Aston Maui Kaanapali Villas, Lahaina

What a great place. When we first checked in, we were greeted by a very friendly and helpful desk. When he found out it was our 40th anniversary, he gave us a box of candy and a bottle of champagne. The room was large, clean and complete. We couldn't ask for more. The maid service was great and we had a newspaper at our door each morning. We have never been this comfortable away from home before. I would recommend the Villa's to anyone.

This was our 1st visit to Hawaii and Maui in particular. We rented a condo from a private party at the Villas, but still everything about this place was absolutely fantastic!! I would highly recommend it to anyone and everyone. We have since been to Maui and the big Island as well many times and still think the best place we stayed was at the Villas.

We picked this place because it was on a nice stretch of sandy beach and convenient to Lahaina. We were upgraded to a remodeled Tower suite with a great ocean view to watch the sunsets. The restaurant food was ok, not great, but convenient when we did not want to venture out. There is a lot of remodeling going on with these privately owned condos, so ask not to place next to one if the noise bothers you. There were a lot of retired owners on site during our visit, but were very friendly and helpful with travel tips. We would go back to it or the Royal Lahaina next door.

First of all, if you're expecting a Westin or Hyatt-class room, don't. This place is true Hawaii. Lots of wicker and floral prints. Most of the condos are owned by people who rent them out and are decorated somewhat eclectically. However, they are clean and the staff is very friendly. The Castaway restaurant on the property is excellent. The food is absolutely delicious and reasonably priced. I didn't even consider staying anywhere else. This place is no tourist trap, so it lacks certain amenities, but if you can live without a Macy's in your hotel, the Kaanapali Villas is for you.

When booking our honeymoon, we knew we wanted a place with a private beach, and access to local activities/entertainment. We booked the Maui Kaanapali Villas based on internet reviews (and pictures) and it met--and exceeded--our expectations. We stayed in room 616 (in the Aloha Tower), which was a one-bedroom studio with a kitchen and ocean view. The kitchen and bathroom were nicely upgraded (new cabinetry, full-size refrigerator, new oven, stove, and dishwasher), but the bedroom area was a little more modest. Also, the lanai off the room was just big enough to stand on. I had envisioned a larger outdoor patio, which some units have, but ours was small. It really didn't matter, but if that matters to you, you might want to call and request a room with a larger patio. Everything was clean and the staff was wonderful (extremely friendly). The beach in front of the property is by far one of the high points of this hotel. It is gorgeous, and quiet, with some of the best snorkeling reefs in West Maui! They also have a restaurant on the property, "The Castaway Cafe" which is located right on the ocean, and was extremely convenient. We ate many meals there... the prices are low and the food was delicious (plus, happy hour $1.50 draft beer!). While we were there, the main pools (on the beach, next to the cafe) were being completely renovated. If we had kids, that would have been a disappointment, since the other pool is not overlooking the ocean (and it's smaller). But, when they are completed, they will be a huge asset to the property. A trolley runs (for free!) from the Villas to surrounding hotels and the nearby Whaler's Village. The hotel also has a travel corrdinator which was extremely helpful when booking activities. We received discounts at a local spa for 90 minute massages, tips on helicopter tours (which I HIGHLY recommend), and driving to Hana. We will definitely return to Maui Kaanapali Villas, it was great. If you really love having valet parking, a bellman, and an elaborate lobby, this hotel isn't for you. If you want a place on a beautiful beach, with local access to restaurants, shopping, golf, etc. for a lower price (less than the $500+ night nextdoor hotels), consider the Kaanapali Villas. We loved it there.

Great location, but that's where it ends. Wifi service is bad. Hotel decor is 70's, along with the hairdryer unit in the room and the fridge. Hidden 10/per day 'facilities' fee tacked onto whatever you think your per day price is going to be. Ridiculous because it adds up day after day. Not a good deal. Unfriendly staff at the front desk, who merely tolerate you. It's no Four Seasons that's for sure. The hotel 'general store' has outrageous markups as well. How about 10 dollars for a box of Coco puffs cereal? Now that takes some guts. But it get better! I cut my foot on a coral reef at the beach and on the way back to my room stopped by the front desk and asked for a band aid from the first aid kit. They said they were all out and suggested I either buy a box of them from their general store or I could drive into Lahiana and buy some from the supermarket. Now that's some Aloha spirit. Honestly at this point I hope the place slides into the sea.

