During our visit to Kaua‘i in November, my husband and I visited the Ko‘a Kea Hotel & Resort at Poipū Beach on the sunny south shore of the island. While there, we enjoyed a relaxing and rejuvenating couple’s hot stone massage in the on-site Spa, which you can read about in the upcoming March issue of Global Traveler. While we didn’t overnight at the property, we did enjoy a tour of the resort with director of operations Sharolyn Kawakami. After several days on Kaua‘i, we had already decided a return visit would be in order, and our tour of Ko‘a Kea suggested the perfect location for our next stay.

With a total of just 121 guestrooms and suites, it fits the definition of “boutique” but offers amenities you’d find at a much larger resort: a fine-dining restaurant, Red Salt; fitness studio;      a water sports hut offering lessons and rental equipment; 24-hour in-room dining; meeting space; and an expansive lawn, pool and lava rock whirlpool with a pool bar and dining. The drive to the property winds between the grounds and buildings of two large resorts on either side, but when we arrived at the main building and left our car with the valet, we had the sense of being in a quiet, private enclave.

The five main buildings housing the public rooms and guest accommodations are only two or three stories tall and surround the pool and lawn,  which look directly out on the beach and ocean.   Ko‘a Kea’s rooms boast the closest proximity to the water of any Kaua‘i resort, just one of the features which have garnered it a slew of awards and accolades for best resort and most romantic from the likes of TripAdvisor and Travel + Leisure. Adirondack chairs surround gas fire pits, making for a cozy spot from which to watch the sun go down. 

The lobby area, with its floor-to-ceiling windows,  provides the perfect vantage to observe the outdoor public areas and ocean beyond and offers several comfortable conversation areas furnished in a crisp, sophisticated style with white upholstery, dark woods and blue accents.  Adjoining this is the lounge,  where continental breakfasts and evening cocktails are served, and the resort’s acclaimed Red Salt restaurant.  We met executive chef Noelani Planas, who serves up contemporary Hawaiian cuisine featuring local ingredients for breakfast and dinner, and also offers sushi on select evenings.

We got a brief peek at one of the guestrooms (the resort was nearly fully booked up). Every one features a roomy lanai, marble baths with dual shower heads, Nespresso machines and complimentary bottled water and a bottle of wine from parent company Meritage’s Napa Valley winery.   Fresh® bath products, plush robes and flip flops round out the amenities and promise a relaxing stay.

Sharolyn noted that Ko‘a Kea is especially popular with couples seeking a quiet retreat, with many of their guests celebrating a honeymoon, babymoon or anniversary. That’s not to say there’s nothing to do but lie around the pool; in fact, with the Hoku Watersports hut right on the property and the ocean just feet away, one can snorkel, paddle board or surf with ease.   Yes, this looks like the perfect location for our next Hawaiian getaway!

— Patty Vanikiotis, associate editor/copy editor