Nature Lovers Will Love This Greenery-focused Hawaiian Resort — Voted One of many State’s Finest by T+L Readers

After I arrived on the tip of Kauai’s North Shore with my mother and younger son, we have been drained from the lengthy journey from the East Coast. Our flight on Hawaiian Airways — direct from New York to Honolulu, adopted by an excellent quick connection to Kauai — was nice sufficient, nevertheless it was nonetheless exhausting at greater than 10 hours. However as quickly as we noticed 1 Lodge Hanalei Bay’s verdant backyard with trickling waterfalls and volcanic rocks on a rocky cliff jutting into the Pacific Ocean, we perked up. The shot of regionally made Koloa coconut rum paired with recent juice we got at reception additionally helped.

For those who keep in mind the St. Regis Princeville that this property was once, you’ll hardly acknowledge it post-1 Lodge makeover, which took a number of years and lots of hundreds of thousands of {dollars} (1 Lodge Hanalei Bay opened in 2023). The brilliant white and marble are gone, changed by blend-in-with-the-surroundings impartial tones and plush native vegetation that attain from the bottom, up the dwelling partitions, and to the rooftop herb gardens. Nonetheless, sustainability goes past design right here, and the model’s ethos matches completely with Kauai’s spirit.

Touches within the rooms like recycled cardboard hangers, fastidiously chosen crystals, artfully hung hula grass skirts, and sure, extra greenery, maintain that eco-friendliness high of thoughts, however none of it sacrifices the luxurious both, which comes within the type of rainfall showerheads, lofty pillowtop mattresses, cozy robes and slippers, and welcome facilities like native banana bread and recent fruit.

Service and employees are low-key in that laid-back, Hawai’i means, which isn’t to say that they’re missing — they’re simply not stuffy. Equally, company are relaxed sufficient to not costume to the nines for dinner, nevertheless it’s clear the clientele has cash to spend.

The guts of the resort is the sprawling primary pool and its three sizzling tubs, however there are all the time sufficient loungers to go round, as we fortunately found. The seaside is equally full with snorkelers and solar worshippers, though remember that this facet of the island sometimes will get rain at the very least as soon as a day. Fortunately, it’s typically a short sprinkle that ends with a rainbow.

Whereas the ocean and its legendary surf breaks entice loads of company, this resort additionally brings a wellness-seeking crowd (myself included) due to its substantial and glorious spa amenities and programming. From hands-on physique remedies to cutting-edge, no-touch therapies, the spa menu is miles lengthy. Plus, the varied day by day health and wellness courses are practically all complimentary, as is the usage of the spa’s saunas and steam rooms and the large health heart. If the seaside didn’t beckon, I might’ve simply spent my complete trip within the wellness heart.

This is my evaluate of 1 Lodge Hanalei Bay.

The Rooms

Since I used to be touring with my mother and 8-year-old son, we selected an oceanview room with two queen beds (I used to be the unfortunate one to share with my son, who likes to kick in his sleep). There was a comfy daybed towards the large window searching onto Hanalei Bay, and the plush beds, clad in natural cotton sheets, have been extraordinarily comfy. The colour palette of the room, like the remainder of the resort, featured tones of tans, grays, and browns, nevertheless it was the textures — rough-hewn reclaimed teak, woven rope, braided reed, volcanic rocks — that gave the nature-inspired design its depth. The fastidiously positioned potted vegetation and crystals (for optimistic vitality, because the employees member who confirmed me my room famous) have been best minimalist accents. One in all my favourite touches that jogged my memory I used to be in Hawai’i with out being too apparent or cheesy was the dried grass skirt hung like a tapestry. The lavatory — lined with bumpy volcanic rocks — was roomy, and the rainfall bathe had a window on one facet that will permit for views straight out to the ocean if the blinds have been raised on it.

The resort has 252 rooms, together with 51 suites, with varied views and configurations. Like mine, the colour palette and furnishings are impartial and pure all through. All rooms have yoga mats, cozy sweatshirt-like hooded robes and slippers, Bluetooth audio system, Nespresso machine, and Bamford tub merchandise. Greenery additionally comes normal.

Suites function separate sitting areas and bigger bogs with soaking tubs; some have kitchenettes, eating rooms, and terraces. Sure suites even have perks like precedence seating at resort eating places, complimentary mini-bar snacks and non-alcoholic drinks, and complimentary seaside exercise leases, whereas the very best degree, which is a part of the Retreat Assortment, contains complimentary spa remedies, day by day breakfast, a devoted concierge, and extra.

Meals and Drink

The resort has six meals and beverage shops. Neighbors Café is a health-focused grab-and-go breakfast and lunch cafe, which could be discovered in any respect 1 Lodge places. You order on the counter, and apart from a sturdy espresso menu, there are smoothies, recent juices, and dishes like in a single day oats, pastries, and breakfast sandwiches. There are counters with seats, and if it’s a must to make amends for emails, this may be the place to do it with a cup of espresso comprised of regionally grown and roasted beans by Hanalei Espresso Roaster.

If you end up by the pool or seaside craving lunch, the Sandbox has fare like poke, fish tacos, and pizza from a wood-burning oven. Adjoining is Wai’Oli, the shave ice stand we visited practically every single day. It has conventional Hawai’ian shave ice with varied flavors and toppings, comfortable serve, and gelato. The Juice Bar is by the fitness center and affords cold-pressed juices from Kauai Juice Co., plus espresso, tea, and kombucha.

