Aloha :-) ------------ We're coming back for a visit :-) (Kihei: car rental, apartments)

[Thinking-man]

Hello everyone,
We're planning our second visit to your beautiful land..........Last time (2 years ago), we were fortunate enough to see Kauai and Oahu. This time, we're planning on going to Maui.

I wanted to get your input on places to stay (which areas should we look for our hotel), things to do, and any other information you may be able to give us.

We're coming from the east coast and will have 9 nights in Maui.

Cheers

[Mtnstomaui]

Well I'm not an expert on Maui, but since we went this last March and stayed 5 nights, I have been planning our next vacation there since then. Seriously, I have been checking prices since we were at the airport headed home! We stayed at the Honua Kai resort and absolutely loved it! I think it has spoiled us for any other places in Maui. It is on West Maui on the Kaanapali beach area. We are planning on going again next March and have I looked into other places but nothing seems to offer what Honua Kai does. It has washer/dryer, full kitchen, huge bathroom with soaking tub, king bed, 2 LCD tvs, and a huge pool area. And the location was perfect! Has a walking trail/sidewalk all along the beach that goes to Black Rock where there is great snorkeling.
Trip advisor is a great website. It helped me a lot when I started planning.
Hope this helps. Now I'm ready to go now!
Have fun!

[Thinking-man]

Originally Posted by Mtnstomaui

Well I'm not an expert on Maui, but since we went this last March and stayed 5 nights, I have been planning our next vacation there since then. Seriously, I have been checking prices since we were at the airport headed home! We stayed at the Honua Kai resort and absolutely loved it! I think it has spoiled us for any other places in Maui. It is on West Maui on the Kaanapali beach area. We are planning on going again next March and have I looked into other places but nothing seems to offer what Honua Kai does. It has washer/dryer, full kitchen, huge bathroom with soaking tub, king bed, 2 LCD tvs, and a huge pool area. And the location was perfect! Has a walking trail/sidewalk all along the beach that goes to Black Rock where there is great snorkeling.
Trip advisor is a great website. It helped me a lot when I started planning.
Hope this helps. Now I'm ready to go now!
Have fun!

thanks. i just looked into that hotel. found it on costco travel. $3400 for 9 nights including a car rental.
seems a bit high, but the rooms/apartments seem very nice. is the price worth it? are the beaches in that area nice? white sand or not?

[Mtnstomaui]

I had better luck on travelocity and orbitz than I did with Costco. They always seemed to be higher. I did use them for the car rental discount though. The beaches are beautiful. Hardly anyone there when we went. I'm used to Florida beaches and California beaches. They have NOTHING on Hawaii beaches. I will probably never vacation anywhere else but Hawaii from now on. White soft sand. Beautiful. Honua is a little higher but I think worth it. There is also a $25 daily resort fee but that seems to be everywhere. We were thinking about Aston Papakea and go for the ocean front room this next time. A little cheaper and ocean front. It also has washer/dryer and kitchen but probably just a queen bed. They also have a daily resort fee but it only $10 a day. Its just down the road from Honua so the location I think would be just as nice. (If anyone has info on Papakea it would be appreciated.)
When are you planning on going? We went when the whales were there which was just amazing. Thats why I think we are going to wait to go till winter. Plus I will be so sick of the cold here it will be a nice change.

[whynot?]

We live in Ka'anapali just above Black Rock, and we do the beach walk from the Hyatt to Honokowai almost every day. I know it's a matter of individual preferences, but Honua Kai is a new resort that was built in the past five years, while Papakea was built in the 70s/80s. I don't know a lot about it, but I would expect more bamboo furniture and generally a more "settled" environment.

The other thing about the Honokowai area is that the beaches there are spotty and sometimes non-existent. A lot of that area has a seawall and no beach except at low tide. There's nothing wrong with that, of course, but if you're expecting the same kind of beach as at Honokowai, you might want to investigate Papakea's coastline.

Glad you've enjoyed Maui and glad you're coming back. E komo mai!

[Thinking-man]

We were considering staying at the westin Maui resort and spa for our 9 nights. Price including car for 9 nights: $2950
Can someone let us know if the hotel location is good or not?
Are there better areas to stay instead?


We also now have the option of staying at The Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua. Price including car for 9 nights: $2285

between the two hotels, which area is better? which beach is nicer?

[whynot?]

This is a tough call that largely depends upon your very specific preferences. There are three Westin properties in Ka'anapali: a hotel next door to Whaler's Village shopping center, and two Westin timeshares about 3/4 of a mile north. Kapalua is a large resort area about 5 miles north of Ka'anapali. It was (mostly) built in the 80s and is much less "commercial" and more "set off" than the Ka'anapali area.

