beachkids6

We are taking our family (4 kids) to Maui next Christmas. We are looking at 4 different places to stay. Can anyone help with our decision. 1)The Napili Kai Beach Resort,2)The Hale Kai Condo, 3)Noelani Condominium Resort or the 4)Mana Kai Maui (right next to Wilea). If none of these are right for us we will stay at the Sheraton and pay a ton! UGH! We are very active and
love the water, so the beach and water conditions are key in our decision. Kids ages are 12, 10, 8, 6! Thanks so much!

Lex1

We stayed at the Mana Kai in October of 1992. It was dated and dark then. Saw it again in 2003. Again, it looked dated, as a cinder block bunker. It's a hybrid-part hotel, part condo. It has a well regarded restaurant and an exceptionally nice snorkeling beach, Keawakapu, right at the foot of Wailea. You can usually count on drier weather on that part of Maui.

You might also investigate the Maui Surfside next door to the Mana Kai. Great views of the water. Waterfront, expansive lawn and steps to Keawakapu Beach. Not luxurious, though more than adequate. We've stayed there twice. Haleakala as a backdrop.

Napili is a beautiful [though very densely developed] beach, though the water may be very rough in December. I tried snorkeling it in November and was beaten up by the waves. I spoke to a surfer who told me he had a board broken that same week.

Have a great trip.

beachkids6

O.K. Then Mana Kai is out! And we can't risk rough ocean conditions at the Napili Kai. Thanks for the info.
Does anyone know of the Hale Kai Condos or the Noelani Condominium Resort and their beaches?
I really appreciate the help and we are told we must book soon for next Christmas!

Barbara5353

The Hale Kai and Noelani are going to be in the same area as Napili Kai, where the ocean can be rougher in winter. The area where Mana Kai Maui is located is fabulous. There are many other condo complexes in So. Kihei that have better ambiance than the Mana Kai. I think that's the right AREA for your family, but perhaps not the right CONDO. Are you limited to just those places you've mentioned for some reason?
If not, I can suggest other wonderful family condos in the So. Kihei area in the same price range.

Lex1

Beachkids:
Please keep in mind that there are no guarantees when it comes to weather, though on average south Maui is drier and its waters are likely calmer than western Maui, in the winter. Nice thing: the island is small enough to traverse quickly if the weather in the immediate vicinity is sub-optimal.

There are lots of condominium options in the Wailea/Kihei area. Keep in mind, also, that Maui is wildly popular (and expensive) that time of year. Many places book many months in advance.

beachkids6

Thanks so much for the tips on the West side of Maui having rougher conditions in the winter. If we switch to the South we need condo ideas. The Mana Kai is OUT based on other reviews, but we love nice pools and beautiful grounds. We need at least a 2bdrm with 4 kids. We've been curious about Wilea b/c we stayed at the Marriot in Kaanapali 11 yrs. ago. We can probably pay up to $300/nt. Love your input as we never expect "perfect" with 4 kids, but so nice to have feedback!

Lex1

In Wailea look at Wailea Elua, Grand Champions, Ekahi, and Palms. Some on water, some near.

ajcolorado

We stayed in unit 220 at the Hale Kai in June and it was perfect for our party. The loft has a double or queen bed and a small bathroom, the master bedroom had a king bed, and the other bedroom had two twin beds. It is a corner unit so you have views on two sides. The kitchen worked out well and we used the grill down by the pool. The pool was immaculately clean. The park right next door has a coral reef so the water was quite mild by the shore - my 6 year old loved it. The laundry facilities were convenient and reasonably priced. It is small complex and we felt like we had a great Maui experience there - rather than just a hotel experience. It was wonderful and we often daydream about going back. Parking was included in the room cost - no extra fee. Isn't that the beginning of whale season? The Hale Kai is very close to the water and the balconies are well suited for whale watching. We hope to get to do that sometime.

We did a lot of snorkeling while there - Honolua Bay being our favorite - but winter conditions may be different.

We found the Paradise Family Guides Maui very helpful in planning for our family. The kids loved the Atlantis Submarine tour - if you do this, the Hawaii entertainment book will probably pay for itself, if there is a coupon again for this. My oldest three took a surf lesson with Goofy Foot. They all loved eating at Cheeseburger in Paradise.

I was very surprised that my teens actually preferred Maui over Oahu. They said Oahu felt like a city next to the ocean but Maui felt like Hawaii.

Wherever you stay, we hope you have a wonderful experience.

ajcolorado

You know that Hale Kai's web address is www.halekai.com, right? They have quite a few pictures of unit 220. I believe they have some units that are one bedroom + loft, if you prefer.

pspercy

Noelani is a good place to stay but not what you'd want as there's no real beach there, the one in their photos is very small and not really a family beach spot at all.

mitch1971

Pspercy is right. We have stayed at the Noelani and it is very nice and close to the water but there is no beach in front of it. There is a very tiny beach to one side but I never saw anybody there. There are condos of all sizes. We stayed in a studio deluxe but we visited one that had 2 bedrooms. In the morning we would get up at 5:00 am and have our coffee on a lounge chair watching the turtles feeding in the rocks. Later we would have our breakfast on our lanai overlooking the water too. It was gorgeous. If we left our patio door open, we could hear the waves. It was heavenly.

beachkids6

Thanks for the input. I think we'll try the Hale Kai next Christmas unless someone can sell us on a great beachfront, great sand, great pool condo in Wilea or Kihei b/c the conditions are better further south in Dec.???