We are back with another Guest Pointers report! Katie is a member of our community and when she sent me an email asking if she could share about her Kauai trip I said, “YES! YES! YES!” Katie must’ve arrived to Kauai literally days after I left and it was fun reliving my trip through her eyes. It also makes me want to go back because we did TOTALLY opposite things – yet we stayed in the same place. This is a “bucket list” destination for many, and seeing how they utilized points—and some very savvy Hyatt perks—to make it happen is incredible.

Here’s Katie’s story:

Katie’s Dream Trip To Kauai

Just returned home today from a dream vacation to Kauai. Our stay at the Grand Hyatt Kauai, all on points – thanks to your tips.  🙂

Here are my recommendations on what to do and where to eat – with two kids ages 14 and 11.  (also we had a Guest of Honor award, so the Club Access was super helpful. Seems like Guest of Honor awards aren’t talked about a lot, but they are so valuable!  We also didn’t have to pay the resort fee or the valet fee due to Guest of Honor!)

Where to Eat

• Breakfast at Java Kai – they open at 6am so we grabbed breakfast to go here on our first morning in Kauai (an early one, thanks to the time change) on our way to Waimea canyon.  They took about 15 minutes to lovingly prepare, so if you are in a rush, order ahead online.  We recommend the Mac Nut Latte and the Tropical French Toast.  A few locations around the island.
• Lunch at the Musubi Truck – Our first lunch on the island!  Musubi is grilled spam on rice wrapped in seaweed.  We recommend the OG Spam Musubi, the deep fried OG, the truffle tator tots and the Chicken Katsu. We ordered ahead online, and there are several locations on the island. 
• Koloa Fish Market – great stop for lunch after a morning of snorkeling, beach or other exploration!  They have build your own poke bowls (like chipotle, but for poke) and we also had the Korean Chicken lunch plate. It all was fantastic.
• Wishing Well Coffee and Shaved Ice – This may be the best shaved ice on the island!  Kids ordered theirs with the snow cap and ice cream. I stopped by the coffee counter and got a Good Times acai bowl which hit the spot. 
• Costco – Picked up two Roll/Nigiri combo with salmon and tuna from the prepared foods section.  This fed our family of four while we watched the turtles at Poipu beach. 
• The Beach House – best mai tai on the island!  Happy hour from 3:30-4:30 which gives you a discount on drinks and appetizers.  And going early will give you a chance for a good seat (reservations recommended).  Hang out at Lawa’i beach afterwards. Best eats there were the Ahi Steak and green beans. They have a kids/keiki meal.

What to Do

• Waimea Canyon Lookout and canyon trail hike to Waipo’o Falls -This is in the Koke-e state park and there is a charge, paid in the parking lot. We arrived at 8am and were the second car in the lot.  At 11am when we returned, the lot was overflowing. The hike is moderate and very muddy.  Hiking shoes are a must and hiking sticks were super helpful. The trail is an out and back, totaling 3.1 miles.  The water fall at the end was pretty, but the real payoff was the overlook right before the water fall. It felt right out of Jurassic Park and you could see all the way to the ocean.  Waimea canyon is also known as the Grand Canyon of the Pacific.  Bring plenty of water and snacks!
• Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge and lighthouse – You have to get a Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge Ticketed Entry on Recreation.gov.  It is $11 per adult and kids are free. Luckily we got tickets the night before, but if I had known, I would have planned more in advance.  It was worth it! The guides are extremely knowledgeable and taught us about the local birds. They have binoculars free to check out to view the wildlife. The cliff and water views are breathtaking. 
• Maha’ulepu Heritage trail (Shipwreck beach to Punahoa Point) – Right next to the Grand Hyatt! This is a 3.8 mile out and back (easier than Waimea canyon, but less shade). We only made it half way but again, the views are breathtaking.  There were little tidepools and rocks to climb and deserted beaches.  What a dream! 
• Poipu Bay Golf BreakAway Special: Practice and Play –  My husband and son walked here from the Hyatt.  They have 3-4pm tee times.  They practiced on the driving range and played holes 1-3. It was my son’s favorite activity of the trip and it did not take up a full day. 
• Snorkeling – we booked a Viator snorkeling with turtles tour and I wouldn’t outright recommend it, but I would recommend snorkeling because that was my daughter’s favorite part of the trip! 

Now off to find some more points for our future trips… but will anything beat Kauai??

How To Replicate This Trip

Ready to head to the Garden Isle? Here at Amber On Points, we believe getting to Hawaii is very attainable. Here’s an easy-to-replicate strategy to take Katie’s trip:

The Flights: Getting To LIH

Luckily there’s no shortage of airlines that fly to Hawaii from the Mainland. Whatever airline currency you have, you’re likely to have a way to get to Hawaii. If you have no idea what airlines are most prevelant at your local airport, use Flight Connections to help narrow down preferred routes and airlines. Then you can use whatever points currency is needed to get you to Hawaii!

Southwest is a fan favorite for getting to Hawaii thanks to the Companion Pass.

The Hotel: Grand Hyatt Kauai

This hotel is a Category 8 hotel. Beginning May 2026, award prices will be anywhere from 35K per night all the way up to 75K per night. Read more about the 2026 Hyatt award chart changes here.

If you can find nights that are on the lower end of the award chart, it will be a steal of a deal. I can personally recommend that this resort is fabulous – especially with kids!

If you’re looking to earn points for this hotel, I recommend earning Chase Ultimate Rewards and transferring them to Hyatt.

I’d personally start with the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card. My favorite business card that earns these points is the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card. You can read more about my favorite ways to earn Ultimate Rewards here.

💡Pro Tip: If you have a friend with Hyatt Globalist status, they can gift you a Guest of Honor Award (like this family used) to unlock free breakfast and waived resort fees! I personally seem to earn at least 2 Hyatt Club Access Awards each year from a combination of stays + elite nights given by holding The World of Hyatt Credit Card. They won’t give you free parking but they will give you Club Access (and food is most important in our family).

The Rental Car

Katie mentions a Costco run for snacks. Speaking of, Costco Travel is a great resource for rental cars. And on Kauai, a rental car is a non-negotiable for exploring places like Waimea Canyon.

Another great option for rental cars is Autoslash.com – a rental car aggregator that will search multiple rental car options.

One of my favorite ways to book rental cars is with my Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card. The annual $300 travel credit is so easy to use on rental cars.

Conclusion

Kauai is one of those places that feels like a different world. This trip report proves that with a solid Hyatt strategy and a few “insider” perks like Guest of Honor, a luxury $1,200/night resort is actually within reach for a family of four. Thank you, Katie, for sharing your awesome tips for a memorable trip to Kauai.

If you would like to submit a trip report, you can do so here: Submit Your Trip Report

-Jenn McCue