Ok this is my second try. I first one ended in an error in which I lost my lengthy review. I was so irritated, it took a few days before I even wanted to try again. I hope it works this time or I probably just won't do a review. So here goes.
I traveled with my wife and 3 boys (2-8). We were looking for a large place that my youngest can take a nap and not force us to tip-toe around his crib. We booked a 2 bedroom 3 bath oceanfront room through Costco. This would have the same advantages (or disadvantages) as booking through the Outrigger. There is some debate over what is a better value. I can't answer this because I did not research into booking through a private owner. There are only 3 things that I can think of that differ. First, you cannot not make room charges if you went through a private owner. Room charges are convenient when you are poolside and perhaps the spa. Second, is having daily cleaning service, but you can purchase this through private owners (some may have this lumped into their price). Third, you are not assigned a room until you arrive. With private owners, you should know what you are getting.
Area
This is an older part of Kauai, so the surrounding areas do not look as new or nice as the resort. That includes the 2 neighboring condos. But there are many eating and shopping options within walking distance, which I think will really attract those that chose a condo over a hotel. Two supermarkets and a drug store makes life easier. Even a Starbucks.
Resort in general
Ok, I would not personally call this a "resort." There just aren't enough amenities by my definition. The pool is resort quality. Dinning, on the other hand, is not. Breakfast is not served and all food is cooked in the snack shack, so the restaurant area prepares the drinks but has the food is brought in from the shack about 15 yards away in the pool area. I will speak more on the restaurant later. I did not do the spa thing, but it did look small and not as plush as most spas I have seen. Workout room is laughable (more later). Over-
all we were very happy with the place. By far the best part is the room itself. We do not fall under the "don't stay in our room" category. This area is very important to us. Unlike most resorts, this one has no kids club or anything of the sort.
Room
Our oceanfront first floor room was fantastic. There was plenty of room for a family of 5. Three flat screen tv's, 1 for each room, nice granite counters, very comfortable beds, and the appliances are so nice, they deserve a section of their own. My room was very far from the street so the noise was not an issue. I think mostly building D mountain views will have that problem.
Appliances
It seems odd to mentioning this in detail, but cooking and washing our clothes was important to us. The front load washer and dryer was great. Fast, quiet and efficient. The kitchen is supplied with most things you need to cook, clean, bbq, and even bake. My wife baked some ready made cookie dough. Great coffee maker with daily ground refills. A toaster, blender, microwave and a small rice cooker. Of course, all the plates, cups, pots, pans and utensils.
Pool
Great pool. The lazy river is not really that lazy. There is no current that takes you around and returns you. So you can't be too lazy if you want to go from one end to the other. The sandy bottom area is great for toddlers to wade in and play. 2 adult jucuzzi's, and 1 open, which is not as hot. All with sandy bottoms. The two slides are entry level. Great for kids up to 10? But older kids will probably prefer something bigger and faster. Towel service is from a small closet. You may laugh, but it is not much bigger than your average closet. There are no pool toys or goggles available for purchase.
Food
As I mentioned earlier, all the food is cooked in the snack shop, so don't expect gourmet food. The food is however, good. Hamburgers, wraps, fried foods, a very limited selection. The drink options or far greater and more attractive. Only desserts offered are shave ice (marginal) and Otter Pops. Yes, I know there are numerous off-site options, but I want to focus more on the resort. The restaurant is more of a bar and sitting area, which seems to work fine. Happy hours are 4-6 pm.
Beach
Nice but short stretch. I think of it as 2 smaller stretches divided by a short rock jetty. Looking towards the ocean, the stretch on the left is rocky and not good for swimming or wading. To the right is a much sandier spot. Waves were not any worse than the beaches in Southern California. When I was there, the waves were not big enough to even boogie board. Great for sitting or wading. Not hard to find a chair and even some umbrellas to sit under. I tried to fish a bit but had no luck.
Spa/gym
Can't comment on the spa too much other than it did look small and limited. There was only a small workout room with no windows. Just pathetic. 4 exercise bikes that did not match. 1 cable machine, 1 weight bench (no free weights), and 1 situp bench. A couple small tv's. That's it. None of the equipment matched and looked older than the hotel. I seems that the workout room was an after thought. Maybe 800 sq/ft of "patheticness". See picture.
Koi Pond
Small but nice. Fish feeding at 9:00 am daily. This about the only kids program.
Internet
The website said wired access, so I brought my wireless router. They must have upgraded since their posting because they did indeed have free wireless internet.
I think that is it. We had a great time on the resort. Feel free to contact me with specific questions.
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC