Hawaii - Maui decision

Hey all....

Heading to Maui for the first time for honeymoon and am looking for some advice.

My friend lives in Lahaina area and I was about to book either the Royal Lahaina or the Sheraton. Then I found the Fairmont in Wailea for pretty much the same price.

Is it too long of a drive to keep going back and forth from Wailea to Lahaina area? Is there stuff to do around the Fairmont, restaurants, activities, bars etc... or is that stuff more in Lahaina?

Thanks!

Is it too long of a drive to keep going back and forth from Wailea to Lahaina area?


It's a good 45-50 minutes each way and I think 2 lane most of the way [but that was 10 years ago, so things may have chanegd].

It's a good 45-50 minutes each way and I think 2 lane most of the way [but that was 10 years ago, so things may have chanegd].

+1 ^About 28 miles or so, but traffic can get backed up (one accident and it's a bummer to bummer nightmare), so can take longer. If you want to spend a lot of time with your friend -- might want to stay in Lahaina/Kaanapali.

Yes, there are lots of restaurants, shopping etc. in and north of Wailea as you head up toward Kihei.

Same in Lahaina of course. . . but probably more restaurant choices in Wailea, Makena, Kihei areas.

Obviously both areas cater to tourists. :cool: have fun!

Fairmont Kea Lani is a luxury all suites hotel. Large 2 room about 800 sq feet suites
The average room at Sheraton or Royal Lahaina is less than half the size of Kea Lani
Honeymoon would be great at the Kea Lani

Fairmont Kea Lani is a luxury all suites hotel. Large 2 room about 800 sq feet suites
The average room at Sheraton or Royal Lahaina is less than half the size of Kea Lani
Honeymoon would be great at the Kea Lani

Is there night life or a shopping area near the Kea Lani? I just dont want to be "bored" relaxing all day everyday....I would rather see / do things....aside from the day trips

You can always take a short drive down to Kihei for a little bit of nightlife. Wailea doesn't have a lot but a shopping center near the main hotels. However, each hotel along the strip (Four Seasons, Grand Wailea, etc.) has restaurants and bars that you can check out. My wife and I stayed at the Fairmont in Wailea and then went to the Westin in Kaanapali for our honeymoon and wished that we stayed at the Fairmont the entire trip! It's a beautiful hotel and is a fun area.

Is there night life or a shopping area near the Kea Lani? I just dont want to be "bored" relaxing all day everyday....I would rather see / do things....aside from the day trips

We stayed at the Renaissance Wailea back in '06 (before they tore it down) and though I could appreciate its beauty, I felt a tad out of place in Wailea. I don't routinely use valet parking, nor have I ever stepped foot in a Louis Vuitton shop (or is it shoppe?). I'm much more comfortable in middle-class Ka'anapali, especially with its proximity to Lahaina. Where Wailea is somnulent and elegant, Ka'anapali is suburban and energetic.

That being said, there are tons of activities on Maui, and I'd recommend mapping out a few out Must Dos to determine where the most convenient home base would be. If you're the kind of person to get up and go everyday, then I think your home base should be where it's most convenient. If you plan to spend a lot of time on Haleakala or Hana, staying in Wailea will save you lots of time. If you plan to be out on the water or want any night life, Ka'anapali is closer to Lahaina.

My personal list of Must Dos on Maui are:


Ziplining on Haleakala (haven't tried the West Maui location)
Warren & Annabelle's magic show (yeah, I know, I wasn't into magic shows either)
Molokini snorkel trip (opt for a smaller boat if you can)
Day Trip to Lanai with Trilogy (awesome body surfing on Lanai)
Kayaking/snorkeling combination
Iao Needle State Park
Sunset sail on a catamaran or sailboat
Snorkeling at Honolua Bay, then hike down to the Nakalele blowhole
Body surfing at Hamoa Beach (past Hana)
Hiking to waterfalls in West Maui Mountains (we booked a guide through Attitudes 'n Lattitudes.)
Driving West Maui Mountains (hair raising)


Thing that are still on my Wish List:

Astronomy program at summit of Haleakala (this was scheduled in '08 but canceled due to high winds
ATV tour
Hiking into the crater at Haleakala
Day trip to Molokai


FYI, Blue Water Rafting had a snorkel/sea cave trip out of Kihei that might be something you'd enjoy. The zodiaks that they used were really crowded, and it wasn't a very professional crew. But snorkeling the backside of Molokini and getting close to being sucked into a lava tube was pretty cool. And the boat ride was a hold-on-for-your-dear-life ride. They zipped through the water at incredible speeds, waves be damned. Completely not recommended for people who have back problems. I'm torn between recommending it and not. Certainly it's not for the very young or very old.

