Marriott's Waiohai Beach Club

This is the worst Marriott I have ever stayed in in my life! It is old, stale, and not representative of the brand. The cabinets smell and look like something from the late 1970's. Also, can you not swim at the beach? The alleged beachfront is full of lava rocks, precluding you from swimming. As beach people, we could not swim in the water, a gross misrepresentation of what we were told. When we arrived, the front staff did not say as much as Aloha - no leis, no welcoming spirit. If I never see HI again, it will be fine with me. I am extremely disappointed in the quality of what I paid for and the lack of swimming. We hung out at the Westin - at least they had a view and friendly staff. Checked out 2 nights early.

Updated review: Yes this Marriott is old and stale, but since they moved us to a new room we are having a good experience. The property grounds are beautiful on a gorgeous beach with a great walking path.

What you should know: If you are not an owner at this resort you will most likely get a bad room - especially if you did a timeshare exchange. Many of the rooms face a parking lot and are just a big disappointment.

The rooms in general are in desperate need of refurbishment - the bathrooms and kitchens especially. Other Marriott timeshares have been renovated and feel much more modern and high end than this property. In this resort, the rooms are stuck back in the last century still and need a big reboot. My experience was that the actual rooms are in worse shape than the photos online.

The island of Kaua’i, smaller than the city of Phoenix, and with just as much traffic…but what a beautiful island it is! My wife and I stayed as guests of her sister and bro-in-law (owners) and were treated no different.
This Marriott location is, by all accounts, is living away from home, but with an outstanding waterfront! Having a full kitchen in our “room” allowed us to eat the healthy foods we’re accustom to and at our time. Just like at home. Getting the groceries…well. That’s a logistical issue in itself. A COSTCO and other shopping is on the way from the airport is in the very congested area of Lihue. It’s best to stop in coming from the airport and stock up for your stay so to avoid the (sometimes) hour-long drive from the resort. The resort does have food at the beach bar ($$) and housekeeping is available when we asked for it. Our requests were quickly answered. This resort is a timeshare! It caters to the paying owners. The low, advertised $493/night rate is for the “island view” rooms which the resort opens to non-owners. The rate the owners pay comes out to be more than double!
This Marriott resort has limitations and restrictions and we expect that going in. The flip-side to that is the place is b-e-a-utiful and we made the best of it! I took more than 400 photos and videos of our stay just to bring it all back to the desert.
Mahalo.

Avoid this property at all cost! When we checked in we were told because we were not actual Waiohai owners, nor elite high status Marriott Bonvoy members that we would be given an “island view” room. Our “island view” was a view of the parking lot and a construction dump pile. Let’s be clear, we paid the exact same amount as all other guests staying there that week. We did not receive any kind of discounted rate for our dump view room.
Other disappointments included: NO housekeeping service for our entire 8 day stay. NO food service available before 11 am, we were told to “buy groceries”and use our kitchen. NO ice maker available to guests (our freezer ice maker barely worked)—Ice is rationed by the front desk at 1 serving per room per day. Balcony overlooking the dump pile was flanked by 2 active wasp nests making it unsafe to use. Glass shower door was so coated in limescale you could barely see through it. Mattress was so old there was a high center point and deep troughs on either side.

This is a bare bones, DIY hotel vacation. Do yourself a favor and stay next door
at either the Grand Hyatt or Sheraton. At those resorts you will be guaranteed room type before check in and will receive the services you expect at any halfway decent resort.

This is timeshare property and they double booked and cancelled on us just a few hours before check-in time on the day. We almost got stranded on the island with no place to stay. There was no help given. The practice is almost criminal.

Mediocre atmosphere and accommodations. Poor customer service, lots of better options. We paid extra for an “ocean view” and when we showed up we had a view of a parking lot. They offered no reimbursement, not even a phone call. The resort is nothing special and hosts an overcrowded pool and beach area. Would
Not recommend and will be staying away from anything with the name Marriott attached to it

Like anything, this place is really a mix of 1 and 5 star features. It is an "owner's resort", not a true Marriott hotel. You're staying in someone's timeshare. Our condo was nice enough 1970's vintage, but the kitchen sink water faucet leaked below. The pools and beach etc are nice. What really is a shame here, is the staff has an attitude you seem to find often on Kauai. They seem to not care much about customer service, and that's just too bad for you. The older Asian lady at the front desk was rude. Same for the Asian lady running the over priced convenience shop. Any help you run into just seems uninterested. By the time our week ended we were glad to be going home.

DO NOT STAY HERE IF YOU ARE PAYING!!! Please make sure you understand this is a timeshare of Marriott, and not a normal Marriott hotel. I had a terrible experience, I purchased a room via the Bonvoy app with Titanium status, and was put in the “hotel section” which is fine for me, I understand it’s a “owners” resort. But the hotel portion is extremely run down, old, smells like mildew. The owners side is nice! If you are staying as a Bonvoy or paid guest, DO NOT STAY HERE.

