Hotel Coral Reef

This hotel was disappointing. The staff was friendly and the location is nice, but the rooms are not. The sheets and towels had some stains on them, and the bathroom was in bad shape. The tiles and fixtures needed repair or were poorly repaired. No covers on any of the drains. The bathroom was also very poorly lit. I’m generally happy with economical options when it comes to hotels, but I felt this hotel was poorly maintained compared to other places I have stayed with 2 stars. I would not return.

I really wanted to like this place. And I did… for the most part. The front desk staff was super friendly! My only problem… the roaches, everywhere. Specifically the bathroom and in the shower.
We kept killing them but every time I turned, there were 10 more! There were also quite a few baby lizards but I can live with that.
Otherwise, the room was great… ocean front with an amazing view. The bed was comfortable, however, we were so scared of bugs crawling on us, we could barely sleep.
I really hope they can do something about this problem b/​c it really is a great place!

Nothing particularly objectionable — but easily the weakest of the three hotels we stayed at on Kauai. One was much more functional for a similar price; another was funky and charming; by comparison, Hotel Corel Reef felt lackluster and overpriced.
Wi-​fi is only in the lobby; figure on carrying your laptop through the rain in order to plan out your next day’s adventure. One of the beds in our room had a broken frame, hilariously bolstered with a paint can. Two sink basins crowded into a small bathroom left little room for toothpaste and hair brushes.
We did enjoy being right on the water, and almost across the street from the outstanding Art Café Hemingway; it’s a short, easy walk to the main strip in Kapa’a. It was definitely nice to ditch the car and stroll to dinner, although the rarity of crosswalks required some planning on dark nights.
Not objectionable, just lackluster.

This hotel SAVED my vacation. After my nightmarish stay at Kauai Beach House Hostel involving rats, one of the employees was able to offer me a deal on a luxurious king room. The contrast was night and day.
Secure, friendly, worth every penny. The pool locks and the area is well lit at night. Treat yourself and enjoy the paved path that runs for miles along the ocean. I rented a bike for $ 5 an hour at the surf shop a little past the aforementioned hostel. It was breathtaking. Don’t miss the remarkable sunrises!

If you are looking for an ocean front room at a reasonable price this place is for you. If you are looking for a hotel with nice restaurants, bars, spas, high quality sheets, or a golf course this hotel is not for you. Our ocean front room had a balcony so close to the beach we could practically touch it. Great walking/​biking path right near the beach. Walking distance to the funky little town of Kapa’a. Rooms not that special, and a little long in the tooth, but the ocean front made it worth it. No WiFi in rooms; only near lobby.

Nice location, bad staff and experience, first breakfast they serve is a joke, $ 1 bakery stuff from your favorite gas station, 2^nd they don’t clean the rooms during ur stay, I watched room service lady for 5 days just take garbage out and out new towels, she didn’t clean the bed, vacuum the floor (it’s beach hotel and u get sand in room) worst she’s doesn’t clean shower not bathroom, also the beach is rocky
On the positive side, hotel is in nice central area, not that busy, but I felt roped

**OCEAN FRONT SUITE IS THE WAY TO GO, YO**
We love Kapaa.
And we also love Art Café Hemingway in Kapaa.
And then we discovered Hotel Coral Reef which was right across the street from our favorite café with ocean-​front rooms.
It was meant to be.
We booked 9 months in advance for the following:
(1) Ocean Front King Suite for us
(2) Ocean Front King Suite for his parents
2 weeks before the trip, I called to check with the reservations.
Rhonda, the hotel manager, said there was no reservations for his parents. I freaked the F out. WTF, seriously.
I told her that this had to be resolved immediately.
The hotel initially put his parents into the «Garden Room» which faced the parking lot and street. His mother referred to it as the «Awful Room». They spent one night there and was moved to an Ocean-​Front King suite for the remainder of their stay.
Every morning, we had fruits and juice in the hotel lobby area and then went to Small Town Coffee (down the street) for our coffee and heartier meal.
Our room was OK. It’s not a 4 or 5 star hotel. We expected that. They had the basic amenities: AC, towels, extra pillows, toiletries, etc. It reminded me of a worn-​out Tommy Bahamas Best Western room except for the modern bathroom with the jacuzzi tub. That was nice.
It faced the ocean and you can’t beat that. However, the maid service was sloppy. The sheets did not appear to be cleaned and tucked. I get it, it’s the Island Life. So, whatever.
My MAC makeup eyeliner was missing after a maid clean-​up. I am not accusing anyone of taking it. I am just stating that it was there in the room and now surprisingly, it was gone. That prompted us to secure our belongings in the provided safe.
The staff was super friendly and cordial.
Overall, I liked the hotel, but didn’t love it.
A bit too rough around the edges for me.
RECOMMEND for those who don’t mind a «motel» feel. The ocean-​view from the balcony was spectacular for $ 159 a night.