Ok, so if I were to stay in the Lahaina/Kaanapali area which hotel do you guys suggest?

My friend works at the Royal Lahaina and is pushing that....I am considering the Hyatt, Sheraton and Westin also..

My only decent status is with Hilton so that does nothing for me

My friend works at the Royal Lahaina and is pushing that....I am considering the Hyatt, Sheraton and Westin also..


Why not let your friend take care of you are at the Royal Lahaina?

-David

My friend works at the Royal Lahaina and is pushing that....I am considering the Hyatt, Sheraton and Westin also..

I've never stayed at the Royal Lahaina, but the location is nice. (Note that it's north of "resort row" though. Of the other three that are on resort row, the Hyatt is the nicest. Honestly, I'd see where I got the best rate and go with it. Costco and Pleasant Holidays reportedly have some nice package deals that include hotel and car.

Here are some reviews:

http://www.wizardpub.com/maui/mrroyallahaina.html
http://www.wizardpub.com/maui/mrsheraton.html
http://www.wizardpub.com/maui/mrwestin.html
http://www.wizardpub.com/maui/mrhyatt.html

Why not let your friend take care of you are at the Royal Lahaina?

-David

Well it is our honeymoon...and first time for both in Hawaii. I'm afraid the Royal may disappoint based on some things I've seen / read.

I think he can get some sort of discounts but i doubt it is much.

If you want to see much of your friend, trekking from Wailea/Kihei to Lahaina will be time consuming. There is plenty to do at both ends of the island -- so how important is visiting the friend? :p

Royal Lahaina is a great location, but not an amazing hotel. If it's a special occasion, I would use Priceline and get one of the Kaanapali resort hotels at a discount.

Whichever you choose, we know you will love Maui ^

For nightlife on Maui, it's really all about Front Street in Lahaina. Yes, you can go to the bars and restaurants in Wailea, and they're nice, but not exactly exciting. It's more of an upscale place. Kihei is great during the day, but I don't see much in the way of night life there. Lahaina runs strong and lively after dark.

Basically, if you want a 5 star experience, stay in Wailea. If you want a 4 star experience at a substantial cost savings, stay in Ka'anapali. In Ka'anapali, we have really enjoyed staying at the beautiful grounds of the Hyatt, though I hear that others are nice, too. It's also a lot closer to Lahaina (maybe a 10 minute drive). Since a lot of the shopping and such that we do is in Lahaina, we prefer staying closer to it. If you would prefer shopping at higher-end stores, Wailea is your place.

BTW, while in Lahaina, have lunch or dinner at Kimo's. Great location on the deck right over the ocean, good food and service. Our favorite mid-priced place to eat on the island.

+1 ^About 28 miles or so, but traffic can get backed up (one accident and it's a bummer to bummer nightmare), so can take longer. If you want to spend a lot of time with your friend -- might want to stay in Lahaina/Kaanapali.

Yes, there are lots of restaurants, shopping etc. in and north of Wailea as you head up toward Kihei.

Same in Lahaina of course. . . but probably more restaurant choices in Wailea, Makena, Kihei areas.

Obviously both areas cater to tourists. :cool: have fun!

One nice thing about staying in Ka'anapali is that they just widened the highway to 4 lanes down through Lahaina. No more traffic jams that way! No Ka Oi! It is a long, slow drive from Wailea up to Lahaina; you probably won't want to do it often.

Thanks for all of the insight everyone!

Looks like it will be one of the Ka'anapali resorts...

I've been putting together trips through Costcotravel, priceline and others, hopefully I can get some good deals..


The flights are pretty expensive and I just used up all of my miles recently...:(:(:mad:

I'm at the kea lani right now and this is one sweet place! I highly recommend it over staying in lahaina/Ka'anapali. Besides, the drive to lahaina is around 35 mins and is very scenic and relaxing.

How do you like the new remodeled suites there ?
Kea Lani is something special!

I'm at the kea lani right now and this is one sweet place! I highly recommend it over staying in lahaina/Ka'anapali. Besides, the drive to lahaina is around 35 mins and is very scenic and relaxing.

Thanks for the input....based on your name i'd say that's a bit biased..haha :p:p

I think we are going to stay in Ka'anapali, just seems like more our style and speed for now.

