smwilson

We are coming to Maui for our honeymoon next year. I need help deciding where to stay as I've never been there before.

I found a hotel I like in Kaanapali (Kaanapali beach hotel) that's affordable but I heard its a very tourist trap type of area. We prefer quiet and more laid back.


I also am looking at Maui coast hotel in Kehi. I heard it was more laid back area but the hotel is not on the beach and word is that the beach is not as nice as Kaanapali. It is more central to everything though (snorkeling in molokini, submarine, road to Hana)

Is Kaanapali worth the extra early morning driving?

edjim

IMO, Kihei is a bit more laid back. There are some very good hotels in the Wailea area on the beach which might be more in line for a honeymoon stay. Kihei has lots of condos which may be more affordable if that's a consideration. There are quite a few nice beaches on the south shore as well, so you wouldn't have to drive to Kaanapali area just for the beach. We've been to Maui several times, stayed often in Kihei and didn't mind the drive into "town" to Lahaina once in a while.

ChiSue

I prefer the quieter 'ends' of Maui (Wailea and Kaplua) to the Kaanapali area, originally built to lure people from Honolulu -- tall elevator buildings and more 'buzz'.

Location depends somewhat on what time of year you'll be visiting and how much sightseeing you plan to do.

How long can you stay? What's the lodging budget? (Remember, you'll need a rental car too.) Do you want a resort condo or a hotel? (Some honeymooners do both.) Are you coming only to Maui or will you stay Honolulu too? How long is your flight to Hawaii -- how much 'jet lag'?

voyager61

When it comes to quiet and laid-back, you might enjoy a condo setting more than a hotel. Try Ekahi or Ekolu Village in Wailea. You can find most of their condos on VRBO; start looking now because good and affordable condos book months in advance. If I were going on a honeymoon to Maui, I would pick 1.) Wailea; 2.) Kapalua; 3.) Kaanapali, in that order. However, I would stick with Wailea in the winter to make sure you get plenty of good weather. Kihei is great for small but affordable restaurants, a selection of grocery stores, and affordable lodging, but it wouldn't be my first choice for a honeymoon. It would help to know what month you are going and what your budget is.

SeeHag

I leave for Maui in nine days, making our third stay at the Makena Beach Resort, which is at the far end of the Wailea area. It has one of the best beaches in the Wailea area and it is not a fancy five star resort but they have very reasonable pricing. I am not sure what time of year you will be there. We got at room rate of $199.00 which includes the buffet breakfast every day. There are no resort fees. It is an older hotel that had some financial problems, the new owners are making gradual improvements. All of the rooms have been refurbished. The grounds are gorgeous.

sunbum1944

I like the Kahana area and Napilii area - not far from Lahaina area or Kaanapali.

For sure you should make a stop at Merrimans restaurant for a special evening- we did not actually have dinner there but enjoyed a happy hour- beautiful views, great happy hour menu, very special spot.

We visited Kehi for a day- it was OK would not be a first choice of places to stay- busy hi-way between most of the resorts and the beach.

logandog

Kihei.

Brian_in_Charlotte

I agree with all of the above, especially the description of Kaanapali as "tall elevator buildings". Packed beaches, package tourists looking for big resort-type facilities. Felt like Cancun to us.

Kihei was a little better, lower rise and a bit bohemian, but was very busy and not a fan of the busy road next to the beach.

Wailea is quite nice if you can afford it. If not, anywhere between Kapalua and Kahana would be my choice for a good mix of relative quiet and easy access to things in Lahaina and Kaanapali.

paula1470

I am not a fan of Kaanapali, too crowded and I don't like all the highrises. Usually I stay in the Kihei/Wailea area and like it much better. Kihei is definitely more bohemian and a little bit funky. Kihei Road can have lots of traffic in the high season but you will get that where ever you go.

If you can afford Wailea, I'd stay there or go with SeeHag's suggestion of Makena. A lot depends on what you want to do on your honeymoon, if you are going to do a lot of activities you spend a lot of time driving from Kaanapali. If you are going to sit by the pool or on the beach and relax then you have more options.

Friends of mine just got back from Maui and stayed in Napili. They mostly relaxed as they had been to Maui before. Sunbum, they went to dinner at Merriman's and raved about it. Voyager gives some good suggestions for condos in Wailea. Maui Coast Hotel gets good reviews but is not on the ocean and while fine for a regular stay, wouldn't judge it as a place for a honeymoon.

I've stayed in a few different condos in Kihei that are right on the water, can give some suggestions if you are interested going the Kihei route.

ChiSue

The 'busy highway' between resorts and the Kamaole beaches in South Kihei is Kihei Road -- two lanes, 20 MPH if you can ever get up to that speed (maybe after dark). People constantly crossing.

