Help! Going to Hawaii with kids and grandparents!!!

I would stay where you had the pools and restaurants to pick from. The Marriott is fabulous. The pool is amazing. In the big picture your kids will be happier if you do this.

The condo idea in my opinion is over rated. For one you are all crammed into a condo for vacation. You end up cooking and cleaning up a lot. Grocery shopping is ridiculous in Maui. A box of cereal is easily 5.00 to 6.00 Milk last time i was there was about eight a gallon.

I'd look into the Marriott in a heartbeat. Very nice property. The pool was redone around 2000/2001 and it's one of the best. The Hyatt is next door and very nice as well. For a while their pool was the one to see. They have Swan court at the Hyatt for breakfast buffet. Or another little canteena type thing by the pool.
You are on the main walk area of the beach so it's perfect. You can go up the beach a little ways and you end up at the village. The Hilton is nice. But, again I'd go back to the Hyatt or Hilton over that property. Just beside the Hilton is the area to snorkel in the little cove there. Or you can see the cliff divers.

Enjoy your trip! It's a great island. I love Maui.

My vote would be a hotel any

The Marriott in Wailea is not near the Hyatt. The Marriott near the Hyatt is in Kaanapali and is time shares. The Hyatt in Kaanapali has great pools, slides. water tunnels etc. for kids.

The Marriott in Kaanapali, as montereybob said, is timeshares, some of which are brand new and gorgeous (and up to 3 bedrooms). I personally like a condo when I'm with my kids - I find the convenience of the kitchen appealing (and I don't cook meals, but like to have breakfast food and snacks on hand), but even more important to me is the living room. I don't like lounging around a hotel room, I like to have a common gathering place. As for the price of groceries in Maui, yes, they're more expensive than on the mainland, but if you think grocery prices are expensive, wait until you see restaurant prices! The point is if you DON'T have a kitchen, you'll be eating out for every single meal. This is a no-brainer for me, but obviously, whether you prefer a condo or a hotel only you can decide.

We always stay in a condo. The kitchen is very useful, especially with kids. You can usually find a farmers' market in your area where you can get fresh produce for a reasonable price, and also things like fresh leis and macadamia nuts that are much cheaper than in the tourist spots.

And I second the living room's benefits. PLUS, if you are getting a large condo with 3 bedrooms, get one near the ocean with a large lanai (covered porch). You will spend most of your time there when you are not away from the place. One of the major benefits to Hawaii for me is that except for sleeping, we are outside all the time.

We have stayed at the Marriott in Kaanapali twice before they converted to timeshares. We loved it - it is the perfect place to stay with kids. The location is great and our daughter loved the pools. They have a great little outdoor cafe with drinks, snacks and a few menu items that was very convenient. We had breakfast there every morning with a wonderful view of the ocean and even some whales. There are lots of resorts nearby on the walking path, so it was fun to explore and try different restaurants - all within walking distance. Whaler's Village is also nearby with an ABC store - go there on your first day and stock up on cheap pool toys, sunscreen, etc. . .

We have also stayed at the Westin in Kaanapali, but we much prefer the Marriott.

Ditto on the Marriott's cafe -- we ate lunch there a couple of times even though we were staying at the Whaler (which I did not like FWIW)

I am traveling to Kauai and BI with my parents, brother, hubby and toddler in August. We opted for condo/house rental for the reasons described above (kitchen, space). I also found it to be about half the cost of a hotel (you get an entire home with multiple bedrooms for the price of a single hotel room) and you get free parking. Additionally, many of the condos are in developments with pools, tennis courts etc. that you as the renter get access too. I also love the fact that many of the units have washer/dryer inside or access to a coin-opt laundry room. I hate dragging tons of stuff and love to wash as I go. I have traveled with this group of my family before and have found that you can't beat the convenience and price of renting a condo/house. We found our accommodations on VRBO.com. BTW-they have a guarantee if you register your trip with them before you put down money. So far we have been happy with their service. Good luck deciding and have a great trip!