How do you like the new remodeled suites there ?
Kea Lani is something special!

The rooms are amazing. We actually got a double upgrade because it's our honeymoon. We went from garden view to ocean view! I'm on the lanai right now after just watching the sunset. This hotel and wailea are a piece of heaven...

The rooms are amazing. We actually got a double upgrade because it's our honeymoon. We went from garden view to ocean view! I'm on the lanai right now after just watching the sunset. This hotel and wailea are a piece of heaven...

Congratulations and best wishes. I know you are loving the Kea Lani. A fabulous resort.

The Fairmont Kea Lani is a Virtuoso-member resort. If you book through a Virtuoso agent you get an upgrade on arrival (if available), free breakfast for two daily and a welcome Ohana basket.

Although to be fair, almost any resort in Hawaii will do something similar for honeymoon couples. It's all about creating repeat customers.

I have to decide soon where to stay in Maui -- first time visitor. I have one week in March with the GF. We're active and looking to spend every day outside in some fashion from laying on the beach to hiking, kayaking, snorkeling, etc. Ideally I'd prefer a location close to a nice beach plus reasonably close to where most activities are available.

I have two options currently for condo rental. I prefer a condo b/c we want a full kitchen to cook with instead of wasting $$$ eating out.

Should I go with Lahaina one block from the ocean or Kihei also one block from the beach? The price difference is negligible.

Any ideas would be much appreciated :cool:

Hey all....

Heading to Maui for the first time for honeymoon and am looking for some advice.

My friend lives in Lahaina area and I was about to book either the Royal Lahaina or the Sheraton. Then I found the Fairmont in Wailea for pretty much the same price.

Is it too long of a drive to keep going back and forth from Wailea to Lahaina area? Is there stuff to do around the Fairmont, restaurants, activities, bars etc... or is that stuff more in Lahaina?

Thanks!

Concur the drive is a bit long to Lahaina from Wailea. It may work if you only visit your friend once on the trip.

Definitely a great choice to spend your honeymoon at Fairmont Kea Lani in Wailea. Perhaps your friend will have to drive to you.

I have two options currently for condo rental. I prefer a condo b/c we want a full kitchen to cook with instead of wasting $$$ eating out.

Should I go with Lahaina one block from the ocean or Kihei also one block from the beach? The price difference is negligible.

Any ideas would be much appreciated :cool:

The entire island is a nature lover's paradise, so I wouldn't stress too much about the location. However, the two areas of Kihea and Lahaina have two distinct flavors.

Lahaina is a typical oceanside tourist town, without the boardwalk. Along the main drag that runs parallel to the ocean, you'll find rows of restaurants, ABC stores, t-shirt shops, ice cream shops, shops, bars, etc..and lots of traffic. This format continues for several blocks removed from the ocean. Walking is an ideal way to get around in Lahaina because parking is so limited.

Kihei is more like the suburbs. There are tons of restaurants and grocery stores, etc in Kihei, but they are stand alones instead of in rows. So you're more apt to hop into your car to get to places vs walking to them.

If you want to spend a lot of time at the beach, Kihei may offer better beach access. Your closest access to the beach in Lahaina might be cut off by shops. So I'd Google Earth each location and see what it looks like.

If you want to surf, body board, etc., there are a few public beaches just south of the town of Lahaina that the locals frequent. There are also shops in Lahaina that will rent you equipment for the day. I'm not sure about Kihei, but there are tons of tourists in Kihei so I'd imagine you could find whatever you wanted.

Hiking can be found everywhere on the island, though Kihei is closer to Haleakala and Iao State Needle park, which are two popular hiking areas.

There are ziplines on both the West Maui mountains and Haleakala.

Good snorkeling can be found close to either location. Maui Revealed gives you lots of good beaches to check out. Makena Beach and Honolua Bay are two of my personal favorites that are near your choices.

Lahaina has a big advantage over Kihei in having a deep water marina. If you're interested in taking a snorkeling trip or sunset sail, then Lahaina is very convenient. There is a public marina in Kihei, but the major operations sail out of Lahaina.

Hope this helps.

Thanks!!!

Speaking of Maui Decisions.. we decided to drop Lanai 4 nights, and do a total of 6 nights at Fairmont Kea Lani April 6th, to April 12th.

