Best Things Nearby:
The beach, the town of Kapaa (walk to the right to resaurants, coffee shop, clothing and gift shops and a wonderful glass shop). Also, the Kapaa outdoor market(Thurs-Sun).
Best Things About the Resort:
It's right on the beach, heated pool, $5 lei making, shuffleboard, and putting green.
Resort Experience:
This was our first trip as timeshare owners and it was fabulous. It was comfortable and had all the necessary amenities of home. There were a few ants that showed up each day, but not enough to worry about. We were very lucky and got one of the best units in the resort. We were in a 2-bedroom corner unit on the 3rd floor of building D (oceanfront). Building C would also have been good and is slightly closer to the pool, but further from the parking lot. We could walk right out to the beach from our unit and there was an outdoor shower between C and D. The one thing I noticed about the beach (especially in front of the rock wall) is that there was a lot of trash that had washed up. I don't know if they have someone that periodically rakes the beach, but it was pretty bad when we were there.
The landscaping at the Pono Kai was very well kept up and there was a lovely Koi pond seen on the way to housekeeping where you could exchange your pool/beach towels once per day. The swimming pool was basic, but the kids still had a great time swimming there and always seemed to find someone else to play with. The kids also had fun with shuffle board and golfing on the putting green. Don't lose your room key - the fee is $25, as we found out when we lost ours. Luckily we found it later.
On Sundays and Thursdays they have the orientation by the pool where you can hear about different activities offered. The Sunday one includes about 45 minutes of entertainment, so leave about two hours to listen to everything. There are also more people at the Sunday orientation, as most people arrive on Saturday, so you are less likely to win a 2 for 1 door prize.
One other note, the Pono Kai gives you a $100 activity discount if you go to a timeshare presentation down the road (which took us almost three hours - if the kids wear their suits, they let them use the pool), but at the Kapaa outdoor market, there is a guy which said he could do a better deal for the same presentation. He gives discounts for every activity you want to do, so if you want to do a lot of activities, that would be the better way to go.
- Unit Type: 2 Bedroom
- Activities: Very Good
- Amenities: Excellent
- Unit Satisfaction: Very Good
- Family Friendliness: Excellent
- Service: Excellent