We booked this past weekend for the Maui Marathon. When I called reservations, they told me it was immediately next door to the finish line of the Marathon. Well, it turns out that it is a good 20 minute walk! We needed to be at the finish line by 3:15AM to catch the bus which took us to the starting point. Central Reservations is somewhere in the continental US...they need new maps!! The local staff was very friendly, apologetic and tried to help, but had their hands tied. There was no clock in the room, no hot water at 10PM when we checked in, awful smell came from the bathroom sink, and when we got out of the shower and water dripped on the floor, you could see how dirty it was. Each unit is individually owned and furnished - ours was bare. The staff responded courteously but you could tell they had their hands tied.

We checked into Kaanapali Vills on Monday July 23 around 3:30 pm ...we were sent to room 132....It was great clean..spacious although we were told that it had king size bed..it actually had a queen size...It was fine until we woke up to a JACKHAMMER in the room next to us. They were doing a remodle..of course so we had to go through the inconvience of packing everything up and being moved...to another building. The tiki bar near the pool had good food..although the bar CLOSED at 9:15 are you kdding me...I thought I was in a retiremnet home. So lets talk about the fact that they dont care if you bring your not so well behaved dog to the resturant to disturb paying guests and then when you complain they dont listen.Total lack of management over the entire RESORT. And how about that AWFULL waitress , the one with the HORRIBLE southeren drwal...she told my husband and I to hurry up and order because the kitchen staff wanted to go home ...SERIOUSLY it was 8:45 pm and then she wondered why she did not get a tip, No she actually asked us why we did not leave her a gratuity..I guess they have CLASS under that rock she crawled out from. Who in there right mind would tell a paying coustomer to HURRY UP? again the lack of management. I will not even bore you with the lieing theifing Hawaiians that we encountered. STAY ON THE MAINLAND and let these people PRETEND they are in another counrty.It was not worth the money we spent. I WILL NOT BE VISITING AGAIN.

The Good: The room was simple and well maintained, overall a good value for Maui. The beach in front of the hotel was great. There is a convenient shuttle that runs to Whaler’s Village for shopping / dinner fairly regularly. Free wireless all over the property. Staff were very helpful. The bad: No amount of proper maintenance could make up for the fact that the property is very dated. Our kitchen appliances felt like they were from the 50's and the room decor was last touched in the 80's. The worst part was the rules and regulations. Since the property has many retired on site owners they provide you a list of rules when you check in. A few favorites: * Quiet time starts at 9 pm (loud TV should be reported to desk) * No Marco Polo in the pool * The laundry room is locked at 10 pm * No parking in reserved spaces (all of the spaces around the building seemed to be reserved for onsite owners) The ugly: Speaking of the laundry room, it was disgusting. It was located in a garage behind the hotel (why it had to be locked at 10 was beyond me). The machines we old and stinky. Cost was $3.00 to wash and dry. Summary: This hotel is great for value travelers and those looking for a more subdued environment. If shuffleboard and 4pm dinners are not your cup of tea you may want to look elsewhere.

-We stayed a week in May 2007. Clean, Tropical feel to this Reasonably priced Kitchen equipped suite. Roomy enough for my wife & King Bed was comfortable. Short walk to a great beach--nice restaurant on the property. Location is between several high end properties...Great snorkeling at Black Rock--behind the Sheraton--almost next door---also the most pristine protected clear water for snorkeling is a few miles around the end of the island at Honalua Bay--20 min. drive at most..--a protected preserve where the snorkel boats take you for a price...We parked along the Highway and walked thru a beautiful jungle--just a hundred yards down to Honalua Bay--rocky beach but it's the snorkeling that is tops...and safe--little current unless you go far out...We swam with big turtles back at Black Rock--Rented a car--was a package deal thru local travel agent. Was our 4th time in Hawaii---the best one. K.V. Las Vegas