Kauai is known as the least commercial of the Hawaiian islands, which is part of its charm. Resort real estate development has been slow on the island despite its big tourism draws: five golf courses, a rugged natural beauty and Poipu Beach, which has been ranked as one of the top 10 beaches in the United States.

Along with unspoiled stretches of white sand, Poipu Beach, located at the southern tip of Kauai, is home to the recently announced 25-acre Koloa Landing. This oceanfront luxury resort-condominium development by Poipu Beach Villas and S&P Destination Properties is the first major oceanside real estate development on the island since 1990, and it’s big news.

What’s for Sale

Koloa Landing is made up of 323 condominiums, ranging from two to four bedrooms. The units range from 1,000 to 2,800 square feet, and prices start around $900,000 and go up to more than $3 million. Last October, the developer sold 51 two-, three- and four-bedroom residences at an average price of $1.5 million. A limited number of homes from the first phase are still available at prices between the low 900s and $2 million. Construction on the first phase began in late 2007 with scheduled completion in early 2009. Phase two homes will begin selling in spring 2008.

What You Get

Although individual units vary, all condos feature natural wood doors and moldings, stone and wood flooring and wall-to-wall glass patio doors that open up to a lanai for indoor-outdoor living. The condos have ocean and mountain views and most are furnished with unique pieces, like custom-designed mahogany four-poster beds. There are granite countertops in the kitchens, deep, two-person soaking tubs in the baths, laundry rooms and space for owner storage.

The resort is flanked by mountains on one side and the ocean on the other, with a series of pools and water features in the center, including include streams, waterfalls, a swim-through grotto and four lagoon-type pools with rock islands. Direct beach access is available on the south end of the resort.

Amenities include a full-service spa and fitness center, semi-private elevators to homes, housekeeping services and on-site property managers to handle renting the units out to vacationers.

The Helium Report Take

New construction on Kauai is limited, so if purchasing real estate is your goal, Koloa Landing is an intriguing option. Of course, buying in Hawaii means not only dropping hefty sums for real estate, but shelling out more for just about everything from milk to gasoline, since goods are imported from the mainland.

That said, the resort is particularly well positioned, with golf courses just a stone’s throw away and shopping, surfing and dining all nearby. The downside? Getting to paradise. Kauai isn’t a weekend jaunt type of retreat for most, and buyers at this community have come mainly from the western coast, where you can book direct flights to Lihue from Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle with no stop over in Honolulu. The resort is a 30-minute drive from the airport.

Destination clubs including Exclusive Resorts, High Country Club, Quintess, LRW and Lusso Collection have homes on, Maui, Oahu, and the Big Island, and the Ritz-Carlton is building a fractional ownership development in Maui’s Kapaula Bay, but on Kauai, options aside from full ownership are few. One condo-hotel option on Kauai is the 350-unit Hilton Kauai Beach Resort, which recently underwent an $18 million renovation.