Castle Kiahuna Plantations & The Beach Bungalows

We were disappointed in having to pay $ 115 for a mandatory additional cleaning fee when there was NO cleaning done at all while we were there – just dropped off towels and emptied trash cans during the six days we were there. We wished that we had glass cleaner for the large glass-​topped table that one eats on, but had to clean it as best we could with a dish cloth. The bathroom wall was dirty and in need of attention by the toilet. Otherwise, the place was clean upon arrival.
The grounds are beautiful and well-​maintained. The location is great.

This was our third stay at Kiahuna Plantation, and it was just as wonderful as the first two. In my opinion, the location is the best on the south shore. Great beach and snorkeling. The property is beautifully maintained. The staff at Castle Resorts were very helpful and couldn’t have been nicer. They are very organized, which makes a stay there very smooth. The activities hut concierge, Bart, was very friendly and knowledgeable. Highly recommended!

We were recommended here by AAA. However, we were not happy. The cleaning fee was mandatory which was ridiculous because all they did was clean trash and make bed. Our television never worked and they did not seem to care. Will never visit this place again.

Paradise! Unit 137 is the best, peaceful, very nicely decorated, views are great… can’t say enough!!! Will definitely be back, love everything about this resort!

We have come to Kiahuna Plantation for 40 years. This was the worst experience we ever had there. We stayed 10 nights, and EVERY SINGLE DAY OF OUR STAY painters (really just a bunch of kids) worked on the outside of the building next to us, laughing, joking loudly, and banging their extension ladders and equipment against our bedroom and kitchen/​dining room walls, which they used for their storage area. The noise was truly excessive, and destroyed the peacefulness we always enjoyed at Kiahuna in the past! In addition, Castle Resorts then decided to schedule a day of powerwashing of our building, which gave us yet another day of loud noise we could only escape by vacating our condo! Despite closing the jalousie windows tightly, muddy water came in through the cracks, so now we had mud splatters on our sheets, the condo phone, alarm clock/​radio, counter tops, dressers, floor and baseboards, PLUS a filthy lanai and lawn furniture. I wish I could report this was the end of the disruptions in our vacation there! No, Castle then had pest control people come in and spray the interior of all the units of our building. The final intrusion was Castle arranged for the pruning of the coco palms around our building on the last day of our stay.
When my husband said how disruptive all this work was, and not just on one day but EVERY SINGLE DAY OF OUR STAY, he was met with stony faces, no apologies, and an attitude of «Take it or leave it.»
Outrigger does a far superior job caring for their guests (we’ve enjoyed their units many times over the years)! I hope Castle reads this review and makes some changes in scheduling the maintenance of their units. If there is going to be exterior painting, powerwashing or spraying for pests, Castle should not book any renters in the condos that are affected by the noise and the smell of the paint and chemicals. Hopefully the Castle management will also look closely at how they treat their guests, and make some much need adjustments in their attitude! RENTERS BEWARE!

Our visit was in mid May 2015. It was a bit overcast most days so it didn’t get so hot that we needed an air conditioner. The ceiling fans were fine.
We had no occasion to contact the front desk except at check-​in and check-​out. They were polite, efficient, and helpful.
Our unit was spacious, clean, well-​stocked. We stored food in the refrigerator and ate on the lanai quite a bit and had no problems with bugs or insects of any kind. The lanai is open to a common area so I can see where privacy/​security might be a concern, but we felt perfectly safe (although we did take the requested precaution of locking/​shuttering windows when out).
We took advantage of the pool and tennis court privileges at the club across the road quite a few times during our stay. The tennis courts were beautifully maintained. Just wish it hadn’t been quite so windy while we were there — not sure if Poipu is usually windy or just this time of year. The ocean was also a little rough during the week we were there. Still had a great time, though!
Based on our experience here, I would definitely stay here again. If I take into consideration other Unilocal reviewers’ comments, I’m afraid I’d have to at least consider other options.

