alexsmith

Hi everyone!

I just joined this forum and am hoping some of you would have advice for my fiance and me regarding what hotels to stay in in our honeymoon to Maui & Kauai.

1) For Maui, I am trying to decide whether we should stay in the Wailea area (either at the Outrigger or the Renaissance Wailea - if you know anything about these hotels, please let me know) OR stay in the Kannapali area (at the Sheraon, Westin, or Hyatt Regency). I've heard Kanapali is busier, more crowded and more commercial. I would prefer something a little quieter but then again I'd like to be in an area where there is a lot to do. I've also heard that Wailea (in South Maui) is sunnier and hotter - is that true? We're going in Feb so it is important that we find a spot where the water is warm.

2) As for Kauai, we're not sure where to stay there either. According to the travel book I read, Poipu or the North Shore sounded best. In Poipu, we're considering the Sheraton Kauai and in the North Shore we're considering the Princeville Resort or the Hanalei Bay (which is down the street from Princeville Resort, I think, and much cheaper).

Any comments/advice would be most appreciated! Thanks!

JohnD

Welcome, it would be easier to give you advice if you stated how much you really want to spend, how long you want to stay, what activities are important to you (e.g snorkeling, hiking, being on a huge sandy beach etc) and if you would consider renting a condo.

alexsmith

Thanks! Well, we're looking to spend about $300-$400 a night and would prefer an ocean view room or a mountain view room, with a lanai. My friends stayed at the Four Seasons for their honeymoon but I checked out their prices on Expedia and it would cost us about $600 a night, which is just more than we want to spend. (We're going in Feb - high season - so the hotel rates are more expensive).
As for activities, we'd like to go horseback riding, hiking and jet skiing. I'm not interested in scuba diving or snorkeling though I would like to be on a beach where I can swim (or near one that we can drive to that's calm enough to swim in)...

JohnD

I have only stayed at a condo on Maui, so I think others will be more than happy to help you. On Kauai, a recent comparison of all resorts in Hawaii ranks the Princeville Hotel as #2 and the Hyatt as #4. Princeville Hotel has excellent Ocean and Mountain Views in your price range, though I do not believe every room has its own lanai. I personally find northern Kauai to be more scenic overall with lush tropical mountain and ocean views. The Hyatt is in southern Kauai near the famous Poipu Beach and generally has calmer water than the north in February where Princeville resort is)and is less rainy. I am sure you will get plenty of advice from others who have stayed at the resorts you listed. I suggest you check "Maui Revealed" and "Ultimate Guide to Kauai" for independent recommendations about horseback riding and jet skiing. You are going to love Maui, Kauai!

dmcmom

congrats on your upcoming wedding,you will love hawaii. I've stayed in wailea and kaanapali and my personal choice is the kaanapali. We stayed at the hyatt 20 years ago and it was amazing. we will be at the marriott in 15 days which is next door to the hyatt. the sheraton is also great with the cliff divers and snorkeling at black rock...its at the opposite end of kaanapali. either place is great. we like kaanapali because it seems like theres more to do..all in walking distance. great restaurants, whalers village, and just strolling the walkway in front of all the resorts. the wailea area is nice but was little too quiet for us. the area does hace some great hotels to check out. buy MAUI REVEALED for lots of good info on maui.

Suzie

Based on your other hotel choices you should not consider the Sheraton on Kauai among your choices. Stay at the Hyatt on both Maui and Kauai. Both are fantastic hotels. The Sheraton doesn't compare with either the Hyatt or the Princeville.

As others have suggested get Mui Revealed and The Ultimate Kauai Guidebook. Both are by the same authors and are reliable resources.

DreamingOfItaly

Here's another vote for Kaanapali ... and the Hyatt in particular. dmcmom summed up the benefits of staying on Kaanapali pretty well. We stayed at both the Hyatt on Maui and on Kauai. I would highly reccommend looking into the Hyatt in Kauai ... it was really spectacular.

Don't worry about the weather being better in Wailea than Kaanapali. The Kaanapali Lahaina area has always been warm and sunny whenever I've been there ... 6 different times.

I'll also offer out one other alternative for Maui ... the Ritz Carlton Kapalua. We stayed there right after 9/11 (got a great deal) and thought it was really nice. The Kapalua area is about 15 minutes up the coast from Kaanapali and it is a little quieter and quite beautiful, yet a quick trip in the car to get to all that Kaanapali and Lahaina offer. (Whereas it will be quite a hike from the Wailea area.)

kathryn

I also highly suggest the Kannapali area on Maui. We had an Oceanfront Deluxe room at the Sheraton Maui and loved it!! You can even try Priceline.com for some great prices. On Kauai, we stayed at the Sheraton, but if you can afford the Hyatt, I would highly suggest it. It's one of the top resorts in the world! I didn't stay in Princeville, but was not impressed with the area itself. Poipu is great. Plus, the sun always shines. It rains more in Princeville. My husband and I love Hawaii and always suggest going there to anyone looking for a great spot. I agree with grabbing a book - there is so much to do!!

Kal

If got the dough and ya wanna go, a big aloha for P'ville or Hyatt.
BUT, the Shearton basically sits right on the very nice beach, soooo.