Small, round, and verdant, Kauai is appropriately called the "Garden Isle." Within her 33-mile length and 25-mile width, colors define Kauai: from the deep greens and purples at Princeville on the North Shore, to the yellow sand beaches on the Royal Coconut (west) coast, and the variegated gold tones at southerly Poipu beaches. By no small coincidence, those are the primary resort areas.

Long favored for her laid-back attitude and lush vegetation, Kauai has, nonetheless, excellent meeting facilities in her resorts. For theme parties, Kilohana is a 19th-century plantation with polo grounds and carriage rides accommodating up to 800 people on 36 acres.

At the center of the island, Mount Waialeale, known as the wettest spot on earth, is the source of the waters that have shaped Kauai--from the uninhabited Na Pali Cliffs on the north shore, to the tropical foliage of the Fern Grotto, to Waimea Canyon, the "Grand Canyon of the Pacific."

Small towns such as Koloa recall the old sugar plantations, and Hanapepe is an art center amid historic storefronts. Kauai's west side has long, sandy beaches.

Hotel News * The Hyatt Regency Kauai Resort and Spa has a new business center; the hotel has undergone a soft refurbishment of 600 guest rooms.

* The 414-room Sheraton Kauai has been fully rebuilt and re-opened on December 1,1997.