We REALLY loved this hotel. After an extremely disappointing stay at a bed and breakfast in Poipu, we arrived for the last 4 nights here in Kapaa. We opened the door of our room and our eyes lit up. A beautiful room with an awesome view of the ocean, comfortable bedding, air conditioning, jacuzzi tub.
Problems? 2 lights that were out when we arrived. Fixed in less than 5 minutes. Amazing… service was incredible. The innkeepers were super friendly, and invited guests to several cultural events, which were a lot of fun. They were filled with the true ‘aloha spirit’.
A continental breakfast was served early every morning, with fresh fruit, juices, breads, coffee, and a smile. All of the innkeepers were friendly, talkative, and made us feel very welcome.
Oh and they have a very nice pool too, and are right next to the ocean, with a wonderful path to go for walks along the ocean for sunrise, or whenever the mood strikes.
We felt very lucky to have stayed here, and will definitely look forward to returning on our next trip…
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!

So just stop searching for another hotel. This is where you will stay in Kauai haha forget the Sheraton, Princeville and Hyatt hotels.
After much research by the gf we decided to stay here, for one its locally run and operated, its located in the heart of Kapa’a, lastly its a very beautiful and clean hotel (especially the beachfront suites, which is where we stayed.)
Prices will vary on there website from $ 89 garden view suites up to $ 189 ocean front suites. (keep an eye out for specials, we got our third night free!)
Bike paths from the hotel take you along the Kapa’a coast; if you feel like your pressed for time or just too lazy to walk the coastline, we rented bikes from the hotel and saw some very beautiful views that will probably rival any coast you have seen in your life.
Photos are posted up top. All in all you have to give this place a shot and unless you’re into the big named hotels this should be your place. Beautiful-​clean rooms, awesome service, great location and did i mention the sun rises outside of the rooms? Can’t beat it! If we return to Kauai at least we know where we can stay for a good price and great location.
Good luck Unilocalers.

My husband and I were married in Kauai in Nov. 2011. We stayed at the Hotel Coral Reef because my friend’s parents (whom are locals) recommended it. Since we live in Brooklyn, we had to go by researching on the internet and speaking with people over the phone.
Rhonda and George who manage the hotel were AMAZING! They gave us plenty of advice before we arrived. They were very accommodating and gave us top notch service. We stayed in the garden room the first two nights as we prepared for the wedding and then moved over to the ocean view room the day of our wedding. Both rooms were very clean! For the value of each room and the price, we were blown away! If you will not be in your room much, the garden room is perfect! When you are ready for a view and hanging out, go for the ocean view! The smells were even wonderful in the rooms (I have a keen nose).
The beds were comfortable, the lighting was especially unique in the ocean view room. Both rooms had safes to store valuables, which was appreciated. The ocean view room has a jacuzzi bath tub, which was very enjoyable. Also, they have a nice swimming pool with a waterfall. Ironically the water was colder than the ocean water, so I avoided the pool. There is a laundry facility on the premises, as well. They also have bicycles that you can borrow (free of charge) and ride the bike path which goes for miles in both directions with breath-​taking views. In addition, there is a juice shop– The Coconut Café, which has super yummy smoothies.
If you are looking for a more relaxed hotel that is quiet and relaxing, this is your place. There are plenty of places to sit outdoors on the property. They even have The Beauty Shoppe on the premises to get your nails or hair done plus get a massage. (The beauty shop has a cozy calm vibe.) I had the gel manicure which lasted 2 weeks without chipping! Laura was AWESOME (the owner)! Bonnie gave my husband and I traditional Lomi Lomi massages which were outstanding. Everyone was so kind sporting the «aloha» spirit, which is why I chose to get married in Hawaii vs. New York.
This is also the place to stay to capture the BEST sunrises on the island. We could lay in bed and watch the sun rise.
The counter space in the bathroom area is small, yet that is really the only draw back to the room.
Thank you, Hotel Coral Reef! We will be back some day!!!