Complicated reservation piecemeal and layered with 4 different aspects of booking, crammed into one. Got it done.. always straight in my head. The reservation agent on the other side, kept commenting on how complicated the reservation was. We had my Virtuoso TA, personal concierge at Platinum FPC, Sales Manager and Agent layering everything together to success.. Booked my interisland flight and car rental tonite as well.

If you can get the Kea Lani for the same price as Royal Lahaina or the Sheraton, go for it! We've stayed in both Ka'anapali and Wailea and prefer Wailea.

If you can get the Kea Lani for the same price as Royal Lahaina or the Sheraton, go for it!

Even if you can't...

Even if you can't...

Sad but true.

First couple times on Maui for us.. split between Ka'anapali and Wailea.

From here on in, for the rest of my life if I can help it.. Wailea.:cool:

Sad but true.

First couple times on Maui for us.. split between Ka'anapali and Wailea.

From here on in, for the rest of my life if I can help it.. Wailea.:cool:

I still think it's worth doing the split, because Maui is a pretty spread out Island, and there is plenty of stuff to make one want to spend at least 2-3 days between Lahaina and Kapalua. If I was doing 7 or more days, I'd split it, unless there was a big financial penalty for doing so (such as a spend 5 nights get 1, or 2 for free deal). Fortunately, most of the deals I've seen only require 4 or 5 days at most in one venue to get the deal.

I still think it's worth doing the split, because Maui is a pretty spread out Island, and there is plenty of stuff to make one want to spend at least 2-3 days between Lahaina and Kapalua. If I was doing 7 or more days, I'd split it, unless there was a big financial penalty for doing so (such as a spend 5 nights get 1, or 2 for free deal). Fortunately, most of the deals I've seen only require 4 or 5 days at most in one venue to get the deal.

Doing the split is realistic, as the real estate in Wailea is worth 3 times Ka'anapali from a cost stand point. That means higher hotel rates in the Wailea area of Grand Wailea, Fairmont, and Four Seasons.. other hotels following closely.

Splitting the stay between the two parts will save money and obviously time if just hanging out around that area of the island. Lahaina is where all the action is. Kihei near Wailea is a cheaper alternative to Wailea.

Doing the split is realistic, as the real estate in Wailea is worth 3 times Ka'anapali from a cost stand point. That means higher hotel rates in the Wailea area of Grand Wailea, Fairmont, and Four Seasons.. other hotels following closely.

Splitting the stay between the two parts will save money and obviously time if just hanging out around that area of the island. Lahaina is where all the action is. Kihei near Wailea is a cheaper alternative to Wailea.

In my opinion Wailea > Lahaina > Kihei

I like Kihei for doing things while staying in Wailea, but I would be somewhat underwhelmed if I was staying in Kihei.

Doing the split is realistic, as the real estate in Wailea is worth 3 times Ka'anapali from a cost stand point. That means higher hotel rates in the Wailea area of Grand Wailea, Fairmont, and Four Seasons.. other hotels following closely.

Splitting the stay between the two parts will save money and obviously time if just hanging out around that area of the island. Lahaina is where all the action is. Kihei near Wailea is a cheaper alternative to Wailea.

I'd much rather save money relative to Wailea by staying in Makena, rather than Kihei.

Usually, my doing the split is not based on cost, it's based on avoiding an hour drive each way between west Maui and South Maui. Last time I stayed in the Westin Vacation Villas (I'm a Starwood owner, so I can trade into it) and the Kea Lani.

If I was looking to economize on the Wailea side of the split, my choices would be the Makena Resort or a condo in Wailea Grand Champions - unless I could pick off the Marriott Wailea on Priceline, rather than anywhere in Kihei.

In my opinion Wailea > Lahaina > Kihei

I like Kihei for doing things while staying in Wailea, but I would be somewhat underwhelmed if I was staying in Kihei.

I'd much rather save money relative to Wailea by staying in Makena, rather than Kihei.

Usually, my doing the split is not based on cost, it's based on avoiding an hour drive each way between west Maui and South Maui. Last time I stayed in the Westin Vacation Villas (I'm a Starwood owner, so I can trade into it) and the Kea Lani.

If I was looking to economize on the Wailea side of the split, my choices would be the Makena Resort or a condo in Wailea Grand Champions - unless I could pick off the Marriott Wailea on Priceline, rather than anywhere in Kihei.

Agree, my perception has always been Wailea>Kaanapali/Lahaina/Kahana>Hana>Kapalua>Kihei

Still discovering Makena.. sounds like a great option.