The signature restaurant is 1 Kitchen, open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and faces the ocean and its surf breaks. It focuses on native, seasonal components and has a chalkboard displaying the native catches of the day. A strong breakfast buffet with native specialties like ube pancakes, loco moco, tropical fruit, and rotating flavors of delectable malasadas (fried doughnuts with fillings like coconut and keenness fruit that originated in Portugal) can also be obtainable. Lunch brings salads and sandwiches, whereas dinner has do-it-yourself pasta and grilled and roasted proteins, with a number of fish choices and a very good choice of regionally grown greens as sides. Cocktails skew tiki and have recent juices and premium liquors.

Welina Terrace is simply open for dinner and has a extra adult-only feeling, though kids are allowed to dine right here (however there’s no youngsters’ menu right here, as on the different eating places). It has a big bar and a smattering of small tables that spill out onto the terrace going through the ocean — and sundown. In reality, there’s a nightly sundown ritual with a standard Hawaiian hula (leaning extra romantic than tacky), and sure nights convey native musicians. The menu options small Japanese-inspired dishes like sushi rolls, nigiri, shishito peppers, and wagyu tataki. Cocktails embody a big agave-inflected choice and a menu of sake and Japanese whisky, together with wines and different spirits. Each right here and 1 Kitchen function a brief zero-proof cocktail menu as nicely­ — my son beloved the All Pina No Colada.

Actions and Experiences

The big central pool with a number of rock and waterfall options and the sandy seaside are the locations to be, and there are seaside actions like snorkeling, browsing, kayaking, and paddle boarding. There may be additionally an adults-only infinity pool on the higher degree. For those who want a break from the solar, there’s a day by day calendar stuffed with primarily free actions like paint and sip, lau hala bracelet weaving, a Mai Tai workshop, lei making, and nature walks, plus tons of wellness courses starting from dawn yoga to sizzling pilates to sound baths to cardio boxing.

You may also go on a guided 1.5-hour outrigger canoe tour, play tennis or pickleball, or play a spherical of golf on the adjoining Princeville Makai Golf Membership, one of the crucial stunning programs on this planet. Off-property, you possibly can e-book guided hikes, helicopter excursions, fishing, and boat excursions by way of the resort. There’s additionally a menu of malama — volunteer alternatives to provide again to the group — like seaside cleanups and visits with shelter canine.

Visitors can signal as much as borrow one of many home automobiles — an Audi e-tron electrical automobile — to go to close by island sights. We didn’t lease a automobile, and accessing the home automobile was an ideal approach to discover the island.

The Spa

The wellness program here’s a main focus, and spending a number of hours on the large spa, wellness space, and state-of-the-art health heart is straightforward. Girl Carole Bamford, natural pioneer and founding father of Bamford skincare and spa model, helped create the natural-wood, 18,000-square-foot Bamford Wellness Spa, which offers a serene setting for wellness therapies. There are 18 therapy rooms, some with specialised tools like a quartz mattress and aqua desk. Transformative facial and physique remedies are impressed by native Hawaiian tradition, and specifically formulated merchandise from Hawai’ian medicinal vegetation and natural components, equivalent to tulsi, noni fruit, espresso, sea salt, and honey, are used.

Earlier than I arrived, I had not too long ago discovered that I had two herniated discs in my again and was experiencing some fairly extreme discomfort. It’s not an exaggeration after I say that the 80-minute Intuitive Natural Ritual I had on my first day helped immensely with my ache. The complete physique therapeutic massage spotlights Kaua‘i Farmacy’s Comfrey Noni Serum, infused with wealthy macadamia nut oil. I additionally skilled a number of touchless therapies supplied, together with the saltwater flotation chamber, rainbow chakra mat, and Somadome meditation pod — they also have a hyperbaric oxygen tank and a soon-to-come cryo chamber. I obtained a sneak peek of Precision Wellbeing, their medical spa that includes longevity remedies through medical professionals.

The ten,000-square-foot Anatomy Health options tools like Pelotons, StairMasters, rowers, battle ropes, boxing tools, squat racks, and Booty Builders.

Household-friendly Choices

Whilst you’ll see loads of honeymooners, pal teams, and retired {couples} right here, the resort additionally caters to households. There are connectable rooms, youngsters’ menus at most eating shops, and an outpost of Seedlings, 1 Motels’ youngsters membership, which my son totally loved whereas my mother and I have been on the spa. The resort tries to supply native cultural actions like ukulele classes and tide pool explorations.

Accessibility and Sustainability

The resort meets ADA requirements, with elevators and ramps the place essential. There are six accessible room varieties.

1 Motels is a model identified for sustainability at its core, and in some ways, this property feels just like the epitome of this mission, due to its pure design that includes reclaimed supplies, lush native plantings, rainwater harvesting programs, and lots of regionally sourced components and types. The resort is LEED-certified and very vitality environment friendly. It’s also working towards being carbon impartial. Touches like recycled paper hangers, soy ink pens, and electrical home automobiles present they’re actually critical concerning the atmosphere.

Location

The resort is positioned on Kauai’s beautiful North Shore, proper on the famed Hanalei Bay. It’s a part of Princeville, a discreet improvement house to a Westin and a Wyndham, plus properties and condos, lots of that are trip leases. The city of Hanalei is about 10 minutes away and really charming. There are chill retailers, eating places, and markets, and it’s very walkable. The resort is a couple of 50-minute drive from Lihue Airport.

Easy methods to Get the Most Worth Out of Your Keep

1 Motels has its personal loyalty program, Mission by 1 Motels, though you possibly can’t earn free stays with it, solely perks. Members earn rewards with every keep that permit them to obtain sure advantages with every tier, and so they obtain Give Again money to assist fund environmental and social causes.