Aloha Friends,
Kauai weather is perfect. The ocean is filled with fish; monk seals are enjoying the empty beaches. We miss our great, fabulous guests that made our hotel a fun place to be and to work. We miss you. It is going to take some time to reopen. Kauai is lucky with only 21 total cases: 19 recovered and returned home, 2 recovering in quarantine. No new cases in a week and only 4 new statewide as of today. Hawaii has always been slow to follow the others, and the locals are very worried about the virus spreading here. The 14-day quarantine for travelers’ requirement is now extended through the end of May. All the restaurants, large hotels, bars, and small businesses are closed. There are daily roadblocks manned by both the national guard and police. The beaches are closed, and the camping beach parks are being set up for the homeless. Everyone outside is wearing a mask. The Garden Island Inn has been completely empty the last 3 weeks. Lis and I have decided to temporarily close the hotel operations. We have started new hotel landscaping features, gotten all our employees on unemployment, and are refunding all our guests’ deposits through the end of May so far. We will continue to cancel and refund reservations at least 8 weeks out. Reservations made through online travel agents are getting refunded through online travel agents. We do not want to reopen until we know for sure your vacation to paradise and stay with us will be perfect. Our advanced cancellations' policy is our way to help our guests with their travel plans. We want a vibrant hotel, vibrant community, vibrant economy to welcome you.
Thank goodness for Hawaii’s great unemployment insurance. This will give large financial relief to our employees for at least 6 months. We will miss them daily as they are family and will be hired back when we reopen.
You have given us so much with your acknowledgements on TripAdvisor: Garden Island Inn is ranked #1 for Kauai hotels for Guest Satisfaction. We miss all of you!!
“Sweet Breath of Aloha”; “Five stars isn’t enough!! Not even close!! WOW!!”; “Wonderful”
“Charming and Gracious “; “Super Cute hotel with great staff”; “Lovely art-full spot”; “Beautiful boutique hotel, Amazing staff”; “Favorite home away from home-Aloha Vibe”
Kauai is a magical place to spend time exploring, relaxing, renewing spirits, and vacationing. We cannot project a good date for reopening. We do know the reopening will be a joyous occasion. Your guest experience will be 5-star! Yummy fresh papayas and bananas for breakfast, gardens in full bloom, smiles and lots of adventures to be had and memories to take away. In the future, please consider booking directly with us online at www.gardenislandinn.com; as this ensures flexibility and convenience for you.
These times will pass. Find blessings and gratitude where you can: create, reinvent, renew. Our staff is on an unemployment break. Yes, they miss us, each other and working; but this is temporary. We continue to live and work at the hotel, our minds full of ideas to renovate and beautify the rooms and landscape. Our reflection and memories are of the joy and happiness our guests from the last 31 years have enjoyed at our hotel and their adventures on Kauai.
Our thoughts are with you, and when you are ready to travel to Kauai, we trust your thoughts will be with us! Accepting reservations 2021!!
Mahalo, stay positive, be well!
Lis & Steve Layne
Steve's cell: 970.618.3669
