Heather M.
October 2023
Great unit right on the oceanfront ! The view was amazing and we listened to the waves every night as we went to bed .
Very well equipped condo and had everything we need to make us comfortable for our stay .
We loved the path out front and rented bicycles to go from end to end . Lovely ride .
Great location as we were able to walk to town easily to get a bite or groceries we needed .
Had a nice pool as well as other options like horse shoes , corn hole or putting greens .
Would definitely recommend this condo and the complex itself !
Christina R.
August 2023
Wonderful view, great location, everything as described. The pool and activities were also great.
Kathy W.
August 2023
What a perfect location! The room was nice. Completely set up kitchen we just needed to stop by the nearby grocery store and get what we wanted. Walk down the street for food and shopping. This is the second time I stayed at Pono Kai. I will be back.
David S.
July 2023
3rd floor with elevator. Building is nearest to the shore.
Beautiful, consistent breeze so you don’t need a/c.
Found things furnished that we didn’t expect,(beach gear).
July 2023
This condo is in a great location for getting around the island easily. We drove to the North Shore, the Waimea Canyon, the south side—all easy drives. The town of Kapa’a was charming and we walked to many of the restaurants and shops. The wide sidewalk outside the unit was a great place to walk and see the beautiful ocean and beaches. The beach outside the condo was adequate for the little bit of beach time that we wanted. The view from the beachfront balcony was great.
The condo is a bit worn, and the bed’s foam topper is way too soft for our taste, but all in all it was a nice place to stay. We really didn’t miss the AC with the doors open and the fans going. The owner and property manager were very accommodating and allowed a late checkout since we had a late flight out.
Everett H.
June 2023
We had to call the local property manager every day we were there because of a toilet that wouldn't flush. Also, no one mentioned the extra lever on the door; because it looked like a dead bolt, the condo was actually unlocked part of the time.
Laurel S.
January 2023
If you are in need of excellent value, and would love a great ocean view, you definitely want to consider this unit at Pono Kai!
Yes it needs updating, and more attention to some details, but those things are quite easily overlooked once you have the chance to take in the view from the lanai. We enjoyed our stay, and would definitely stay again.
J B.
January 2023
Amazing place, balcony was perfect.
Eduardo S.
December 2022
We spend 3 nights and loved this property.
Exceeded our expectations!!!! Pictures in Vrbo doesn't show as good as it is!!!!
Just 2 little things to improve:
1) bath towels: have too much polyester, so they doesn't dry very well in this humid weather.
2) We ask Brenda for a phone to make a local one for a car rental (we are from abroad and didn´t have cell phone coverage), she told us to give us the machine because it wasn´t in the unit, but she didn´t. I contact the owner the day after because it was urgent (we needed to contact a car rental urgently), and told me by e mail that the property does not have a phone (so Brenda is not updated?).
3) Concierge/Front Desk Pono Kai Resort: despite I knew they have nothing to do with de managing of the unit (very clear explained in the check in instructions), I went to ask for a phone to make a local phone call. The person who assisted me was really disappointing...... Where was the "Aloha Spirit"???? Awful experience with Pono Kai Front Desk! they seem to be public employees.....
Despite all of this, I recommend the property!
Jason R.
December 2022
Unit doesn’t have AC, but it is literally right in the beach. You pay for location more than anything, and during winter it was more than worth it! Would definitely stay again!
Theron Y.
October 2022
Great
Emily N.
October 2022
Great location being on east side. The place is very outdated but it's fine for sleeping in. The first night was pure hell as it was so hot in here from being closed up. Once we got the place aired out it wasn't as bad. We slept with windows and patio door open with screen closed to let in air. Everything is rusted, carpet is old. Things are old. Would Have been nice to have extra sheets for my mom who had to sleep on the couch. Also there was one roll of toilet paper which wasn't much for a week. The microwave had small plastic chips flaking off all over the stove. The picture of them in the hallway is a bit creepy but I got over it. Also the soap was literally water in it. They could do a but better with that. Overall good place to stay. I loved having the ocean view ND I ran each morning. Stupid that the exercise room didn't open until 8 because I'm up at 5 to work out and gone by 8.