I enjoyed my stay at Coral Reef. My partner and I stayed for five nights in the month of December.
To start, the staff was very nice: friendly, talkative, and generally helpful. They had a limited knowledge of certain things (food and drink) and a good knowledge of others (the island). I would probably rely on on line reviews more in the future as the food recommendations were hit and miss. They were able to give some helpful feedback on adventures around the island. They also were great in that they were able to receive and care for some event clothing that we had shipped from the mainland.
The room was nice. Clean and relatively spacious. There was oddly only one small trash can for the room which at the end of the day ended up being pretty packed with garbage. It could have used a second trash can or a larger one. The bed was comfortable and the room was well air conditioned. The view was tops and if I were the type to sit on my balcony I would have. They also had a pool but the weather was generally too cold, rainy, and windy for me to hit the beach or pool. There is also a great walking and bike path going along the beach.
Something that they didn’t have control of that was also pretty cool was that there was a Monk Seal that spent its days asleep in the canal nearby.
The continental breakfast was generally granola and energy bars, prepackaged store bought pastries, small cups of yogurt, and self serve coffee in Styrofoam cups (not a huge fan or Styrofoam cups). Sometimes there was also a lovely fruit salad that you could eat out of a paper tray.

My partner and I stayed at the Coral Reef Hotel for two days at the beginning and at the end of our Kaui vacation this past September. As we were headed to Hanalei Bay for the majority of our time on the island, the Coral Reef Hotel, ideally located just about 15 minutes north of the airport, proved to be both a wonderful spot to both kick-​off our island adventure and begin our re-​entry into our day-​to-​day mainland reality.
First and foremost, Rhonda, George and the rest of the staff made both of us feel right at home from the time we checked in. Knowledgable, friendly and eager to help, the staff embodies the essence of «service with a smile.»
The property itself is situated just off the main highway (busy road by mainlander standards) toward the northern tip of Kapa’a. The hotel consists of two buildings and a swimming pool situated right on the ocean. The only thing separating the hotel from the ocean is a boardwalk used by visitors and locals alike to walk, run or ride bikes. We opted for an ocean facing room and we’re so glad we did. The people/​wave watching was fantastic.
Our Tommy Bahama inspired room offered a kitchenette w/​fridge, a/​c, ceiling fans, comfy bed with amazing pillows and great t.v. system. Additionally, the hotel has a pretty extensive DVD library which we never used, but was a definite «nice to have.»
Adjacent to the hotel is a beauty shop, organic smoothie/​sandwich place… just across the street, you’ll find (and should try) the Country Kitchen which serves up everything from fresh fruit, to eggs benedict, to the most enormous pancakes you’ll ever encounter.
About the beach… while the Coral Reef Hotel is situated on the ocean, the beach itself is very small and really not ideal for swimming due to the strong currents. That said, we had a great time hanging out on the lawn overlooking the beach/​ocean. If you’re looking for a big white sand beach, the Kapa’a public beach is just a mile or two north and provides all the sand and surf you’ll need in addition to life guards — if you stay on the boardwalk I mentioned earlier and head north, you can’t miss it.
If you’re a Ritz-​type traveler or are always complaining to the front desk (you know who you are), the Coral Reef Hotel isn’t for you. You might want to check out the St. Regis in Princeville.
Id’ recommend the Coral Reef Hotel to travelers looking to get to know Kauai. It’s location would make the perfect home base for travelers with no set agenda… that might want to go to Poipu (south 35 min.) one day, Hanalei Bay (north approx. 40 min.) the next… or explore the West side of the island.
Mahalo Coral Reef Hotel!

Great little independent hotel in Kapaa. Modern rooms with big comfy beds and refrigerator and microwave. Very helpful staff. Basic breakfast in the lobby. A very neat pool with waterfall. Plenty of parking. A five minute walk from Kapaa’s shops and restaurants. They rent cruiser bikes and the bike path runs right behind the hotel. Beach behind hotel is nice for lounging on, but the water there is rocky so not for swimming, but great beaches are a few minutes away. Definitely a good value compared to big resorts and way more fun!