re: Hawaii vs Caribbean Upscale Resort Trip

Kauai is my favorite. The Grand Hyatt and The Regis are great and on opposite ends of the island so a lot of people stay a few days at one and a few days at the other. The Regis has snorkeling right off their own private beach and also nearby at the "tunnels". LINK It also is near Hanalei, which is one of the coolest towns in Hawaii. This is all on the North side of the island, near Princeville. The Grand Hyatt is on the south shore. It's a great property with the best pools I've ever seen. LINK The on-site restaurants are great but the island nightlife is very limited.

I prefer Kauai to Maui, but Maui has better night life and better water quality for scuba/snorkeling.