Margaret S.
September 2022
Lovely property! Peaceful atmosphere! Well maintained!
Merlie T.
July 2022
What a beautiful property! No beating around the bush with this property, everything that is pictured and described in the description for this property is to the point. Truly a home away from home. Was able to entertain individual local friends or families comfortably, cooking meals in the room. Internet was great as I was working remotely, CA time. A beautiful office away from the office at home watching the sunrise every morning, what else can you ask for! Returning again! Complaints about it being hot and no AC? Yes when all doors/windows are shut but simply open them up and fresh air bursts in and cool da place up. Yes it needs upgrading, but that's the character about this place and I do agree, a sofa bed is due as I prefer sleeping in living room w/sliding door open listening to the waves...When the owner is ready to upgrade, it will be even homier...Love it and returning next year! Mahalo Nut Loa...
Heather A.
June 2022
Wonderful experience!! Spotless when we arrived, perfect location with incredible views!! We have stayed at 3 other units in the Pono Kai resort, this by far is our favorite!! Owners Anna and Harley were more than helpful, communication was remarkable! We’ll be back!!
Allison R.
April 2022
Excellent location to watch beautiful sunrises from the balcony. Nicely kept grounds. Loved walking to nearby food trucks and taking nightly strolls on the walking path by the beach. We had a great time and would highly recommend.
Stephanie R.
April 2022
My husband and I returned to this condo for the location and amazing view of the ocean. So close to the walking trail, great beaches and restaurants. We will be back!
Karen H.
March 2022
Good place to stay
Scott A.
March 2022
Property was great. Comfortable and a beautiful view.
Elizabeth W.
October 2021
Overall good.
Door code failed 3 times and we had to be let into the property by the on site manager who was great. Place could use updating.
Lauren K.
August 2021
If we get the chance, we will definitely book again! Mahalo nui, from Maui <3
Sandra L.
July 2019
Third floor with balcony overlooking the ocean! Elevator was so convenient. Walking was easy to the downtown shops and restaurants! The home was nicely furnished and the kitchen was well stocked with utensils and cookware. Main bed was very comfortable. The owners provided 2 TVs, that have cable from Spectrum one in the living room and 1 in the bedroom. The bedroom tv had no local service but the livingroom tv worked great. The WiFi was wonderful and they had a CD player with Hawaiian cds, books, games and toys for the beach along with boogie board, snorkel gear and beach chairs!
There is no AC but the ocean breeze was nice. We would have liked better fans too as it was very warm in the bedroom at night.
We loved the view from the lanai overlooking the ocean. The sunrises were so beautiful.
The town is minutes from the complex so we could walk everywhere. The beach is right in front of the room with easy access and there’s a walk/bike path that goes for 5 miles along the shoreline.
If you go you’ll need bath soap & extra toilet paper and paper towels as they only give you 2 each but all the towels are provided, even beach towels. There is a fee based laundry on the 1st floor if you need to do laundry.
There are 3 grocery main grocery stores within a short drive. We like the food land because they give discounts on certain purchases but Safeway is another good choice and they’re next to each other!
We loved staying here and hope to return someday.
May 2019
Simply wonderful location and views. Hard to leave the room at times :-)
Highly recommend this condo.
Dave A.
April 2019
Great spot to stay in Kapa'a. The unit was as advertised and the owners were polite, responsive, and supportive. Lots of activities on site and in area.
Edward R.
February 2019
Love the ocean sound. Every thing is right there. Don't miss Street Burger. It is NOT like McDonalds.
Hazel d.
January 2019
We enjoyed our stay overall; the older condo's kitchen is pretty well equipped to handle most vacation-style eating and now has a brand-new coffee maker, thanks to the property manager quickly responding to my phone call 2 days before Christmas! There are nice beach chairs and boogie boards in a closet, and the top floor view of the ocean was simply fantastic. I saw really cool ocean birds from the living room (frigate birds and white-tailed tropic birds). It's along a quieter part of the island, and several good restaurants are an easy walk from the condo. However, it can be quite warm due to the high humidity and this condo doesn't have AC. The bedroom is in the back of the condo and gets too hot, even with the standing fans to turn on. I wanted to use their pull-out sofa bed which is nearer the big sliding glass door (and better ocean breeze) and discovered the bed was broken! Ended up sleeping on the living room floor. Hopefully, the sofa bed will be repaired or replaced soon. Also, it's an older condo and doesn't have a lot of electric wall sockets (and some that are there are kind of wonky). But location-wise, it's the perfect spot to use as a home base to explore both north and south Kauai.