Perfekte Lage, direkt am Strand, genügend Strandliegen mit toller Aussicht. Anlage und Pool schön gestaltet.
Schöne Pflegeprodukte

Kauai is my favorite island, and this is now my favorite stay. You just can't beat the location & stretch of beaches. I was pleased with how spacious the rooms were, actually nicer than in pictures. Great gym, ping pong shuffle board cornhole activities for kids, restaurant & drink by the pool were great. Grounds were beautiful and well kept, friendly staff. Close proximity to shops, bakery/coffee & restaurants.

Disappointed in the property. Vacation Club owner and Ambassador Elite with Marriott. Booked a Garden View room through Bonvoy at a rate of roughly $750/night. The room view was of an active parking lot and ventilation shaft of some sort. Room was in poor condition (ceilings visibly discolored in kitchen, night stands full of scratches, paint pealing of the patio, couch totally shot). Ultimately just a very poor experience from Marriott. Popoi Beach was great, the property amenities were average, and the balance of the vacation club experience was decent. Overall I feel the room view described was deceptive, and the room itself was well overdue for a makeover.

Aloha from the breathtaking Garden Isle of Kauai…
Where do I begin? As with all great stories, it’s best to start at the beginning.
Back in August 2019, my fiancé and I were looking for the perfect destination to say “I do.” After exploring many options, one place stood out above the rest — Kauai. We had no idea that decision would lead us not only to the most beautiful island on Earth, but to a place that would truly feel like home: Marriott’s Waiohai Beach Club.
Nestled on the golden shores of Poʻipū Beach — just a short, scenic 30-minute drive from Lihue Airport — this resort became much more than just a place to stay. From the moment we arrived, we were welcomed with warm smiles, genuine hospitality, and the kind of care you can’t find just anywhere.
We’ve now visited three times — in 2019, 2024, and 2025 — and each stay has been more memorable than the last. And yes… we’re already counting down the days until we return in 2026. YES!
What makes Marriott Waiohai Beach Club so special? Of course, the location is unbeatable — oceanfront views, swaying palm trees, and sunsets that stop you in your tracks. But it’s the people who truly make the difference. Every single team member — from the front desk to the grounds crew to housekeeping — radiates aloha. They remember your name, your story, and greet you like family. Their warmth is sincere, and their service is exceptional.
Kyla, Faith, Tyler, Jess, Jessica, Dean, Bob, Anna, Carole, Cat, Rand, Kai, Alvin, and Becca — each of you has made our stays unforgettable. Whether it was a friendly chat in the lobby, going the extra mile to help with a request, or simply offering a warm smile when we needed it most — you all made us feel like we belonged. Mahalo nui loa (thank you very much) for your hospitality, care, and kindness.
It’s no surprise we've met guests who’ve returned to this same resort over 20 times. Because at Waiohai, you’re not just checking into a room — you’re becoming part of a community. You’re cared for, remembered, and appreciated.
Whether it’s the clean, spacious villas… the lush, well-kept grounds… or the helpful tips from employees who truly love this island, every moment spent here is a reminder of why we fell in love with Kauai in the first place.
To the team at Marriott’s Waiohai Beach Club — mahalo nui loa. Thank you for making every visit unforgettable. We’re already dreaming of our next aloha.

Manny & Janet

We are 20 year Waiohai owners. Still love coming here - terrific staff, impeccable grounds, huge gym, Hula Bar is great and will switch TV channels to your favorite team (thanks, Jack!) and proximity to ocean and beach are hard to beat. Rooms are comfortable (main room furniture a little tired though) and our guests loved the visit. See you in 2027!

Our week-long stay was perfect in every way.
The grounds were beautiful, the suite was crisp and clean, the pool bar served good food and drinks, and the entire staff was very professional and hospitable.

It was a clean and nice

Plage au pied de l'hôtel
Chambre spacieuse
Les cours de yoga et aquagym top

The property is beautiful and located in a great spot. The staff was excellent, and the property was clean and quiet.

This resort is in a perfect location on the southern coast of Kauai. The trade winds blow consistently to keep you cool. The beach provides great snorkeling and swimming. Our villa was in the perfect location, upper floor facing the ocean overlooking the main pool. It was very quiet except for a Minah bird on one morning.

Kitchen is well equipped but we did request a non-stick pan and rice maker.

Perking is underground so cars stay cool in hot Hawaiian sun.

One of the best resort fitness centers we’ve been too. Lots of machines and space.

We’d stay here again in another trip to Kauai