The following executive summary is based on a comprehensive and impartial AI analysis of guest reviews. Keep in mind that all units are individually owned, and review scores among units can vary considerably.
Travelers love Islander on the Beach for its unbeatable setting and convenience. It sits oceanfront in Kapa‘a with direct beach access, wide-open sunrise views, and a scenic coastal path for walks, runs, or bike rides. The lush, well-kept grounds, relaxing pool and hot tub, and a friendly tiki bar with happy hour create an easy, laid‑back vibe. Being steps from Coconut Marketplace (shops, ABC/market, coffee, shave ice, and several casual restaurants) and a short drive from the airport make it a practical, central base for exploring both the North Shore and Waimea Canyon.
Most condos are “hotel‑style” studios: compact but comfortable, typically with AC, a mini‑fridge (sometimes two), microwave, toaster/coffee maker, and often beach gear (chairs, cooler, towels). Many guests praise cleanliness, comfy beds, responsive hosts, and good value. That said, this is an older property with variations by unit: some spaces feel dated or a bit musty in humid weather, and you may encounter small maintenance quirks (sticky sliders, finicky TVs/Wi‑Fi, occasional pests typical of the tropics). Common resort-wide realities include: no elevator to upper floors, limited on‑site laundry access for privately managed units (expect to use a nearby laundromat), parking that can fill by evening, thin walls in some areas, and island roosters that crow early. The beach is gorgeous for lounging and sunrise watching, but swimming conditions can be rough at times.
Overall, the resort suits couples and travelers who plan to be out adventuring and want a scenic, central, good‑value home base with strong “fall asleep to the waves” appeal. If you need a full kitchen, guaranteed laundry on site, an elevator, or plush luxury finishes, it may not be the best fit. Tips: book ocean‑view if sunrise coffee on the lanai matters, bring earplugs for roosters, plan simple meals (grills by the pool help), and arrive back before late evening for easier parking. With the marketplace next door, the pool bar, and that coastal path out front, most guests say they’d happily return.
This summary is based on a comprehensive analysis of 1000 reviews
Always stay here when we come. Beautiful landscaping, beach steps away, convenient location.
Shelby B.
September 2025
Centrally located. Close to local restaurants, beaches etc
Joe K.
September 2025
The room was very run down. I had to use the plunger to get the water to drain when taking a shower. Had to do this for four days. Under the sink a rusty something fell off. It went everywhere. Had to clean it up. One of the chairs was broken on the balcony. It was replaced. I have stayed at the Islander many times. I’m not sure I would rent this unit again.
September 2025
This place was just as described. It had everything we needed for out accommodations. The fridge and small appliances were perfect for being able to make light breakfasts and lunches. The bed was comfortable. The a/c really helped on the hotter days. But the absolute best part of this place was a tie between the location and the lanai. The only thing better than the view was Starting and ending every day on a peaceful stretch of the ocean.
M S.
August 2025
Great location, surrounded by close shopping places and close to most places of interest. Easy check in and check out.
jikson
August 2025
Perfect view, great accommodations. Loved our stay in Kauai
Tom M.
August 2025
Very clean super nice place to stay. Access to wonderful beach and very nice pool. Easy parking. I’d definitely stay there again.
George S.
August 2025
Great location
Billy F.
August 2025
Easy check in. Adequate kitchenette. Clean room. Excellent location! The room is a bit tacky and dated. The carpet in the exterior of the building is old and mildewed and needs replacing. Beautiful view from the balcony however!
Theodore L.
August 2025
The location was perfect. The price was affordable. It was Steps away from everything. Was really disappointed with the condo. I’m sure it was beautiful at one time , but now it’s just old. Power washing the floor tile and grout, putting that same green in the bathroom would improve it 100%. Wiping down baseboards and even a rug as you enter to put shoes on make it a little more welcoming. No place for beach towels. Your not supposed to hang them from the railing, but other units had a place to hang them outside. The sliding door was almost impossible to open and the screen on the door has a huge rip in it. There’s no freezer compartment for ice, finally found thrice at another building.
Mary W.
August 2025
Perfectly located to explore the entire island
Greg R.
August 2025
My husband and I celebrated our 40th wedding anniversary here. The view from the lanai is just as pictured. We enjoyed the pool and the lit tiki torches at night made it feel very Hawaiian. Communication with the host was excellent!
Barry B.
August 2025
Room was great! Beautiful view of the water. Right by the pool and walking distance to lava lava beach club. Would stay again. Great location
Barrie B.
August 2025
Beautiful location, exactly what we wanted!!!
Tracy Y.
August 2025
Location was beautiful. Close to all activity's and awesome eatery's .
Diane H.
August 2025
Easy check in and check out. Nice to have beach towels and foldable beach chairs provided.
Please update description to show no laundry on site.
Michelle R.
