Maui Revealed - Westin Kaanapali Ocean Resort Villas

1,021 units, 3 pools, 2 keiki pools, 4 spas, 3 restaurants, 2 free 24-hour fitness rooms, 2 lighted tennis courts, basketball court, room service, coffee makers with free coffee daily, valet parking, daily maid service, free area shuttle, day spa, 24-hour business center, washer/dryer in unit, bbqs, free Wi-Fi in lobby and rooms, free hi-speed Internet access in rooms, free room safe, children’s program, lanais on all but South Phase studios (which have stand-only Juliet balconies), game room. With over 1,000 units, this is the mother of all properties on Maui. Seven 6-story plantation-style buildings on 26 acres located on beautiful Kahekili Beach. Finished in 2007 as a timeshare property, they maintain a healthy inventory of vacation rentals. The only caveat is that no oceanfront units, especially building 8, are vacation rentals. They save that category for owners of timeshares, which is okay, because some of what they call oceanfront is really ocean view, in our opinion. Rooms are rented by the view, but you can make a request for a specific building, if they have it available.

If you have kids, this is the place to be. They have a dreamy kids’ program and center, which does everything from arts and crafts to cultural activities to video games. The program is $75 for the day for ages 5–12 and includes lunch and a seasonal night camp for $60. You have to love the pirate ship keiki pool because your kids will have a blast (no pun intended) using it. The other pools are lagoon-shaped with the south pool having a 109-foot waterslide, but they do tend to jam a lot of chairs around all the pools. There is also an adult-only pool. Cabanas with 4 chairs are $90 a day, and casabellas (2 chairs) are $40. You’ll see servers wandering the pools taking drink and food orders. They have a small (but pricey) market for foodstuffs and even marinated meats for the bbqs.

The rooms are modern with full kitchens, dvd players (rentals in lobby), Bose stereos and “Heavenly Beds.” The newer North Phase rooms are slightly smaller than the South Phase, but we prefer the decor a bit more in the North Phase, and the separate Jacuzzi tubs there are big enough for two. Two-bedroom units are simply a studio joined to a one-bedroom unit, so there are 2 washer/dryers in those. Since the two bedroom units can hold up to 10 people, you may appreciate that extra washer/dryer. Personal in-room chefs are available, or you can enjoy a romantic dinner in one of the cabanas by the beach—for a fee, of course. They will also prestock your unit with groceries for $10 plus cost of food. There is a spa on site with 13 treatment rooms and all the pampering, including couple’s treatments.

They have a very early check-out at 10 a.m., but they allow guests to use their facilities and have a lounge with showers for free use until flight time. Self-parking is $7 and valet is $9. No resort fee here, which is nice. In short, all the amenities of a big resort with the convenience of a condo. Studios (460–512 sq. ft.) are $569–$739, 1/1s (750–1,038 sq. ft.) are $819-$879, 2/2s (1,230 sq. ft.) are $1,388–$1,608. Starwood Preferred guests get 30–35% off those rates.