On Oahu, The Aston Waikiki Beach is a great value. It is at the zoo end of the beach, across from the ocean, and has great views. "Breakfast on the Beach" is included. Each person gets a mini cooler to fill at the buffet each morning. You can eat in the pool area, where there is live Hawaiian music and hula, go to your room, or cross to the beach. The buffet has hot and cold items, Kona coffee, six juices, some Asian specialties (miso every morning.) I would gather a few yogurts, juices and such for our day trips, as well as my breakfast. The Marriott next door is very nice, too - great buffet (not included,)lots of restaurants - but I prefer the Aston. Right across from a lagoon beach, but pass the pier and you get waves and some reef for snorlkeling.
Try Hanauma Bay - go early (before 10AM.) Go to Lanikai Beach, try Germaine's Luau, do Dole Plantation and the North Shore.
On Maui, the Kaanapali Beach Hotel is very Hawaiian. Free kids activities and Hawaaiin arts. Good pool and location at the beach. Westin is fabulous, but very expansive and can get crowded. (Maybe not so much this year.) I agree with the other poster - condos are very expensive if you get a three bedroom, and you will be working! Having done condo and hotel numerous times, I now only go the hotel route. You can get groceries for your room at Costco - water, soda, cereal, yogurt, beach snacks, sandwich makings....Maui is more expensive than Oahu, overall. Make sure you snorkel at Black Rock early in the morning, try a Trilogy catamaran trip, go to Iao Needle State Park, take the kids to Maui Ocean Center.
If you do rent a condo - try to stay near Kaanapali, as the Kihei area is less costly, but a lot windier and drier.
Aloha and have a blast!

I stayed at the Marriott Kaanapali as well - the beach is not great imo but the condo/timeshare wins hands down when staying with that many people. We traveled often with four children and we did it ONCE and once only staying in a hotel and eating out every meal. It was insane ..(prices).

I do not find it a problem to clean up/cook once in a while... and it is just more pleasant as others said to have the living room etc. We play card games, watch a movie together at the end of a day etc.

How long are you going for? I am not sure I would island hop... but that has never been of great interest to me. We have been to Oahu, Kaui and Maui - I did not care for Waikii <sp> - we stayed in a house we rented on the North Shore and it was amazing. Would do that over again as well - found it through VBRO - my children were around 7, 10, 13, 14 or so... it was one of best family vacations.

I second the condo route. As said before, just having breakfast to get the day started is a real plus and not much fuss. It also let's you wind down more in the evening. Try Trader Vic's already mixed Mai Tai's or some other island drink. You can keep them in the frig and be ready when you get back in the evening. Get a Safeway card. They're free and will save you some on groceries. Most of the condos have grills. Buy your meat and have a cookout. Just sign up at the store's front desk. Any time in a condo is better than a hotel room.
Have a great time. I'm counting the days until next Feb.

We stayed at the Marriott Ko Olina Beach Club (timeshare property) last summer. It's a beautiful resort right on the beach with three lagoons which are perfect for kids. It's about 30 mins from downtown Honolulu and a short walk from the JW Marriott Ihilani. Have a wonderful vacation!

island, tell me more - we're staying at Ko Olina the week of May 1st (but no kids this time -- with kids, I think I'd rather be closer to Waikiki).

Aloha from Maui,

As a 14 year resident with 3 now grown children, I would definitely recommend a condo/car package, which are simply the best way to go. Between Safeway/Star Market sales, and our Kihei farmer's market, you will be fine. Eating out (unless you do Taco Bell(yuck) or other fast food, is very expensive. Splurging on Beach Bum's at the Harbor will be well worth it. We recommend Luana Kai in Kihei for family. Maybe email me (reefannie@hotmail.com) and I would be happy to recommend depending on what side of Maui you want to stay on. I also have connections for O'ahu you may want to use for savings. Let me know and I'd be happy to help. Boat snorkeling, aquarium, etc., Maui NO KA OI (it's the best!)

Not specific to Hawaii - but regarding travel with grandparents - as we did it just once when kids were little (and only once for a reason). Answer to your question lies in relationships that exist. Condo - YOU will be the one cooking and cleaning. Is that OK with you. Advantage is eating in restaurants gets old and expensive with kids fairly quickly, but will it negatively impact on your enjoyment if you are part-time maid and chef, even just for breakfast. Can you and your mother and spouse co-exist in a kitchen?

