PRICE:
Frommer's Highly Recommended

This beachfront vacation retreat is like no other in the islands: Among groves of towering coco palms sit clusters of restored sugar-plantation cottages dating from the 1880s to the 1930s and bearing the names of their original plantation-worker dwellers. The lovely cottages have been transformed into cozy, comfortable guest units with period rattan and wicker furniture and fabrics from the 1930s, sugar's heyday on Kauai. Each has a furnished lanai and a fully equipped modern kitchen and bathroom; some units are oceanfront. Facilities include an oceanfront pool, tennis courts, and laundry. The seclusion of the retreat makes it a nice place for kids to wander and explore away from traffic. They've added a spa on property, which is perfect to get massages as you relax in this tranquil setting. The only downsides: the black-sand beach, which is lovely but not conducive to swimming (the water is often murky at the Waimea River mouth); and the location at the foot of Waimea Canyon Drive -- its remoteness can be very appealing, but the North Shore is 1 1/2 hours away. Golf courses and tennis courts, however, are much closer.

Copyright: Excerpted from Frommer's Hawaii 2009, (c) 2008, Wiley Publishing, Inc.

Find Hotel Deals on Yahoo Travel»