Where to stay on Kauai with kids
Written October 2026
Free-range chickens stroll through every parking lot on Kauai, and the pace of the island matches. It's the Garden Isle, with waterfalls and the Na Pali cliffs, and kids get beaches that are each a different kind of day.
Poipu to Hanalei is about an hour and a quarter by car, and the shores are different places anyway. The south shore at Poipu is the sunniest, with the calmest water for small kids and the resorts with the waterslides. Lihue has the airport, Kapaa on the east side is the budget middle, and Princeville on the north is the greenest.
A first trip with a toddler belongs in Poipu, and for a kitchen and a washer the condos on every side beat the hotels.
Poipu, the south shore
The island's best resort pools, and a sheltered toddler pool at Poipu Beach Park.
Koloa Landing Resort at Poipu
Poipu
Villas around the biggest pool complex on the island, with slides for the older kids and a splash zone for the small ones.
- Cribs
- Yes
- Suites
- Yes
- Kitchenette
- Yes
- Pool
- Yes
- Laundry
- Yes
Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort and Spa
Poipu
The classic Kauai resort, with a lazy river and pools at several levels, in gardens with paths and room to walk a stroller. The saltwater lagoon has a sandy beach for kids who aren't ready for surf.
- Cribs
- Yes
- Fridge
- Yes
- Pool
- Yes
Kiahuna Plantation Resort by Outrigger
Poipu
Low plantation-style buildings on lawns that run down to a swimmable beach. It's the closest Poipu gets to a beach house. There's laundry on site, and a waterslide pool across the road.
- Suites
- Yes
- Kitchenette
- Yes
- Pool
- No
- Laundry
- Yes
Sheraton Kauai Resort
Poipu
Right on Poipu Beach, and we think it has the best spot on the south shore. Poipu Beach Park is a walk along the coast, and there are two pools, one on the ocean side.
- Cribs
- Yes
- Fridge
- Yes
- Pool
- Yes
Whalers Cove Resort
Poipu
The condos are big, two bedrooms each, with a quiet pool above the water. The cove below is for turtle watching, and Poipu Beach is a few minutes' drive.
- Cribs
- No
- Suites
- Yes
- Fridge
- Yes
- Kitchenette
- Yes
- Pool
- Yes
- Laundry
- Yes
Lihue, near the airport
The Royal Sonesta Kauai Resort Lihue
Kalapaki Beach, Lihue
On Kalapaki Beach, a bay protected enough for boogie boards and wading, with one of the biggest pools in Hawaii and a shallow kids' pool with its own slide. It's the closest resort to the airport (you'll appreciate that after a long flight with a toddler).
- Cribs
- Yes
- Suites
- Yes
- Fridge
- Yes
- Pool
- Yes
Marriott's Kauai Beach Club
Kalapaki Beach, Lihue
Next door to the Royal Sonesta, sharing its Kalapaki grounds, bay and big pool, with a kids' pool of its own. The vacation-club villas are roomier than a hotel room.
- Cribs
- No
- Suites
- Yes
- Fridge
- Yes
- Kitchenette
- Yes
- Pool
- Yes
- Waterslide
- Yes
Marriott's Kauai Lagoons, Kalanipu'u
Lihue
Two- and three-bedroom villas with laundry and a two-level pool, on the golf course above Kalapaki, and big enough for two families sharing. The beach is a shuttle or a short drive down the hill.
- Cribs
- No
- Suites
- Yes
- Fridge
- Yes
- Kitchenette
- Yes
- Pool
- Yes
- Waterslide
- Yes
Outrigger Kauai Beach Resort and Spa
North of Lihue
A few minutes north of the airport, on a beach that's long and mostly empty. There's a waterslide for riders 42 inches and up, and the pools include a lagoon pool and a sandy-bottom one for small kids.
- Cribs
- Yes
- Suites
- Yes
- Fridge
- Yes
- Pool
- Yes
- Waterslide
- Yes
Kapaa, the east shore
The middle of the island, with the coastal bike path and the most restaurants per block.
Waipouli Beach Resort and Spa by Outrigger
Kapaa
A river pool with flume slides and sand-bottom sections, and condo kitchens for the meals you'd rather not eat out. The supermarket is next door.
- Cribs
- No
- Suites
- Yes
- Fridge
- Yes
- Kitchenette
- Yes
- Pool
- Yes
- Waterslide
- Yes
Kauai Shores Hotel
Kapaa
A motel-style hotel on the shore, with two pools and a lawn for games by the beach. The studios have kitchenettes, and it's good if you want Kauai on a budget and don't mind driving to the beaches.
- Cribs
- Yes
- Fridge
- Yes
- Kitchenette
- Yes
- Pool
- Yes
Princeville, the north shore
Hanalei Bay is calm in summer, and from October to April the surf is the show.
1 Hotel Hanalei Bay
Princeville
The former St. Regis, on the cliff above Hanalei Bay and rebuilt with a natural look. Some rooms have kitchenettes, there are two pools, and Seedlings, the nature-based program for kids, takes them out into the gardens for part of the day.
- Cribs
- Yes
- Connecting rooms
- Yes
- Fridge
- Yes
- Kitchenette
- Yes
- Pool
- Yes
The Westin Princeville Ocean Resort Villas
Princeville
Big villas on the cliff edge, and one of the pools has a sandy beach entry. Hanalei and Anini beaches are a short drive.
- Cribs
- No
- Suites
- Yes
- Fridge
- Yes
- Kitchenette
- Yes
- Pool
- Yes
- Laundry
- Yes
Club Wyndham Bali Hai Villas
Princeville
Vacation-club condos inland in Princeville, with laundry in each and two pools, one with a kiddie area. The north-shore beaches are all close.
- Cribs
- No
- Suites
- Yes
- Fridge
- Yes
- Kitchenette
- Yes
- Pool
- Yes
- Laundry
- Yes
More in Kauai
Do you need a car on Kauai with kids?Photo credits
Poipu Beach Park from the air, Kauai: Polihale (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa: tdlucas5000 from Lakewood Ca., United States (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Poipu Beach, Kauai: dronepicr (CC BY 2.0) · Sheraton Kauai Resort: Tony Webster (CC BY 2.0) · Poipu Beach at golden hour, Kauai: dronepicr (CC BY 2.0) · The Royal Sonesta Kauai Resort Lihue: Tony Webster (CC BY 2.0) · Marriott's Kauai Beach Club: Tony Webster (CC BY 2.0) · Kalapaki Beach, Lihue: Tony Webster (CC BY-SA 2.0) · OUTRIGGER Kauai Beach Resort & Spa: Christopher from Salem, OR, USA (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Kapaa Beach Park, Kauai: Travis.Thurston (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Sunrise at Kapaa Beach Park, Kauai: Kevin.Daniels (CC BY 3.0) · 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay: Tony Webster (CC BY 2.0) · The Westin Princeville Ocean Resort Villas: Tony Webster (CC BY 2.0) · The Princeville coast, Kauai: dronepicr (CC BY 2.0)