Save almost 40% on a five-night stay at the St. Regis Resort Princeville.

Luxury Link has a package at the St. Regis Resort Princeville that works out to 38% off the regular price. Formerly the Princeville Resort, the St. Regis reopened last fall following a $100 million makeover. Now, it’s the most luxurious property on Kauai, noted for its fabulous views of Hanalei Bay, and Bali Hai. With five restaurants, a 10,000-square-foot spa, and 36 holes of golf, the St. Regis is a privileged enclave in one of the most beautiful parts of Hawaii.

This package is an auction, but there are currently no bids. The retail price of the package is $4,569. And the starting bid is $2,799. It’s available during March, April, July, or August, and it includes:

* Five nights in an ocean-view room
* Breakfast for two each morning
* One 60-minute spa treatment per person
* Welcome gift on arrival
* Taxes

Visit LuxuryLink.com to bid.

You can read more about the St. Regis here.

St. Regis Princeville resort finally reopens.

On Thursday, October 1, the St. Regis Princeville will finally unveil its $100 million makeover.

The hotel, formerly known as the Princeville Resort, boasts one of the most desirable pieces of real estate in Hawaii.  Perched on a cliff above Hanalei Bay, the resort offers breathtaking views of the bay and the peak that played Bali Hai in the movie South Pacific.

Always the most luxurious of the Princeville hotels, the old Princeville Resort has been elevated to an even higher standard.  With fewer than twenty properties worldwide, St. Regis is the most exclusive of the Starwood brands.  And the owners spent more than a year making the property worthy of the St. Regis name.

The resort now has 252 guest rooms, including 51 ocean-view suites.  The lobby features lots of native wood, soaring ceilings, and unforgettable views of Mt. Makana.  And a new 10,000-square-foot Halele’a (House of Joy) Spa offers exotic treatments and traditional Hawaiian healing massages.

There are five restaurants, including celebrity chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s new Kauai Grill and an ocean-front bar that overlooks the 5,000-square-foot infinity pool and Hanalei Bay.  Golfers will also enjoy the  two world-class courses.

It’s a challenging time to open a new luxury property, and most Hawaii hotels are weathering the recession by discounting their rates.  In fact, the average Hawaii nightly rate in early September was $160 — a far cry from the $360 to $6,500 rack rate at the St. Regis.  Once occupancy stabilizes, it will likely be one of the most expensive Kauai hotels.

But bookings for October are 20% better than projected.  And Hawaii residents can enjoy a special introductory rate of $199 per night.

Former guests will be pleased to know that an astonishing 96% of the old Princeville Resort staff are returning to the property.  And there are four “quintessential celebration” packages in October and November.  The first features a showing of the 1958 classic South Pacific and an appearance by  Mitzi Gaynor, who starred in the film.

For more information, visit Princeville and the North Shore on Kauai Hawaii Guide.

How to pick the right Kauai hotel.

There are Kauai hotels for bargain hunters, luxury seekers, nature lovers, families with kids, and everyone in between.   In addition to hotels and resorts, Kauai vacation rentals are another great option for those who want to enjoy all the comforts of home while they’re on vacation.

So how do you find the right place for you from the dozens of Kauai hotel choices?  Start by figuring out what you want to do.  And when you plan to visit.

Virtually everyone who goes to Hawaii is looking for sunshine and pleasant temperatures.  Fortunately, there’s plenty of sunshine on Kauai all year long.  But there’s also plenty of rain.  So if you’re visiting during the winter, you’ll get better weather in Poipu Beach and the surrounding area.

Many of the Poipu hotels and resorts have rocky beaches, so if a sandy beach that’s safe for swimming is a priority for you, stay as close to Poipu or Kiahuna Beach as you can afford.

If your idea of the perfect Kauai vacation is just relaxing in a chaise lounge with a good book, the Sheraton Kauai, the Grand Hyatt Kauai, or one of the other Poipu hotels will probably suit you just fine.  But Poipu vacation rentals can be a better value because they give you the opportunity to have some meals ìat home.

Having a kitchen frees you up to eat in or out whenever you please.  And if you visit one of Kauai’s farmers’ markets, you can enjoy lots of tropical fruit for breakfast and have impeccably fresh local fish for dinner.

Kiahuna Plantation has one, two, and three bedroom units, and many have beautiful ocean-view lanais.  If you stay here, you can also use one of the barbecue grills on the lawn to make dinner.

Less expensive Poipu vacation rentals are available at Prince Kuhio, Poipu Kapili, and Poipu Kai.

In summer, there’s less rain and the seas on the north shore are much calmer.  During that time of year, you can pretty much stay wherever you like.  Many of the best Kauai resorts are in the Princeville and Hanalei area.

The best known Princeville hotel is the St. Regis Princeville, which used to be the Princeville Resort.  It’s recently reopened after an extensive renovation.  The view of Hanalei Bay are some of the island’s best.

With gourmet kitchens and private lanais, the Westin Ocean Resort Villas are the ultimate Princeville vacation rentals.  Their kids programs make them a great, if expensive, choice for families.

The Hanalei Colony Resort, Pu’u Poa, and the other Hanalei hotels are less expensive and still provide great access to the north shore beaches, restaurants, and shops.

Kauai’s east shore also has hotels, resorts, and vacation rentals in abundance.  And most are less expensive than the Princeville or Poipu hotels.  Because the east shore is more congested — traffic can be a real problem around Lihue — you’ll probably be happier on the north or south shore.