Originally Posted by danziru
Yes - weather was definintely something that I looked into. I found a rainfall map in "Maui Revealed" (great book, by the way) - Wailea gets 16 days of rain/year while Kapalua gets (I'm not 100% sure of this # as I don't have the book with me) something like 80. After factoring everything in, I have settled on the Renaissance. Thanks to everyone for their help!
We had a home in Kapulua for several years. Yes, it does rain, but in October, which is the nicest month, only a few minutes a day. The Kapalua area is just so beautiful. Indeed, you may roll the dice re: weather and wind. However, compared to the Wailea area, I would take Kapalua. Although, Wailea enjoys a bit more sunshine, and less winds, and might have a convenient coffee-shop nearby, it is in the middle of a burgeoning beach resort with hotels practically hugging each other. If looking for romance and a bit of isolation, Kapalua is (IMHO) a better choice. It just feels a bit more Hawaiian, and a lot less Miami Beach.
Congratulations. A honeymoon in Hawaii is special...