Originally Posted by Erasmus

Just back from a brief stay here with kids. It was as expected, and my family is divided on the HR Maui/GH Kauai debate. On the plus side, the evening offerings in the club were better than expected--the poke was actually quite tasty--and among the best I've had in a domestic club, as is the staff! Moreover, the drinks in the club are both more reasonably priced, and, at least in the case of the Mai Tais, actually better than what is served in the hotel restaurants/bars. The view from the outdoor patio in the evening is also right out of a postcard. The gym is remarkably well equipped, with an entire separate room of free weights, although a bit of a hike from the rest of the property.

The main disappointment was the room itself. We used a TSU and ended up in one of the x80 rooms at the end of the Lahaina tower, which I think might be a "double upgrade" as I believe it qualifies as an ocean front suite as opposed to the standard ocean view suite. Sounds great on paper, but not the most practical room for a family. The view from the tiny bedroom lanai is indeed lovely, but the problem is the table and chairs are on the other lanai, off the living room, which faces out over the parking lot. Moreover, if you are on a lower floor, as we were, you are also treated to the Drums of the Pacific every evening. While briefly amusing, it becomes more than an annoyance after the first night, especially if you have young ones and try to keep on mainland time as we do--i.e., are looking for quiet before about 8:30pm. The suite was freshly renovated, but on the small side. Indeed, the living room was too cramped to contemplate a roll away, so our kids shared the full sofa instead. The "door" between the bed room and living room is also just a slider, so there is no acoustic barrier. Perhaps most significantly, the suite only has one bath, so everyone has to tromp through the bedroom to use the facilities in the middle of the night. We *much* prefer suites with a proper half bath accessible from the living room.

And the parting shot: the coffee in the room was undrinkable (with only powdered creamer), necessitating a tromp down to the club every morning first thing. Breakfast itself was fine, but quite monotonous and it seemed like half of the crowd was taking food to go (which seems shockingly encouraged given the disposable plates and cardboard cupholders), so it really felt like a military commissary in the morning. (Although the line at Swans Court suggested the main restaurant option might not have been much better.)

A great value on points given current Hawaii hotel pricing, but just expect a mid-range conference hotel and you won't be disappointed. There's certainly nothing luxury about it, but the kids had a blast so mission accomplished.