Tetyana G.
January 2019
Nice condo complex in a very convenient location in Kapaa and there is a magnificent ocean view from the balcony..
What we did not appreciate were the beds. The bed in the bedroom was very soft. We woke up every morning with a backpack. And The sofa- bed in the living room was broken. I contacted the owner before booking and asked to confirm if there is a sofa-bed in the living room because there were three persons in our party. I received confirmation from the owner: yes, there is a bed for a third person in a living room. However, when we arrived there was a note " the bed is broken", and it looked like it's been broken for a while.. We were disappointed and had to be very creative to find a way and make a bed for our third person. I hope the owners fix the problems with the beds and make some other upgrades to the place.
Kirk M.
January 2019
We had a great time at Pono Kai. The view was amazing and the location is perfect. The unit is clean and very usable. The hosts were great with contacts and have done a good job with an older unit. The unit is very usable and has beach items for use, which is very nice. If you are expecting a brand new unit this is not it, the furniture and unit are well used and could use a little bit of an update. With that said, it is a great place to stay for the value and we would consider staying here again.
Steve T.
October 2018
Our last place to stay in Hawaii was worth waiting for - location location location. All Good. Walking distance to all the best places in Kapa'a.
Mary M.
October 2018
Very clean, soft comfortable bed, great kitchen, beach toys and chairs available, laundry downstairs, beautiful Breeze!
Edward B.
August 2018
No issues, love the pono kai
Debby A.
July 2018
We picked this place based on location and air conditioning. The location is great but under the property amenities it shows air conditioning. The owner is aware and this is very misleading. We had to find another place to stay after the first night because it was way too hot in the bedroom. We ended up sleeping in the living room with three fans blasting and the lanai door open. When we reached out to the owner they said that they rely on the trade winds. This is great if you have the front door open to create a cross breeze. However, one can not sleep with the front door nor the bedroom windows open as they are located in the walkway that leads to the other condos, and would not be secure.
Basically, this was a lost cost for us. The owners really need to correct their listing. We feel that this is false advertising.
Forsyth K.
July 2018
Location was great. The people at the resort were friendly as were the other patrons. Having a putting green and croquet was a wonderful surprise for small children. The only real problem we had was that we thought there was air conditioning and there was not, so it was too hot to sleep. Perhaps the symbol was for the main lobby of the complex
Joseph B.
June 2018
The condo at Pono Kai was in a great location in Kapaa. The ocean front view was the absolute best part with the living room opening right up to the water. The unit and resort in general are not updated but the price and the view made it worth it. Unit is equipped well enough to cook. The bed is plush and comfy, and we had 2 additional guests for the last two nights who slept on the pull-out couch which worked fine. Owners were helpful and communicative. Great spot for an inexpensive stay with a total oceanfront view!
Steven L.
November 2016
Review #16449894 “Kauai - Top Floor/Beach Front Condo at Pono Kai Resort in Kapaaâ€
Needs a little work
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Perfect location and beautiful view!! cleaning staff need to do a little better work.
We had no kitchen linens and coffee maker was missing. We did get the coffee maker but never received any kitchen linens. It should be made more clear in the advertisement that there is NO air conditioning. Unfortunately with the unit being so warm it attracted cockroaches. (we have pictures)
Kim S.
