By: All-Travel Consultant, Bobbie Abood
My husband and I did a hard hat inspection of the St Regis Princeville Resort. It is St. Regis brand's first resort in Hawai’i and will afford an unparalleled level of sophistication and serene luxury to the island. It is a beautiful oceanside property that overlooks Hanalei Bay.
The resort will introduce the St. Regis Butler service, the new Halele’a Spa and Kaua’i Grill, a signature restaurant by Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten. We met with Chris White, Director of Sales and Marketing, who is working towards transforming the resort into an elegant oasis that will pay homage to the land and culture of the island. This transformation is guided by the Hawaiian concept of the Ahupua’a, a philosophy of living in balance with nature.
In its prior state, before becoming a St. Regis, the hotel lobby was a huge expanse of marble, which had none of the welcoming characteristics of a fine Hawaiian hotel. It 
was cold, austere, and unwelcoming. The new Lobby will be a dramatic point of entry. It will have a coffered ceiling of natural woven matting, native dark wood floors, beautiful wood columns, and soaring glass panels with incredible views of the sea. While the hotel is still in a very “hard hat”, incomplete stage, I could tell how beautifully elegant, warm. and serene it will be.
The landscaping that leads to the hotel entrance has all been redesigned and replanted and now has beautiful, mature trees and lovely beds of flowers. Guests will stop at the Guard House and provide their name. A greeter will meet them at the hotel entrance, welcome them, and escort them to their room. Their will be no additional check in process required. Ultimately, Chris White explained, the St Regis experience will start at the airport where a greeter will meet the guests and assist them with any questions they may have. There is a local airport in Princeville that will be modified to allow G4’s to land. At this time, ResortAir flies from Honolulu to Princeville. This service must be confirmed through the hotel.
The resort’s design brings a residential feel to the rooms and interior public spaces and reflects the island of Kaua’i’s natural surroundings-the sea, sky, and earth. We viewed the two Model Rooms. One was an Ocean View Premium room and the other, a Junior Suite. The resort will have 252 guest rooms including 201 Standard rooms, 41 Prince Junior Suites, 7 St. Regis Ocean View Suites, 1 Bali Hai Signature Suite, 1 Presidential Suite and 1 Royal Suite. Butler services are provided to hotel guests residing in Prince Junior suites and categories above.