Jackpot! The Hotel Coral Reef was everything we could have hoped for and much, much more. After much research we decided that Kauai would be the ideal island for us to visit and that the Kapaa area would be the most centrally located area to base our daily activities. We discovered Hotel Coral Reef through Trip Adviser and noted that the guest comments were outstanding ever since the renovations were completed in 2007. After visiting their web site we booked a room for a week. It's a week that we'll never forget.
The oceanfront suite, with a lanai, was picture perfect. The room provided all the amenities we could want, from a refrigerator to a safe, from a king size bed to a jacuzzi. Waking up to a Pacific sunrise is a wonderful experience, especially with the music of the nearby surf. Our 3-mile morning walk was along the beautiful pathway that follows the ocean and provides stunning scenery. This path was mere steps from our room.
We didn't want to book in a "name" resort complex because of price, size, and the impersonal corporate environment. The Coral Reef is perfect for our kind of travel, as it has affordable rates, is relatively small (20 suites?) and has a very warm and friendly staff. The proprietors, Rhonda and George, were extremely helpful and generous in providing us with information and booking specials for various activities such as luaus and sunset catamaran cruises. Now we're privileged to consider them our friends. We exchanged many hugs at the end of our trip, including one with our wonderful housekeeper.
After driving daily to the many beautiful destinations of Kauai, it's a pleasure to return to the room and enjoy a beverage or two on the lanai. A real bonus is that there are several fine places to eat just a stroll away, making driving unnecessary. You have all the advantages of being at the edge of an historic town, but as soon as you emerge from the parking lot you become immersed in the beauty of nature on what seems to be a remote part of the island. The location is perfect. During our week of touring Kauai, we never once saw a place that we would rather stay than the Coral Reef. If you are good and friendly people who love to get the full experience of both the sites and the local people when you travel, you'll find a home at the Hotel Coral Reef.