Expensive for what they offer. No fire show or anything. The Overall experience is just about average. Location is good though, right by the beach. The seating arrangement is just terrible, food not so good.
Desiree G.
This show is a MUST SEE. It's so beautifully done, not cheesy AT ALL and the dancers are incredible. The singer and the performers take so much pride in their culture and share it in a way that even captivated my skeptical teen.
Dottie D.
We stood in line for an hour to make sure we could get a table up front Close to the stage. It was our grandsons 8th birthday and we wanted to make it special for him. 10 minutes before we were allowed to enter approximately 50 people showed up and were escorted in ahead of us. No waiting . They also were lined up at the buffet before we were allowed to enter, this made allot of people mad considering what we paid for these tickets. The explanation was they bought their tickets early! So what! What does it matter when you bought your tickets? And they all bought their tickets in bulk? We will never attend another Hawaii Live luau.
Kieven B.
Only attend this Luau if you are looking for really ono (delicious) food and an awesome Polynesian show. Worth every cent. Kaina and Uncle Wallis made us feel right at home and we're gracious hosts. Please support this Hawaiian family business.
Macy Grim
Everything else we did in Kuaui was much more entertaining and all the food is better around the island. Too costly for what it is.
Paul Warlick
Moved inside due to possible bad whether but they had everything ready for transition. The food was pretty good for its buffet style and one alcoholic beverage was included per person. The singing was good and the performers did very well. The line to get it was very long and somewhat slow moving, but the service inside was much more expedient. We have been to 2 other luau's which were a better outside experience, faster moving lines, and more in depth performances.
Mary DJ1018
This was the only luau available since we waited til the last minute to make a reservation. The venue at the Royal Sonesta was very nice. The seating was outside and surrounded by the beautiful grounds of the hotel. One alcoholic drink was included with the meal which was set up buffet style. The food was okay, not the best. We did enjoy the entertainment but would have liked it to last more than an hour. The girls were wonderful dancers, and we enjoyed hearing about the history of the host's family in Hawaii.
Mera Daniells
It was a great show with great food! We all liked the thrilling dance with fire towards the end :)
Allison W.
The dancers were talented. They look like they are really enjoying what they do and they've spent a lot of time learning the dances. The food was really tasty and the garden setting is beautiful. There is no pig ceremony at this luau. The fire dance was really cool, we were impressed but that portion of the luau isn't very long. It would have been fun to be able to take pictures with the performers but they weren't around before or afterwards. Even so, I would still give it a 5.
Patricia G.
This was by far, the best luau we've attended! I enjoyed the smaller venue and the gourmet food. It was very different from the huge luaus I've attended in the past. The show was lovely and showcased the dancers. Also enjoyed the dinner music.
I had low expectations for the food since this is really about the show. I was wrong in a big way. I am a picky eater. We loved everything. The food was well prepared and very flavorful. I even ate some things I normally would not (Mahi Mahi) and it was excellent. The show was very good too. Very fairly priced.
E Z.
The worst EVER!! I cannot emphasize enough that this place is a scam and NOT a luau!!! Not our first Luau, we've been to several on each island, so we knew what to expect. We paid $153 per person, so definitely had high expectations. Boy were we disappointed!!!!! First of all it's NOTHING as they advertise in their videos. It is not facing the ocean on the lawn. No one to greet you with any kind of lei. No hula dancers to take pictures with. No pig roasting ceremony. No welcome drinks... nothing!! This is NOT a luau. It's a scam! An overpriced buffet dinner. The bar only serves three types of drinks...wine, beer and Mai tai. You only get ONE drink with your luau purchase, Anymore after that, you have to buy it cash which is not disclosed anywhere. So if you got no cash with you, you can enjoy tap water all night. Also no orchids in the drinks you buy either. The buffet display had no esthetics, Zero effort was made to at least make it look pleasing. The display was as basic as your average buffet restaurant. Food choices were very basic and average. The show was very boring for the most part. The best of this whole Luau was the fire dancers. Very talented! I honestly wish we would have just done the fire show at the Hilton and saved ourselves $60. We wanted the whole Luau experience and the best on the island. Unfortunately, we were very disappointed. Don't waste your money it's not worth it! THIS IS NOT A REAL LUAU!!!! We are so sad we wasted our time and money, and did not get to experience a real Luau. Do yourself a favor and book Kalamaku luau instead they're amazing!
Dustin Reichert
This is our second time seeing this show. First time was five years ago when dinner wasn't a direct option. Loved that they included a buffet dinner. Spiked the pricing but nice to have together. Last time we saw the other big luau on the island too and this one we like better so when we brought the kids this year, this was the only one we booked. Food was great but maybe have some salt available. Show was great.Why only 4 stars? A couple reasons. More than one bar tender is needed at least during the leak time. We wait in line so long that food gets cold or you miss part of the show from your seat. Some of the servers were taking frink orders which I thought was great but ours wouldn't. Also, as a family for 5, we showed up 6th in line. Yet we were placed pretty far back because they says that's the only place they have tables of 5. I questioned it based on where we arrived and the amount of money we spent. They said they were limited because of Covid but the tables were all jammed together so that wasn't true. The people who spent $290 for two got front row while a family of 5 spent $700+ and for middle to rear. So anyone keep in mind if that is important.Overall I would still return.
Israel M. Ortiz
Terrible seating. We were first in line they moved us to the worst table in the back. The food was just ok. We ate all over Kaui and the worst food was here. The Lady dances werw only thing that was good. But the entertainment was so short. The fire dance was not good.
