tkmeister

We are heading to Kauai and Maui at the end of Sept for our honeymoon. We are spending a week in St Regis Kauai and trying to figure out where to stay in Maui.

We are currently debating Ritz, Westin Villa, or one of the hotels(Fairmont, Grand Wailea, Marriott) in Wailea. Basically haven't really narrowed down yet.

Currently, Fairmont has a great pool renovation deal but we are concerned that would make the pool area very crowded since there'll be only one pool open.

We keep going back on forth and having hard time make up our mind. So it's time to ask the world and see if you, savvy travelers, can help us our decision.

Thanks!

cordelli

Totally at the other end of the scale, we stayed at the cottages at Mama's fish house (www.mamasfishhouse.com). We had a nice one bedroom place, full kitchen, patio, big grill, right next to a small beach. Mile 8 on the Hana Highway (about)

If you are looking for all a resort has to offer, don't even bother looking at this, it's about as far as you can get from a full service resort, which to us was a huge advantage.

Recreation

Wailea is sophisticated but rather somnulent, IMO. Pluses are that the Fairmont/Four Seasons/Marriott are all ocean front, have easy access to shops and restaurants, and are situated on a great ocean front path, which makes for great strolls or runs. Wailea is also right down the street from some of the best snorkeling on the island -- in front of the Maui Prince hotel. A lot of tourist boats visit here as their "turtle town" stop. Fairmont is very nice, and offers the conveniences of a condo, but the place is HUGE and not exactly what I'd call intimate and romantic. Plus you'll pay dearly for a good view.

Wailea is closer to Haleakala and Hana while Kaanapali and Kapalua is closer to Lahaina.

http://www.wizardpub.com/maui/mrpolobeach.html

Ritz, on the other hand, is very romantic but isolated. You'll have to drive to get to most restaurants, etc. It's next to DT Fleming Beach, which is awesome, but it's not directly on the beach like the others you mentioned. Rather it's a 5-15 minute walk/golf car ride away depending on where you stay. One plus is that it's just minutes away from Honlua Bay, which is great for snorkeling. Another plus is that it draws an older crowd so less children running amouck like you'll find at the Fairmont Kea Lani. And unless you rent one of their villas, you won't have a kitchen and washer/dryer. Kapalua is the northern most property on your list and it can be rainy/windy there.

http://www.wizardpub.com/maui/mrritzcarlton.html

I'm a timeshare owner at Westin villas. I would never recommend owning there because the maintenance fees are through the roof, but I'd definitely recommend staying there. I love the area north of Black Rock because it's got a nice suburban vibe to it, energetic without being frenetic. It's romantic but has plenty to do within a short drive, including the harbor at Lahaina where you can book sunset cruises. The villas are a nice hybrid between a condo and a hotel. For instance, you get pool service, on-site restaurants and a free shuttle to/from Lahaina, but you also get full kitchens and washer/dryers. Far cheaper to rent from an owner if you can via Tug2 or Redweek though they're not very flexible with dates (e.g. check-in dates are Fri/Sat/or Sun).

http://www.wizardpub.com/maui/mrwest...paliocean.html

If I had to pick one hotel to stay at, it'd probably be the Hyatt because I love its location at the end of Ka'anapali Beach. It's near the action but not directly in the middle of it. If I stayed at a timeshare, I'd stay at Marriott Maui Ocean Club Napili or Lahaina towers (newer and good views) or Westin Ka'anapali North Villas (north side because the views are superior there and it draws more of an adult crowd than the south side). If I stayed at a condo, I'd browse VRBO, focusing on either Honua Kai (Kaanapali) or Polo Beach Club (Wailea), both of which have very nice condos with kitchens and washer/dryers.

If you're looking to book this September, you might be able to wheel and deal with an owner to book at a discount because it's better for them to rent at a discount than let it sit empty.

http://www.wizardpub.com/maui/mrhyatt.html
http://www.wizardpub.com/maui/mrhonuakai.html
http://www.wizardpub.com/maui/mrpolobeach.html

Ancien Maestro

Wailea is the luxury destination in all of the islands, not just Maui. While I like Ka'anapali, the real estate is almost triple the value in Wailea.. It's your honeymoon, I would go Wailea.^

My wife and I being Platinum Members at Fairmont, we have only good things to say about the Kea Lani.. you're right, the renovation sale beginning at $199 per night is a once in a lifetime deal.. just plan to go to the beach if you end up going Sept. However, if you can swing October, I heard that Kea Lani will have the adult pool and the lower pool open (so just the upper pool undergoing renos).. so you get the discount and the use of the two main pools.. the upper pool is little and the one water slide they've got isn't worth the extra $300 per night that they regularly charge. all suites are at least 840 sq ft.^

Add brekkie package at Kea Lani for $50 per day.. better yet, if you are AMEX Platinum or book through www.perfectescapes.com, you maybe able to get reno special and free brekkie/upgrade/late checkout.

