Nirvana In Hawaii: Kukui’ula On Kauai

On the tropical island of Kaua’i, there’s a private club where members and resort guests enjoy the best Hawaii has to offer. Located on the sunny South Shore of the island, Kukui’ula, the only club on the island, is an exclusive 1,010-acre development is that offers both residential real estate and a lodging component, The Lodge at Kukui’ula.

Kukui’ula offers everything a person who is looking to buy or build a home or simply vacation on the island could ask for. A pristine property, it is well-managed and has plenty of world-class amenities, from a Tom Weiskopf-designed golf course to a full-service spa and multiple dining options. Best of all, the club is a family-friendly club where all ages are welcome.

Situated on the site of a former sugar plantation on the South Shore of Kaua’i, the property was developed by Kukui’ula Development Company, an affiliate of A&B Properties, a subsidiary of Alexander & Baldwin, one of Hawaii’s largest private landowners. The club is so exclusive only members of the club (who are required to own property) and a limited number of guests who stay at The Lodge at Kukui’ula have access to its impressive array of luxurious facilities.

“This was conceived as a residential community and a club first, so while it is a resort at its core, it is much more relaxed and casual because our hospitality aspect is secondary and on a small scale,” says Richard Albrecht, President of Kukui’ula Development Company. “We are able to do things that are fun, social and interactive such as games on the lawn and events in the clubhouse. Kukui’ula has a different feel than most places and ends up being a home away from home.”

So, while members benefit from a club that is run in a casual, relaxed way (as opposed to a larger property with a full-service hotel on site), its overnight guests are rewarded with a quiet, more private experience. Indeed, there are only 40 units in the lodging program that come with access to the club’s facilities, otherwise you need to be a member or guest of a member.

Another difference that sets this extraordinary private club apart from other resorts is that it offers a cashless experience, so there’s no need to worry about carrying a wallet or having cash on hand for tips, including when you drop off your car with the valet or when you have a spa treatment or eat at one of its restaurants. “As the staff isn’t tipped, there is no financial pressure that you would typically see from staff at a five-star hotel who are trying to make a buck off of you” says Albrecht.

Indeed, all charges, whether they be for dining, spa treatments, boutique purchases or golf lessons, are placed on your account, which you settle up later. And, as the resort operates as a club, its congenial staff will greet you by name and do whatever they can to make sure you feel at home.

“We’ve wrapped this five-star experience in this comfortable, friendly, welcoming package,” adds Albrecht. “So while the club is run very professionally, there is also a familiarity and a more relaxed nature to it which is intentional.”

Kukui’ula’s General Manager, Nicholas Gold, is a seasoned professional in the hotel business with stints served at several five-star hotels and destination resorts including the Amangiri in Utah, Enchantment and Miraval Resorts in Arizona and Condado Vanderbilt in Puerto Rico. A native of London, Gold oversees the day-to-day operations of the club as well as its overall strategic vision.

The Clubhouse

The Plantation House, which is Kukui’ula’s 21,000-square-foot clubhouse, which offers a wrap-around lanai featuring spectacular views of the Pacific ocean in the distance. The clubhouse offers a large living room, an event pavilion, and a game room complete with billiards, vintage arcade games, darts and flat screen televisions. There is a breakfast room where complimentary coffee, muffins and oatmeal is laid out each morning. There is also a refrigerator and freezer drawers stocked with a selection of complimentary snacks and a variety of homemade ice creams. The club is open all year-round except Christmas Day.

Dining Options

Most clubs around the world aren’t known for their excellent cuisine. But that is not the case here. The Clubhouse restaurant, Umeke Kitchen + Bar offers fresh cuisine and locally grown fruits and vegetables, many of which are from the club’s own farm. Theme nights at the restaurant guarantee variety. For example, on Wednesday nights there is a chef’s tasting and wine dinner with four to seven courses. On Friday nights, there is a Chop + Stix night you can enjoy a Kansas City dry or wet aged steaks and a variety of sushi and maki rolls. These theme nights offer a variety of dining options, which is especially nice for the club’s members who choose to eat most of their meals on the property. “We are catering more to the members with these options, but the hotel guests get the benefit of it, too,” says Gold, the Club’s General Manager.

A second restaurant is located poolside, The Makai Grill, is a short walk from the clubhouse and serves lunch, snacks and barbeque-themed dinners on Sundays.

The Upcountry Organic Farm

The 10-acre upcountry organic farm grows a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, herbs and flowers—all available on a complimentary basis for members and guests of the property. Simply drive, walk, hike or bike to the farm and collect what you need, from tropical fruits such as bananas, passion fruit, papaya, lilikoi and mangos as well as tropical flowers, vegetables and herbs. There’s also a hen house where you can collect eggs. If you are in a hurry, just go to the clubhouse where a refrigerator is stocked daily with complimentary produce from the farm.

