50th in Hawaii
 

Hi,

We are looking at taking our family of 12 on our 50th Anniversary trip next year. The ages of those traveling at the time will be: us in our 60's, 4 adults in their early 40's, two teens, 3 elementary kids, and one 4 year old.

We would like to do something with activities instead of just a sightseeing trip. Unfortunately I'm prejudiced against cruises.

We are giving strong consideration to a trip to Hawaii. We are an active family and would enjoy staying pretty busy with opportunity for relaxing if we choose. We want to be sure the teens and older children in our party will have a lot of fun without excluding the 4 year old from too many activities.

We are looking at Maui and have researched the Westin Maui Resort. I know one can rent a house for the week, but that leaves us cooking for 12 people. Plus a hotel seems to have the best option for snorkeling tours, sport fishing, scuba lessons and tours, zip lining, etc. It would be nice to all be in a house, but we've done that several times and, although it's great to have washing machines and microwaves, it ends up being a lot of work for the adults. So, I'm considering a resort.

We can spend upwards of $30k.

Suggestions and tips would be appreciated!

My parents took 10 or us to Hawaii for their 50th (there weren't smaller kids involved, all adults).

We stayed in Lahaina and had two rental cars. Worked out beautifully. We stayed in condos at Lahaina Shores (so neither a "resort" nor a house). Went to Haleakala, the Old Lahaina Luau, U'lalena at Myth & Magic Theater, etc.

The advantage to the Westin Maui Resort is it's in Kaanapali (hotels and condos within a "planned development", with a path running between the hotel properties and the ocean for about 3 miles, from the Hyatt Regency to Sheraton, and then picking up north of Black Rock to Honua Kai and maybe beyond). The teenagers will be able to have some freedom to come and go (especially to Whaler's Village which is next door to the Westin Maui.

By the way, happy anniversary, and how the heck old were you when you got married????

Check out a few rooms at Napili Kai. It is a very very special family friendly resort with great service and enforced quiet hours. Hawaii old school at its best from my recent stay.

Hotels don't give you better options on snorkeling and excursions. No reason not to look at condos with w/d and kitchen facilities.

I agree about staying in a condo rather than a hotel, but as nice as Napili Kai is, I wouldn't stay there with teenagers, simply because there's no place for them to go by themselves.

sf, there are 10 other people, I wouldn't cater to just 2 teenagers and don't really get your point that they would have no place to go? what does that mean?

I totally agree with sf on the condo on Kaanapali beach. Lots to do right there for all ages. I would recommend the Hula Girl for snorkeling or dinner or sunset sails. The catamaran is beautiful, food is very good and the staff is excellent. Go to Lahaina for fishing excursions, shopping and just a fun place to go. I would also suggest the Feast at Lele for a luau. It is run by the same people as Old Lahaina Luau but is smaller, table service rather than a buffet, better food and drinks from your waiter rather than watered down drinks. It of course, is more expensive. There is also good snorkeling at Black Rock right on that beach. Agree it is a good place for everyone of all ages and the kids will have freedom to roam. If you are looking for quiet, this is not the area for you as it is very busy.

ina..., I suspect you haven't traveled with teenagers. If you had, you probably wouldn't need an explanation.

How about Waikiki? Most things are within walking distance, and even the teens would be safe together on their own during the day.

Maui would be fine too. I'd consider the newer and more upscale Wailea as well as Kaanapali. Kapalua/Napili might be a bit too remote. Maui does have the two best luau in the state, in Lahaina.

What time of year will you travel?

How much 'togetherness' is too much? Condos give families more space...including a parking space. (You need 'wheels' on Maui.) You often get a better rate on a condo by the week. Few charge for parking, and few have a daily 'resort fee', as do most hotels.

You'd book a luau, tours, zip lines, etc. on your own. You can do a lot of DIY sightseeing by car. There's no need to book things through a hotel.

I agree Waikiki would be perfect for teenagers. I didn't see that being considered in the original post?

Thank you for all the tips! We have visited several spots in the Hawaiian islands and thought that Maui would be the best fit for us. Although every island we've visited is lovely in it's own right.

I will research condos a bit more. They do have advantages, although looking at dirty dishes from 12 people several times every day loses a little magic for me on our anniversary trip.