The Ka'anpali Westin hotel is older (70s, but nice), and is right in the heart of resort activities. It has a lovely beach, and is on the beach walk -- adjacent to shopping, dining, and the two neighboring golf courses. (About a 5 minute drive from the historic district of Lahainatown.) The two timeshare properties are a bit farther north of Black Rock. These have both been built since 2001, and they are more apartment-like and have kitchens in addition to each property's restaurants. (Resort shuttles serve all of these and go into Lahainatown on a regular schedule.)

The Ritz at Kapalua is another 5-10 minutes north of Ka'anapali. It has had significant renovations in the past five years, and is a beautiful property in a much more secluded area. I love the Ritz, but here are the things first-timers might not know: 1) the hotel proper is about 1/4 mile from the nearest beach (and the beaches are amazing AND they provide cart/van service, but the hotel rooms are not built right-on-the-beach -- not on any of the several lovely beaches in the Kapalua area); and 2) November is in Maui's "rainy season." We don't get a lot of rain in West Maui, but Kapalua tends to get more of it and tends to get it first.

Hope this helps.

[Jungjohann]

Forget the west end. Save some money and get a condo/vacation rental in Kihei. Try the Hale Pau Hana or the Royal Mauian. I paddle by there every morning, right between Kamaole 1 and 2, great spot for snorkeling. Foodland right down the street. Plus, the added bonus of South Maui,

Aloha from the Valet Aisle

[ley34]

Originally Posted by Jungjohann

Forget the west end. Save some money and get a condo/vacation rental in Kihei. Try the Hale Pau Hana or the Royal Mauian. I paddle by there every morning, right between Kamaole 1 and 2, great spot for snorkeling. Foodland right down the street. Plus, the added bonus of South Maui,

Aloha from the Valet Aisle

If you can find a good price on airfare, look at vrbo.com, having your own condo/vacation rental really makes you feel at home. Wailea and Kihei have some great beaches and are a good spot to start your daily explorations.

[Thinking-man]

Originally Posted by whynot?

This is a tough call that largely depends upon your very specific preferences. There are three Westin properties in Ka'anapali: a hotel next door to Whaler's Village shopping center, and two Westin timeshares about 3/4 of a mile north. Kapalua is a large resort area about 5 miles north of Ka'anapali. It was (mostly) built in the 80s and is much less "commercial" and more "set off" than the Ka'anapali area.

The Ka'anpali Westin hotel is older (70s, but nice), and is right in the heart of resort activities. It has a lovely beach, and is on the beach walk -- adjacent to shopping, dining, and the two neighboring golf courses. (About a 5 minute drive from the historic district of Lahainatown.) The two timeshare properties are a bit farther north of Black Rock. These have both been built since 2001, and they are more apartment-like and have kitchens in addition to each property's restaurants. (Resort shuttles serve all of these and go into Lahainatown on a regular schedule.)

The Ritz at Kapalua is another 5-10 minutes north of Ka'anapali. It has had significant renovations in the past five years, and is a beautiful property in a much more secluded area. I love the Ritz, but here are the things first-timers might not know: 1) the hotel proper is about 1/4 mile from the nearest beach (and the beaches are amazing AND they provide cart/van service, but the hotel rooms are not built right-on-the-beach -- not on any of the several lovely beaches in the Kapalua area); and 2) November is in Maui's "rainy season." We don't get a lot of rain in West Maui, but Kapalua tends to get more of it and tends to get it first.

Hope this helps.

Thank you for that thorough response! i really appreciate it. are you saying that the kapalua area gets more rain than the ka'anpali area only 5 miles away? wow!
if you had to make that call, which would you choose and why?
(are there any other hotels/areas you'd recommend instead?)

Originally Posted by Jungjohann

Forget the west end. Save some money and get a condo/vacation rental in Kihei. Try the Hale Pau Hana or the Royal Mauian. I paddle by there every morning, right between Kamaole 1 and 2, great spot for snorkeling. Foodland right down the street. Plus, the added bonus of South Maui,

Aloha from the Valet Aisle

you 'paddle' that area every day? what do you do for a living? (lucky you!)
thanks for the info. i'll look into that!

Originally Posted by ley34

If you can find a good price on airfare, look at vrbo.com, having your own condo/vacation rental really makes you feel at home. Wailea and Kihei have some great beaches and are a good spot to start your daily explorations.

Our airfare was free :-) well.....sort of.....(we used miles :-)

i'll look on vbro but i don't think we want to get a condo. we like staying at hotels when we're on vacation.....like being catered to. lol