Looking for Maui Condo Kalapali Side
 

Traveling to Maui for the first time. Looking for kid friendly condo (ages 6-10), 2-bedroom, ocean front and swimming pools. Any recommendations?

Try looking at the Polynesian Shores. A little up the coast from Kanapali, but fits your request.

Don't know what your budget is or the level of comfort/luxury you are seeking, but the Napili beach has a number of condos on a great beach. Try the Napili Sunset, they have a 2 bdrm 2 bath - not fancy at all, but the location can't be beat: oceanfront and beachfront. They also have a pool, but that is not oceanfront. There is also a hotel at the other end of the beach Napili Kai Beach Club- very nice, old Hawaiian type atmosphere with rooms and suite type arrangements, also beachfront, much more expensive as I remember, though. There is an Embassy Suites just beyond Kanappali but I don't know about the beach quality. There is also the Noelani condo, with just a few 2 bdrms. It is oceanfront, but not beachfront, although their ads probably say that they are. Very simple condos, 2 oceanfront pools (not large). If you want to splurge, look into the Kannapali Alii (I think that's the name of it) right in the heart of Kannapali. Hope that helps with a few ideas.

Sorry folks, and with no intent to insult anyone on this website, but for some reason this really bothers me today.
It's not Kalapali.
It's not Kanapali.
It's not Kannapali.
It is KA'ANAPALI.
Thanks.
((S))((*))

And it is not pronounced
kah-NAP-a-lee
which I hear incessantly.

Kah-ah-nah-PAH-lee

For one of my first trips to Maui, back in the late 80's, I booked us into the Ka'anapali Ali'i thru a local travel agent. She told me that her manager loved the "kanapali ollie" - imagine my surprise when I found how how to correctly pronounce the name. It's one of my favorite properties. Since I love Hawaii (especially Maui) so much, I've made it a point to learn how things are pronounced. I wouldn't want to disrespect a place & people I so dearly love.

One of the first things to decide is whether or not you want a/c as many condos do not have it.

For an idea of aettings you can look at aerial photos at http://www.wizardpub.com/maui/mauaerials.html

Do you want beach too or just waterfront ? I've stayed twice at Noelani and liked it a lot. Two pools, one heated.

Aloha Jerway,
I just returned from a stay at Puamana condos in Lahaina, south of Ka'anapali. The condos are not a high rise complex,rather there are four units in each separate building. Many have a loft area with beds and the large master bedroom is downstairs. Each unit has a patio and barbeque, plus there are very attractive It is a residential complex with gorgeous grounds and three nice pools. It does not have particularly nice beach access but it next to a state park which does. Check it out on the web at www.puamana.us We booked our unit through Whalers' Realty.

Just returned from our stay near Ka'anapali. We stayed at the Maui Kai, which has A/C, but I wouldn't recommend staying there. I thought that A/C was a must, but when we were there we only used it once the first night. After we were accustomed to the temperature it was not needed. Plus the winds were so strong, we found leaving the windows open to be much more pleasant than cold A/C air. The Embassy and Ka'anapali Shores (which were next door) both looked nice, but since we didn't stay at either one I can't give a recommendation.

anna: What didn't you like?? We have reservations in July. Decided on it after reading MANY recs on this site. Yours is the 1st negative I've read. Please be specific! Thanks! Belle.

The property itself was what I expected: very beautiful oceanfront location, no bells or whistles, very small pool. Everything was great until 3rd day at the condo. On the 3rd day they started sanding and scraping the paint off the outside doors and repainting. During the day (and every day after) the condo filled with the smell of paint fumes, very unpleasant. Also on the 3rd day American Airlines delivered my lost luggage to the front desk. I told the front desk on several occasions that my bag would be delivered and to inform as soon as it arrived. Instead they did nothing when it arrived. I would not have known about it's arrival at all had I not stopped by the front desk that evening before leaving for dinner. I asked the guy at the front desk if that was my bag and he said "I don't know, check."

On the 4th day we came back after our 12 hour Hana tour to find part of the drop ceiling in our bathroom collapsed and a dead rotting mouse on the floor. Apparently it was on top of the ceiling tiles and fell when they collapsed. The maintenance man came in and left to get a ladder WITHOUT removing the dead mouse. He didn't come back for quite some time. When he did dispose of the mouse he threw it in our bathroom trash can which was not dumped for 2 days. No one came to clean the gravel out of the shower either.