And, we were a whopping 19 by a week when we got married!

I love the suggestions. Please keep them coming!

ChiSue, we are considering travel during late May of 2016 (as soon as school is out) as with our family's summer schedule, it is hard to avoid scheduling conflicts.

I understand your concern about dishes and such, but I vote for a couple of condos. Even if you stay in a condo, you can still go out for meals just as you would do if staying in a hotel. Our family did a similar trip recently, and everyone agreed the condos were great. We went out for dinners, lunches were usually at the pool or during day trips. The advantages were that the young kids could go to bed, and adults could still gather in the living room. We stocked the kitchen with snacks as well as adult beverages,and it was just nice to have a quick breakfast without going out. Besides, I'd put out the word that this is YOUR anniversary, your treat, and you don't expect to do dishes. :) I agree with the advantage of staying in the Kaanapali area for the range of ages you have. Do have a massage at the Westin Hotel spa. The relaxation room has an outstanding view of the water- so calming.

sf7307, you would suspect wrong. Perhaps we hang with a different variety of teenager that have been brought up differently.

So, to those of you who encourage toward condos vs resort stays, how did you go about booking the best excursions before leaving home? Did you have recommendations or use the internet referrals? It is nice to have the benefit of a concierge at a resort to handle those activities, but I'm not averse to handling myself if need be. It just seems a bit of a gamble.

Also, it would seem that the pools are not likely as "fun" for the younger crowd at condos as they are at the large resorts that cater to families. At least that's what I'm observing in my research. Right?

Bringing snorkel gear from the US for 12 people seems a little daunting. While we have our own, I was planning on renting for the rest of the family. Do the resorts rent by the week/day? I'm assuming that wouldn't be an option if staying in a condo. Seems for condo stays, we would need to visit a local dive shop on the first morning to handle.

There are definite advantages to having a more homestyle environment for the week...but it may be a trade-off in having to do more work this side of the trip.

I'm just trying to get my mind around both options to weigh which one best fits our needs.

Thank you!

Also, what are opinions about the Westin, the Sheraton, and the Hyatt compare?

You're right that the hotel resort pools are bigger, more lively and have more slides etc. Condo pools are generally low-key.

Renting of snorkel gear - there are a number of shacks along the beach in Kaanapali where you can rent.

I never use a concierge to book activities, so that's not an issue for me - in any event, the beach shacks do activities too.

Of the three hotels you mention, Sheraton is the low-key one, with a pool to match. The pools at the Westin and Hyatt are definitely more of the kind you're thinking of (pool bars and the like). However, the beach in front of the Sheraton, albeit crowded, is excellent, and the snorkeling right there is fantastic (Black Rock) - you can just walk into the water and put your head down.

Has anyone stayed at the Kaanapali Alii condos? Narrowing it down to a couple of condos vs suites at the Westin or Sheraton. It seems there are pluses to a condo and all the room provided. The pools seem like the big drawback. The reviews on the pools say the size and simplicity make them not so fun. Half of our party is kids, and I'm struggling with choosing a location that they will find loads of fun while still trying to make it practical all the way around.

Reviews greatly appreciated!

I stayed there more than once years ago, and recommended it on here to someone who loved it (can't remember who it was). The KA condos are upscale, and spacious. The pool, however, is not a "resort" type pool.

We will be staying at the Kaanapali Alii next week, on the recommendation of friends who stayed there last year and loved it. Their children are teens and early twenties; I don't know how important a pool was to them but they loved the proximity to the beach and Whalers Village. We're going with our daughters and SIL, all young adults. I'll report back, with their opinions also.

I'm right there with you on the no cooking on vacation thing, but we've enjoyed having condos for the extra space and the ability to have at least breakfast and snacks there. We still eat most of our meals out.

Congratulations on your upcoming anniversary!

If the budget allows, how about Ho'olai condos at the Grand Wailea? Some units come with rights to the amenities at the hotel. GW has a kid magnet 'pool park. Wailea Beach Villas are very nice too. These are both walking distance to Shops At Wailea, with several restaurants, stores, a convenience store w/deli. Great beaches throughout Wailea/Makena. Groceries in Kihei, just to the north. Also walking distance to Shops are Wailea Elua and Wailea Ekahi.