We booked 2 ocean front condos, one for my husband and me, and one for my parents, for April 15 – 22, 2015. We always stay at the Outrigger managed condos at Kiahuna Plantation but they didn’t have availability for our dates so we decided to try the Castle managed condos at Kiahuna Plantation since they did have availability. What a BIG mistake – NEVER again!
Thailia (spelling ?) was not a welcoming person when checking us in. She explained everything to us then showed us on a map where our condos were – my parent’s condo was on the opposite side of the complex from ours. Considering my parents are in their 80’s and walk with canes, this was not going to be convenient for our family vacation. When asked, Thailia said there weren’t any other units available. When I asked why they couldn’t coordinate this better, she stated in a snippy voice that «it isn’t our lack of organization». I told her we had booked this 5 months in advance and she stated that they have clients that book «2 years in advance». She could tell I was very irritated at this point and said in a snippy voice «you should be happy, you’re in Hawaii». I told her we had paid a lot of money to have this vacation and expected things to be handled appropriately. I have never had to deal with such a rude person while in Hawaii – she is a horrible representative of Kiahuna and of Hawaii.
Elaine in reservations heard that I was upset and called me a short while after we settled in our condos to see if there was something she could help us with. We weren’t able to work anything out but she was very pleasant and truly seemed to want to help us.
Since the condos are ocean front, it goes without saying that the views are lovely. However, the condos themselves left something to be desired. My parent’s condo (#200) wasn’t as bad as ours (#6). The biggest problem with theirs was the sliding screen doors leading to the lanai. The doors were so bent at the bottom that they were very difficult to open and close. This was minor compared to our condo (#6).
Our condo was shabby at best. The refrigerator had many, many spots of rust on the interior of the door and all over the exterior. The oven door handle was so rusted that you couldn’t tell it had ever been chrome. Hawaii is a humid environment and some rust is expected. However, this was the worst I’ve ever seen in our many years of renting there. You could smell the rust. The electric stove was so old that the numbers on the dials were worn off and you couldn’t see which way to turn them. Some heated by turning clockwise, some counterclockwise – it was a guessing game. The kitchen and bathroom drawers had some type of paper coating that was peeling and cracking, the bedroom TV didn’t work (snowy), there were cracks in the exterior shell of the microwave, the refrigerator ice maker didn’t work, and there was an 8 inch piece of peeling duct tape on the edge of the shower door (have no idea what that was about). However, the toilet was the worst. When flushed, the toilet made a loud whistling noise mixed with a noise that sounded like a circular saw cutting through a 4 X 4. The circular saw sound would also spontaneously occur for about 10 seconds at all hours of the day and night.
This was a very disappointing experience with Castle and we will NEVER book with them again. We spent thousands of dollars on each condo in addition to the «standard» $ 115/​condo cleaning fee (!). Every other company we have booked with over the past 15 years on the other islands as well as Outrigger at Kiahuna Plantation have been able to accommodate a close proximity for the condos when booking 4 – 6 months in advance and have provided very nice condos. We don’t expect a lot, but do expect nice and functional basic amenities as well as pleasant reception staff.

Stayed here for our honeymoon. With having a partial ocean view, minutes from a sandy beach and the ability to cook food in the condo whenever, was just the perfect combination to make our honeymoon perfect! The landscape of this property is stellar! The staff are all extremely nice, and always felt welcome. Nice bonus is that there are gas grills in the communal area, so we could grill up our favorite meats and veggies for a delicious dinner. We will definitely be staying here again for many years to come!

This is the first place that we have stayed in Kauai that we absolutely LOVED. Our condo was perfect and roomy. It was updated with granite countertops and I didn’t see one bug. We loved it and will go back every year.

This is our second time we stayed on this property. The property is on the older side — built in the 70s or 80s — but the price and location was tough to beat for us. Sure, the building and rooms are showing their age but that was not a big deal for us. The grounds are well kept with maintenance crews out every day. We had no issues with pests but know it’s part of the island scene. Compared to a hotel room, we enjoy having a kitchen to store food and prep meals. Plus it’s located 5 min from our favorite beach in Poipu. Looking for something really nice and new (er) then I’d say look elsewhere. Looking for a good value (3 star?) property at a good location in Poipu then put this on your short list.

