worldtravel123

SkiAdcock

Thanks for the update. Much appreciated.

Cheers.

pokee

I'm trying to decide between the Westin and this place. Sounds like the renovations make this property worth while. I just can't get over the cost of Maui hotels in comparison to the other islands. It's like 40% more expensive than comparable hotels on the other islands!

mikef07

I really like the Marriott, but IMO the location of the Westin is far superior. Lahaina IMO is the best area of Maui so I really like where the Westins are. If I were taking kids I would choose the Westin

DJ_Iceman

I know plenty of people who agree with you, but I just wanted to share my opinion which is pretty much the exact opposite. I find Ka'anipali and Lahaina to be the built-up, touristy, and a little bit trashy part of the island. Either with or without a family, I prefer Wailea.

DeweyCheathem

They are very different, and each has their charms, and their shortcomings. When I go to Maui, if it's for 6 or more days, I try to spend some time in each area. My last trip, I spent 4 days at the Westin Villas in Kaanapali, and 4 days at an AirBNB in upcountry Wailea which is run as a small Inn, near the Hotel Wailea (I would only recommend this if one has a car - in which case it's fine). I basically chose this second alternative because it was about $150 per night all in, which I considered to be noticeably cheaper than the 40K Marriott points + resort fee that the Marriott would have set me back.

The 4 nights in the Westin Villas was a swap from the timeshare I own (a week in the Westin Kierland in Scottsdale in August - which trades evenly for 4 midweek days at the Westin Villas in Maui in peak season) BTW, I have NEVER used the Westin Kierland week in August as it is - I ALWAYS swap it for 4 days in either Kauai Princeville or Maui during peak season (I've done the Maui swap 5 times, and Princeville twice and never had a problem getting availability in Hawaii between January and March). Which is a nice trade considering that the Hawaii timeshare weeks cost about 5 times what the Scottsdale week cost me.

That being said, if I was planning on using my SPG or Marriott points for a Maui property, I think that the Marriott Wailea is the best value between the two programs (although, if traveling with kids, a case could be made for the Residence Inn in Wailea, since it has no resort fee, free breakfast and the rooms are really all suites with full kitchens) But be aware that the Res. Inn is not on a beach, rather is about a half mile up the hill from the beach.

pokee

Thanks for the opinions - yeah, I've heard both -- that Lahaina is fun for kids - and we have kids, but that Wailea has all the same things to do, but is a bit quieter.

I don't have points to use, so this will be a points earning trip. I'm thinking if I'm going to shell out $500 a night for a hotel, I'd much rather do it at the Marriott, since the rooms were recently re-done, and I'm not a huge fan of paying big bucks to stay in an outdated room. But, the Westin provides free parking and seems like there's more to do at the resort for the kids, and nearby activities for them.

I've thought about the Residence Inn, but IMO it defeats the whole purpose of going to Hawaii if you're not going to stay at a resort on/near the beach. Plus, the RI has higher rates than the Wailea Marriott for my dates!

As it stands right now, I've booked a room at the Marriott because they don't require a deposit. We'll likely wait until closer to our departure date (March 19) to make our final decision. The best deal make likely win in the end, since being Canadian means we pay about a 35% markup on that $500 a night...yikes!

dblue

How far and how much of a hassle is the beach access? Are Marriott umbrellas/chairs available on the beach?

Considering splitting a trip up between the Westin/Starwood and then coming down to this Marriott for a few days but opinions seem to be mixed here.

VickiSoCal

No Marriott facilities on the beach. You can rent chairs and umbrellas from the Marriott but you have to carry them to the beach.

PHLGovFlyer

Ulua beach park is about 200 meters from the adult pool area at the Marriott. There's a paved walking path between them.

chicagodawn

This hotel isn't showing up for me when I search for paid or points stay (June 2018, all other Marriott and SPG Maui properties show up then) Does anyone know why? I can't get it to come up in any search with availability, and I've spot checked multiple dates. Has anyone run into issues getting point stays well in advance?

pokee

Yeah I think I had trouble when I looked for dates a year out. I think they showed up at around the 10 month mark (For March 2018, anyway). I was also unable to book without already having all required points.

gumercindo

I realized I should have posted this here instead of a different thread.

Any DPs supporting upgrading to a suite using a 7N cert? Looking to use a 7N cert at the Wailea and am willing to pay extra P&C to get the suite upgrade. Will the Marriott flight and Hotel package folks be able to help me out or is this more up to the discretion of the hotel (at check-in)?

pokee

I keep checking the rates at this hotel for my trip in March 2018, and when I did this time, I was able to book a 'Cash and Points' reservation, and redeem for 4 nights (5th night free!) without having the points in my account yet! Yay! This is great news for me, since I plan to earn/transfer a lot more points in the near future, and I'm going in high season when the rates are $500+ just for a basic room!

gumercindo

Looking to book 7N cert (standard room) with this property in Jun/Jul 2018 and already there's no availability - is that right? Or am I looking too far ahead?

Edit: I did find a room available mid June, which actually might work. One of the rooms available is a premium ocean view room for an additional 8 certs per night. So, if I get the 7N cert, this will be 360k points + $150 per night (not sure how much that translates into points). A regular ocean view room is also available for an additional $100 per night.

Two questions, are those upgraded rooms worth the upcharge AND are the ocean view rooms bigger than the regular standard room? Asking for a family of 5.

Lastly, I'm debating the following options:

Option 1: scenario above for 7N and then either go to the big island or Kauai for 5 additional nights at a Marriott property. (12N total)

Option 2: 7N cert for the RC property on Maui, 3N either on Kauai or big island and then return home. (10N total)

Option 3: stay at the Wailea or Westin Maui for 5N, 5N on Kauai and then 3N on big island before returning to states. (13N total)

Id get the 7N cert in the first 2 options but I exhaust virtually all Marriott points in option 2. Option 3 is more flexibility because not using 7N cert