Kihei is lower end accomodations. We also like using the town as a low cost alternative to dining when staying in the Wailea area. We can only take so much of fine dining in Wailea.. then time for some Thai or Italian.

Agree, my perception has always been Wailea>Kaanapali/Lahaina/Kahana>Hana>Kapalua>Kihei

Actually, Kapalua is pretty high end. Think of it as a cooler, wetter, smaller analog to Wailea - but if one is going during the dry season, it's pretty spectacular. Unfortunately, there is only one hotel (Ritz Carlton) and high end condos like the more upscale ones in Wailea. There is also Napili, which, while technically not in Kapalua, is literally a short (less than 100 meters) walk from Kapalua bay, that has a good midrange hotel (Napili Kai, which probably roughly equates to the Makena resort), and also has several good midrange condos.

In many ways, Kapalua/Napili is nicer than Ka'anapali, although certainly dining and shopping options within walking distance are more limited than Ka'anapali. I would have no qualms at all about staying in Kapalua/Napili during the dry season instead of Ka'anapali. During the wetter season, though, you are much more likely to get rain there than just a few miles south in Ka'anapali or, of course, Wailea, which is the dryest part of the island.

I would have to concur with the Ka'anapali/Napili/Kapalua suggestions. We have stayed on the west end (Kapalua) a number of times and enjoy it. Yes, the drive across the island (from either direction) takes some time but plan your day(s) and explore the entire island. Every part of it is unique and gives you an awesome experience.

Kapalua is indeed high end.. Just my preference posted in the order communcated.. Although if the Ritz turned into a Fairmont like it did on Big Island, I would of course change the order.;)

The weather played a big part in my preference, as its pretty windy, a bit colder, and rainy in the north.

Dear fellow FT'ers,

My family and I (wife and 2 boys -6 & 4) will be visiting Maui for the first time ever at the end of June. We'll be staying at the Westin Ka'anapali Ocean Resort Villas for the entire time (5 days) and will be renting a car.

My kids will probably be happy with just playing at the pool or along the beach where the hotel is at, and my wife will probably want to head to Queen Ka'ahumanu Center to do some shopping.

BUT I'd like to explore the island a bit without taking away too much play time from the boys. One of our favourite places to visit on Oahu is Waimea Bay - so something similar would be nice.

Any other advice will be extremely appreciated. I already know to head to Costco to load up on grocery. We plan to head straight there from the airport.

Thanks.

ST_ca

Wirelessly posted (iPhone-ETOPS: Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_1_1 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.1 Mobile/9B206 Safari/7534.48.3)

Dear fellow FT'ers,

My family and I (wife and 2 boys -6 & 4) will be visiting Maui for the first time ever at the end of June. We'll be staying at the Westin Ka'anapali Ocean Resort Villas for the entire time (5 days) and will be renting a car.

My kids will probably be happy with just playing at the pool or along the beach where the hotel is at, and my wife will probably want to head to Queen Ka'ahumanu Center to do some shopping.

BUT I'd like to explore the island a bit without taking away too much play time from the boys. One of our favourite places to visit on Oahu is Waimea Bay - so something similar would be nice.

Any other advice will be extremely appreciated. I already know to head to Costco to load up on grocery. We plan to head straight there from the airport.

Thanks.

ST_ca

Mokuleia Bay is close and a much better bay than Waimea for snorkeling if you're going during the summer. As always keep valuables out of the car. Honolua Bay is also next door but lacks sand.

Dear fellow FT'ers,

My family and I (wife and 2 boys -6 & 4) will be visiting Maui for the first time ever at the end of June. We'll be staying at the Westin Ka'anapali Ocean Resort Villas for the entire time (5 days) and will be renting a car.

My kids will probably be happy with just playing at the pool or along the beach where the hotel is at, and my wife will probably want to head to Queen Ka'ahumanu Center to do some shopping.

BUT I'd like to explore the island a bit without taking away too much play time from the boys. One of our favourite places to visit on Oahu is Waimea Bay - so something similar would be nice.

Any other advice will be extremely appreciated. I already know to head to Costco to load up on grocery. We plan to head straight there from the airport.

Thanks.

ST_ca

It depends on what you like about Waimea. If you want to snorkel, Black Rock in Ka'anapali is great, if you want surf, Honolua is great.

To me it is not a case of area vs area, but hotel by hotel, condo by condo decisions.