Stayed in ocean view beautifully appointed condo rented from Kiahuna, com. This agent has ocean front and ocean rooms that are all beautifully updated and close to the beach.
The ambience continues to lure me especially all the sunsets on the great lawn. The community of guests who visit here are top notch.

Needed a place to stay for one night before we our week at the Pono Kai. Booked this place on
. Our room was decent, and I would give it another star, but every staff member I dealt with was rude and acted like the fact that we were staying there was an inconvenience to them. Then, when we checked out, they charged me a $ 35 «Cleaning Fee» which they said is standard. If it is standard,
should have listed that on their site. There are too many other great places on the island to waste your time and money at this place.

I give them 2.5 stars. Stayed here for 5 nights in a condo at ground level in building 39 which was the closest to the street, right across from the shopping center. When we first walked in, I was pleasantly surprised with the modern island theme of the décor. The room was pretty clean with the exception of the shower floor. That looked sketchy so I kept the flip flops on. We were not pleased with having a ground level floor due to security concerns with the open lanai in the back, which had direct access to the garden. You actually have to walk down a small, narrow flight of stairs (no elevators) to get to the «ground level» from the parking lot which was a pain with the luggage. Our room was level with the lanai in the back.
We were both immediately concerned with the lack of air conditioning so I called the front desk to see if any other rooms were available. I was told none of the units had A/​C and no other rooms were available. We did have 2 ceiling fans, one in the bedroom and the other in the living room. There was also a tall fan on the floor that could be relocated. Later that first night we received a courtesy call from the Security department advising that as we were on the ground floor, we should always lock the sliding doors and close the window flaps when we leave. That made it even more disconcerting considering we had seen the police there earlier when we checked in. I assume that that theft was a likely occurrence there. We had mini island ants wandering in our kitchen and the dining table so again on the second day, I asked for another room and was only offered another one for an upgrade for more than a $ 100 per day more. They offered to spray our room with Raid but we declined as we did not want to be around those chemicals and the ants were not plentiful. I was able to just wipe them away with a wet paper towel or disinfecting wipe but they did keep coming back to the counter. We did come across one giant roach on the floor of the kitchen one day which my boyfriend managed to flush down the toilet.
What I really hated was the stupid «windows» in this place. They did not have traditional glass windows with the exception of the sliding door in the back. The rest of the «windows» were wooden exterior blinds/​shutter with a screen on the interior to keep the bugs out. This was a big issue for me due to privacy/​security concerns. If you want to open the shutter, then anyone can see inside. There are no curtains. Remember it is hot and there is no A/​C as well so it made for a difficult situation especially for the bedroom for all you couples seeking romance or if you like to walk around in the buff.
The beach was a short walk away so that was great. Beach was nice but when we went there the waves were pretty strong and wiped me out a few times. Maybe it’s better in the morning but we only went to our beach once so I don’t know. There was lots of grassy area next to beach to hang out too.
What was great about our room was the living room closet had lots of gear we could borrow: Boogie boards, shopping bags, bamboo beach mats, snorkel sets, etc. Also there were some canned foods, Ziploc bags, disinfecting wipes and such. I believe a lot of those items were left behind by previous guests. The closet was however very messy and should have been cleaned up beforehand.
Location is excellent due to proximity to the beach, shops, mall and of course the Koloa Fish Market (best poke EVER) however if you elect to stay here, I recommend an upper level unit so you can leave your sliding door open at night since there is no freakin’ A/​C. Keep your food locked in the fridge or something air tight to keep the ants away and promptly clean up the table/​counter. When I wiped the counter I found that it was deteriorating as it was crumbling on the edges from being made of cheap particle board laminate. Although we were near the street, noise was not a problem for me. You will hear roosters early in the morning but I would easily just fall back asleep.
Daily service was adequate as they change your towels and make your bed every day. Sheets were clean although the bedspread had a spot, we never use those anyway as we know those don’t get washed in most places. I wish the front desk had been more accommodating with regard to requests for a room change, especially as I tried two times.

