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The ISO

3.0 (87 reviews)
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The sounds of the waves at night 3
Bryan D.

The ISO was sooo lovely. In my opinion, the large hotel companies, though very nice, don't capture the true feel of what Kauai has to offer. The ISO is quaint, but spot-on for what we wanted for a cozy, home-y feel. Great staff, complimentary grab-and-go breakfast, yoga, amazing location, water dispenser, bikes for borrowing. Oh, how I miss this place so much.

Joey W.

The only nice thing about this hotel is all the rooms have views of the ocean. It's more of a motel than hotel. The interior of the room is very bricky so it feels like you're in a dorm room. There aren't a lot of lights in the room so it can be dim. The room didn't feel super clean and the room had a lot of areas with rust. They do have fresh grab and go breakfast in the morning. They serve cereal, muffins, danishes, yogurt and apples.

Not very romantic having two beds when we are a couple who booked the reservation last year WELL IN ADVANCE
Cecilia M.

The cost to stay here is fairly reasonable, especially since you get some gorgeous views of the ocean. I reserved an Oceanfront room, and honestly, that is not what we got and not what we paid for. An Oceanfront would provide a more direct view of the ocean. What we got would qualify for an Oceanview. It actually appears that none of the rooms are really Oceanfront. Please remove the Oceanfront from your advertising because they are NOT Oceanfront. They are Oceanview and partial Oceanview rooms at best. The other issue I have is that the room was booked way in advance and reserved back in 2022. I requested a king bed. Upon arrival, I was informed they could only provide a room with two double beds. They had a king-size bed, but that meant getting an Oceanview instead. I was informed they do not guarantee the bedding. That is disheartening when the room was booked quite some time in advance. I didn't want my partner and I split up into two beds! The hotel has a restaurant connected to it that opens for dinner that has been open since 1973. We did not eat there but prices seemed expensive. It is convenient if you want a nice dinner looking at the ocean and not have to drive somewhere, though. Both the restaurant and the hotel seem dated. No elevators! If you are traveling with luggage, be prepared to haul it up the stairs if you stay on a higher floor. The bathroom had cracks in the wall. The shower handle was loose. Towel rack fell down from hanging a towel on it. Bed and pillows hard. The screen door was hard to open and close and even had a hole near the screen handle. No "do not disturb" sign found in the room, but luckily, I don't think anyone entered our room. There is no table inside the room if you want to eat or have coffee. There is a fridge with a coffee maker on top of it. There is no telephone in the room. No microwave in the room, but they have a community one in the lobby. Soaps provided smelled wonderful. There is a pool but no hot tub. Chairs seem old that are by the pool and facing ocean. The beach towels provided to us were old and didn't feel soft and plush. If you plan on doing anything in the ocean like snorkeling or swimming, I suggest driving to a different beach. This beach is too rocky for those activities. If you want to sunbathe, then you're good. There is a fire pit lit up before dusk, which was a nice touch. I like the ability to use bicycles, and you just sign a waiver and return the bikes when done. You can request a bike lock, but there are no helmets. The bike riding was my favorite perk of the stay. You are provided plastic water bottles that can be refilled with free water, also found in the lobby. There is grab and go breakfast provided in the morning, starting at 7am with prepackaged muffins and danishes, granola bars, fruits, yogurt, cereal, milk, and juices. Group yoga is also provided. We did not participate, but I did see it from the balcony. They had workers cleaning the pool and sweeping the area while the group did yoga. Idk I wouldn't want to hear or see all that when trying to zen out, but that's just me. Let me also mention that you will see many chickens and roosters roaming around. You might not need to set a morning alarm because you will hear crowing around 5 am lol just a warning. The stairway leading to our unit was next to the place where the towels are cleaned and a distressed area behind the dumpsters. This was just an eyesore to me. The housekeepers are nice anytime I bumped into them, though. Another thing is that if they're cleaning a room, you will see trash piled into the walkway, so this is also an eyesore. The walkway is skinny, so I had to walk around Q-tips, empty cans, and bags of trash. I interacted with three different ladies in the lobby, and they all seemed nice. Honestly, if you're looking for a place to stay on a budget, this is okay, but don't expect anything luxurious from it. The resort fee is ridiculous considering how old the place is and in my eyes, it just covers the use of a pool, the breakfast, and yoga that you may or may not utilize.

Delaina F.

We love this hotel. It is not a 5 star place, but I rate ot because it's perfect. Kauai is charming and not luxury. This hotel is Kauai. The pool is beautiful and on the beach. They have a good dinner. The bread is great. Breakfast was pastries. I love that they have water in the office and refillable water bottles

Sally W.

