Waipouli Beach Resort & Spa
Kapaʻa, Hawaii
Waipouli Beach Resort & Spa relies on No Ka Oi Landscape Services to ensure the landscaping meets expectations. The resort and commercial landscaper have considered themselves business partners for many years.
Waipouli Beach Resort & Spa, as its name suggests, is a 13-acre beachfront property on Kauai’s eastern shores.
It is located 2.5 miles from the center of Kapa’a, Waipouli and has earned TripAdvisor’s Certificate of Excellence for the last four years and is ranked on the popular travel site as the No. 1 hotel in Kapa’a.
In addition to high-end resort amenities that include an impressive 2-acre swimming pool, beach access, on-site spa and dining, “Our visitors are looking to have a tropical experience as soon as they arrive on our property and a lush tropical landscape plays an important role in that,” says Jeff Crosbie, General Manager of Waipouli Beach Resort & Spa.
“Prior landscapers didn’t do this site justice,” says Sara Sloan, No Ka Oi Account Manager. “When No Ka Oi took over as landscape contractor, we really understood how much potential this beautiful property had and I feel like I’ve seen this property come to life.”
A priority for No Ka Oi was focusing on replantings at the resort’s front entrance and around Waipouli’s signature amenity, the pool (see image below).
“My love is in the plants on this property,” Sara Sloan says. “I always want to use colorful, interesting plants, and we’ve been able to do that from the beginning to make a difference.”
Water is the essence of life and beauty — especially a resort. Resorts and commercial properties depend on a properly functioning irrigation system to keep their landscape investment memorable and thriving.
According to Sara Sloan, No Ka Oi Account Manager, correcting irrigation issues on the grounds of Waipouli was our first order of business.
“A third of the property’s irrigation had been off for a very long time and the plantings suffered because of it,” she says. The resort’s irrigation runs on a two-wire system that lacked necessary, routine maintenance. “We got it going and the landscape plantings immediately benefitted.” Multiple applications of organic mulch were also added to beds throughout the entire property to improve soil conditions.
Waipouli’s entrance is an area of the property where “exceptional landscaping is paramount” because it is the first impression guests get of the resort — before they enter the lobby or reach their unit.
“We are a world-class travel destination; it’s written right into our governing documents,” Jeff Crosbie says. “Our landscaping needs to be commensurate with that standard. We’re getting that from No Ka Oi.”
The landscaper’s impact is also visible in weed and pest control, Crosbie adds.
“The dominance of weeds throughout the property has really gotten under control in a proactive sense — instead of always trying to play catch up. And we’ve had some issues with landscape pests and sooty mold that past contractors couldn’t seem to get a handle on. No Ka Oi has.”
Waipouli’s General Manager credits No Ka Oi’s ability to work within the property’s landscaping budget with the continuous improvement of the resort’s landscaping.
He and Sloan have worked together to create an effective and methodical landscaping strategy based on value as well as visual impact. Frequent communication has been key for the two in seeing this strategy executed successfully.
From property walk-throughs to text messages, Crosbie says a week hasn’t gone by without some form of communication between himself and Sloan or one of her crew members.
“No Ka Oi’s motivation to take corrective actions on our property is very high,” Crosbie says. “On a project-by-project basis, month after month, we are ensuring we are doing something that will improve the property that people will notice.”
Commercial landscaping isn’t a static investment—it’s dynamic and ever-changing. Upgrades and continued maintenance are essential to keep it looking its best. At No Ka Oi, we take great pride in the properties we maintain—we treat every site as if it were our own garden.
Our professionals excel at spotting areas of opportunity and improvement on commercial properties.
As a new member of the Makahuena Board of Directors, I volunteered to oversee our landscape which had not been properly maintained by previous landscape maintenance companies. After detailed research and many interviews with landscape companies, I was impressed by only one person… and that was Abby Santos.
Because of a very large ongoing project, we had budget constraints at the time I took over as landscape chair so we were only able to task No Ka Oi with an initial cleanup and continued regular maintenance. But even with those limitations, I was absolutely amazed at the transformation of our property just a few short months later.
And it just keeps getting better. The homeowners are happy and I am thrilled!
No Ka Oi’s customer service is wonderful. They are quick to let us know when there is a problem with any element of our landscape or irrigation system, and Abby always responds immediately when I contact her with a question or seeking her advice.
We are very satisfied No Ka Oi customers. Mahalo, Abby and No Ka Oi!
– Diane Buccola
Makahuena Board of Directors
