DawnCt

I am having a severe case of paralysis by analysis. Five of us, 3 teens, husband and myself are spending a week on Maui as part of our vacation. The Westin's new Kaanapali Ocean Resort sounded wonderful so I booked a studio. It will accommodate five of us with a roll away bed. Its a mile north of black rock. Before booking that however, I got a good rate a the Marriott. The draw at the Marriott? Location and pool. Recently I came across a very good rate at the Kaanapali Alii, which is right next door to the Marriott. It has a full kitchen, washer and dryer and 1500 square feet, but the pool is very mediocre as compared to the Westin and Marriott. Any opinions from someone who has stayed there? Also, do you know if the guests at the Alii have use of the pool at the Marriott since its next door? By the time I cancel the reservations that I don't need, I will be able to pay for my entire vacation. Thanks, Dawn

Stevemac

With three teens if you can afford it I would stay at the Kaanapalii Alii. The one-bedroom units include a large master bedroom and a den that acts as a second bedroom. It also has two full bathrooms. My family (two teens almost 20) always stay at the Alii. We have found the small pool to be no problem. There is plenty of room around the pool to layout (at least in June/July when we go). Unless something has changed in the last year, there are no pool privledges between any of the resorts. One thing to note, is the Westin Ocean Resort is not at the same location as the Westin hotel. The Ocean Resort is north of Black Rock about a 15 minute walk to the main Kaanaplai beach area. All things considered, the thought of two adults and three teens in a hotel room or studio would drive me to the very much larger Alli room.

dlai

If an exciting pool is important, your teens will be soon bored of the Alii's small and unheated pool, as our young children were. But maybe they're more into the ocean anyway. We've stayed at the Alii a few times, and it is lovely, well-kept, (condos are privately owned so they do vary considerably) and spacious(1 bedroom is 1200 sq. ft. I believe) and of course with a fully equipped kitchen.
However, be aware that room service comes from the Westin next-door, and that there are no resort type amenities, such as coffee bar, etc. as you will find at the typical hotel. On the other hand, you would find a typical hotel room rather cramped with five teens and adults-such is the Kaanapalii conundrum!

dlai

P.S. Where did you get a good price on the Ali'i, if I may be so bold as to ask??!!

DawnCt

I did a search and several sites came up at $350 per night. One agent did call me back and tell me that some of the units have the 'den' which allows for that extra person over the usual max of 4. In the meantime, I did another search of Marriott Ocean Resort time share and found a promotion for $799 for 6 nights including a car. Of course one has to attend the time share presentation but I am good at those. I am usually invited to leave after the first 45 minutes.

Suzie

We had a great time at the Marriott. There were 4 of us in a regular hotel room. This was just before they began renovation of that wing to make it all timeshare units. Will you be getting more space than a regular hotel room? The timeshare units did seem to have at least one other living space besides the actual sleeping area.

Sherri

Hi Dawn: I have 2 teenagers and am always glad that we have a larger space, fully equipped kitchen and a washer/dryer available (you don't have to pack as many clothes). Not sure what your budget is, but you can save quite a bit by buying some food and having some meals in your condo. We always stay a few nights in a hotel at the end of our stay and, even though we book a larger suite type room, we always miss the space and convenience that a condo affords. I understand that some people don't want to cook on vacation, but with teenagers (that seem to always be hungry), it helps make the trip much less stressful and expensive.

Lori

Go for the condo, you will not regret it. 5 people crammed into a studio (or hotel room) will not make for a fun trip for anyone. It is great to have a kitchen even if you do not cook, snacks are great to keep on hand and I am sure everyone will appreciate having some "space" privacy, particularly the teens.

DawnCt

We did do a condo (Kanaloa at Kona) on our last trip to Hawaii and we really missed the hotel atmosphere, the lobby, the restaurants, the fancy pool, etc. At this point I will maintain both reservations and consider bidding on price line as the time gets closer and get two rooms. I could be happy at any of the major hotels along the beach.

Sherri

I do understand your point (ordering a mai tai by the pool is definitely a plus). We always go with a condo that is right on the beach with a full ocean view (that has nice pools, too). We normally stay the majority of our stay in the condo and then 3 nights in a hotel to get the best of both worlds. The crowds at the hotels kind of got to us though. Both are great fun - have a good time!