1 Hotel Hanalei Bay Review
Our Verdict
1 Hotel Hanalei Bay Review
Updated - 12/20/23
1 Hotel Hanalei Bay is a luxurious eco-conscious hotel located on the picturesque island of Kauai in Hawaii. The hotel is committed to sustainability and aims to connect guests with the natural world through its design, amenities, and services.
Up to $500 USD Resort Credit + Virtuoso Benefits
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See Details Below
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Up to $500 USD Resort Credit + Virtuoso Benefits - See Details Below -
Hanalei Bay is a breathtakingly beautiful natural bay located on the north shore of Kauai, one of the Hawaiian Islands. The bay is approximately two miles long and half a mile wide, and is surrounded by verdant mountains and lush tropical vegetation.
The bay's crystal-clear waters are perfect for swimming, snorkeling, and surfing, and the beach is an ideal spot for sunbathing and relaxing. The soft golden sand is ideal for a long walk, and beachgoers can enjoy stunning views of the mountains and the bay.
From the moment you drive up to 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay and step foot ini the sanctuary (lobby), you’re struck by the hotel's commitment to sustainability and the natural world. If you know one thing about 1 Hotels as a brand is they are know for sustainable luxury. The decor was minimalistic yet luxurious, with an emphasis on organic materials and earthy colors.
The resort is built into the hillside which is how they get around the Hawaiian rule of no buildings taller than the tallest coconut tree. While compact, the resort can be challenging to navigate until you get the hang of it. There are two sets of elevators. The first set you access in the Sanctuary which is located on the 9th floor. The gym and access to the adults-only pool are through these elevators in the sanctuary and are on level 8. If you want to go to the beachfront pool, you need to take the main elevators in the sanctuary down to level 5, walk down the hallway and then take another elevator down to level 1. See map below.
This review is based on our personal stay in March of 2023. And don’t forget, if you are planning to stay at 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay, when you book through Live Luxe Travel Co., you’ll receive complimentary benefits such as hotel/resort credits, daily breakfast, room upgrades and more.
For a limited time get an additional resort credit + Virtuoso Benefits. For stays up to 3 nights receive a $100 USD resort credit, for stays 3+ nights get a $400 USD resort credit, for stay of 5+ nights get a $1,00 USD resort credit. Must book by December 31, 2024 for stays from January 1, 2024 - December 31, 2024 (blackout dates apply).
Our Room
During our stay at 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay we stayed in one of the One Bedroom Suites. These suites features a separate bedroom and living room. They also have access to the toilet and a sink that is separate from the bedroom and bathroom.
The large picturesque windows offer breathtaking views of Hanalei Bay and offer the perfect place to cozy up and relax.
The bathroom features lost of organic and sustainable materials such as wood, metal and stone. A majority of the bathroom walls are built from lava rock, after all you are in Hawaii.
The showers are large and equipped with rain showerheads, providing a luxurious spa-like experience. The use of natural materials such as stone and wood creates a peaceful and calming environment.
And the best feature of our room was the gorgeous lava rock freestanding soaking tub.
The hotel provides organic bath products that are free from harmful chemicals, ensuring a pure and rejuvenating experience. The towels and bathrobes are made from organic cotton, adding to the eco-conscious philosophy of the hotel.
1 Hotel Hanaleai Bay just like every other 1 Hotel eats, sleeps and breathes sustainability. Sustainability here is not just some marketing buzz-word. Sustainability is at the heart of everything the resort does. You can read more about 1 Hotels commitment to sustainability, here. In fact, you won’t find any single use plastics in any of the guest rooms. You’re given metal water bottles in your room and there is a filtered water tap in every room for drinking water. Our water tap was in the countertop in the living room next to the Nespresso machine.
One of the standout features is that all of the roofs are living so there is no ugly roofs to look at. This is good for the environment as it’s reducing carbon-dioxide and the living roofs help save energy costs. And if you look closely you’ll find a vegetable and herb garden that the chef uses to source ingredients from.
