Maui Revealed - Royal Lahaina Resort

412 rooms, 3 pools, spa, 10 tennis courts (7 lighted) and a stadium court (screaming fans extra), 6 conference rooms, coffee makers with free coffee daily, 3 shops, hi-speed Internet access, valet parking, room service, 3 restaurants, lu‘au. This 27-acre resort currently consist of cottages and a tower called the Lahaina Kai. Of the two, you’re best off at the Lahaina Kai Tower, which underwent a $35 million renovation in 2007 with stunning results, including Egyptian cotton sheets and feather beds. The cottages had a soft renovation in 2008 with new paint, carpets and bedding. The lobby here is also scheduled to be redone. Their old Royal Hale Tower is now a separate resort called Ka‘anapali Ocean Inn (see next listing). Of the oceanfront cottages, only Buildings E & F are worth the upgrade price as the others have more blocked views. The cottages are two-story walk-up buildings with the upstairs units having almost a complete kitchen. Upstairs units also have a lanai, though you’ll almost certainly never sit there. In a bizarre design they face away from the ocean and have a cooped-up feel. For some reason it reminds us of the smoking rooms you walk by at airports. Who would ever want to spend time in one? The fate of the cottages was uncertain at press time as they were scheduled to be torn down to make way for new villas, but that has been put off for now due to the languid real estate market.

They do not have a mandatory resort fee, like some other resorts. Instead they opted for a “pick and choose” fee. For instance, parking is $10 per day, valet parking is $15, local calls and 800 numbers are an extra buck, and room safes are $3.95. You can pay a $16 per day optional fee to absorb these and add $5 more for valet parking. There are two dining choices and an ice cream, sandwich and pizza place with Internet. The pizzas are so-so, but you can take them back to your room (or they’ll deliver). Breakfast buffets are at the Royal Ocean Garden. And there’s a poolside bar with burgers and such.

They have a wedding coordinator on site. They used to have a gazebo where couples who got married here had a tile with their names on it placed around the building. The tiles remain, but the gazebo is long gone. Anniversary couples often come back to check on their tiles.

Their Jacuzzi is oddly located in the back of the property, far from the ocean.

Royal Lahaina is on heavenly Ka‘anapali Beach. The rack rates listed below have come down a lot with this edition, and packages are still available. Tower rooms (330 sq. ft.) are $225–$625, tower suites (790-1,120 sq. ft.) are $595–$1,550. Cottages (350 sq. ft.) are $199–$425, cottage suites (1,135–1,250 sq. ft.) are $360–$800.