June 2016
This was our first time coming to Kauai. We (my husband and I) stayed 9 days. Great for 2 people-- maybe 3 people if the couch was used but we didn't need to try it out. We loved the location of this resort as it was central for many of the places we were going to go visit. We walked to a few good restaurants within a mile. The condo was in very nice condition when we arrived. We loved that each room had large ceiling fans to help keep the rooms cool, especially if the winds were low. There are also small oscillating fans as well. There was only one night we were a little warm, but it was doable without ac (at least for the time we came). The condo is equipped with great items that we used throughout our trip-- beach chairs, boogie boards, small cooler with ice packs, beach towels & umbrella. We loved being able to use the blender or frying pan and fix our own breakfast in the morning and then pack a lunch for our adventures for the day. We came to do lots of hiking, kayaking, boat rides , beach hopping, running- very active things. We loved having the running/walking path just outside our door. Loved the key paid entrance instead of a key. Great to sit our for a meal or just relax on the chairs. Anna & Harley (owners) were great about answering questions we had and with paperwork sent to us ahead of time to know what to expect. We would add hiking poles to the list to bring since the trails we were on were so muddy. Luckily we brought ours. They were also very kind to accommodate us a little longer on the check out date since we had a late flight that night and they didn't have anyone coming in. We are able to have one more full day of fun in Kauai! The only problem we had a little trouble with was getting a good connection always with the internet but hey, we were on vacation so not a huge deal. We just wanted to use it to download some the pictures we had taken. We are hoping to be back some day!
December 2014
My wife and I stayed here for 12 days in December. It was her dream come true and the view was fantastic. The perfect place for two people who share the same bed. Everything you need to play or stay is here. The exception in our experience was lack of paper products, trash bags, and towels. But we were here for 12 days and that was brought to the attention of the owners so others on extended stays will be better outfitted.
I was up by daylight every day and out on the walking path or walking around town. The view is fabulous. I was able to take wonderful Sunrise and moon rise photos nearly every day. Absolutely a great place to stay.
The resort offers recommended activities with some discounts available. I did their recommended helicopter tour and it was fantastic. We rode the shuttle to the Luau they sign you up for and it was great. My wife and I did the island airplane tour with the company the resort recommends and I would not recommend it to anyone. Good pilot but the seating was horrible. Folks getting out of the back seats before us could not walk, as my wife was unable to walk either after the flight. Her knees were in her chest and no where for her feet as the rear window seat was up against the one in front. Frayed seatbelts, improper steps, etc. Find another company. That has nothing to do with the owners of this Condo, just what the resort recommends.
We hope to go back again and would stay in this same unit next time. It was fabulous.
Mary M.
November 2014
Walking into the condo was open to such a beautiful view of the ocean and beach of Kapaa. The condo was very clean and comfortable. We loved the grounds of Pono Kai including the gardens, pool, hot tub and friendly lobby. WiFi worked well in the Lobby area if you need to keep in contact with family.
The condo was well equipped for 2 people who wish to sleep in a queen bed. I don't feel this unit will work otherwise as I tried to sleep on the advertised sofa bed and it never extended out completely. That was a complaint by two other parties in 2013. I slept on the floor using the cushions from the sofa by wrapping sheets around them. This unit is advertised on VRBO for four people but the unit will not even be comfortable for two people who don't wish to sleep together. There aren't enough towels for four. The owners argue with me about this problem rather than fix it so I won't be staying there again.
I do think the Pono Kai is a very nice condo complex with gorgeous ocean views. The location is very central for excursions.
John and Eva T.
September 2014
This was our first stay at this condo. Last year, we stayed in a different condo place in Kapaa which required driving to town, so we were looking forward to trying this one, which is closer to town. For months before we even arrived, the owners were great about communicating with us by email or phone. The detailed information sheets they sent were certainly appreciated. When we arrived, our room was ready. We enjoyed the one-bedroom versus a hotel room because we were able to have our bags out of the main living area. The location could not have been better. We loved being able to enjoy the ocean from the lanai. We walked the path along the ocean and walked into town several times, which was very convenient and enjoyable. (You can absorb a place much more when walking rather than driving.) We loved the convenience of the coded lock key on the front door. We never had to worry about remembering a door key or a card key. We have found the place we will stay each year we visit Kauai, and we look forward to returning next year.
Use the "Visit Owner's Website" link to read more reviews from the reservation site, including the latest reviews submitted by recent guests.