Amenities
The hotel's amenities were also top-notch. I loved spending time at the beachfront pool, which offered stunning views of the bay. The fitness center (powered by Alchemy) was well-equipped (even had several Peloton bikes), and offers a variety of classes, including yoga, while the spa offers a range of treatments designed to promote relaxation and rejuvenation.
If mind and movement is your thing Anatomy fitness studio offers a spectrum of workouts, all informed by wellness practitioners and trainers. Group cycling, high-intensity whole-body workouts, sunrise meditation, breathwork and posture alignment, barre without the bar, kickboxing, Pranic healing, personal training, and beyond.
The resort features two pool areas, the beachfront pool which is for families and the adults-only infinity edge pool and jacuzzi.
During our stay we spent time at both pools and both offered a great place to relax, soak up the sun and spend time with one another. Both pools offer cabanas and pool-side food and beverage service.
There is certainly something for everyone with a full calendar of outdoor experiences, wellness experiences, and opportunities to explore the wondrous nature of Kaua’i. You’ll find everything from cooking to fitness, wildlife, music, arts and more.
And lastly the spa. 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay features a Bramford Wellness Spa. Bamford Wellness is a spa devoted to nurturing the mind, body and spirit. Our holistic approach is based around a heartfelt connection with nature.
While we didn’t have a treatment during our stay, but we did visit the spa and used the steam and sauna in the locker room. All of the amenities of the spa including the locker rooms and the relaxation lounge were well equipped and beautifully designed.
Dining
Welcome to a foodie haven. 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay features 7 food and beverage outlets so you certainly won’t experience fatigue on eating the same things during your stay.
We enjoyed dinner at 1 Kitchen (the main restaurant serving breakfast and dinner). The dinner we had was made from the freshest and most local ingredients. We ordered a bunch of things to share including the Milk Bread, Hamachi Crudo, New Wave Island Half Chicken (like Hawaiian BBQ chicken), and Brussels Sprouts. All of the dishes were great, the chicken was absolutely incredible. We were also celebrating a birthday, and to our surprise at the end of our meal they brought out a small birthday cake.
For more casual mornings, we enjoyed grabbing coffee, smoothies and small bites from Neighbors. Neighbors is an all-day café, market and communal gathering spot for guests and locals. This made for every leisurely and relaxing mornings after sleeping in and getting our sweat on.
And lastly you must eat at Welina Terrace. It’s known for the best sunset on Kaua’i and the food, ambiance and live entertainment lived up to the hype. The menu is modern Japanese and the sushi was excellent.
The food and beverage offering at the Sandbox down at the beachfront pool is quite good as we enjoyed tacos and margaritas when our pool day got rained out.
Service
While it’s hard to know what to expect service wise from a newly re-imagined luxury resort, we were pleasantly surprised as to how good the service was. Not saying there isn’t room for improvement, but overall the service levels experienced during our stay with housekeeping, waitstaff, bellman and everyone was warm, friendly and helpful.
Overall Impression
It’s worth noting that 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay is the only luxury resort on Kaua’i without resort fees or parking fees for guests. In the luxury space is easy to feel like you’re being nickled and dimed for every little thing. This is not the case at 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay.
This is easily the nicest most luxurious resort on the whole island of Kauai and rivals some of the competitors on other neighboring islands.
We can’t wait to return to this lifestyle luxury hotel after they have had some time to get everything up and running and all the activations going.
Extra Perks
And don’t forget, when you book 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay with Live Luxe Travel Co., you’ll receive a $100 USD equivalent resort credit (once per stay) to use on dining or spa treatments, daily breakfast for two and a room upgrade (if available at the time of check-in).
For a limited time get an additional resort credit + Virtuoso Benefits. For stays of 5+ nights get a $500 USD resort credit. That’s in addition to the the rest of our perks including daily breakfast for two, a room upgrade, if available at check-in and a welcome amenity.