Kagehitokiri

yes, former RC residences, and there is no relationship

(RC still has residential suites at RC)

Ericka

Thanks, Jagmap. I like it. Gonna have to follow this one. Your pictures make it look more intimate than what I'm used to seeing for Hawaii.

The big question....were there towels, hats, etc. used to "hold" beach/pool chairs in the morning?

JAGMAP

Pool area is sprawling with plenty of open and private areas. Cabanas are free until the roofs arrive. No towels/hats holding spots early in the morning (no need to and not indicative of clientele). Pool attendants always offered to set your chairs up and kept things tidy ^

Residences are finished out beautifully (not over the top, felt like home) and reserved through Virtuoso (Montage Kapalua is not an Amex FHR property, yet). Rates started at $1,200 but just saw a $595 special @:-)

Full access to the Ritz-Carlton Kapalua is included and is a nice walk

Check-in is performed by gracious hosts (no front desk) who immediately offer cold eucalyptus towels and chilled pineapple on skewers

According to one waitress, Montage Kapalua had a soft-opening on June 1, 2014 and will have an official grand opening soon

TripAdvisor Reviews are worth a read

CanfordCliffs

thanks for highlighting this hotel, i hadnt spotted this opening. How did you find the weather here- i heard that its VERY windy at the RC, because of the end of the island it is placed on- any input here would be great

CanfordCliffs

Also forgot to ask, is this a "fun" pool like the hilton in wailea- it looks lovely from the photos but are there any fun slides for my boy?

ridefar

This is very true. There are some nice beaches that are well protected from the wind, but it is tough to escape completely. And it does tend to blow constantly. I have never swung a golf club in my life, but I always wondered about the wisdom of putting a golf course there (there is one right up the hill from the RC) due to the wind.

Kagehitokiri

how would you compare to Four Seasons Hualālai?

great news, and more great details.

JAGMAP

@Kagehitokiri - no clue on 4S. Kapalua isn't simply a resort. Not too many places can boast its own airport, 2 golf courses, two 5-Star Resorts, multi-million dollar residences, two award winning spas, perfectly manicured grounds, etc. Most room folios at the Ritz during Christmas/New Years exceed $20K at checkout. Montage, I'm sure, will command more unless the residence owner decides to stay.

@CanfordCliffs - don't know what a "fun" pool is but seems LRD-esque (Low Rent District aka Wailea) Montage's pool area is massive and "fun" can be had anywhere. I don't remember any slides, but plenty of rocks to climb on and jump off of (though I don't think you're supposed to - I did and I'm 32 years old)

@CanfordCliffs - I've been to Kapalua a dozen times in my life and stayed in almost every area (Kapalua Bay Hotel, Ritz, Montage, Golf/Bay/Ridge Villas) - it's been windy maybe 1 or 2 days but sun still shines. Worst windy day was at the former Kapalua Bay Hotel's grassy lawn facing the ocean (thankfully it's still there today)

Another thing I like about Kapalua is no one judges - guests or employees... (unless you ask an ignorant question about Hawaiian culture).

Do what makes you happy and provides a good experience. Resort is massive but no building is taller than the tallest palm tree. It's peaceful, Utopian and can be affordable. The affluent that frequent the resort aren't flashy and I think that's reflected in every outlet's architecture and staff (Ritz, Montage, Villas).

There's Napili Kai but that's just ghetto (still better than Wailea lol). Every time I go back the Napili Kai beach gets worse. That's me being a snob though. In all honesty, I'd rather sleep in the nastiest room in Napili Kai than the Four Seasons Wailea.

Kagehitokiri

montage 3.8 miles to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kapalua_Airport (kona, lanai, honolulu - less crowds but less routes)
hualalai 8.3 miles to http://wikipedia.org/wiki/Kona_International_Airport (FS has airport lounge for some guests)

they both have annual PGA/pro-am
hualalai is mostly houses, up to ~$30mm

(there are a number of FS hualalai regulars here)

CanfordCliffs

i surprised to hear everyone be so down on Wailea.. i thought we had stayed in the classiest area of Maui but it appears we may have been way off target (sorry we are from europe and just thought "four seasons". So the general concensus is that Kapula is better? Our score is based on
romantic pre-dinner drinks (FS maui 10/10)
romantic dining (FS Maui 10/10)
rooms (F/S maui 3/10 probably the worst i have experienced at FS but we only paid for garden view so maybe we deserved it! my gripe was they turned a generator on which filled our balcony with fumes for 2 of our days staying there so we couldnt use our lanai- when we asked to be moved or compansation they wouldnt do anything)
being able to stroll between hotels in the evening along the waterfront. (wailea 10/10)

Do these other locations offer the above (thanks for any help in advance)

ridefar

I suspect that the answer very much depends on a person's perspective. I completely disagree with JAGMAP about Kapalua weather for example. I too have been there many times, and in my experience it is always windy and it is more cloudy and experiences more brief rainshowers than elsewhere on the south/west sides of Maui. The beaches however are fantastic, and it is generally less crowded than Wailea. But by the same token the dining options may be more limited (esp. after Chez Paul closed--easily the best place in Hawaii and the best seafood I have had anywhere). Based on brief experiences, I am not a fan of the RC, and wouldn't pay to stay there. It is big, and had lots of people that were anxious to demonstrate their wealth. Just not my cup of tea in any respect. But Sensei up the road is very nice sushi.

So... dining... not great. IMO. Views and drinks and what not? Well, you are a long way from the water in the RC unless you spend an enormous amount of money. Being able to stroll between hotels? Well, there is only the RC (and now the Montage, but they are on the same property).

All this in my opinion, and I have expressed my disapointment with Hawaiin hotels elsewhere here, but if you are in the Kapalua region, you are better off renting a house. Far better value. I say that without having even looked at rates for the Montage.

CanfordCliffs

Thankyou millionmileguy. This echoes my throughts, i would like to try the RC just to do a comparison, if i do i will post my findings, but i think for now we will stick to Wailea, it suits us

Cardboard55

Any new reports on stays at this property? We're going in a few weeks, curious how things are. We love the other Montage properties we've been to, so my hopes are high.

sfoactuary

I'm curious as well - just booked a stay here a couple months from now, and would love to hear about recent experiences.

Cardboard55

I will write up a mini review in the next couple of days, but suffice it to say, we absolutely loved it, and it is now our favorite resort on Maui by a long shot.