1 Hotel Hanalei Bay Review
Travelers visit the lush island of Kauai for its stunning views, abundant waterfall hikes and pristine beaches. Nestled on a north shore hillside in Princeville overlooking the Pacific, the 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay is ideally located whether you're a first-timer or a repeat visitor who wants to stay put and soak in its gorgeous surroundings.
As a frequent visitor to Kauai, I always prefer staying on the quieter north shore thanks to its untouched feel and serene atmosphere. On a recent trip, I checked into the 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay with my family and found its signature blend of wellness, sustainability and understated luxury to fit right into the verdant locale. If you're planning a trip, here's what to know.
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Pool at the 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay.
Mikkel Vang
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With an open-air design and foliage interspersed throughout, the 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay is tastefully adorned in neutral tones and textures, with décor that uses locally sourced and reclaimed materials. The grounds feature native-plant landscaping and a 7,400-gallon rainwater harvesting system, and all restaurants on site are certified Ocean Friendly by the Surfrider Foundation.
A sprawling main pool on the ground level by the beach welcomes all guests and features plenty of shallow ledges and hot tub nooks, as well as a separate lagoon pool with waterfalls (adults can also enjoy the upper-level infinity pool). The beach is on a large bay that connects to Hanalei by water: It's so dense with coral that you're likely to spot sea creatures (think sea turtles and manta rays) even if you're not actively snorkeling.
Open-air lobby at the 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay.
AVABLU
The Bamford Wellness Spa is a destination in itself, with 18 treatment rooms, as well as Touchless Therapies that include an ocean float room, hyperbaric oxygen chamber, infrared sauna and meditation pod. I booked the Intuitive Herbal Ritual, which combined a facial and massage and incorporated Kauai Pharmacy's excellent plant-based skincare products, ending with an application of tension-easing, warmed noni leaves.
There are plenty of activities for families, from surfing and snorkeling to ohana nature walks and ukelele lessons (I still have the dried leis my son and I made in our oceanside ti leaf lei making class). Additional classes and events designed for a wide range of age groups are mapped out in the weekly Daylife calendar, and the hotel offers its own version of a kids club called Seedlings.
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The property has 252 rooms, including 51 suites, that have views of the ocean (looking out onto Hanalei Bay and beyond), mountains or a combination of both. With Kauai being known as the Garden Isle, there are no bad room views here.
Ocean View King room at the 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay.
Ryan Forbes
We stayed in an Ocean View room that looked out onto rolling waves and waterfall-studded mountains. An abundant fruit basket and housemade banana bread welcomed us upon check-in, and I appreciated the little plaque on the dresser that encourages anyone who wants to lighten their suitcase for their return trip to leave behind items for donation. Rooms feature Nespresso machines, craft snacks, a variety of beverages and yoga mats. Our bathroom had a rainfall shower, Bamford bath products (infused with a fragrant blend of geranium, lavender, peppermint and tonka, crafted exclusively for 1 Hotel), and a very convenient filtered water tap (along with plenty of refillable aluminum water bottles to use during our stay).
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Dining options abound at the hotel; all of the menus feature seasonal produce sourced from local farmers and growers—some even from the rooftop chef's garden. The main restaurant, 1 Kitchen, serves breakfast (daily buffet or à la carte), lunch and dinner. Dishes are globally-inspired, with plenty of inventive vegetable-forward options along with mainstays like sourdough pull-apart buns, housemade pastas and fresh local catch.
Aerial view of 1 Kitchen at the 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay.
Mikkel Vang
Although it's deemed a lounge, you can very well make a dinner out of an evening at Welina Terrace, which serves Japanese-inspired small plates, sushi rolls and a burnt cream gelato that I ordered more than once. Time your evening with the sunset and request a table on the terrace for insane views of Mount Makana and the rest of the bay. True to the hotel's wellness-focused theme, there are just as many locally inspired mocktails and low ABV drinks as there are signature cocktails (my favorite, the Kaua'i Tai, features a local macadamia nut orgeat topped with a lilikoi and hibiscus foam).
Poolside food isn't typically the most impressive, but the Sandbox restaurant holds its own, offering everything from woodfired Neopolitan pizzas to ahi nachos and spicy poke bowls. The hotel also has a shave ice and gelato shop, juice bar that opens in the early hours (ideal for visitors still on mainland time), and the 1 Hotel's signature Neighbors cafe, serving açai bowls and grab-and-go breakfast and lunch fare.
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While the whole island of Kauai is worth exploring, my family likes to stay on the north shore thanks to its immediate proximity to dramatic coastlines and fantastic beaches, as well as its laid back vibe. The 1 Hotel's beachfront property is ideally located for plenty of outdoor activities, including paddleboarding, going on nature walks, or taking dips at Puu Poa or Hideaways beach. Nearby towns like Kilauea and Hanalei—as well as my favorite, Anini Beach—are less than a 20-minute drive away. A day trip to Waimea Canyon, nicknamed the 'Grand Canyon of the Pacific,' will take you about an hour and a half by car—the longest drive you can make on the island's main roads. It's definitely worth taking in the breathtaking Nāpali Coast, which can be accessed on foot (via the rigorous 11-mile Kalalau Trail), by boat, or on an aerial helicopter tour (which I highly recommend).
When visiting Kauai, it's best to rent a car, as taxis and rideshare are not as prevalent as on some of the other islands. The 1 Hotel does have a small fleet of electric Audi e-trons available for guests to drive in the local area.
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Despite its name, the 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay is in Princeville, just over the bridge from the town of Hanalei. It's about a 45-minute drive from Lihue Airport (LIH).
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