New Poipu vacation rentals near Poipu Beach.

The Poipu Beach area is one of our favorite places to stay in Kauai. The beaches are safe and swimmable all year long, it gets less rain that the North Shore, and there are lots of good restaurants to choose from.

Until now, Poipu vacation rentals didn’t have the same level of amenities you’d find at Waipouli Beach Resort & Spa on the East Shore or the Westin Princeville Ocean Resort Villas. But the new Villas at Poipu Kai offers all the bells and whistles, including hardwood and tile floors, stone bathrooms, and kitchens with granite countertops, and SubZero Refrigerators.

Located in the Poipu Kai Resort complex, the Villas has 27 condos in eight plantation-style buildings. All have full kitchens, washers and dryers, and free WiFi. There’s also a spa, swimming pool, and fitness center. Poipu beaches are about a five minute walk down the pathway that runs through the resort. And there are two golf courses nearby.

Both garden and pool side villas are available. One-bedroom, two-bath condos start at $269 a night. Two-bedroom units start at $299 a night. With travertine floors, 1,200 square feet of living space, and two full baths, these are a great deal for families. The five-bedroom model will sleep more than a dozen. And the four-bedroom pool side penthouse has two master suites.

It’s a short stroll to numerous restaurants and bars. The Grand Hyatt is a few minutes to the south, and Brennacke’s and the restaurants in the Koa Kea and Marriott Waiohai are in the other direction.

A grand-opening special makes the Villas an even better buy. If you reserve a three-bedroom condo before August 31, 2010, you’ll get a rental car free for seven days. You must complete your stay by December 15, 2010 and stay a minimum of five nights.

New Poipu restaurants.

The opening of the long-awaited Kukui’ula Village shopping center and the Koa Kea Resort have brought some exciting new dining choices in Poipu.

The new Poipu restaurants cater to all budgets with two fine-dining restaurants helmed by James Beard Award nominated chefs, a lovely pool-side resort bistro with ocean views, and a casual café. Vacationers staying in Poipu will enjoy the added variety. And all of them are convenient to Poipu-area hotels and resorts.

Josselin’s Tapas Bar & Grill.

One of the founding fathers of Hawaiian regional cuisine, Jean Marie Josselin, won plenty of accolades for his previous restaurant, A Pacific Café. Now, he’s opened a new place in Kukui’ula Village called Josselin’s Tapas Bar & Grill. As the name suggests, the menu features small plates that are meant to be shared.

Yummy choices like coffee-smoked pork tonkatsu, scallop ravioli in coconut milk, wood-oven roasted steak, and firecracker salmon roll make choosing a challenge. For those who want something more substantial, entrée-size dishes like sesame-crusted mahi mahi are also available. Many of them were on the menu at A Pacific Café.

Don’t miss the fabulously refreshing sangrias, which are made at your table on a cart. Three versions are available, including a white lychee.

Red Salt Restaurant

Located in the Koa Kea Resort, which is on the grounds of the old Poipu Beach Hotel, the Red Salt Restaurant serves chef Ronnie Sanchez’s innovative takes on traditional island favorites. The beach-front location provides wonderful views and the dining room is stylish and attractive.

Inventive cocktails like the Poipu Surf with Champagne, peach vodka, and passion fruit juice are a lovely way to begin your evening. And if you’re not hungry enough for dinner, you can order appetizers like crispy pork gyoza or crab cakes in the lounge.

Sanchez breathes new life into standards like poke and kalau pork, which is served with taro gnocchi and a pineapple demi glace. Seared ahi comes with an avocado-ginger salsa and mango vinaigrette. Grilled ono has Maui onion and king crab home fries. The New York steak served here is one of the best on Kauai.

Lilikoi Crème Brulee is the perfect way to end your meal.

Merriman’s Poipu

A three-time finalist for the James Beard Awards for the Pacific Northwest/Hawaii region, Peter Merriman has opened not one, but two restaurants in Kauai. Located in Kukui’ula Village, the fine dining restaurant — Merriman’s Poipu — is located upstairs. Merriman’s regional Hawaiian cuisine makes the most of local ingredients. In fact, 90% of the food he serves is locally sourced. So you can expect to find oyster mushrooms, sweet onions, and line-caught fish in season.

Start with the Pupu Taster, which includes ahi and watermelon poki, kalua pig and sweet onion quesadillas, roasted beets and feta, marlin sashimi, and calamari salad. The Mix Plate serves almost as a tasting menu, letting diners sample fish, beef, and vegetable dishes. There are also excellent choices for vegetarians, including truffle-Parmesan fries. The wine list is terrific and the desserts are worth saving room for.

Downstairs, Merriman’s Café is more casual and less expensive, with soups, salads, sandwiches, and pasta dishes. Fish tacos, grilled fish sandwiches, and pulled kalua pork on a Portuguese sweet roll keep things local. Kalbi-style ribs and teriyaki are other good choice. Most items are less than $12.

One of our favorite places to eat in Poipu, Savage Shrimp, is moving out of the truck and into the Kukui’ula Village this summer. Watch for an update once she’s settled in.

Find more Poipu restaurants here.

Great deals at 4-star Kauai hotels – the Sheraton Kauai Resort, and the Westin Princeville Ocean Resort Villas.

Starwood Hotels and Resorts is offering great deals at two of its Kauai hotels between now and December 20, 2009 as part of their Value In Paradise program.  Couples can stay in a Garden Room at the Sheraton Kauai Resort for as little as $199 a night.  There’s no minimum stay and the rate is good on weekends too.

For $100 more a night, you can upgrade to a Deluxe Ocean-Front room with a private lanai.

Since the Sheraton Kauai Resort is on Kiahuna Beach, which adjoins world-famous Poipu Beach, this is one of the best locations on the island for swimming, surfing, and enjoying unforgettable views.  The Point bar is the spot for cocktails and pupus at sunset.  Try Kalua Pig Nachos and a Black Cherry Mojito.

The Sheraton provides easy access to Poipu Beach restaurants, shopping, and activities, and something none of the other Kauai resorts offer – an ocean-front luau.

Those who prefer to stay on the north shore of the island near Hanalei Bay can opt for the Westin Princeville Ocean Resort Villas in Princeville.   Premium Island-View Studio Villas are available for just $225 a night.  Since these include gourmet kitchens, in-unit washers and dryers, and amenities like flat-screen TVs, they’re great for families or couples who don’t want to eat all their meals out.

One bedroom villas are $125 more per night.   These are some of the nicest Kauai condos and there are plenty of activities for adults and kids.

These rates are significantly less than what you’d expect to pay in winter.  But you’ll need to be certain of your dates because you must pay in full at the time of booking, and rooms are nonrefundable.

Reservations are available through http://hawaii-exclusive.destinations.starwoodhotels.com/starwood_hawaii/value_in_paradise/?EM=Hawaii_Tzoo_EB_081209_PARVAL_MX_ALL