Sheraton Kauai Resort, located on the Garden Isle's southern shore, has wrapped room renovations on one wing of the property and is finishing off work on a second wing in April.
The $20 million project at the property along Poipu Beach updated the furnishings, amenities, artwork, color palette and other accommodation details.
The Ocean Wing has already been completed, and work on the Beach Wing is currently underway and is expected to be completed in the coming weeks, according to general manager Chip Bahouth.
"What really sets the rooms off is like everything in life: location, location, location," Bahouth said. "You could not rebuild this hotel closer to the water, it would never get permitted in today's world. The rooms are brand new, and we have a great location fronting the coastline."
Room categories have been revamped to include deluxe garden view, deluxe oceanfront, luxury oceanfront and ocean suite.
"The color pallette is soft, subtle colors that are also reflective of the ocean and surrounding," Bahouth said. "We have some soft blues and grays in the room along with sand-colored couches in some rooms that fold out into beds."
New features include bathroom mirrors rimmed with lights, Bahouth said, and built-in USB ports in nightstands, wall-mounted TVs that can swivel and pivot, and more electrical outlets.
"People are charging and carrying so much more stuff today, you have to provide more places to plug in," Bahouth said. "We also have refrigerators and coffee machines in the rooms."
New, low-noise air conditioning units and double-paned sliding glass doors were also installed in all of the rooms. Both wings have been redone in a similar style, and find their distinctions in the architecture.
"The beach wing on the top floor has these larger vaulted ceiling, so it has a different feeling in terms of size and the floor plan is different than the ocean wing," Bahouth said.
The center point of the property is the two-tiered fresh-water pool which is surrounded by eight luxury bungalows available for rent, that come with table service, TVs, coolers, cushioned furniture and, sometimes, a view of monk seals sunning on the beach below.
Coming up, signature restaurant RumFire will get a refresh with new furnishings.
"The rooms are a big part of the experience for guests, but service is what sets you apart," Bahouth said. "We have great rooms, don't get me wrong, but you can have the Taj Mahal and if the service is bad it ruins it. At the end of day it's the aloha spirit and service that makes us special."