In hindsight it was an obvious choice to choose this over the AC for two nights. We got what I believe to be a very good upgrade to an Ocean View King room, just as an Explorist. Balcony with full view of the pool complex and the ocean. The sunsets from the balcony are excellent. In addition, we appreciated the welcome gift of a bottle of sparkling rose - not sure if this is a standard Hyatt Explorist welcome gift or not, but we will take advantage of it over sunset tonight

Highlights so far:

1) Four tiered normal pool complex is pretty cool
2) Adult pool is also nice option - contrary to all of the reviews I have red, it seems like a popular option, with about 20 guests out here right now
3) beach setup was great and much more intuitive than the Ritz Carlton Kapalua - we simply walked to the beach, and attendants set up chairs and towels for us. We spent most of the morning and afternoon there today, swimming and scoping out whales
4) Food is pretty good - I do think Ritz has slightly bette options in their main kitchens. We are going to Morimoto for lunch tomorrow

Only issue so far is our room wasn’t cleaned today, and service isn’t as “high touch” as Ritz Carlton. Also, the standard bathroom set up is odd. I found my standard king room at the Ritz a better room.

Overall this seems to be one of the hotels you earn and collect Hyatt points and status for, and it is well worth it. I think it slightly edges Ritz Kapalua (which I guess is Marriott’s top Hawaii property?) in terms of style, but obviously very different properties in terms of location and appeal. I would return to both.