August 2025
This property is one of my favorites on Kauai, next to shops and restaurants in Coconut Marketplace. The unit is in a great location, close to the pool. Host is accommodating and super easy to communicate with. Mahalo!
Angela P.
August 2025
Excellent ocean front room location next to the pool and beautiful grounds. Everything was as described and much better! The coconut market was a pleasant daily convenience. Would stay here again and again.
Phil C.
August 2025
This was our second stay in this unit, we love the location overlooking the beach and the pool. The Islander is such a beautiful place with quaint plantation style architecture, lovely grounds, and the pool and tiki bar (the Sandbar) literally steps from the beach. Just across the parking lot is the Coconut Marketplace with lots of shops, places to eat and activities like hula and fire knife dances, and the farmers' market is a great place to pick up fresh tropical fruit. Located just south of Kapa'a makes it easy to get to either the north shore or south shore. The room is comfortable and well equipped. Communication with Kauai Vision Rentals was timely and easy, both by email and text. This is by far our favorite place to stay on Kauai, we're already looking forward to our next visit.
Jeff E.
August 2025
I was impressed with the place! It looked just like the pictures. Walking distances to the beach and Coconut Market. Access to multiple pools and laundry rooms on site. I also appreciated the laundry pods they provided. Also the beach essentials they provided, body boards, cooler bag, and beach chairs was a plus! The only thing that they should replace is their cooking skillets, they are teflon and badly scratched. The reason for us staying in a rental was to be able to cook breakfast there. Other than that it was a pleasant stay.
Vere R.
August 2025
![Islander Studio 137]()
The door code we were given wasn’t correct, so we had to use the phone at the reception to call the after hours number (this was just after 4pm, so check in time, strange that check in time is not within normal office hours). Luckily they were able to provide the right code so we could get in.The studio is smaller then the pictures show and smelled terrible. The smell was moldy in especially the bathroom and cabinet in Living room, but the smell was everywhere. The studio, not condo, was old and everything in it too. Room was small and so were the beds, especially for 2 people. Pool/beach towels provided also smelled and were very old. The bed covers which were also meant to be used as blankets, were dirty and probably not washed in a long time. One bed had sand and dirt on it.The curtain was super old and moldy on the outside. We contacted management about our issue. The did reply early the next morning and offered a refund for the second night so we could change locations. Sadly we didn’t have that option since we had left the property very early in the morning, before the reply and didn’t get back until after dinner. We didn’t have time to find something else and move since we were only staying 2 nights. I hope they will fulfill my question of there was anything else they could offer as compensation.Especially the smell and it being old and not clean sadly took away from our Kauai experience. It didn’t meet any of the other reviewers experiences.
Jennifer D.
August 2025
![Islander on the Beach 305]()
No matter it’s Kaua’i and it’s amazing. I felt the check in process was easy. Contact with management was great. Property staff weren’t as pleasant as I remember in the past. The room is in need of an update but for the price I get it. Back door slider doesn’t lock as the HVAC unit doesn’t work and they’re using a portable AC unit with hose. I felt safe so didn’t make a fuss but if that’s important to you know the unit is not secure at this time. I’d not recommend long stays as you don’t get any extra linens, but a few extra towels are included (not enough). The bed is comfortable. We had a thief on the property that set off the fire alarm at 4 am as they tried to ransack the bar. Twice in one night. Police responded and presumably handled the matter. No security on site that we saw, but in all honesty we felt safe here. We don’t watch much TV, but if you can figure out how to make it work (yes I read the given instructions) you deserve an honorary MIT degree. Between the old tv and multiple controllers it was a mystery. lol. Either way, for its price it’s ok, will look for one with better amenities in the future.
Mike F.
August 2025
Nice place 👍
William
July 2025
I thought the property was very beautiful as I remember it back in 2003 my last trip here. The kitchen facilities were stocked and wonderful. Wi-Fi was accessible and I have to say that my check in with Cindy was beyond amazing. I arrived here and my phone was dead. I couldn’t find my recharger and I couldn’t the passcode to get in the door and I told cindy how horrible I was feeling and she helped me get in and she was amazing through my whole day.
Kimberly D.
July 2025
This place was great! Loved the property and the unit.
Michele D. B.
July 2025
Very nice place
Christopher M.
July 2025
Exceptional vacation. We were celebrating Wife's 60th B-day and our 30th Anniversary. It was truley a unforgetabletrip. Much thanks to all that provided. Vicki & I are already planning Christmas here with whole family.
Rodney J.
July 2025
Wonderful relaxing getaway. Will definitely be back again!
Danielle W.
July 2025
Great overall experience.
James B.
July 2025
You can’t beat the central location of Islander on the a beach. And this unit was comfortable, clean and provided us a great stay. Highly recommend!
Heather F.
July 2025
We loved our stay here!
