. The master bedroom had a very nice Sony LCD TV and more importantly a very comfortable bed with views of the ocean. For us, what stood out above most of the others was the top 4th floor and the air conditioning. Most of the units do not have a/c and let me tell you I really think you need it in these units. Maybe the winter months are much cooler but it was toasty in there when we would get back from the beach or a hike. We primarily just used the AC in the master bedroom when we slept and it would cool down real quick in there. The owner does a great job of describing his unit on VRBO and provides several representative pictures. And really that is all you can ask. We would come back to Pua Poa #402 in a minute.

We stayed in Unit 413 for 5 nights in August 2011. Phenomenal experience!

About the unit itself - very high end furniture and everything really classy. The entire place had a decor with an earthy theme...bamboo, green, leaves, etc. You enter the unit and the views are stunning. the porch outside has a very nice porch table w/ chairs. The living room has a great TV, a super comfortable couch. the dining area was open and fully equipped with EVERYTHING you can ever need - utensils,plates etc......fully stocked with very good quality stuff. the main bedroom has a beatiful view since it opens into the living room and can be shut with sliding doors. So - you can wake up and have coffee in bed with a terrific view! The second bedroom has no view but also very nicely done. The bathrooms are terrific.

Like the reviews have said -the view are stunning! Only drawback, you cannot see the sunset from this unit. But just walk downstairs for 3 minutes and there is a scenic view point from where you can take some really nice pics. We spent a lot of time indoors since we have a baby.

We loved the location! A quick drive to Hanalei (10 min), Princeville Court (5 min), Na pali trail (20 min), Airport (40 min).

The unit was clean, well maintained and we would love to come back here again.

For restaurants to visit, here is my reccomendation in order of preference:
-Mediterranean Gourmet
-Bubba Burgers
-Pandas Kitchen
-Kilauea Fish Market
-Kalypsos

For groceries, there is a Wal Mart right next to the airport, a safeway about 5 minutes from the airport and towards Princeville. Also, there is a food mart & gas station in Princeville - but of course higher prices.

Beaches: Highly reccomend hanalei Bay and Kees beach. Dont go to Anini - very strong currents and not a fun beach at all.

beach down the area is supposed to be really good for snorkelling - saw plenty of them in the evenings.