Kauai

Concierge.com's insider take:

The crowning glory of the St. Regis Princeville hotel, located in the private community of Princeville, near groovy Hanalei town, is the breathtaking view of Kauai's Hanalei Bay and mountains (a.k.a the Bali Ha'i mountains from South Pacific). The resort, which originally opened in the 1980s, was long a crystal- and gilt-encrusted pantheon to ostentatious wealth, but its transformation in October 2009 into a St. Regis made the vibe considerably more laid-back and Kauaian. (The private butlers are an interesting counterpoint to the mellow guitar player channeling Jack Johnson in the lounge and the younger and hipper-than-you-expect honeymooners in shorts and flip flops.) But as much as they try to change the energy here, there's no getting around the fact that the building itself is an 11-story monolith and many of the rooms are long and a bit narrow. Partially built into the side of sea cliffs, the hotel has a memorable, nontraditional layout: The lobby is on the ninth floor, with two floors of rooms above (if you prefer a view) and seven below, some of which open onto the lawn, beach, and pool at sea level. From ocean-view rooms, there's no development in sight, just the surfers hitting the waves. The food at Jean-Georges Vongerichten's elegantly casual Kauai Grill lives up to the chef's hype, and it's a pleasant surprise that prices are almost the same as at the less impressive Makana Terrace. The pool and two whirlpools at beach level are open 24 hours—perfect for gazing at shooting stars and the infamous Hanalei moon.—Cathay Che