shariM

Has anybody been there or know anything about it? Thinking of going Christmas time.

tcapp

Kapalua is a georgous part of Maui, and the hotel, from what I have heard, is fabulous. It would definatly be my pick, at least the Kapalua area.

bogart

I agree with the previous poster...it is a very lush and gorgeous part of Maui, probably one of the best locations on the island in my opinion. The weather can sometimes be a bit "different" than say Kaanapali or Wailea. You will hear about rain and wind, but in my experience, it rains a little during the night and morning but usually burns off and is perfect pool/beach weather. Summer is typically better than winter and I didn't mind the constant breeze at all...very nice to sleep at night without a/c. One day it was a bit overcast so we drove 10 minutes down the road to Kaanapali. Starwood has the stay at one, play at 3 plan...so you can use the Westin and the Sheraton. It was nice for some fun pool time but lemetellya...we were sooooo glad to go back to our quiet little hideaway.
You may also read that KBH shouldn't be considered a luxury resort and that it does not compare to the Ritz, 4S etc. That may very well be true. My feelings are that yes, there are some things that I didn't think belonged in a hotel of that magnitude (such as slightly dated rooms and dinged room doors and I was also a wee bit disappointed that they didn't restock the waters in our mini fridge) but these things didn't ruin our vacation (if they will ruin yours than maybe it's not the place for you)....the hotel makes up for all this and more in other ways (if you don't mind putting up with such minor inconveniences). Here's a little snip I copied from a review I posted earlier this week...I'll be posting more about the hotel and the rest of the trip soon.

DO stay the Kapalua Bay hotel (regardless of rants here) if you want one of the most scenic locations, beautifully landscaped property and relaxing pool area without the manmade waterfalls/slides and screaming kids, a great beach with awesome snorkeling right there...if you want to feel the aloha spirit, peace and quiet, and intimate/family like atmosphere...stay here if you want to experience Hawaii. However, if slightly dated rooms with dinged up doors will ruin your vacation, stay at the ritz...but you will forfeit some of the wonderful things I have mentioned above. The rooms and lanai are very spacious and clean, we thought they were fine, but I know that some people would say they do not belong in a luxury hotel.

And the smell of the plumeria everywhere is so dreamy....sigh.

jason5080

Kapalua is in a perfect location,though it needs to be renovated. I had heard nothing has hardly been touched in the hotel for over 10 years. I would consider the Ritz-Carlton next door if it'd possible.

TedTurner

Kapalua Bay was one of the first resorts built on Maui back in the 1970's. Great location (tho' as noted above it rains more there and is cooler and windier than Wailea area). It is 'old Hawaii' feeling. Rooms are not luxurious by modern standards, but the price isn't as high as the best luxe hotels either. It's quieter than places like the Kaanapali hotels and Grand Wailea.

BoulderCO

Have stayed all over Hawaii including Kapalua. Whether you like it or not will depend on what is important to you. The good things about it are:
lush landscaping and beautiful scenery, great beach, killer golf courses, peace and quiet, excellent service. Drawbacks are: less favorable weather than elsewhere on island (cooler, cloudier, windier), very average rooms that could use renovation, limited dining/nightlife options in immediate vicinity.

PalmettoMel

We stayed at Kapalua in 2000. Payed a small fortune for an oceanfront room. It was right on the sidewalk on the way to the beach, so we had everyone walking right by our room (about 4 feet away), and of course, everyone looked into the room as they walked by, eliminating our ocean view because we had to keep the shades closed!! Also, the room smelled moldy - we had to buy insense and candles to cover it up. And, to top it all, they were building condos right next door, so there was construction noise all day long. No one mentioned that when we booked. We asked to change rooms, but none were available until 3 days later, a day before we were to leave. AND . . . at the pool, they were unloading new deck loungers; I asked for a new one (the old ones looked pretty dirty) and was sharply told no, just go get yourself an old one! We left the next day.

fivestar

We just arrived back from there. We were disapointed with the rooms. They are just so blah. The bed is hard as a rock. They truly need a re-furbishment. It does have that old hawaii feel. This is a very relaxing feeling and the service is good. The rack rate on a deluxe ocean view room is $660.00 a night. No way is it worth it. It also takes forever to get anywhere and on top of that there is a $15.00 per night charge to park your car. It does have the most beautiful view though. You cannot help but to relax at this hotel. They do have wonderful entertainment and new deck padded deck loungers. I would not go back there unless they re-do those rooms. We had a wonderful meal at the Bay Club. They have a new chef and boy is he good.

bogart

I have to both agree and disagree with five tar. Yes, we all know the rooms are in need of a makeover, 'nuff said..but they are far from holes in the wall. The views are unbeatable, the old Hawaiian feeling is wonderful and fivestar is right on about the chef! I can't believe I forgot to mention "chef noah" in my post - he was so good to us and arranged for some packed breakfasts and lunches via email before we even got there - he also set up most of our dinner resies while we were there, and lemetellya...we had the BEST tables everywhere we dined. We also had a delicious experience at The Bay Club. Thanks Noah!

I disagree about the rates, the parking fee and driving distance. Do people actually pay rack rates for rooms? We had a fabulous oceanfront room and although I can't say exactly how much it was per night because of our package, it couldn't have been more than $400. As for the parking fee, it is to my knowledge that most hotels/resorts charge the same fee (I could be wrong, but I am almost positive I read that here and elsewhere) and about the driving...Kapalua is only 10 minutes north of where the majority of people stay - Kaanapali beach. If you do such things as driving up Haleakala, the road to Hana, visiting the north shore etc....I imagine it's a good drive no matter where you stay in the 3 major resort areas (Kaanapali, Kapalua, Wailea).

Okay, I'll get off my soapbox now. Besides the dated rooms, we just adored Kapalua...it's charm was worth a few dings in the doors. I'll take the dings over the stuffy atmosphere at other establishments any day. ;-)