The Cliffs at Princeville

We have been coming here for several years. It is in the best location of the island - north! You have access to the best beaches, and most private. Every time we go anywhere south, we always come back up north to hang out. The facility is great. (It has 2 tennis courts). The units with the ocean views are fabulous! Great sunrise and sunsets. However, I do not like staying on the bottom floor because you can't keep your unit open when you leave. The staff is very attentive. Most all of the units have been remodeled and are clean. A/C - we've been here all times of the year - with the breeze you just don't need it. Bugs - haven't seen any except a gecko.

Do yourself a favor - stay ANYWHERE else! My husband and I just returned from staying here a week (8/13 to 8/20 '11), and we hated it.

First up . . . entirely too many critter incidents. Then dirty and so DIM! Lastly, NO air conditioning.

The morning after we arrived, I got up and started to walk into the kitchen. There in the middle of the floor was a GIGANTIC spider, the size of the palm of my hand. It was the biggest spider I've ever seen in real life, and we live in Arizona where there are tarantulas and scorpions, OK?! Picked up the circa 1970 5-lb square office desk phone to call the front desk about pest control . . . no dialtone. Plugged into a jack? Yes. Just didn't work. No other phone in the entire joint. Before I had a chance to walk over to the reception bldg to complain, and after I woke up my poor jet-lagged husband to squash it with one of their coffee table magazines, I discovered under the sink a huge can of industrial strength bug killer with directions that said after spraying it around an area, you should "ventilate the area for several hours" before re-occupying the space. Uh-huh. OK, so obviously the killer bugs are a recognized problem, and the "cure" has already been provided. Probably wouldn't do any good to complain about it. Next day, one smaller spider dead already on the kitchen floor. Another day, my husband suddenly grabbed my arm and yanked on me because behind my back a roach was quickly scooting across the kitchen floor in my direction. He ran under the fridge, so he got to live to disgust and frighten new occupants, I guess, this week.

We didn't realize until we'd gotten our timeshare exchange confirmation certificate that this place had no air conditioning. No air, in Hawaii, in August, is ridiculous. At the place we stayed on the big island last year, we were at least given the option to pay EXTRA to turn on the air. Here - no option. We were told by someone that it's a little cooler up in the northern Princeville area, so maybe it wouldn't be a problem. But it was - 80's and 90's while we were there, and were very uncomfortable. There was a ceiling fan in the living room and bedroom, but it didn't help much; they weren't very fast.

We arrived about 7pm, it was already getting dark, so we didn't realize how dim it would be inside our unit during the day. There were only 2 ceiling lights, in the kitchen and a dim one in the dining area. Otherwise, there were lamps in the other rooms - not enough of them, and with very weak bulbs. One of the lamps could only be turned on and off by plugging and unplugging it. I personally needs lots of light and bright and sunshine to feel my best, so I found the lighting issue made this even more of a depressing place to stay.

Could go on - kitchen counter wasn't cleaned when we got there, old old furniture and bathroom fixtures, etc., but I think I've said enough.

If you decide to stay here anyway, all I can say is I hope you love cats because the resort is home to an extended family of strays. If you're on the ground floor (we were) one or more of them will definitely and daily grace your patio with their presence, meowing and begging for food. DON'T feed them! Unless you love cats ALOT!

Ocean front condo which has been newly remodeled. Has fully equipped kitchen, and washer/dryer. Over 20 acres includes new pool, tennis courts, childrens play area, basketball, and world class golf nearby. Beautiful beaches, waterfalls, and rivers within a short driving distance. Magnificent sunsets while sitting on the lawn over looking the cliffs. Incredible snorkling at base of the cliffs early in the morning. A difficult path to manuever for the faint of heart but the results are worth it. See Pods of turtles swimming within the caves of the cliffs. After trading into the Cliffs for my first vist two years ago I ended up buying a one bedroom unit. Then this past August I purchased a second unit, a 2bedroom loft. Just can't get enough of the Island of Kauai. In fact, heading back again for 2 weeks in Aug 2011.

Fantastic location with gorgeous views of Bali hai and the ocean. Princeville is exclusive with a great gold course. Units are spacious and 1 bedroom unit has 2 full baths and 2 couples can stay at one time. Only negative - no beachfront access but one can go to Hanalei Bay Resort for that. Would stay there again in a heartbeat.

I have stayed at The Cliffs Club five times now - twice as an exchange, twice as a rental and I have liked it so much I bought a week and stayed most recently as an owner. I used to prefer the Pahio resorts (now Wyndham) but find I now like The Cliffs better than all of them except the Shearwater.

The resort sits at the top of a cliff on the North Shore, which is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been, and has great views. None of the resorts on the north shore are on a beach; all are up on the bluffs and only a few of them are ocean front/view. The Cliffs is one of those few that enjoy a great view. Three of the buildings are ocean front, three are ocean view and three are garden view. The resort just completed a lovely new pool, and has been in the process of redoing all the units. They're doing two or three buildings a year and soon they will all be updated. I've stayed most frequently in one of the buildings still waiting to be updated (building five), however all the units were very comfortable and in good condition. I've found it in better condition than many of the resorts on the north shore (I have happily stayed at nearly all of them), and now with the new pool and hot tubs it is really very nice. I also like that the pool is open until 10pm. Several of the other resorts close their pools early, some even at sunset!

As stated in other reviews, the resort does not have A/C. Very few resorts on the north shore do. It is nice to stay on the 2nd or 3rd floor where you can leave your doors and windows open all the time. However, in my most recent stay I was assigned a 1st floor unit. I was a bit worried about not being able to keep the doors open all night, but was happy to find the ground floor unit pleasantly cool. I expect there are some weeks during the year when it would get a bit hot.

My only complaint is the charge for internet access, which some other resorts offer free.