# Where to stay on Kauai with kids Written 2026-10-10 by Play Day. Kauai resorts, hotels and condos for a family, by side of the island: Poipu's waterslides and kitchens, Lihue near the airport, Kapaa on the east shore and Princeville's villas on the north. 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](https://ourplayday.com/places/koloa-landing-resort-at-poipu-kauai) Area: Poipu Villas around the biggest pool complex on the island, with slides for the older kids and a splash zone for the small ones. - Suites: Yes - Kitchenette: Yes - Pool: Yes - Splash pad: Yes - Laundry: Yes ### [Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort and Spa](https://ourplayday.com/places/grand-hyatt-kauai-resort-spa-kauai) Area: 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. - Pool: Yes ### [Kiahuna Plantation Resort by Outrigger](https://ourplayday.com/places/kiahuna-plantation-resort-kauai-by-outrigger-kauai) Area: 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 - Airport shuttle: No ### [Sheraton Kauai Resort](https://ourplayday.com/places/sheraton-kauai-resort-kauai) Area: 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. - Pool: Yes ### [Whalers Cove Resort](https://ourplayday.com/places/whalers-cove-resort-kauai) Area: 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. - Suites: Yes - Kitchenette: Yes - Pool: Yes - Laundry: Yes ## Lihue, near the airport ### [The Royal Sonesta Kauai Resort Lihue](https://ourplayday.com/places/the-royal-sonesta-kauai-resort-lihue-kauai) Area: 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). - Suites: Yes - Pool: Yes - Airport shuttle: Yes ### [Marriott's Kauai Beach Club](https://ourplayday.com/places/marriott-s-kauai-beach-club-kauai) Area: 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. - Suites: Yes - Kitchenette: Yes - Pool: Yes - Airport shuttle: Yes ### [Marriott's Kauai Lagoons, Kalanipu'u](https://ourplayday.com/places/marriott-s-kauai-lagoons-kalanipuu-kauai) Area: 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. - Suites: Yes - Kitchenette: Yes - Pool: Yes ### [Outrigger Kauai Beach Resort and Spa](https://ourplayday.com/places/outrigger-kauai-beach-resort-spa-kauai) Area: 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. - Suites: Yes - Pool: 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](https://ourplayday.com/places/waipouli-beach-resort-spa-kauai-by-outrigger-kauai) Area: 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. - Suites: Yes - Kitchenette: Yes - Pool: Yes - Airport shuttle: No ### [Kauai Shores Hotel](https://ourplayday.com/places/kauai-shores-hotel-kauai) Area: 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. - 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](https://ourplayday.com/places/1-hotel-hanalei-bay-kauai) Area: 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. - Kitchenette: Yes - Pool: Yes ### [The Westin Princeville Ocean Resort Villas](https://ourplayday.com/places/the-westin-princeville-ocean-resort-villas-kauai) Area: 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. - Suites: Yes - Kitchenette: Yes - Pool: Yes - Laundry: Yes - Airport shuttle: No ### [Club Wyndham Bali Hai Villas](https://ourplayday.com/places/club-wyndham-bali-hai-villas-kauai) Area: 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. - Suites: Yes - Kitchenette: Yes - Pool: Yes - Laundry: Yes Page: https://ourplayday.com/guides/united-states/hawaii/kauai/family-hotels