Heather K.
July 2025
You get what you pay for. The property was older, run down and minimal resort amenities. That said, it is a good option for the price AND the service team was AMAZING. We had a few issues and they handled everything promptly and went above and beyond to help. Would highly recommend Vacasa, but Islander on the Beach is a budget property at best.
Reiko M.
July 2025
We loved the place. The pool is Nice, with de table ans the BBQ n'y the océan. Nice Room too.
Sabrina C.
July 2025
This is a nice property with lush Landscaping proximity to pool and Beach. There had been a problem with the sliding glass door not moving well and called Vacasa who directed me to the person who came out and fixed it the next day and now it works fine. The Lava Lava restaurant next door is very good food which we ate breakfast there twice. Location is Central with easy access to south and north parts of Kauai.
Forgiven N.
July 2025
Our stay was perfect. Amazing ocean view!
Keegan J.
July 2025
It was perfect for my husband and I to celebrate our 30th anniversary! The location is great! The condo is equipped with everything we needed. We had a wonderful meal at the Bull Shed. Thanks for that recommendation Jeff. The island of Kauai is absolutely beautiful!! Can’t wait to return.
Paula G.
July 2025
![Islander on the Beach 170]()
We stayed at the Aston Islander our first trip to Kauai 7 years ago and loved it. When we found a room there through Vacasa/VRBO for significant savings over booking through Aston Islander, we jumped on it. We love the central location and being right next to amenities at the Coconut marketplace. The grounds are well kept and the room was clean and comfortable. When we travel to Kauai, our room is just a homebase where we can shower and sleep so we don't spend much time there. But what time we did spend there was pleasant. When our airline canceled our flight literally 3 minutes after we had checked out, Vacasa reps were extremely helpful in trying to help us secure an extra night if we couldn't get another flight until the next day. The experience was very good,e especially considering the savings.
The only hiccup we had was when we first arrived, the room was very clean overall, but the floor was still a little sandy and looked like it needed to be swept again. The room was also a little musty. I contacted Vacasa and they were VERY helpful and responsive. The room has a dehumidifier and when we used that, it did a great job of drying out the room and the musty smell went away. Other than these minor quibbles, it was a fantastic stay!
ERIC O.
July 2025
The condo at the Aston Islander on the Beach is beautiful. When we arrived, the air conditioning kept it pleasantly cool. Everything is very clean; there are glasses, cups, and plates for four people, plenty of towels in all sizes, and even beach towels. The balcony with its high chairs and high table is especially nice, offering a beautiful view of the ocean. The bed is comfortable, and the bathroom is well-equipped (soap, shampoo, conditioner, hairdryer). Cleaning supplies for the kitchen and bathroom, as well as toilet paper and paper towels, are also provided.
Parking Lot is always available and a few steps away is the Marketplace with shops and restaurants.
Perfect place for perfect holidays!
Susanne H.
July 2025
Very clean and well managed condo at the Islander of the Beach. We stayed at other condos in the same complex, but this is best in terms of amenities and facilities. Provided beach towels and beach chairs. Comfy bed and pillows. Special thanks to Vacasa for great communication and help!
TATHAGATA B.
July 2025
The property was clean and very well managed. We stayed in other condos in the Islander of the Beach at the past. This one is really great! Good quality towels, beach towels and chairs. Comfy bed. Most importantly, Vacasa customer support team was great and very helpful.
TATHAGATA B.
July 2025
Pretty place, clean and full of equipments
Charles M.
July 2025
Great location right on the beach. Unit had everything we needed.
Mark B.
July 2025
We had the best time at Islander on the Beach in Kauai. We stayed for four nights. The location is amazing. We could see the ocean from our room. The Coconut Marketplace was in front of the facility. The Coconut Marketplace is a gem. Lots of restaurants to choose from, the Island Marketplace is great. The Islander on the Beach location makes it very easy to go to all parts of the island. I highly recommend this condo.
Tammy W.
July 2025
Very nice property and centrally located to explore north and south side of the island. Beautiful pool and ocean view from the patio.
Eric B.
July 2025
We loved our stay. The apartment was spotless and very well equipped (including beach equipment). The owners decorated this apartment really well and we felt at home. It is located a few steps from several shops and a complex where there are cultural activities (shows, classes, etc.). Strategic location for visiting the north and south of the island.
Valérie G.
July 2025
The place was very clean and well maintained. Very close to the beach . The one thing we liked about this property is that it has its own marketplace which makes life easy to find food and do shopping.
Hira nand j.
July 2025
Property was great, very clean, great location. Would definitely stay here again
Annette C.
July 2025
10/10
Sazeen Z.
July 2025
We loved the property! Great location and view.
Amy K.
July 2025
Really enjoyed our stay with the beach right out our window. It was beautiful.
Mahalo
Shaun
July 2025