Want to spend $600+ for a 500 sq ft to 650 sq ft room, go Grand Wailea and Four Seasons. I'm a budget freak.. I'd go renovation sale, and visit the other properties during the day.

B1

You can get a very nice condo in Wailea on Hotwire (they are usually listed as 3.5*). They are next to the Marriott on the golf course - excellent for your purpose and Wailea is a great area - the beaches are lovely and the walking path joins the hotels on the ocean side. Take an early morning trip to Haleakala for the sunrise and walk down the Sliding Sands Trail to see the crater.

ck2003

i've stayed at the grand wailea and the westin villas. both times we were with kids. the grand wailea is a nice resort but some of the rooms can be pretty bad. avoid ground floor chapel wing. at the westin villas we had a 1 bedroom in the south villas and it was great. i liked the south villas because the grilling area was closer to the beach and close to the breakfast restaurant. but if you get a studio rather than a 1-br on the south side, they don't have lanais! a must for me when i go to hawaii.
if i were on my honeymoon in maui, my first choice would probably be to stay in wailea (i like the beaches better in the south) either at the four seasons or the fairmont. space would be less important (w/o kids) and service would matter more. if the renovated fairmont pools aren't noisy due to construction then it's definitely the better deal. but assuming that you would spend a fair amount of time at the resort i wouldn't pay to stay at a place that was under loud construction during my honeymoon no matter how good a deal it was.
btw, you might consider visiting the luxury hotels thread on this forum. they have tips on how you can get the most out of your stay at luxury properties. i've also used whatahotel.com to check on rates. fs maui right now has 5th night free which makes it $476/night for garden view and if you book with a preferred partner you get amenities like free breakfast and lunch credit. and the fs have a lot of free amenities, like cabanas, that other resorts would charge for. with the fairmont if you book through a virtuoso agent you can also have breakfast included. at kea lani i checked 9/19-9/25 just to see the rates at whatahotel.com and it was $299/night for ocean view breakfast included.
good luck!

COSPILOT

One option is to book a Kapalua condo through the Ritz. You enjoy all of the perks, with the privacy of a condo. You will pay much more than booking through Sullivan Properties (which I also recommend) for Kapalua based condo's. I have done it both ways, just depends on how much my budget will allow for the trip.

While I like the Grand Wailea, I prefer the west side of the island, including Ka'anapali options.

dhuey

We always stay in Wailea, but young honeymooners might be happier in the Kaanapali area if they want some nightlife. There isn't a lot of nightlife on Maui, but most of what there is can be found there.

If you don't mind a pricier, quieter area, Wailea sure is nice. Avoid the Grand Wailea until you have kids old enough to use the water park. Four Seasons Maui is probably the best resort I've ever stayed at. Everything is gorgeous but understated. Extremely friendly staff, and top-notch facilities.

silver-tls

The Four Seasons Wailea seems to be the choice of all the celebrities but the cheapest rooms are close to $500/night. The Grand Wailea is right next door and another option. However if you're staying at the St. Regis Princeville, I'd have to say the Four Seasons or else you'll be disappointed with the dropoff of all the other resorts.

happymommy

I used to live on Oahu, and went to Maui a few times. We loved Wailea for its peace and quiet. Kaanapali is fun, but has lots of traffic (think smaller version of Waikiki), but Lahaina is quaint. Kapalua can be very cool and windy - we spent a Thanksgiving week at the Ritz there, but wore long pants and sweaters the whole time. We loved it - reminded us of the mainland - but some guests actually checked out and went down to Wailea (the staff said that's not uncommon). So if sun and warmth is important, I'd avoid Kapalua.

For a honeymoon, I'd go with Kaanapali or Wailea.

If the Westin is near the older Sheraton, that is a very beautiful area of Kaanapali!

edscholl

Got married in Maui in May and stayed at the Four Seasons- can't say enough good things about this property and the staff. ^

mandyanddrew

My husband and I were married in May and honeymooned in Oahu & Maui. We stayed at the Westin Ka'anapali Resort Villas in Maui and loved every second!! We stayed in the south Tower for 5 days! I can honestly tell you that it was PERFECT!! We had a 1 bedroom villa and it had everything that we could have asked for and more: full kitchen, huge bathroom, whirlpool tub, washer/dryer, lanai,...
As mentioned above, the snorkeling in front of the resort is fantastic!!

You will have such a fantastic time and a honeymoon that no future trip will ever top! Best Wishes

dchristiva

I'm still a huge fan of the Ritz Carlton Kapalua. Honeymooned there with my wife and we went back for a week's stay before our first child was born (our last "child-free" trip).

sonofzeus

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRcj9WbHLjk

MisterNice

From neighbors I heard their service there has been going downhill for months and it is currently in foreclosure or soon will be. I would be very vary of booking there.

MisterNice