The Four Seasons is clearly the best hotel on the island and the Ritz is clearly #2, after that you can argue for the Hyatt Regency, Fairmont and Grand Wailea. I hate that Grand Wailea nickels and dimes you, but the pool is fun IF the resort is not crowded.

I hate Ka'anapali in general, but love Napili and especially Napili Kai Beach resort where we went a lot when I was a kid.

I much prefer Kahana to Kihei and love the Kahana Village and Kahana Sunset. Other condos we love are the Westin Villas, Honua Kai, Kapalua Villas, Ho'olei at Grand Wailea and Wailea Beach Villas.

It just depends on the experience you want and maybe time of year. For the grand experience, there are lots of places, for old Maui, Napili Kai.

If anyone is staying on island 10 days or more I think splitting is a good idea and not just West/South but condo/hotel as well.

Thanks for the responses thus far! Please keep them coming.

Snorkling would be fun but the 6 year old isn't that strong a swimmer. And breathing while snorkling would be too difficult for him :(

We enjoyed Waimea because it was a lot less busy, had a lot more local people than tourists, and each time we were there, we ran into a lot of wildlife - had turtles swim up right onto the beach once, got called out of the water by the lifeguard because there was a school of dolphins behind me once!

And we always stopped by Matsumoto Shaved Ice on our way back to Waikiki!!!

DT Fleming is usually a calm, sandy beach. It also has lifeguards. It's about 10 minutes north of WKORV. I'd also consider Napili Bay, which is a nice, protected bay north of WKORV. There's also the beach in front of the Makena Beach hotel (I think that's the name), which is great for seeing turtles.

For shopping, I'd head to Lahaina and browse the stores on the waterfront or head to the Shops of Wailea. Local artists set up stands at WKORV during the week. Inquire at the front desk.

DT Fleming is usually a calm, sandy beach. It also has lifeguards. It's about 10 minutes north of WKORV. I'd also consider Napili Bay, which is a nice, protected bay north of WKORV. There's also the beach in front of the Makena Beach hotel (I think that's the name), which is great for seeing turtles.

For shopping, I'd head to Lahaina and browse the stores on the waterfront or head to the Shops of Wailea. Local artists set up stands at WKORV during the week. Inquire at the front desk.

I got kind of lost on the abbreviation. WKORV = The Westin Kaanapali Ocean Resort Villas. Ok, now I'm back up to speed. :)

Hey all....

Heading to Maui for the first time for honeymoon and am looking for some advice.

My friend lives in Lahaina area and I was about to book either the Royal Lahaina or the Sheraton. Then I found the Fairmont in Wailea for pretty much the same price.

Is it too long of a drive to keep going back and forth from Wailea to Lahaina area? Is there stuff to do around the Fairmont, restaurants, activities, bars etc... or is that stuff more in Lahaina?

Thanks!

For a honeymoon I would definitely avoid Royal Lahaina which has mixed reviews. I can personally endorse the Sheraton (we stayed here on our honeymoon!) which unlike most mainland properties is very much a luxury resort and superior to the Westin for honeymooners though the Westin has much better pools. The Hyatt is a beautiful property but gets mixed reviews though better if you are Diamond.

The Marriott and SPG timeshares in Kanapaali are also nice properties, we will be visiting the MVC yet again later this year. The rooms and service are not as deluxe as the hotels (e.g. not the place to stay for room service or on-site restaurants) but the pools and beach are great and you can often find killer deals here.

You would not want to be driving Wailea to Lahaina on a regular basis, it will eat up way too much of your precious vacation time. But hard to go wrong with the Fairmont or Wailea area which can be sunnier depending on time of year.

I don't know that I'd agree with the rave endorsement of RC and FS, you'll find very mixed reviews on tripadvisor and here. Check the Marriott, SPG and Hyatt forums for pros and cons on all the major properties.

See the other recent thread on Maui for restaurant recs.

I can personally endorse the Sheraton (we stayed here on our honeymoon!) which unlike most mainland properties is very much a luxury resort
...
I don't know that I'd agree with the rave endorsement of RC and FS, you'll find very mixed reviews on tripadvisor and here.

The Sheraton is nice, but not a "luxury resort" by any means (towel cards? seriously? c'mon), especially when comparing to the likes of the Four Seasons. The Four Seasons is far superior to the Sheraton in just about every way, as one would expect (we split our time between the two on our honeymoon and even the staff at the Sheraton were like, "oh, you should stay at the FS the whole time" (we've also stayed at the Sheraton one other time)).