ribar55

My son and his fiancee will be honeymooning on Maui in July 2004. What are your personal recommendations for places to stay? They would like to tour around the island also. Thanks!

cathffl

Personally, I love the Grand Wailea in Wailea. They have the best pools - one for adults only and then a huge activity pool for the children. It's right on Wailea Beach - white sand, reefs for snorkeling. It's adjacent to the Shops at Wailea for shopping and good restaurants. And there's a pathway that goes along the front of the beach taht takes you to all the other hotels for a change in scenery or restaurants.

TedTurner

Unless you have kids with you from other relationships, I'd skip the Grand Wailea (a kid haven because of the water park-like pools) and stick with:
Four Seasons
Ritz Carlton
Kea Lani

The Kaanapali hotels (Hyatt, Sheraton, Westin etc) aren't quite as nice and also attract a lot of families. In July, though, since school is out, you may find a good number of kids everywhere.

montereybob

We just returned from the Ritz-Carlton in kapalua. To me, it was the perfect honeymoon spot----very few kids, mostly couples, very romantic setting, beautiful scenery and great nearby beaches. If the honeymoon couple wants quiet and romance, the Ritz in Kapalua or the neighboring property called the Kapalua Bay Hotel would be excellent. If they want lots of families, crowds and a more bustling touristy area , that would be the hotels on Kaanapali.

crazieladybug

I've seen a lot of recommendations for honeymooners for the Ritz and the Four Season. My fiance and I are going to honeymoon at the Fairmont Kea Lani after extensive research and advice!

gladys

We stayed at the Fairmont Kea Lani last March and it was fabulous! Our suite was beautiful-- big bedroom, nice size living room, and huge bathroom. We watched the whales from our lanai every day. The grounds are beautiful, small but fun beach. We had a great time going out in the ocean and having the waves bring you back to shore. There is a sidewalk that you can follow to other hotels down the beach. We went to a show called Warren & Annabelle that was was excellent. Ask at the activities desk at the hotel and they will make the arrangements. We also went on a catamaran snorkeling trip with Rainbow Chaser that was super--saw dolphins along the way and they came up to and followed the boat! An absolute must is to eat at Mama's Fish House which is expensive but worth it. Lunch is not quite as expensive. Neat location and the best food. It is also fun to rent a convertible to drive while there which makes the drive to Hana even better! What a great place to honeymoon!!

dgarland

My husband and I honeymooned at the Hyatt five years ago and went back last summer. We loved the hotel, the room was very elegant, with down comfortors and the service was great, but the pool is not the best for adults. There are so many kids, and it's just not a very pretty pool. Next time we plan to try the Ritz Carlton which I've heard great things about. Tell them to be sure to go to Mama's Fish House which serves lunch and dinner. Dinner is pretty expensive, but well worth the money. The food is great and the atmosphere is ultimate "Old Hawaii". We felt like we were on the set of Gilligan's Island and we loved every minute of it. In fact, that was one of the highlights of our trip.

pastorwendi

The KeaLani is a great hotel and you will be happy with your choice. DON'T book activities through your hotel, though...you'll pay a LOT more than you have to. Go to Activity Warehouse and book the same activities for much less money!

bluefan

uh pastorwendi, I hope you're aware of the non-advertising policy of Fodor's. It seems you're in the business of selling activities as mentioned in the "winging it" thread. If not, my sincerest apologies.

I think it's cool that you're here to advise travelers, but I wouldn't mention any travel-related outfits you might be associated with.

pastorwendi

I was not aware of the no advertising rule, since I've seen several other posters in various threads advertise their hotel or whatever. Thanks for letting me know! Still, whether people go through the company where I work or one of the others, they can save a lot of money over booking direct through their hotel!

northwestmom

There were lots of honeymooners at the Four Seasons when we were there in May. It's a very quiet, relaxing resort. See our room photos at the link below.

http://www.northwestmom.com/travel.html