South Maui is convenient for trips across the valley to Haleakala and Upcountry, Road to Hana, Iao Valley -- and OGG. It's served by four-lane Piilani Hwy. (The only egress to West Maui is a two-lane road between Maalaea and Lahaina.)

May is a great time to visit. Weather is good. Oceans are calm. You may be ahead of the great flood of mainland families with children who are on summer break.

Destination Maui is an agency that books nice condos in South Maui. There's also VRBO. I also like this site because the condos are carefully vetted: www.mauiownercondos.com

I'd turn the adult children loose to find excursions that interest them. Luau? Snorkeling along the coast of Maui or over to Lanai? Zip-lining? You can self-drive Haleakala, Hana, Iao Valley.

bwcnc, I look forward to hearing your thoughts upon your return. Have a wonderful trip with your family!

ChiSue, good thoughts on South Maui. I'm checking into that now as well.

We will let our adult children decide on their excursions and will have some joint ones planned in advance for the whole group.

One challenge I'm having in looking at condo-type units is that we would all like to be (at least) right next to or across from one another so kids can wander in and out of rooms. All the kids are friends as well as cousins. In a hotel, we can at least request connecting rooms. In a condo, that doesn't seem like an option and I'm learning that if we rent 3 one bedroom condos, we could even be on different floors. That changes things a bit for family down time.

We typically vacation by renting a home on the beach in the continental US and have big living room and kitchen. This vacation will have a little different flavor in Hawaii, but we would like to be lodging very close together with some access to each other's rooms.

Thank you to all for the input. It's been most helpful!

Every condo I have stayed had a DISHWASHER! Grilling almost every night we aren't out to dinner cuts down on the dishes too. with 10 you would most definitely need 2 condos which means that dishes are less in each unit! We rented a house on Kauai many years ago with 9 of us and people took turns cooking and cleaning. Spread it out so one person does not have to do all the cleaning. You can also hire a housekeeper
Condos are the way to go with more room, separate bedrooms, 2 bedroom 2 bath units are great. Enjoy your Anniversary celebration. Would love to take the family again to Hawaii but now we are talking 14 people, 3 cars and 3 condos. YIPES, we would have to take a 2nd out on the house!

Has anyone stayed at Honua Kai? The rooms look nice and it seems a bit more updated than some; however, it's hard to tell those things from a website. Their prices are affordable and there is a concierge to help with activity planning.

One source says it is very windy there. Not sure how that would be if it's constant.

Thanks!

Also, what about Napili Kai?

Having stayed on Maui from 5 star to 2 star many times, we adored our stay at Napili Kai, an old school place we had wanted to visit for many years. Our stay was outstanding. In my opinion, it could be the perfect place for a multi generational family reunion. Why?

Low key old school resort that encourages good behavior and quiet hours.
Lots of repeat guests.
Great rooms and facilities.
A handicap lift in the main pool was a first to see.
Never spent a resort stay with all well behaved kids keeping to the early morning quiet hours.
Groundskeeping is so well staffed, I watched them at 5 am cleaning the grills each morning.
You can walk to Gazebo for breakfast and one of the best restaurants on the island Merrimans for dinner.
Great happy hour appetizers
Great snack bar at affordable non resort prices.
laundry facilities a short walk away.
Great Kapalua pathway for strolls
Their children's hula foundation.
Great staff.

bwcnc, how was your stay at the Kaanapali Ali?

Happy Anniversary!
Hawaii is wonderful to celebrate a special occasion.
My husband and I stayed at Honua Kai in 2013. Trip report here: http://sulynnchen.com/travelblog/?p=813

It was a wonderful resort - definitely geared more towards families and the pools are wonderful. Great for the kids/teens! There is an onsite restaurant, Dukes, as well as a cafe/quick service market. Cars are definitely needed though. I believe if you rent directly from Honua Kai you can get daily maid service if you feel that it is important. Although I'm sure any rental management company can arrange it too.

Staying around Whalers Village (i.e. Sheraton/Westin/The Whaler etc) will give people the opportunity to walk to the Whalers Village shops and the beach there has great snorkeling (Blackrock in front of the Sheraton is our favorite)

I prefer south Maui because it feels less congested. If you get a resort near to the Shops at Wailea that is an option that is easy to get to (not sure if it's walk-able from any resort? Maybe the Marriott?)

