Which area on Maui for hotel?
 

We just booked flights to Maui in June, yippee! I'm trying to land on a hotel choice for our family of 4 (kids age 6 and 9) and wondering if anyone has advice on which area they prefer and why. The two main areas for hotels seem to be Wailea and Kaanapali. Does anyone have thoughts on which would be better, or even a specific hotel to recommend? We will be there for 5 days, prefer a big hotel to a condo, and plan to do the road to Hana one day and the Haleakala crater another, if that matters for choosing an area. Price wise, we are looking to stay under $400/night. Thanks for any help!

We have been to Maui many, many times and our favourite area is north of Kaanapali in Napili/Kapalua. We stayed at Napili Kai Beach Resort at Christmas for 10 days and it was perfection! We have three kids and my mom was with us as well. It gives you a condo with a kitchen but all of the amenities of a full service hotel: restaurant, bar,daily housekeeping, concierge, beach cabana, towel service at the beach, etc. It has a luxurious but also low key vibe and is really popular with people looking for something less flashy than the big hotels. Might be worth looking into? Not sure of pricing that time of year.
Our unit was one bedroom oceanfront. All of the furnishings were high end and it was really well maintained.
Napili Bay is one of the most gorgeous beaches on the island and has safe swimming and great snorkeling. Kapalua Bay is a two minute walk and offers the same safe beach area for kids.

Napili is my favorite location too, but it sounds like you want a big hotel with kid stuff to do, and that is not Napili.

We stayed in a condo in Honokawai and drove to Kapalua and Napili every day to swim. I really liked the Napili area a lot. I would really strongly consider a condo with children since you would have more room than in a hotel, plus a washer and dryer and a fridge to keep snacks, drinks and leftovers if you wish. Just because there is a kitchen does not mean you need to cook.
Some people like south Maui, it is strictly a matter of personal preference.

imo- Fairmont Kea Lani best fits what you are looking for, and you should be able to get a suite for $400 or so in June. You and your children will love it there

The Fairmont is a heavenly property if you truly want the BIG hotel.
Don't forget about things like resort charges and parking that are often in addition to your nightly rate at the big hotels. Plus you have to factor in the price of things like breakfast for a family of four.
I still feel that a condo is the best way to do Maui with kids for both comfort, convenience and affordability.

Personally, I prefer the Wailea area to Kaanapali.

Whatever you choose, I'd think again about whether you and the children want to spend a whole day in the car to Hana or even just the half day for Haleakala. Haleakala will likely have more interest for the kids than Hana, so you might want to choose one, rather than spending almost half of your time on Maui driving.

Thanks all, I appreciate the feedback. Other opinions on preferred area are still welcome!

We stayed at the Marriott in Wailea, but the property nearly next door was the Grand Wailea and I believe is Hilton owned. It is a big,beautiful hotel with lots of pools with slides. It looked like a great place to travel and stay with kids. It is a very nice upscale hotel. The slides are not obnoxious, just fun for the kids.

We also stayed at the Marriott in Wailea, over Thanksgiving last November, and there were a TON of kids at the Grand Wailea. (My preferred area is Kaanapali - we thought we'd try something new)

sf7307 - do you still prefer Kaanapali after your stay down in Wailea. Why so? Just curious.

Michelle, we do. We like the beach path in Kaanapali with Whaler's Village in the middle. The beach path in Wailea is nice too, but it's just bordered by hotels and condos, no shops or restaurants. Some of the hotels in Wailea are really nice though.

We like being close to Lahaina for shopping and restaurants. Little more action and things to do. Prefer Kaanipali area. We did not like being in Wailea, even on our honeymoon. We kept driving to Lahaina, which is a bit of a drive. We did not like Kapalua. Beautiful, but too windy. I ordered a shrimp salad by the pool and had to hang on to the shrimps so they wouldn't fly away...