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.
The Cliffs at Princeville delivers a classic North Shore Kauai experience: dramatic cliffside ocean views, sunrise and sunset watching from Adirondack chairs on the lawn, and the soothing sound of waves and birds. Guests love the spacious, breezy condos with multiple lanais and well‑kept grounds, plus the quiet, relaxed vibe a short drive from Hanalei Bay, Anini, Hideaways, and Queen’s Bath. Many units are well stocked for easy beach days and home cooking, and hosts are frequently praised for clear, friendly communication.
Resort amenities stand out for families and couples alike: a beautiful pool complex (family area with waterfalls plus an adults‑only hot tub), pickleball/tennis/basketball courts, a putting green, bike rentals, clean gas grills, and frequent activities (lei‑making, yoga, happy hour), pop‑up markets, and food trucks. In season, guests regularly spot whales, dolphins, albatross, and nēnē geese; the location and on‑site offerings make it an easy base to explore the North Shore or stay put and unwind.
Set expectations for island norms and property nuances. Most units do not have central AC; many guests are comfortable with trade winds and fans, but some find lofts or afternoons warm—earplugs and white‑noise fans also help with early‑rising roosters. Parking typically carries a nightly fee and the lot can fill late; some buildings have stairs only, and a few units feel dated or have minor maintenance/cleanliness issues (quality varies by individually owned condo). There’s no easy, walkable beach from the property, and a few reviews noted key/card check‑in quirks. If these matter to you, look for a unit with bedroom AC, clarify parking and key details in advance, and choose floor level based on whether you prefer views (upper floors) or easy access (ground). Overall, the setting, amenities, and value earn strong repeat‑stay sentiment.
This summary is based on a comprehensive analysis of 1000 reviews
The property was exactly as described. Great views of the ocean, and great amenities. We really liked that there was a baby crib and high chair, as well as beach chairs, beach toys, and boogie boards.
Kimberly A.
June 2026
Wonderful all in all.
Rosalie K.
June 2026
Booked this for my son’s honeymoon. They loved the location. Clean, comfortable. Did not realize there was no A/C but I am sure I just missed that in the listing. Close enough to the ocean that the breeze kept it cool. Overall great spot!
Nathaniel W.
June 2026
Wonderfully attenditive owner who resolved slower then optimum IT - router was replaced. Beautiful convenient location well provided for with chairs etc for beach . Definitely recommend
Richard E.
June 2026
We loved our stay at the property! We will be back. Not done with this island, yet!
Emily c.
June 2026
Wonderful location and amenities
Robert
June 2026
The only issue was not being able to access door code through the VRBO App. Otherwise, good experience.
Laurie B.
June 2026
The Cliffs resort is a great location with excellent amenities.This rental suited our needs very well.My only criticism is that the unit is due for a refresh.Walls require cleaning and painting which makes the unit look worn.Kitchen is very nice and had everything we needed with a great area for grilling close by.Overall a decent unit, the condition prevents an excellent rating and impacts the value as a bit of an overpay but I would still recommend the unit.
Kane R.
June 2026
Lovely place. Great location. A tad dated, but clean. Roasters were a pain when having to keep windows and doors open. Hosts were wonderful. Would definitely stay again.
Tara D.
June 2026
Unit is a lot more spacious than shown in the pictures. We appreciated the space, cleanliness and decor. The lanais, especially the ocean view and botanical background were enjoyable to sit out on. The grounds at the Cliffs also included more activities like Mai Tai Monday’s and a morning breakfast truck which were fun surprises. Some nights guests could be heard in the hot tub after 10pm but the box fan in the bedroom helped block out the noise. We did call the after hours number one night and security promptly reminded guests that the pools and hot tubs closed at 10. Overall, this was a great stay and we would come back.
Rebecca M.
June 2026
The Cliffs resort is very nice and has lots of amenities. This is a nice end unit with lots of light and breezes. New owner has been updating unit and has more projects planned.
June 2026
Property is wonderful with stunning ocean views. Host is super responsive and helpful! Would definitely stay again!
Kaylin K.
June 2026
Great location.
Eileen R.
June 2026
Beautiful place and location had a wonder time and would recommend this condo anytime.
Donna A.
June 2026
Great view and well set up.
Rod M.
June 2026
This is our 2nd time staying at this condo. We really appreciate the incredible ocean view and the birds and roosters every morning were and always will be my favorite way to start my day. The kitchen has plenty of tools and dishes. The property grills are easy to use. Five of us (with 3 being young adults) stayed in the condo and we had plenty of space.
Melissa N.
