1 Lodge Hanalei Bay: What it is like staying at this new resort in Kauai

Standout options of 1 Lodge Hanalei Bay

• Whereas most main resorts on Kauai are in different sections of the island, such because the sunny Poipu southern aspect, 1 Lodge Hanalei Bay is considered one of only a few true resorts on the northern shore of Kauai, recognized for its lush mountains, beautiful seashores and an emphasis on native small companies.
• There aren’t any drained company variations of Hawaiian decor or business luaus right here. The fashion feels relaxed, pure and high-end. And whereas it’s actually a global model operating the resort, it looks like part of the situation reasonably than planted in it.
• The worth is excessive however consists of every day actions that go far past the norm and encourage a real sense of place, corresponding to intensive native rum tastings, guided off-property hikes and sake tastings — to not point out all of the health choices.
• The seashore right here is swimmable, and there is a very giant household pool advanced on the seashore degree, together with a separate adults-only choice.
• From the sushi to the cocktails and past, the meals and beverage choices on-site are value having fun with even if you happen to do not stay the evening. I am nonetheless dreaming of the intensive, contemporary breakfast buffet weeks later.
• The on-site spa provides each high quality and variety in the case of therapies. These seeking to begin, restart or degree up their health routine may have discovered the fitting spot to take action at 1 Lodge Hanalei Bay.

So, let’s get it out of the best way and acknowledge clearly and upfront that is an costly resort the place commonplace rooms typically begin round $1,000 per evening and go up throughout busier occasions of the yr.

For perspective, the Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa on the opposite aspect of the island typically has commonplace rooms beginning at about $800 per evening, so whereas it’s actually costly, it is not orders of magnitude completely different from money costs at another widespread resorts on the island.

I extremely suggest reserving your keep at 1 Lodge Hanalei Bay through a program that features breakfast and a property credit score, such because the American Specific Advantageous Resorts + Resorts program. Early check-in and late checkout may additionally be fairly beneficial to maximise your time, which that program offers. Proper now, I see a particular supply of an elevated $250 property credit score with the Amex FHR program by means of the top of the yr when reserving below that promo.

In the event you booked through FHR, which is open to these with The Platinum Card® from American Specific, you may additionally use your annual $200 resort credit score, which might assist a bit, particularly when stacked with the on-property credit.

If you do not have the funds to get pleasure from your total Kauai trip right here, another choice can be to make this your own home base for a few nights when you get pleasure from all of the resort has to supply after which transfer to a resort the place you may redeem factors, such because the close by Westin Princeville Ocean Resort Villas or the beforehand talked about Grand Hyatt Kauai. That is my plan for once I hopefully return someday.

Positioned in one of many prettiest spots on earth

I’ve talked about this already, nevertheless it deserves a devoted part as a result of the fantastic thing about the northern portion of Kauai cannot be oversold.

Rainbows occur so ceaselessly that the restaurant waitstaff jokes that they’ve a secret button that they will hit that brings the rainbows out at breakfast, a lot to the delight of these sipping their morning cup of Hawaiian-blend espresso.

The luxurious, inexperienced mountains with just-visible waterfalls function the backdrop to waves rolling on the shore. And you’ll absolutely admire all of this from both down on the swimmable Puu Poa seashore or from above, due to the resort’s cliff-side location.

There are additionally lei- and bracelet-making lessons, sake tasting, mai tai making, yoga and a lot extra, all supplied seven days per week. Simply make certain and register for those you need to partake in, as a few of them can refill.

World-class spa and health program

The Bamford Spa at 1 Lodge Hanalei Bay is subsequent degree.

This isn’t your run-of-the-mill spot for 50-minute Swedish leisure massages and hydrating facials. This wellness sanctuary is constructed on a reference to nature that takes place on a complete different taking part in area.

And as I walked into what amounted to a sensory deprivation chamber, I knew I used to be not in Kansas anymore. I wasn’t even positive what actuality I used to be in, if I am being sincere. Spoiler alert: I solely lasted about 4 minutes in there as I floated at midnight on the prime of water infused with kilos and kilos of salt. However extra on that in a minute.

First, I went into one of many spa’s 13 remedy rooms for 90 of essentially the most stress-free minutes of my life, due to the Intuitive Natural Therapeutic Ritual that kicked off with a foot soak infused with native crops.

The session then moved right into a therapeutic massage that was the right strain for me and utilized a number of native, natural merchandise from the Kauai Farmacy, together with warmed noni leaves positioned on areas of stress and irritation (i.e., my entire again).

The remedy supplier was distinctive, and I may have spent all day in that remedy room if they’d let me. It is not an affordable remedy at $445, but when it matches in your finances, I can not say sufficient fantastic issues about it.

After which got here the time to go to my float — which regarded wonderful at first, with blue ambient gentle and a ceiling embellished with the constellations as seen from Scandinavia, with a backdrop of calming music. However, by design, all that shut off after a couple of minutes … and that was once I knew this was not the trail to leisure for me.

I am going to attempt virtually something as soon as, however even when I used to be there for work and it was a comped expertise, a panic assault can be paid for by me alone.

Fortunately, the spa employees was on alert for this to occur (my wild-eyed questions had been in all probability the primary clue I wasn’t going to make it the entire half-hour), and once I popped out of the room after only a few minutes, they’d an alternate remedy out there at no further payment as a typical providing, not simply because I used to be there on a hosted journey. It made it risk-free to attempt one thing new, figuring out there is a stable Plan B on the prepared if wanted.