Rebecca “Ashe” Barnett
The venue is nice, and the food is good but the show is where its at! These dancers are incredibly talented. I was entertained and I got to learn about the history and culture of Hawaii, I greatly enjoyed myself.
Expensive for what they offer. No fire show or anything. The Overall experience is just about average. Location is good though, right by the beach. The seating arrangement is just terrible, food not so good.
This show is a MUST SEE. It's so beautifully done, not cheesy AT ALL and the dancers are incredible. The singer and the performers take so much pride in their culture and share it in a way that even captivated my skeptical teen.
We stood in line for an hour to make sure we could get a table up front Close to the stage. It was our grandsons 8th birthday and we wanted to make it special for him. 10 minutes before we were allowed to enter approximately 50 people showed up and were escorted in ahead of us. No waiting . They also were lined up at the buffet before we were allowed to enter, this made allot of people mad considering what we paid for these tickets. The explanation was they bought their tickets early! So what! What does it matter when you bought your tickets? And they all bought their tickets in bulk? We will never attend another Hawaii Live luau.
Only attend this Luau if you are looking for really ono (delicious) food and an awesome Polynesian show. Worth every cent. Kaina and Uncle Wallis made us feel right at home and we're gracious hosts. Please support this Hawaiian family business.
Everything else we did in Kuaui was much more entertaining and all the food is better around the island. Too costly for what it is.
Moved inside due to possible bad whether but they had everything ready for transition. The food was pretty good for its buffet style and one alcoholic beverage was included per person. The singing was good and the performers did very well. The line to get it was very long and somewhat slow moving, but the service inside was much more expedient. We have been to 2 other luau's which were a better outside experience, faster moving lines, and more in depth performances.
This was the only luau available since we waited til the last minute to make a reservation. The venue at the Royal Sonesta was very nice. The seating was outside and surrounded by the beautiful grounds of the hotel. One alcoholic drink was included with the meal which was set up buffet style. The food was okay, not the best. We did enjoy the entertainment but would have liked it to last more than an hour. The girls were wonderful dancers, and we enjoyed hearing about the history of the host's family in Hawaii.
It was a great show with great food! We all liked the thrilling dance with fire towards the end :)
The dancers were talented. They look like they are really enjoying what they do and they've spent a lot of time learning the dances. The food was really tasty and the garden setting is beautiful. There is no pig ceremony at this luau. The fire dance was really cool, we were impressed but that portion of the luau isn't very long. It would have been fun to be able to take pictures with the performers but they weren't around before or afterwards. Even so, I would still give it a 5.
This was by far, the best luau we've attended! I enjoyed the smaller venue and the gourmet food. It was very different from the huge luaus I've attended in the past. The show was lovely and showcased the dancers. Also enjoyed the dinner music.
Restaurantji Recommends
I had low expectations for the food since this is really about the show. I was wrong in a big way. I am a picky eater. We loved everything. The food was well prepared and very flavorful. I even ate some things I normally would not (Mahi Mahi) and it was excellent. The show was very good too. Very fairly priced.
The worst EVER!! I cannot emphasize enough that this place is a scam and NOT a luau!!! Not our first Luau, we've been to several on each island, so we knew what to expect. We paid $153 per person, so definitely had high expectations. Boy were we disappointed!!!!! First of all it's NOTHING as they advertise in their videos. It is not facing the ocean on the lawn. No one to greet you with any kind of lei. No hula dancers to take pictures with. No pig roasting ceremony. No welcome drinks... nothing!! This is NOT a luau. It's a scam! An overpriced buffet dinner. The bar only serves three types of drinks...wine, beer and Mai tai. You only get ONE drink with your luau purchase, Anymore after that, you have to buy it cash which is not disclosed anywhere. So if you got no cash with you, you can enjoy tap water all night. Also no orchids in the drinks you buy either. The buffet display had no esthetics, Zero effort was made to at least make it look pleasing. The display was as basic as your average buffet restaurant. Food choices were very basic and average. The show was very boring for the most part. The best of this whole Luau was the fire dancers. Very talented! I honestly wish we would have just done the fire show at the Hilton and saved ourselves $60. We wanted the whole Luau experience and the best on the island. Unfortunately, we were very disappointed. Don't waste your money it's not worth it! THIS IS NOT A REAL LUAU!!!! We are so sad we wasted our time and money, and did not get to experience a real Luau. Do yourself a favor and book Kalamaku luau instead they're amazing!
This is our second time seeing this show. First time was five years ago when dinner wasn't a direct option. Loved that they included a buffet dinner. Spiked the pricing but nice to have together. Last time we saw the other big luau on the island too and this one we like better so when we brought the kids this year, this was the only one we booked. Food was great but maybe have some salt available. Show was great.Why only 4 stars? A couple reasons. More than one bar tender is needed at least during the leak time. We wait in line so long that food gets cold or you miss part of the show from your seat. Some of the servers were taking frink orders which I thought was great but ours wouldn't. Also, as a family for 5, we showed up 6th in line. Yet we were placed pretty far back because they says that's the only place they have tables of 5. I questioned it based on where we arrived and the amount of money we spent. They said they were limited because of Covid but the tables were all jammed together so that wasn't true. The people who spent $290 for two got front row while a family of 5 spent $700+ and for middle to rear. So anyone keep in mind if that is important.Overall I would still return.
Terrible seating. We were first in line they moved us to the worst table in the back. The food was just ok. We ate all over Kaui and the worst food was here. The Lady dances werw only thing that was good. But the entertainment was so short. The fire dance was not good.
The venue is nice, and the food is good but the show is where its at! These dancers are incredibly talented. I was entertained and I got to learn about the history and culture of Hawaii, I greatly enjoyed myself.