That would have been bad enough, however matters got worse on our 6th day. That afternoon I was taking a shower and the ceiling collapsed ON ME. Not just a part of the ceiling, but the entire thing fell on me as I exited the shower. I got hit in the arm by a rusty support and hit on the head with several tiles. Not to mention the fact that I was naked and unable to exit th bathroom since the rusty supports were blocking the door. I was also terrified, wondering if I would find another mouse. My travel companion called the front desk and they said they would send maintenance ASAP. After about an hour and a half we decided to leave and checked the front desk to see what the delay was. To our amazement the woman at the front desk had forgotten to call maintenance "because she was booking activities for other guests, and it had slipped her mind."

Maintenance eventually came and cleared away the debris (but did not clean out the shower or floor tiles) and informed us that they would not be fixing it until we left. We had to spend our remaining 2 days with no ceiling and in constant fear of mice.

I was completely dissatisfied with the way Maui Kai reacted to the situation. They never offered to comp any of our nights or move us to another room. They did nothing. They didn't even apologize for the inconvenience.

Wow annahead, that'd spoil your trip, raining mice.
Does the painting involving the whole complex ? Sounds like it.

Did you *demand* to be moved, maybe another unit would have been unaffected for the rest of your time there.
Sounds like management needs a class in guest communications at the least.

Stir 'em up for a partial refund or credit voucher or something.

We stayed at the ka'anapali ali'i condos in unit #223 a couple of years ago. I'm sure my post is still somewhere on the site. We had a master suite and separate two bedrooms and another bathroom for the children. We really liked both the unit and the size and the in-unit laundry, but also the services of the condo facility. The beach was absolutely gorgeous, the pool terrific for the kids, lots to do, lots of things a short walk down the path. www.mauibeachfront.com

Annahead;

I feel so bad for you and the horrible time you had at the Maui Kai.

My husband and I stayed at the Maui Kai in December 2004 for 13 nights. We were on the top floor in a studio. Our unit was newly remodelled and I don't think it even had "ceiling tiles". We rented through the owner of the suite.

The issue of the painting and the fumes is very unfortunate and I also would have been very upset by it.

I concur with your thoughts on the people in the office. I found them to be uniformly disinterested to the point of being sullen.

However, we fully enjoyed our stay .. I suppose because our condo was perfect. I believe you should be compensated for what happened to you. I assume you didn't rent through an owner but through the Maui Kai itself? If you did rent throught the Maui Kai, I would be after them for compensation in the form of a cash refund for the nights wherein you had no ceiling in the bathroom and for your discomfort and fright. That whole incident is truly unacceptable.

I have noticed though that the unit we stayed in - #1003 - for which in Dec. 2004 we paid $125 U.S. a night (inclusive of taxes) and a $70 one time cleaning fee has now gone up to $200 a night with a $125 cleaning fee. I can't believe it. I think it must be a mistake on their webpage. Because, sadly, I won't return to the Maui Kai for a studio at $200 a night.

To answer everyone's questions, yes I will pursue some compensation. I didn't demand another room during our stay because they were painting on all floors, so there was no way to escape the fumes. To be honest, had I not had problems with lost luggage I probably would have checked out and gone somewhere else. But with only one week (3 days of which I had no clothes) I really did not have the energy to put up a fight. I just wanted to enjoy the time I had left in Maui. Like I said, had they handled the situation differently I would not have a problem recommending Maui Kai. The oceanfront setting is very nice, and I wasn't expecting a 5 star resort.

Despite all of the problems with lost luggage, dead mice and collapsed ceilings I still loved Maui. I wasn't about to let a few bumps in the road ruin my trip, you have to roll with the punches.

I'm SO sorry for your terrible stay!! Pray for US! Belle.

Annahead: I'm so sorry to hear about your experience. I've been staying at the Maui Kai for years and in unit #402 for the last several. I rent directly from the owner and have a good relationship with her. I've sent off an e-mail to her because I know she would be very upset to hear this. I guess I could understand that they sometimes have to paint but the wait on the luggage and maintenance are not good. I've never had a problem but I agree with the suggestions that you contact them. I've recommended this property on this site several times and feel a responsibility to everyone that may have taken my advice.

Belle: Try not to worry. This really seems to be an unusual experience if you read the posts on this site and www.tripadvisor.com. The reivews are very positive. Feel free to e-mail me if you have any specific concerns. I've got a photo site that has some pictures of #402 and the property. [email protected]

Old So. Belle: Unless you changed your travel plans you are staying at the Mana Kai in Kihei (south). The Maui Kai is on the other end of the island, in Honokowai (west).

I called Maui Kai front desk yesterday, she was most pleasantand said they painted all the front doors but they're done and nothing further is scheduled any time soon.