Vibrational acoustic remedy was way more my cup of tea, however do not be afraid to attempt the float if that sounds fascinating — the employees is readily available if you happen to resolve it is not for you, and it was a extremely cool sensation.

Nice meals

1 Kitchen

1 Kitchen is the resort’s signature restaurant, open for breakfast and dinner, with reservations not required for breakfast. It is a big, open-air area that sources its produce, proteins and seafood in Hawaii.

We ate breakfast right here every morning, and there are each a la carte objects and a buffet ($48) that features juice and low, together with quite a lot of regionally produced and impressed pastries, fruits, sizzling objects and cooked-to-order eggs and omelets.

Truthfully, I liked this and regarded ahead to it every morning with pleasure. My first plate sometimes consisted simply of fruit and yogurt, transferring into the proteins and extra after that. It was implausible.

Whereas a Hawaiian-blend espresso is included if you happen to do get the buffet, on a few events we did splurge on the 100% Hawaiian espresso served in a French press. Our favourite was the Kona Honey ($20), which was simply because it sounded — native with a contact of sweetness.

No matter you resolve to eat or drink, try to get a desk on the fringe of the restaurant the place you may simply maintain an eye fixed out for rainbows — they appeared throughout two of our 4 morning meals.

Welina Terrace

You may need to make reservations for Welina Terrace effectively prematurely of your journey because it all the time books up — and the sushi is as nice because the views. (Carry sun shades, although, as a result of the sunshine comes straight at you throughout sundown.)

That is lounge-style seating for essentially the most half, with unbelievable views of the sundown and reside music from 6-9 p.m. every day.

We loved a few of the appetizers we tried, just like the shishito peppers ($10), however we liked the sushi. For our second go to, we jumped straight to that a part of the menu.

The yellowtail and salmon sushi ($8), together with the kani mayo roll with Japanese snow crab ($30), had been nice, however even choices corresponding to tomato ($5) and avocado sushi ($5) shocked us with how delectable they had been.

For so long as it’s out there, I like to recommend the Maui Sturdy cocktail ($25) made with darkish rum, lime juice and easy syrup that advantages the Maui reduction effort. But when that isn’t out there, the Hawaiian Pineapple & Chili margarita was additionally the fitting mix of candy and spicy — and the sake menu is not too unhealthy both.

Neighbors

If you end up coping with early-morning jet lag these first few days on the island, Neighbors is your greatest good friend because it opens at 5:30 a.m. and has free Hawaiian-blend espresso.

Along with the free espresso, there are pastries, a breakfast burrito ($18), a breakfast sandwich on a candy Hawaiian roll ($18) and various bowls, to call a couple of. Right here, you can even seize a fresh-pressed juice from Kauai Juice ($15) or a bar of darkish chocolate from Lydgate Farms.

If you wish to plan forward, you may place a cellular order from the resort’s app and simply pop in for a fast pick-up.

The Sandbox

Subsequent to the swimming pools on the bottom degree, you may discover The Sandbox, an informal spot for lunch with a wood-burning pizza oven, some fairly stellar Kauai shrimp tacos ($24) and a spicy poke bowl ($25) that was so good we had it twice.

Until you’re actually set on consuming out of your pool chair (which you’ll completely do with poolside service), I like to recommend simply sauntering as much as a poolside desk for a extra snug eating expertise the place you do not have to cope with sand. That is very true if the server employees is short-handed that day.

However regardless of precisely the way you get pleasure from this meal, it is the right noon out of doors deal with on a day that you just loosen up on the resort.

However this isn’t that.

I went in a skeptic, however the 1 Lodge Hanalei Bay has sustainability in its DNA and approaches it in a means that does not give the visitor much less; it really finally ends up giving everybody extra.

For instance, as a substitute of utilizing plastic water bottles, the resort put in filtered water dispensers in every visitor room and offers regionally produced glassware manufactured from recycled bottles. On the seashore degree, there may be complimentary natural, reef-safe Coola sunscreen in numerous SPFs.

To make it simpler to get across the space in a lower-impact means, there are free-to-use bikes, and Audi E-tron home automobiles (which can be found free of charge two-hour reservations) are recharged in quite a bit that is powered by photo voltaic lights.

And there are the stuff you will not see as readily, corresponding to a rainwater catch system that permits for a 97% discount in water used for irrigation yearly, high-efficiency lightning and a return to 70% use of native crops.

You may discover this not solely within the apparent spots but additionally on rooftops and rising down the aspect of the constructing because the resort appears to scale back its carbon footprint and mix in — actually and figuratively — with its environment.

Pleasant, principally environment friendly service

After simply a few mornings, our server knew what we favored to drink for breakfast, and whereas we solely chatted for a couple of minutes a day, we felt like we knew her by the top of the journey.

The identical is true of the one that led our hike and the staffers who headed up the lei-making and rum-tasting. A lot of the employees members we encountered at 1 Lodge weren’t simply the well mannered kind of pleasant; they had been personable.

Over the 4 nights, a few occasions, issues took longer than you’d maybe need to come out, and there was a day that our timing with housekeeping was a bit off, however these had been little issues. On the entire, the service was unquestionably sort and often fairly environment friendly.