Such a horrible place to stay Carol at front desk was rude won't look you in the eye asked to store luggage and she said no and I'm not going to look out for it covid is the reason so if you had plans you have to wait till 3.00pm so didn't offer pool towels to sit at pool. Said helicopter ride instead I don't think she likes her job and not a happy camper I hope she comes to business so I give everything she wants

Just outside our room.
Dena C.

The staff was extremely kind. Was a beautiful view and right on the beach. Not fancy but clean and near restaurants and shopping. Can't wait to bring the kids and grandkids.

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Lori at the front desk was super helpful and friendly. Thank you for taking good care of us. We are enjoying our stay very much!

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Ask the Community - The ISO

Is there an onsite gym?

No, there is not. However, there is a walk/bike path and free bike rentals.

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Review Highlights - The ISO

In my opinion, the large hotel companies, though very nice, don't capture the true feel of what Kauai has to offer.

Mentioned in 18 reviews

Read more highlights

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Hilton Garden Inn Kauai Wailua Bay - Hilton Garden Inn Kauai Wailua Bay - Pool

Hilton Garden Inn Kauai Wailua Bay

(386 reviews)

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Very middle of the road hotel for Kawaii, works in a pinch for the budget. Of note: pools are…read moremediocre at best and cold, hot tub was alright but out of service one afternoon. Nice location next to Lydgate Beach park and an amazing playground area if you have little ones. Tiki Bar is pretty meh food wise, Garden Grill has a good breakfast though. Rooms are pretty spotty. First one we got was very run down but we switched to a slightly more modern one that was better. Specifically need to shout out to their employee Curt - dude is by far the best hotel employee I've ever encountered. He was amazing, helping us with our bags, then helping again to switch rooms, entertaining my 2.5 year old, giving him multiple presents for no reason and allowing him to feed the fish. He was so kind and funny and just the best. Without him, our experience would have been much less memorable.

4/29/26: Weeeellllll, this place ia the motel 6 of Hiltons. This hotel should NOT be classified as…read morea "Hilton" property. We were locked out of our room (cottage 3121) for forty five minutes yesterday, because the battery to the outside door lock died. Then, later that evening, we had to call maintenance again because the inside lock is broken. 4/30/26: we decided the price was not worth this crap hole. When we went to check out and cancel our week reservation, they didn't even try to remedy any situation. We are Diamond Hilton member's and there are pretty much zero perks for us loyal customers. Still had to pay $25 a day for parking! Like....come on. Pro: bed was comfy We ended up booking a airbnb instead. So we'll be paying a little more for our trip, but its worth it. I would seriously avoid this property if you can. But if you are on a budget, it might be okay. Make sure to look at all of the reviews!!!!

Kauai Shores Hotel - 2 beds suite

Kauai Shores Hotel

(350 reviews)

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Everything about this hotel was great except for the parking…read more The lot is very small and if you come back after 7pm, you probably won't find a parking spot. The valet is free though. They just encourage you to tip the valet every time. The rooms were spacious and clean. The lanai (balcony) was great also. We stayed on the 2nd floor and my kids would sit and eat outside thanks to the amazing Kauai weather. I like the filtered water dispenser machines throughout the property. We didn't have to buy water because we re-used the water bottles they gave us. There's a restaurant on the property that we did not get to try. The hotel is located on the beach also. Too bad the waves were too rough so we did not go in the water there. There are 2 pools and 1 hot tub. You can also rent free bikes to bike around the property. The front desk person said there's a bike trail we can bike for a few miles. This hotel is only about 10 min from Lihue Airport also.

Overall: 9/10…read more PARKING: The lot is small, but they have complimentary valet, so it's no issue. They even have a free text message program where you just click on the link to retrieve your car, they will get it for you while you are walking to the valet circle. Reduces time and inefficiency, great perk!! HOTEL: It is not a part of a larger hotel chain or corporation. The buildings are old and retrofitted, but honestly I am picky with hotels, and this place is great. It is on the beach, maybe not a good idea to go for a swim on that shoreline, but just being so close to the ocean is wonderful. Each room has a quiet AC unit, and a ceiling fan. They offer Kauai Coffee K-Cups to use in the Keurig in your room. Includes disposable hot cups, little creamer cups, and sugars. All rooms have mini fridges. They have a handful of kitchenette rooms if you needed a sink, bigger fridge, and microwave. All rooms have a lanai, the 1st floors have a lanai that leads directly to the lawn or pool area outside your building. There are 2 pools, 1 hot tub, and fire pit, lawn games, and beach cruiser bikes you can borrow (for free!!) to cruise around by the hotel. There are free filtered water stations around the property. There is even a free photo booth in the corner of the lobby, and it prints out 2 strips of 3 photos, so retro! The Lava Lava Restaurant is on site, and a good option. NEARBY: The hotel is also located next to Coconut Marketplace which includes a large general store (it's the same company as ABC stores) but they also have prepared foods, coffee bar, and smoothie bar. There are also restaurants over there to choose from, and small shops to browse. Just past that shopping center, there is also a Long's Drugs (aka: CVS) if you want to go for a long stroll.