“The farm is an important part of the club,” says Albrecht. “It informs the food and the menu of our restaurants. It informs everything we do in terms of being a grounded place.”

Outdoor Activities

As Kaua’i enjoys more than 300 days of sunshine, there’s never a shortage of things to do. The club offers saltwater pool for adults and a sand-bottom saltwater pool for families complete with waterfalls, and whirlpools. Towels, water toys and sunscreen are available on a complimentary basis. There is also a beach volleyball court, two tennis courts, a Bocce Ball court and a pickle ball court. 

An outfitter, called Huaka’i Guides & Outfitters Shop located at the Clubhouse, can book all types of outdoor adventures, from canoe sailing excursions with a picnic lunch to a hiking tour along the Kalalua Trail.

Here you can sign up for watersports such as a canoe or standup paddle board or sign up for a half or full day boating excursion. There is snorkeling equipment, beach chairs, umbrellas, boogie and surf boards, all available to take with you for an excursion off-property. Poipu Beach, which has been ranked as one of the top beaches in the United States, is only a few minutes away from the club and nearby are some of the best spots for surfing on the island.

There are complimentary bikes to ride around the property as well as brand-new state-of-the-art electric bikes (for a nominal fee) which are ideal for off-road adventures. There are plenty of bike and jogging paths throughout the resort, including one that will take you up to the organic farm where you can stop and sample some of the fresh fruit and vegetables grown there.

The Hi’ilani Spa + Fitness center

Adjacent to the Clubhouse, The Hi’ilani Spa + Fitness center is a 18,000-square-foot facility that includes private indoor and outdoor treatment rooms, a movement studio for yoga and Pilates, locker rooms with private outdoor garden showers. There’s also a 25-meter lap pool and an impressive outdoor wet area that includes oversized steam shower, lava rock sauna, hot and cold plunge pools (where the “Wet Ritual” spa treatment is available). The spa offers a full menu of treatments, from massages to facials, and body treatments that use locally made scrubs and oils.

Its Fitness Center is expansive and is outfitted with state-of-the-art Technogym equipment. There are 30 different fitness classes offered each week, including strength training, yoga, TRX , aqua boot camp, and more.

Golf at Kukui’ula

The private 18-hole golf course was designed by British Open winner Tom Weiskopf. The 216-acre par-72 course is 7,052 yards long and features paspalum turf, sand-plated fairways and a landscape filled with native flora. The course offers panoramic views of the ocean and surrounding mountains, coffee fields and fruit orchards.

The course has a driving range, putting green and inside the golf clubhouse is a well-stocked retail store, locker rooms and a putting lab. There are also several PGA-trained pros on staff who are available for lessons. On the golf course, there is a comfort station where you can help yourself to complimentary food, snacks and beverages. The club’s golf carts are equipped with GPS and monitors that provide helpful information, including distances, about each hole on the course.

Cultural Programming

Unlike private residential clubs on other islands in Hawaii, there is no gated entrance or fencing surrounding Kukui’ula. “We want to be part of the community,” says Gold. “On Kaua’i it would be offensive to the local community to have gates at the property. Plus, we don’t want the club to be insulated.”

And unlike most other islands in Hawaii, Kaua’i is laid back with a local population that feels a great respect for the land and their culture. “That translates into the people who work here, as they feel an incredible responsibility to make sure the people who live and stay here understand what it is this land means to them,” says Gold. “So when you come here, you really feel a part of not just the club’s community, but the greater community as well.”

As a result, Kukui’ula and its employees make great efforts to share the island’s local culture with members and guests. On staff is a cultural resource liaison called  La’a who oversees programming that delves into island culture, from lei making and hula dancing classes to sunrise and sunset ritual ceremonies. La’a also leads rituals and ceremonies that tie the club to the local folklore of the island.

There’s a monthly schedule of classes and activities for all ages. For example, once a month there is a storytelling session, called Ha’i ‘Oleo while two times each month there is a lei stringing class. Other special ceremonies are also shared with guests and club members include spear throwing, outrigging canoe racing, rock bowling, feasting and dancing.

“What separates us from other clubs in Hawaii, is the authenticity of what we are doing,” says Gold. “Here, you have the opportunity to live like a local but with the best that Kaua’i has to offer.”

“The difference between us and most other developments of this type is that we are not a bubble within a bubble,” adds Gold. “We are part of Kaua’i. This is what Hawaii should be like. We have worked hard to bridge that gap and be part of the community.”