Have a great time!

Needinfo, sorry for the delay; still recovering from jetlag and having to return to work! We loved the Kaanapali Alii; it's a beautiful, upscale property, well-maintained. We had an ocean front condo with stunning views. There is a concierge and a very small market, but no on-site restaurants. It's an easy walk to Whalers Village. The pool is fairly small and was never crowded while we were there; it was fine for us. I noticed that the pools at the Westin and the Marriott Ocean Club were bigger, and younger people would probably consider them to be better, but they were also much more crowded. It would just depend on how important the pool is to your group. We would certainly stay there again.

Coincidentally I talked to someone at work this week who had stayed at Honua Kai last year with his family; they loved it for the same reasons tifa2276 stated above.

Happy planning! We're already trying to figure out when we can return to Hawaii!

Thank you, tiffa2276 and bwcnc! I enjoyed reading your reviews and seeing your photos, tiffa. Both places seem lovely.

It just comes down to which spot will work best for our big group and I'm finding this the hardest vacation lodging choice I've every made....and I'm the family vacation planner every year!

I'm drawn to the beauty and peace of the northern side of West Maui, but the opportunities for all ages of the lower coast toward the Sheraton seems appealing. The rooms, however, are not as nice and I'm finding no hotel will guarantee we have rooms close to each other even if I pay the extra $50 per night. That point is frustrating.

I'm grateful for each of you and the time you've taken to offer input for our special occasion!

Tiffa, some reviews say that the ocean in front of Honua Kai is rocky...good for snorkeling, but not good for swimming and boogey boarding. Would you agree with that? Since we have some littles in our group, they need to be able to play in the ocean while others snorkel, paddle board, etc.

Aloha @needinfo,

Congratulation on your 50th Anniversary! Maui is the perfect location for anniversary and renewal for couples. West Maui and South Maui are both popular resort destinations here on the island. They're both known for calm water, sunny weather and walking distance to golf courses, restaurants and stores. Although, just a heads up, northern side of West Maui (area like Kapalua and above) can get rainy often. It is the back side of the West Maui Mountain which receive alot of rainfall so sunny weather is not alway guaranteed. But 10 minute drive down the road, Ka'anapali and Lahainna is sunny all year around.

As for excursions for your family, the top three things to do in Maui are: snorkelling at Molokini Crater, road trip to Hana and sunrise or sunset at Haleakala Summit. These area all popular activities enjoy by family of our ages. If you are proned to car sickness on windy road, we suggest booking a guided tour with popular companies like Discover Hawaii Tours or Polynesian Adventure Tours for your road trip to Hana. This way you can truly enjoy the beauty of the Bamboo Forest, Keanae Lookout or Waipanapana State Park on you trip. Also it would help organize your group to stay together instead of following each other cars.

As for Haleakala Summit, sunrise is the most popular time for visitors, its a great way to see all of the island from above. You can even see the top of Mauna Kea on Big Island from Haleakala Crater on a clear day. Most visitors like to book a bike tour for their summit trip with companies like Haleakala Bike Company Inc, Maui Downhill Bycicle Safaris, Maui Sunriders Bike Co or Mountain Riders. The tour company will drive you up the mountain (the road up the mountain is quite curvy, mostly windy sharp turn road with no guard rail and most car companies will say driving down hill of Haleakala can sometime cause problem to the car brake). After the sunrise, you can hop on a bike and cruise your way downhill from the top. Its a spectacular view of upcountry Kula, Makawao Cowboy Town and end at the hippie town of Paia.

Beside Molokini Crater, other great snorkelling destination includes Turtle Town and Coral Garden in South Maui, Honolua Bay in West Maui or Lana'i for an interisland day boat tour for dolphin spotting. You can see alot more fun things to do on Maui by visiting hawaiifun.org and you can also save alot on activities too with the Shaka Gold Card. We hope we were of help to your planning. Feel free to contact us anytime if you have more questions.

Mahalo,

A3H

We went in November, so the area did have some high surf...it was probably better for boogie boarding than snorkeling! But just a short walk away is Airport Beach in front of the Westin Villas and it was just lovely there. I think it would be great for all activities, although it did have gentler waves.