Waipouli Beach Resort & Spa Kauai by Outrigger - Sunrise Greeters

Waipouli Beach Resort & Spa Kauai by Outrigger

(179 reviews)

This was our first visit to the island of Kauai and wanted to stay in an area on the east side of…read morethe island. After looking at prices and reviews we decided on this location. We arrived early in the day so we're not able to get into our room but the staff held our luggage and recommended a few places to eat and watch football. Once able to get into our room which was on the 3rd floor looking over the pool area but far enough away from the noise. The room was quite large with a great kitchen area with granite counter tops and nice appliances. Also a large bathroom with tub and separate shower area as well as two toilets. It was a one bedroom. There was a small lanai off the bedroom and you could open the sliding door from the living room. There was also a washer/dryer in the room. The view from the room looked over the whole pool area which has a winding pool that you can walk around over to the main pool. They also had gas grills to use and many people did. One note is if you open the sliding door in the living room area and don't match up the line in the top of the doors, the air conditioning doesn't go on. We thought the air conditioning quit. After calling the front office someone came within an hour. Told us about the line. We also had an issue with the washer and after a call to the front desk a maintenance person was there within an hour. The staff we interacted with were very friendly and very helpful. Giving us recommendations for a place for fresh fish to grill. There is also a small restaurant which we tried a few nights for some drinks and appetizers. The views of the ocean are great. There are also chairs to sit on the beach area and enjoy the water. The beach is not large but very clean and nice to relax at. There is a shopping center across the street to buy things for the condo. We will stay here again next time in the area.

Beautiful, spacious condo with two master suites and 3 bathrooms. Views are gorgeous from the…read morebalconIES. It's a newer 2005 property that is well-maintained and our condo G302 had access to the most gorgeous sunrises. Beach is not recommended for swimming, but the complex has a beautiful pool that the kiddies will love. I appreciate having a well-appointed kitchen that gives you a lot of flexibility in planning your day. Safeway is conveniently across the street.

Waipouli Beach Resort - Hibiscus in the garden

Waipouli Beach Resort

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This is the beach to catch the most amazing sunrises!…read more The sounds of the waves plus the picturesque scenery makes the place ideal.

I wish I could give zero stars…read more Our stay started off on the wrong foot, and unfortunately, it set the tone for the rest of our trip. We checked in, and right away, the room wasn't impressive. There was a strange scent lingering in the air--like something was being covered up with multiple plug-ins. Everything felt dated: the furniture, the decor. The kitchen looked decent with updated appliances, but that was about it. We tried to brush it off and went to the pool (which looked much smaller in person than in the photos), then came back to the room. That's when the real nightmare began. My youngest daughter went to take a shower in one of the bathrooms. Moments later, I hear screaming. I run in and see sewage--yes, actual dark, smelly sewage--coming up from the shower drain. My daughter is crying, I'm shaking, and the stench is overwhelming. We immediately called the front desk, and someone was sent to "unblock" it. I begged the manager to move us to another room due to the smell and potential health hazard, and all he said was: "There are no rooms. You can check out, or stay and we'll send housekeeping." Excuse me? This isn't a spilled drink--they're talking about cleaning up sewage with a mop? I asked if they planned to professionally decontaminate the area, and the answer was no. Just their regular housekeeper. It wasn't until I was clearly desperate--three kids, nighttime, a trip we booked months ago--that they finally offered to send us to their sister hotel for one night. But we'd have to pack up, drive there, then return the next day--basically waste precious time and energy. This was a special occasion trip. We paid extra for an ocean view, and it was supposed to be an anniversary celebration. And to make things worse, nobody seemed to care. The manager responded with a condescending tone like I was overreacting. He actually said, "These things happen once in a blue moon." Okay--then have a plan for when they do! It honestly felt like he thought he was doing me a favor by offering a one-night refund or a small room at a different hotel. No real apology. No accountability. Just a lot of shrugging and gaslighting. We ended up staying, but were only refunded for one night. The second bathroom was out of commission (we didn't feel safe using it), so our whole family had to share one shower for the rest of the trip. The awful smell never fully left the room. Also--the in-unit washer and dryer? The washer smelled horrible, was full of sand, and looked like it had mold in the plastic lining. Just gross. This whole experience left a horrible taste in our mouths. I honestly don't understand how this place is being managed. If the rooms are owned by individuals and managed by this hotel group, do the owners even know how badly things are being handled? What was supposed to be a beautiful anniversary trip with our kids turned into one of the worst travel experiences we've ever had. Stay far, far away from this place!!!

The ISO - hotels - Updated May 2026

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