HotelChatter

As rooms go, mine was spotless, spacious, and comfortable, with a casual island motif, huge glass picture windows and a lanai just steps from the water.  Waking up on my king size bed meant raising my head three inches off the pillow to witness the sun rising over the pounding surf of Wainiha Bay, then indulging in an early morning tide pooling session in front of my room.  

When I needed a good, trashy beach read for Hanalei's numerous, largely unpopulated (and often unswimmable, due to treacherous currents, so be forewarned) beaches, I went to the resort's office to borrow from their library of donated books.  When I needed coffee to fire myself up to hike a portion of the famously treacherous but breathtaking Kalalau Trail, I walked the 50 feet from my room to Napali Coffee House & Art Gallery.  There's even free internet access, yoga classes, Tunnels restaurant and bar and Hanalei Day Spa (both separately owned but on the property), beachside massage, a pool, resident dogs and cats, a damned authentic weekly luau put on by Hanalei's Tahiti Nui restaurant, and free happy hour drink vouchers redeemable at Tunnels.

One big time downer; maid service is only twice weekly, so be sure to remove yo' slippahs befo' you enter da room, haole, and just ask the office for anything extra you might require, such as beach towels. Daily maid service costs extra. Yuck. So if you are a slob, or go on vacation simply to make sure you don't have to think about keeping a room clean, the Hanalei probably isn't for you.

Hanalei town itself is an adorable hamlet with shops and restaurants and outdoor outfitters offering kayaking excursions and snorkeling trips, but you can easily while away a week in the area just exploring the beaches and jungle.   And don't miss the Hanalei farmers market, every Tuesday from 2 to 4pm, featuring all manner of tropical produce from the area's organic farms.

Laurel Miller is a food writer for the Oakland Tribune. Her stay at Hanalei Colony Resort was gratis.