June 2026
The condo was in a great location! Safe and close to everything we wanted to do on the North side. We had everything we needed in the condo and a food truck was site Monday through Friday for breakfast. The condo is close to the hiking entrance for Queens bath and Turtle cave. Excellent communication with the host and the check in/check out process was simple. We would definitely stay here again!
Summer J.
June 2026
Overall, we were happy with our stay. The kitchen was well equipped and clean. The lanai furniture was awkward with a lot of wear. The bedroom lanai not very inviting - we didn't even use it. The solar panels on Bldg3 were being cleaned so there was constant noise during the day for the entire 2 weeks. The entire unit's furniture and lamps were tired. Every picture was askew. There was no cleaning service the entire 2 weeks though we paid for it .For the cost we expected more and will probably not stay here again.The tradewinds were lovely flowing through the unit.
lynda O.
June 2026
Great location for access to beaches and North Shore activities.
Ryan S.
June 2026
This condo was amazing. Definitely exceeded our expectations we loved it!
paityn f.
June 2026
The beds were comfortable, the kitchen was well stocked, and overall the space was clean and beautiful! The pool was so nice. We walked to the clif every day and enjoyed the beautiful views. We would absolutely stay here again.
Emily R.
June 2026
Enjoyed the stay. Grounds were nice and it is a great location in the middle of the North Shore.
Kyle H.
June 2026
We loved The Cliffs!The rooms were clean, and well supplied. We appreciated the beach chairs, boogie board, and cooler. The 2 rooms were nice for privacy when we wanted but could also leave doors open when we wanted. Communication with owners was great. We would stay here again.
Joy M.
June 2026
Lovely quiet location. Nice unit and easy to use. Great pool and hot tub. All we could ask for!
scott s.
May 2026
We had an amazing stay at this Jerry and Barb’s condo. We have stayed in Princeville before, and this was the best location that we have found in all our stays. The condo is spacious and clean, and we enjoyed the amenities and the attention to detail that the Simpson family has provided to every aspect of their property. We hope to return someday
Kerry D.
May 2026
Tried to communicate with the host, was unsuccessful. The place was really nice but not real clean. The 3 televisions t to watch becausee the batteries in the remotes were dead. Someone came to help but the batteries she replaced with were also dead
Peggy B.
May 2026
The condo is beautiful and has a fantastic view. It is on the third floor, with no elevator so moving suitcases in and out was a chore. The balcony is side by side with neighbors, so not private. If they are talking, laughing next door it is very loud. Internet in the unit was come and go all week. Front desk would not arrange for service unless we were willing to stay in the unit and wait for repair person. Front desk also was not helpful with information about nearby restaurants etc. They only told about the food trucks that came to our particular complex.
Laura P.
May 2026
Rating Details:
The property manager was very helpful.
The vacation rental was spotless.
I was very happy with the location.
I was very satisfied with the condition of the vacation rental.
Overall, I recommend this vacation rental.
Reviewer Comments:
This place is incredible. One of my favorite units I have ever stayed in Kauai and an absolute pleasure to spend a week here. Perfectly located on the north shore, food trucks and coffee on property, staff was very friendly and a great comfortable stay. Would highly recommend.
Daniel E.
May 2026
This place is a gem. Lots of activities for people who like to golf and tennis. The hammock and chairs overlooking the ocean were the best part. This would be ideal for a longer stay with a few people. Short drive to access to snorkeling beaches and hiking.
Angie G.
May 2026
Aloha, My husband and I stayed here for our 11th year anniversary. The host was gracious, answered our questions and the condo was absolutely beautiful! We felt every bit of aloha staying here. The check in was easy and the views from the cliffs was healing. We look forward to returning. Mahalo,Mr. & Mrs. Russell
Philsha R.
May 2026
![Cliffs 5-301]()
The property was clean and spacious. We didn’t have an issue with there being no air conditioning in May with good cross ventilation. The master bedroom balcony does overlook the pool but was not a sound issue for us. We did have an have a major issue with the vacation rental company the morning of check in. We had not received final check in information regarding the door code despite some earlier email communication prior to our stay about adding an additional guest. The rental agent insisted they had forwarded the check in information to my email previously and despite my telling her no less than 4 times that I did not have it in my inbox nor was it it in my spam folder. She offered not a single solution to the problem and kept insisting the email was in my spam folder and there was nothing she could/would do. Were it not for the intervention of her supervisor, I do not know that we would have been able to access of 4 night rental that afternoon. It was very stressful, completely unnecessary and totally unprofessional.
Nancy G.