Real Estate Opportunities

Kukui’ula offers a wide range of homeownership opportunities from large homesites for custom built homes to turnkey villas and bungalows. Sites offer beautiful ocean and golf course views. Custom homes start at $4.9 million and villas start at approximately $2.25 million.

A move-in condition custom residence, Kahalawai H, is a 6,751 square foot home with four bedrooms and five and a half bathrooms. In 2018, the home was deemed to be Wall Street Journal’s “2018 Home of the Year.” Currently on the market for $11.8 million, the home was designed by acclaimed architect Bing Hu with interiors by notable interior designer Mary Philpotts Mcgrath.

Offering seamless indoor/outdoor living, it has breath-taking ocean and mountain views from every room. The master bedroom retreat is complete with an outdoor garden, spa and shower, also has an indoor soaking tub and steam shower. The gated, 1.46-acre estate also includes a detached guest cottage, three pools and a yoga hale.

Another custom home, Kainani Hale #17, is currently on the market with four bedrooms and four and a half bathrooms plus a one-bedroom guest house is on the market for $4.95 million. The 3,681-square-foot home designed by architect Stephen Green offers a gourmet kitchen and living area that opens up on both sides with sliding glass stacking doors. Behind the living area is a large lanai with a lush backyard with a pool, wet deck, shaded seating area and a built-in barbeque. Every bedroom is ensuite with an outdoor garden shower while the master bedroom also has a private lanai. This listing can be seen at this link.

Kukui’ula Development Company also built villas that range from two to four bedrooms and that range from 1,850 to 3,000-square-feet in size. Called Kainani Villas, each offers a contemporary floor plan and master bedrooms that include spa-like bathrooms and gourmet kitchens with Sub-Zero appliances. Some offer private pools while all have enclosed two-car garages. Three villas are currently available for purchase and range in price from $2.5 million to $3.35 million. Click here to view these listings.

For those who prefer to build a custom home, there are 25 custom home sites ranging from one-third to three acres, many with expansive views of the Pacific Ocean. A one-acre homesite currently on the market for $12.1 million, offers breathtaking panoramic views of the ocean. Located on a dramatic promontory overlooking the coast, it is the ideal location for a world-class estate.

When homeowners join the club, they must pay an initiation fee, which provides capital resources for improving the club’s facilities. An additional fee (refundable if a member leaves the club) is charged for a golf membership, which means that those who do not play golf are not paying for it. Golf members are given exclusive access to morning tee times (with no greens fees) while those who are social members pay a green fee and can sign up for afternoon tee times.

Kukui’ula is family accessible and welcoming for all the generations and as such it offers vertical memberships. This means that member’s parents, grandparents, children and grandchildren have full access to the club’s facilities without the need for a guest pass making it the ultimate family retreat. There are also a limited number of unaccompanied guest passes that are included with each family membership, while an accompanied guest (who is with a member) is welcome at any time.

Staying at Kukui’ula as an Overnight Guest

Operated by experienced hotel and home rental management company, Destination Residences Hawaii (Two Roads Hospitality), The Lodge at Kukui’ula includes 40 Club Villas, Cottages and Bungalows. Guests through this lodging program have access to all of the club’s facilities.

The planation-style cottages feature island furniture, laundry facilities, open kitchens and porch. Destination Residences oversees the operation and maintenance of these units. Rates for a one-bedroom one bathroom bungalow with 1,257-square-feet of space start at $756 (sleeping two),  $941 a night for a two-bedroom two-bathroom unit with 1,787-square-foot unit (accommodating four guests) and $1,319 a night for a spacious 2,475-square-foot bungalow with three bedrooms three bathrooms that will sleep six. Rates may vary depending on the season and views.

The Shops at Kukui’ula

A nearby shopping center called The Shops at Kukui’ula features many boutiques and restaurants. Located within a mile of the entrance to the club, it was built and is managed by Kukui’ula Development Company. The Shops at Kukui’ula offers a wide variety of boutiques and restaurants, including five fine dining establishments such as The Eating House, 1849 by Roy Yamaguchi, Merriman’s Fish House, The Lanai, Dolphin Sushi and Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse. There is also Bubba Burgers, Tortilla Republic Taqueria, Merriman’s Pizza and Burgers, an ice cream and coffee parlor and a shaved ice shop.

Getting There

To get to Kukui’ula, you can fly directly to the Lihue Airport on the island of Kaua’i from the following cities: Los Angeles, Oakland, Phoenix, San Jose, Portland, Seattle and Denver. Some flights may be seasonal. There are also several flights each day to and from Honolulu and Kona.

For more information about homeownership opportunities at Kukui’ula see this link.

If you are interested in booking a bungalow, cottage or villa at The Lodge at Kukui’ula, visit this link.

This post first appeared on Forbes.com. To see the original, click here.