There are a select handful of hotels in this world that have such a zen-like quality that those familiar with them need not even be in residence to take refuge in their memory. The knowledge that they soldier on in perpetuity, just the way they've been left, ready to enchant future visitors, is supremely satisfying.

After checking out of the Grand Hyatt Kauai on the sunny south shore of the Garden Isle, it's comforting to know that the trade winds continue to waft through the stately columns of the open-air lobby with vistas down to the Pacific Ocean. It's pleasing to picture other guests sipping sunset cocktails to live music on Seaview Terrace or lazily lounging in swinging chairs dotted around the resort lagoons.

The hotel first opened as the Hyatt Regency in 1990, and I recall splashing in the resort pool as a child. Even then, the resort seemed more like a fantasy park than a beachfront hotel, with acres of garden pools and waterslides.

At a time when most Kauai hotels were built virtually on top of the beach, this one was different, owing to new environmental regulations requiring the property to be set back from the waterfront. It was this location that preserved the resort from the worst of the storm surge during 1992's Hurricane 'Iniki, which ravaged the island and closed other south shore resorts for several years.

With damage limited to the grounds and some peripheral buildings, the Hyatt was back in business after just six months. Refined by several refreshes and a brand change to Grand Hyatt in the mid-2000s, the resort stands as a timeless symbol of constancy in contrast to the steady stream of development that has characterized post-'Iniki Kauai.

Today, the resort has gone all-in on a sustainable footprint. Single-use water bottles in guest rooms have given way to a pair of branded reusable water bottles that can be filled at stations around the resort. Not only does this save waste, but it also aids hydration, which many visitors unaccustomed to the climate can overlook.

In the evenings, guests dine at the Italian Dondero's, where daily house-made plates of pasta accompany fresh local seafood and locally accented ingredients like a carbonara made with pork belly that's kiawe-smoked on-site. Sausage is also made in-house to include in crispy arancini that arrives at tables in a truffle-scented pyramid that gives way to a rich creamy center.

Fans of Pacific Rim cuisine can dine in thatched huts over the lagoon at Tidepools, where fresh catch features prominently in a variety of preparations both traditional and contemporary. This is also the place to get a good steak, or indulge and insist upon surf and turf. In either restaurant, guests will enjoy greens from the resort's on-site hydroponic garden.

Seaview Terrace near the main lobby offers light breakfast and an espresso bar, cocktails and live entertainment in the evening hours, and dinner with a casual menu with a dedicated keiki (kids) menu. For a full breakfast buffet or casual lunches, guests can head next door to Ilima Terrace to dine in a casual garden setting.

There are also three bars and daylight food service at the expansive pool area, with several tiered pools for families and a quiet pool for adults. There's also a saltwater lagoon near the oceanfront for guests who wish to partake in a swim when the surf at the neighboring Shipwreck Beach is high.

The waterslide my inner child fondly remembers is still there, although it's been much improved over the years. Today, the lazy river lined with lava rock walls for a tiki grotto effect is of much greater interest.

When it's time to relax, the arena-sized Anara Spa has outdoor lava rock showers and an outdoor whirlpool, a plunge pool, and sauna and steam in the men's and women's wet areas in addition to a dedicated co-ed lap pool. When it's time for a treatment, these are taken in garden hales (huts) with the sounds of verdant tropical fauna echoing throughout. There's also a full salon and fitness center; all are equipped with the spa's own Coco-Mango bath amenities, which are also found in the resort's guest rooms.

Guest rooms are dotted around the plantation-style building where attention even to corridor detail is apparent throughout, with warm earth tones and dark wood tables set between guest room doors.

Rooms and suites have lanais with pool, resort and ocean views, perfect for sunrises with in-room Nespresso coffee in hand. Sunsets might require an assist from the orchid and pair of pineapple-shaped Honolulu Cookie Company shortbreads bestowed upon pillows during turndown. Rooms are furnished in Hawaiian heritage style with gorgeously carved wood headboards and standard categories are quite spacious at 500 square feet. Marble baths and refrigerators round out the package.

Time on Kauai has a curious quality, managing to both suspend and disappear in the same moment. There's so much to occupy the time at this handsome, expansive resort that it feels virtually impossible to explore all the grounds in a single multi-day visit and still have time to venture off-site. Perhaps that's the design intent-to keep guests secure in the knowledge that the resort will remain long after their departure, patiently awaiting their return.

The Takeaway

Luxury without pretense, universally appealing amenities, exquisite dining and gracious, tenured staff put this fantastic resort handily in the ranks of the island's-and the world's-most beloved.

The Math

Rooms start at $450 per night plus taxes. A nightly resort fee of $40 plus tax applies and includes local and toll-free calls, an in-room safe, reusable logo tote bag, fitness center access, lei greeting, daily Hawaiian crafts, entertainment, fitness and yoga classes, bicycle use and other resort amenities.

Instagrammable Moment

There's virtually nothing here that won't look good on Instagram.

Loyalty

World of Hyatt.

Good to Know

The hotel offers free self-parking; valet is available for a fee.

For early arrivals and late departures, the hotel offers a hospitality lounge with showers and computers.

Beachside dining experiences can also be arranged in advance.

Grand Hyatt Kauai also operates a luau onsite on Wednesday and Sunday evenings. Advance reservations are recommended.

The author recognizes the importance of Hawaiian Language diacritical marks such as the kahako (macron), but some may have been omitted for web browser compatibility.

Accommodations were furnished by Kauai Visitor's Bureau in preparation for this story.

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