May 2026
We loved our stay here. It was a bit big for just 2 people but it was spacious and had amazing natural light. Being close to the pool didn’t affect us at all, the roosters will wake you up way before people at the pool lol. Yes there is no a/c, but you don’t need it since there are so many windows, as well as sliding glass doors on either side of the condo which allows for excellent air flow.The location of the condo in princeville is also great. Great sunsets from the lawn on the north side of the complex and very close to a grocery store and plenty of restaurants. Only 10 ish minutes from hanalei where we spent a lot of our time. The complex hosts a variety of food trucks throughout the week, we loved the coffee truck (breezeys). It’s also close by to many great beaches, and not too far from the east side beaches. The provided cooler, chairs, ice machine, and laundry in the room were very convenient.
Molly F.
May 2026
Lovely place to relax and enjoy beautiful view
Karyn
May 2026
I absolutely loved everything so beautiful and has everything for a home to do around the island:)
DARCY
May 2026
Kitchen was fully equipped. I did leave a coffee grinder for the next guests. Very comfortable unit. It was just right for our family. Our only issue was the renovations of bathrooms in the units above and next to us. It was quite noisy.
Diane H.
May 2026
The condo was as described. We enjoyed our view of the ocean from the balcony. The condo was well supplied with beach chairs, boogie boards, sand toys and even umbrellas.
Carol M.
May 2026
Room had a great view and the kitchen was well equipped. We would definitely rent this room again.
Arnold B.
May 2026
Our family of 4 enjoyed our stay at this beautiful, well-equipped condo. The location was perfect for our excursions to Ha’ena State Park, the botanical garden, and exploring Hannalei.
Barbara D.
May 2026
The room was exactly as listed. Very clean and well laid out. The communication was always very fast. We have stayed at the Cliffs several times, but this is the first time at this unit. We’d definitely stay here again. There was even 4 beach chairs, 2 beach umbrellas, and a cooler for us to use. Fantastic place to stay, especially if you have 4 people in your group.
Timothy S.
May 2026
Love The Cliffs, and this space was awesome.Not as updated furnishing-wise, as some of the other units we've stayed in, but felt more like home.Had everything we needed- the kitchen was well stocked with utensils, the bed was comfy, and it was nice to be in a ground floor unit- made getting out to cliffs a bit easier.We were greeted by a late in the whale breaching when we went to check out the view...Would def stay here again!
George D.
May 2026
We loved everything about the property and the only reason we gave 4 stars instead of 5 is that we could hear everything that was happening upstairs and they literally hardly slept. They would get up in the middle of the night and start making all kinds of weird tapping sounds and walking all o er. They got yo at 5am every morning and walked constantly back and forth across the unit. We even bring noise machines when we travel and could hear absolutely everything. We finally had 2 nights of peace after they left.
Christine
May 2026
Nice place right on the ocean. Very convenient to see sights on north side of Kauai. Could have used a hair dryer.
Rick
May 2026
The condo and the grounds are excellent. Love our stay at the Cliffs. Looking forward to coming back.
Richard F.
May 2026
Very Good.We would like to return next year same time.How may we make arrangements?
Michael G.
May 2026
It’s absolutely worth every penny! The views and the neighborhood are fantastic. The only upgrade I’d suggest is the towers, which are starting to feel a bit dated. Otherwise, everything is great!
Xueqing Y.
May 2026
Beautiful home with an amazing view. Pricey but that’s to be expected for what you get. Only downside was the hot tub didn’t work our entire stay. Great stay regardless, but it was a factor in our booking and no consolation was offered so it has to be mentioned. Would still recommend.
Yuri V.
April 2026
We loved our stay here! The unit exceeded our expectations. We loved the patio views, the bed was comfortable (portable AC in the bedroom was a plus!), the property was well-maintened with a lot of little amenities that added to our trip.I was also very impressed with the priperty management company and the level of communication we received.We plan on choosing this listing for our future visits to the island!
Heidi F.
April 2026
Condo had most everything we needed. Loved being able to sit outside and enjoy our meals. Jeff was easy to work with.
Geri H.
April 2026
Rating Details:
The property manager was very helpful.
The vacation rental was spotless.
I was very happy with the location.
I was very satisfied with the condition of the vacation rental.
Overall, I recommend this vacation rental.
Reviewer Comments:
Perfect spot to relax and unwind. The view was breathtaking. Everything was amazing and we will be back.
Erin L.
April 2026
We really enjoyed our stay at the Cliffs. We’ve stayed here before, but this was our first time in an oceanview unit—and it felt like such a treat. While the unit isn’t modern, it’s comfortable, well‑maintained, and thoughtfully equipped with everything needed for a wonderful stay, including full kitchen necessities, umbrellas, beach chairs, and even a boogie board. The layout and size were perfect for our family of six, offering plenty of space to gather together as well as room for privacy. We would absolutely stay here again and highly recommend it.
Britt C.
April 2026