"Kihei" stretches along the South Maui shore. It's a real town with real people living in it, especially north and central Kihei. It has banks, drug stores, a hardware store, groceries,and some strip malls with fast foods -- like all small towns. SOUTH Kihei is primarily tourist condos plus the Maui Coast Hotel. Wailea is two minutes farther south, with all but one of Maui's top-rated hotels and an upscale mall, Shops At Wailea, with several restaurants, shops, Starbucks, etc. Each hotel has restaurants and bars, and there is a walkway between hotels. There are also nice condos in Wailea, some on the ocean side of the road and some opposite. The Makena Beach Resort is just as was described here; very nice property on THE best snorkeling beach in South Maui.

dbdurand

Paralleling Kehei Road is the Piilani Highway. It is about 1/2 to 1 mile inland from the shore road. The last time I was there the speed limit was 45 mph and traffic moved well most of the time. From the South, there are connecting roads at Wailea Ike Dr. and Okalani Dr. Going North from there are many streets that connect from the Kihei Rd to Piilani Highway. Piilani is Highway 31 and goes North to HIghway 311. At that junction you can take North Kihei Road and on to Kaanapali or take 311 to Kahalui.

Barbara, Dick's wife.

wekewoody

My second and third trips to Maui back in the late 70s were to the Kaanapali Beach Hotel. It was the first hotel built in Kaanapali in 1962 I think. Anyhow, its primary advantage is the location it has on the beach. It is on the nicest part of Kaanapali Beach. The hotel is a bit long in the tooth, but I think it is still a good value. You could do a lot worse.

Take a look at the Napili Kai Beach Resort in Napili.

That being said, over the years I have gravitated south to the Wailea and Makena areas, renting homes in these areas. We eat out a lot in Kihei when we are there, but I would not make it my first choice when choosing a place to stay, especially on a honeymoon.

What is your budget for lodging? As was mentioned up-thread, the Makena Beach Resort is a good mid-price hotel option. We love the beach there and it is very quiet. Too quiet for some I would guess.

Our next stay will be in a condo at Wailea Ekahi. Looking forward to that a lot.

paula1470

As Barbara said, the Piilani Hwy moves along and I've never had trouble with traffic there. When I'm going to Wailea or Makena, I take the Piilani Hwy until it ends which takes you into Wailea.

The only time I really use Kihei Rd is if I'm going to one of the restaurants in South Kihei. If you go to get groceries in Kihei you can use the Piilani Hwy and then cut over to Kihei Rd when needed.

As I mentioned before, one reason I like south Maui (besides lack of condos) is because of it's proximity to most of the sights in Maui. If you do the road to Hanna, it takes about 30 min to get from Wailea to Paia (start of the road), from Kaanapali about an hour and from Napili even longer. Same goes for the trip to Haleakala, about an hour less driving time from Wailea than from Kaanapali. So it may depend on how many activities you are going to be doing or if you just plan to relax and enjoy the beach.

sf7307

If you're looking for tropical beauty, you won't find it in Kihei. (Funky, bohemian, yes, some good cheap eats, yes, but tropical beauty, no).

paula1470

sf307, I think we are recommending that if they stay in south Maui, Wailea is better for a honeymoon. Didn't see anyone here really recommending Kihei as a place to stay, in fact I suggested the Maui Coast Hotel, while nice, isn't really a honeymoon destination. The only reason we are talking about Kihei is because if you stay in Wailea, you would probably venture into Kihei for groceries or maybe dinner.

I certainly don't see any tropical beauty in Kaanapali, to me it's all big hotels and highrises.

sf7307

Paula, I'm just replying to the title if the OP's post. Personally I like Kaanapali more than Kihei, but actually, for a honeymoon, I'd choose Kauai.

FrankS

I agree with sf, I too prefer Kaanapali over Kihei(by a mile)

However, I feel that Maui is the better choice than Kauai for a honeymoon. For Tropical beauty, you have Kapalua, Hana & upcountry. From Maui you can visit other islands by Ferry, you have whales, better snorkeling, better food options, Hana and an accessible Volcano

ChiSue

When I mentioned the pokey pace of Kihei Road it was in response to Sunbum's complaint about having to cross 'a busy highway' to get to the beach. SOUTH Kihei has nice resort condos, served by the three Kamaole Beach Parks. With some exceptions, the north and central portions of Kihei are residential, not planned tourist destinations.

Piilani Hwy. is above the south coast, a four-lane highway that connects to Mokolele highway: Wailea to Kahului in 20 minutes. South Maui is a good base for people who want to visit sights on the opposite side of Maui. It's 40 minutes to Lahaina from Wailea; only a single two lane road in and out of West Maui.

We seldom drive Kihei Road from Maui Kamaole unless we are going south three minutes to Shops At Wailea or further to Wailea beaches. We can walk to Kam III and Keawakapu beaches.

I wonder if the OP has selected a location or a hotel.

paula1470

This just shows everyone has their own favorite part of Maui. And Kihei keeps coming up but we area really talking about Wailea which is definitely different than Kihei. I love Wailea but any part of Maui is good.

logandog

"If you're looking for tropical beauty, you won't find it in Kihei."

Absolute nonsense.