There is also the space issue - I assume a hotel means 2 rooms, while a condo means one space for everyone. Can you all share a bathroom (or 2) and have no escape/respite space for the time? It is nice to be able to go to your own room to complain about each other once in a while.

Cost is also an obvious consideration - and this can be modified by your eating in patterns or eating out styles. Just some other things to consider.

If anyone want to have fun reading about Hawaii's marine life, please go to this blog site. We discuss everything from marine snails to monk seals. Happy reading!

http://www.mauisnorkelingtrips.com

If anyone wants to contact a long time resident of Maui who raised 3 children here and work in the visitor industry, I would be happy to help with any questions you may have, from where to shop to where NOT to snorkel. Maui is a fabulous island for adults to children and many things to do will not break the budget. Aloha kakou,
Katie

reefannie@hotmail.com

Hi sf7307,

Just got back home after a week at Hilton Head. Did you have any specific questions about Ko Olina? Is this your first visit to Oahu? I'd be glad to answer any questions about the area. Aloha!

Hi island, we've been to Oahu before, but always stayed in Waikiki (Hilton Hawaiian Village, some Outrigger, the Marriott Waikiki, etc.). We've driven around the island, but mostly just visited the beaches (we did snorkel at Hanauma Bay years ago, and drove the Pali Highway), and ate our meals in Waikiki. We'd like to spend more time out Ko Olina way and north, and less in the city and Waikiki, so we were just looking for "tips", including where at the property we should plan on spending pool and beach time (just two adults this time, no kids -- we're in our late 50s, and can be as active or as sedentary as we feel like that day!). Thanks! BTW, we own a Marriott timeshare at Palm Desert, so this is an exchange. Was yours an exchange? Did you get a nice unit? We'll be in a 1-BR unit.

sf7307 how easy was the exchange?? I would LOVE to do this..

This one was easy MomDD. It's off-season relatively-speaking. I had called the Marriott desk at Interval rather than doing the exchange online -- online it showed only a studio available, and I was using a unit I had previously extended and it wasn't within 60 days. On the phone, they waived the 60 days requirement and gave me a full 1 bedroom (which means a full living room and kitchen - yay)! We're going in 3 weeks -- I'll be sure to post my thoughts.

Nice - you might actually be there at the same time as my parents! They are going in a few weeks... not sure on the exact date. . Please report back.

I think that I am going to try to call the Marriott Desk this time as well and see what I can come up with... it is not till 2010 so I have time.

Thanks for all the great advice everybody! We decided to stay at the Westin in Maui (3 nights)and the Hilton Grand Vacation Club (4 nights). I've read many reviews on both and it was so hard to decide. There are so many great places to choose from. I decided to go with the great pools since my kids will want to swim a lot. Has anyone ever purchased a "Go Oahu Card?" For a fee, it allows you unlimited access to visit about 30 tourist attractions for a certain number of days. A 2 day Go Oahu card is about $75.00/adult and $65.00/child. It includes places like Pearl Harbor and a luau at the Polynesian Center.

Hi sf7307, Glad to hear that you were able to exchange into Ko Olina. We own there and had a 2 bedroom since we were travelling with friends. Since most kids are still in school, any of the pools should be good. The one closest to the beach is the best. The three lagoons are also perfect for a relaxing day at the beach. FYI: The beaches are public so it's not just folks at the resort. If you're a golfer there's a course on site. As for places on the North Shore, visit Haleiwa (Kua 'Aina - great hamburgers and fries, shave ice at Matasumoto's), surf shops, etc..). If you haven't been to the Polynesian Culturla Center, it's worth a visit but skip the luau there. There's also good info on things to do on the marriott owner's website mvci.com. Have a wonderful time!

Thanks island!!

My husband and I have been to all the islands over the past 23 years. We took the whole family 3 years ago(grandkids 4,7 and 8)to the big island @ the Hilton Hawaiian Village which we had been to before. The older ones were able to interact with the dolphins, the highlight for them but there was lots to do. Our favorite place in Maui is up in the Kapula area where we've rented a condo twice which was fabulous and reasonable. We found it on the internet. It has great snorkeling. It's about 20 minutes from town. However, We haven't been there since 2001 so things can change. Enjoy!