Have stayed here twice. Both times rented directly from the owners thru
.
Love the location. Peaceful. Beautiful grounds, well maintained. The beach is thin but when the tide is out, put your beach chair up against the berm. It probably won’t get surf swamped. Beach is safe enough for babies as the surf is negligible.
The condo units can be a real crapshoot. I’ve stayed in a dark, poorly ventilated, 1970’s era 1 bedroom unit that was small enough to cause claustrophobia. The 2^nd time a different unit was better, more light, more room, better furnishings.
Closely examine the photos of the unit and quiz the owner when you enquire about a rental. If you have qualms, walk away.

Wow, in reading through some of these reviews, while staying here, I got scared!
None of these things are anything like the room we were lucky enough to get. Ours is VERY up-​to-​date, granite kitchen and bath, beautifully tiled shower, modern appliances and no bugs, not even a mosquito.
The beach is very close and an ok beach in my opinion, not sure how it gets ranked so high. It is not that calm as they say, waves traveling in multiple directions, kind of weird. NOT unsafe at all, just weird and not one of my Hawaii favorites for a beach.
We were here in July, very hot and the rooms do not have A/​C but with the louvered blinds open you get some nice breezes, enough to keep you cool? No not really but not bad at all. A/​C would be good.
There is no pool, you do get access to the pool club across the road but meh.
You can go into the pool of the Marriott right next door. Shhhh.
I’d stay here again if I came back to Kauai, no problem.
3.5 for this resort, 4.5 for our unit. I guess we got lucky.

Stayed here with my child and parents this past week. Not bad of a location, however word to the wise there is nothing I say again nothing in the condo besides furniture, towels. Every condo I’ve stayed in has had left over supplies from previous tenents (dish soap, salt pepper, scrubbie brush etc). None

Cockroaches heavy problem: we discovered it since day 1 even not yet started cooking. We designed only making breakfast and we cleaned up everything when done. 3^rd night, wife waken by a cockroach running onto the bed. We never had food on the bed those days. No more for this one, not worth a star.

You know you’re staying at a terrible place when an exterminator truck pulls up next to you in the parking lot. True story.
Normally I start with pros, but this place sucks so much I have to start with the most important negatives.
Cons:
Lots of bugs (mostly fruitflies, a mosquito, and ants)
No A/​C
The entire place looks old (think a ghetto looking Magnum PI house. It’s really dark. The furniture and fixtures are very old looking)
The window slats don’t lock shut. You can easily pry them open from the outside (including the ones looking into the bedroom).
Pros:
Great location. Literally walking distance to the beach, a shopping mall, and good restaurants in adjacent hotels)
Very spacious rooms.
Ample parking
The outside grounds look very nice. Lots of canopy trees.
By the way, just to be clear, none of these pros outweigh the terrible, terrible cons.

This was my second trip to Kauai and my third opportunity to stay at a Castle Resort. My friend is an owner so we got a great 2-​bedroom condo for an even better rate. It was room 203 at the end of the orchid garden and prime real estate.
The condo was situated with the bedrooms/​bathrooms on the ground floor and the kitchen and living area on the second floor. Each floor had a beautiful lanai that overlooked the beach. The bedrooms were comfortable but the beds were quite firm. The kitchen was outfitted with every amenity – just add food. All in all the place was great.
Details:
Keys to the towel room provided, free beach chairs
Free in-​room wifi
Charging privileges at several restaurants
Daily room service
Fans, no a/​c
Recommended.

My bf and I stayed at the Caste for the first half of our trip.
Pros — There is direct access to a really nice beach (one of our favorites during our week in Kauai). The restaurant Plantation Gardens was one of our best meals during our week stay in Kauai. There is pretty much everything you need in our room from kitchen utensils, a spice packet for cooking, and a swiffer. A short walk to Poipu Shopping Center which has a General store, Starbucks, Gelato, and a biweekly free 45 minute hula show.
Cons — There isn’t an A/​C but ceiling fans. We actually never thought it got that hot but we didn’t come in the dead of summer. It is really loud! The little blind windows they have don’t close tight, actually it doesn’t even close all the way. We can hear everything that was going on outside from people talking to the loud roosters at 5am. If you are a light sleeper like myself this is not your place.
The staff were very nice and we liked the check in and check out times they had.