marshall531

HELP!. I am leaving for Hawaii on March 4th and now I am having second thoughts about staying at the Hyatt in Maui. I have heard alot of negatives not only about the hotel itself but also the town it is in. I have only heard wonderful things about the Grand Wailea. What do you think. First of all is the cost the same if the cost is comparable what is your opinion of which one to stay at. Thanks.

beachgirl86

Hi!
My husband and I stayed at the Hyatt in Maui for a week this past August. We thought it was wonderful. Beautiful grounds, pool, and rooms. We also really enjoyed the location on Kaanapali Beach. All the hotels there are located along a beach walk, so you can walk to each one along the beach for restaurants. Whaler's Village is there also, with plenty of shopping and more restuarants. We really enjoyed being there. If you do a search under my screen name, you should be able to find my trip report. Good luck and have a wonderful time!

kolohegirl

The GW is a bit more expensive than the Hyatt. I guess it depends on what you're looking for. I don't know what you've heard, but the Hyatt is by no means a dump or a disaster. They are both very nice resorts. They both attract families, although because of the pools the GW gets more kids. The GW is very spread out and depending on where your room is, it could take 15 minutes just to get to the pools! Hyatt is situated on Ka'anapali Beach which is just beyond Lahaina town. Nice resort area. GW is also situated in a nice area. What do I think????? I prefer the Hyatt. Not the GW is terrible, it's just to me it's more glitzy, kinda "in your face and down your throat" type over the top hotel. LOL Just my opinion.

ssm

If you search under my screen name, you will see that I asked the same question a couple of months ago. After researching, I decided to book 4 nights at the Hyatt and 3 nights at the GW. I figured that I could visit both hotels and both sides of the island.

I haven't gone but am defintely looking forward to it!

TripleSecDelay

marshall531 : what if you stay at GWR for one night to experience everything there? Having stayed for five nights, and also 3 nights at a condo on a golf course in Kaanapali during our last trip to Maui, I would say that a person could save money by staying at the Hyatt - if that was their objective. If you're taking only one trip this year to Maui, then why not indulge yourself and stay there and make your own impressions?

If you DO stay at both, I recommend the GWR as your second lodging destination on the calendar. No sense in going "downhill" from this wonderful experience.

We will return to the GWR.

GWR does attract families with kids - when school is out for the summer, etc. If a person's trip is not during school breaks, then it is a non-issue.

Somebody posted that it could take 15 minutes to get from a room to the pools. Maybe, if the elevators are busy. Maybe, if a person's gait compares to a sloth's. Maybe if a person isn't wearing a watch. Having said that - it would be the nicest 15 minute walk you've had at a hotel. The GWR is simply gorgeous.

CaliNurse

Agree with above post, about impressions of both areas, and aboyut possibly dividing yoru time. This, for what it's worth, is from viewpoint of someone(me) who has visited both areas , stayed in different hotel in Kaanapali, loves to stay in Kahana, but will stay in Wailea area next time.
The Hyatt isn't in a town, per se (though nr Lahaina) but in a built up area off the main highway called Ka'anapali Resort (also the name of the beach it is located on). It's not what you envison as "Maui" the first time you go. There are many high rise hotels/condos one next to the other, within this resort. We visited GWR during last trip, and next time, I'd stay there. Fantastic pools and grounds. Yes, a bit glitzy Hollywod style (e.g. the fake New England style wedding chapel) But... so what? It had a more peaceful sense, even in summer with a lot of kids, than Hyatt did. There are other hotels in the Wailea area, that are supposed to be wonderful. Check out other threads here, search Wailea. Wailea is also a pre-planned resort area, but it "feels" less planned and developed than Ka'anapali, IMHO.

islandmom

The Wailea side will feel more like a resort.

snowrooster

I would think GW would be significantly more expensive unless you are privy to some sort of special discount. If cost isn't an issue, I would stay at GW hands down. We stayed at Kea Lani (which we loved) because it was a bit cheaper, but never considered the Hyatt. Perhaps because we stayed at the Hyatt on Aruba and found the rooms small and the hotel staff subpar. That might just be the particular Hyatt in Aruba, but I think you'll find GW first class all the way. If you prefer a suite rather than a room, you might want to check out Kea Lani which is in Wailea next to GW and all rooms are suites (with huge bathrooms!).

nanajan

We have just returned from a 10-day trip to Maui, staying at the Marriott Wailea and the Maui Marriott Ocean Club (on Kaanapali Beach). We really found both of the resort areas beautiful in their own ways. The Wailea area is beautiful, quiet, lush, expensive, and a one-of-a-kind experience. We walked to all of the hotels while there, even having a great dinner at Humus.... at the GW. We would go there again in a heartbeat! That being said, we LOVE the Kaanapali area because you can walk easily to all of the hotels (and their dining rooms), Whalers Village has nice shopping and great restaurants, and it was just a short drive into Lahaina when we were ready for that experience. We stayed on Marriott points and a timeshare exchange, so most of our money was spent on food, golf and gifts. The golf is much better at Wailea, but, other than that, I'd say we'll probably go back to Kaanapali again for our home base. Just FYI, the Marriott has recently bought the Hyatt and will keep it as a hotel while they complete the conversion of the original Marriott to all timeshares. Have a great time on your trip.

OO

nanajan, it was Host Marriott that bought the Maui Hyatt, (a year ago October) not Marriott International, a sister company. That hotel will remain a Hyatt. Host Marriott is a real estate investment trust. The REIT owns quite a few hotels, but the hotels are managed primarily by Marriott, Ritz Carlton, Four Seasons, Hyatt and Hilton. I don't know how many Hyatts they currently own, but there are several of them. Very few hotel companies actually own their hotels--most are owned by an investment group such as Host Marriott or the like, and only managed by Hyatt, Hilton, Marriott, etc. The hotel my DH is in, Grand Hyatt Tampa, is one of the few in the chain actually owned by Hyatt Hotels and Resorts. His pervious hotel, Hyatt Regency Savannah, was owned by a couple of local Savannah real estate wheeler dealers, operated via long term management contract by Hyatt. etc etc etc.

It's confusing I know. It was to me when I first heard it as well--I too thought it was becoming a Marriott (and momentarily panicked thinking it would now be off limits to us) until my DH explained the difference between Host Marriott and Marriott International.