Kea Lani
 

I have just made reservations at the Kea Lani for four nights. I would like to hear what other thought about the hotel, and also any experiences that they may have had on Maui recently! <BR> <BR>Thank you! <BR> <BR>

We stayed there last year in June. It was wonderful. The rooms are huge, they're actually suites with a full living room, bedroom, and a huge marble bathroom. The pools are very nice- there's one just for adults as well as two connected ones with a water slide and a swim-up pool bar. Drinks and food are very expensive but that's true anywhere in the Walilea area. There's a great walking path that goes from the Lea Lani to 4-5 other hotels including the Grand Walilea and the Four Seasons. We often just walked over to another hotel for lunch or dinner. The beah at the Kea Lani was also very nice and the other hotels also have good beaches. One of our favorite things that we did was a sunset cruise from Lahaina on a catamaran. It was a lot of fun. The road to Hana was also great- be sure to take a whole day- we took 12 hours and really enjoyed ourselves. The 2 mile hike at the Seven Sacred pools was really one of the highlights of our trip. You'll walk through a bamboo forest, over suspended bridges, and see a spectacular waterfall at the top. Our favorite meal was at Cerrelli's- very expensive but great service & very romantic. Have a great trip!

you will love the kea lani. Althoughthe rooms may seem expensive, comparatively you get more value for the money you spend compared with the other hotels. Every room is a suite with a gorgeous marble bathroom. The pools are gorgeous and there is a nice calm beach, not very crowded. The kea lani would be my first choice in the Wailea Area. I have been there twice

We just returned from a 7-day stay at the Kea Lani, this being our second stay there but our first trip with our children. I must admit that we were somewhat disappointed this time around. While the rooms are quite large (ideal for our family of 4)and nicely decorated, we found the housekeeping service to be below par. The pool area was very crowded and noisey (lots of very young children). Go to the adult pool, if you are not traveling with children; it appeared to be much more peaceful and spacious. The carpet in our suite was stained and there just seemed to be an overall inattention to detail. Our previous visit was five years ago and in February, so perhaps it was more enjoyable because it was not the height of the tourist season.

I am now a bit confused on whether to go to the Kea Lani or not. I just called the Hyatt Regency in Maui and I could get an Oceanview room or Terrace View. Would you cancel the Kea Lani and go to Hyatt Regency or would you just leave it? <BR> <BR>Thank you very much! <BR> <BR>

I Have to agree with the above post. The hotel was nice but the service was not great and the pool was too small for the amount of rooms. Also not polynesian feeling at all...you might as well been in Miami! <BR>I LOVED the Four Season! <BR>On a good note...the Kea Lani had the best brick oven pizza I have ever had...and I am from NY!! <BR>good luck

I personally really enjoy the Hyatt. We are going to Maui in 2 weeks and are staying at the Grand Wailea. While at this point I enjoy the Wailea area more the Hyatt would be better for a family. I went a few times in the past couple of years. The service is great, there pool area is fantastic with a waterslide and caves to swim through. I think they are also offering a special with a free night and buffet breakfast. Though the Kea Lani does have the bigger rooms I think the quality is better at the Hyatt.

Jim: Having stayed at the Hyatt 4 or 5 times, I guess my preference is obvious. Your decision should, in large part, be based upon whether you require the quieter atmosphere of Wailea or the more built-up Kaanapali beachfront. I personally enjoy the accessibility to the many other hotels/restaurants that the Hyatt location affords (Kaanapali/Lahaina/Kapulua are all within a 10 minute drive), whereas Wailea, to me, is more limiting, though its beaches are more attractive. <BR> The Hyatt is a beautiful hotel, has an attentive staff, great pool area, interesting art work,and very nice public areas. The Hyatt's restaurants are not up to the standards of its other attributes, but most hotel restaurants do not measure up to the better non-hotel restaurants. I much prefer to dine out anyway (Roy's Kohana Grill, Hula Grill, Sansei, etc). You'll have a good time at either resort...they are both highly regarded.

The above posters have made excellent points, and I do believe you can be ecstatically happy to be on Maui in either resort! I've not heard before about bad housekeeping and rug stains at Kea Lani. That being the case, I would be really loathe to pay their going rates! You can stay at the Renaissance Wailea, a few hotels up the beach, for quite a bit less, especially with the Entertainment Card, and be in a beautiful, tropical hotel that is about impossible to beat for the money! <BR> <BR>Have a great trip - and don't anguish too much over this decision. It's real hard to have a bad time in Hawaii!

You will have a lovely time, no matter where you stay. But if we were to do it again (and I certainly hope that we do), I would go to either the Grand Wailea or the Four Seasons. Wailea is an absolutely beautiful area, and is located very close to Kihei where there are reasonably priced restaurants. Lahaina is little more than a 30-minute drive also.