HI Maui Westin Ocean Resort Villas Kaanapali

[chrispee]

We stayed here for 1 week in December 2012 and would come back to this hotel in a heartbeat. We're seasoned Hawaii travelers as we love the short flight and family friendly atmosphere. I will admit that prior to our trip to the Westin Ka'anapali Ocean Resort Villas, I had mixed feelings about our prior trips to Maui. One of my main reservations has been that eating good restaurant food on Maui is expensive in comparison to the other Hawaiian islands. So, we've found in the past that we either had to pay big to eat, or stay in a not so resort-like condo in order to prepare our own meals. Staying at the Westin Ocean Villas requires no sacrifice as you get true resort grounds and amenities with a very usable kitchenette. We greatly enjoyed shopping at Whole Foods on Maui and preparing our own meals at the common BBQs by the pool, and were happy to enjoy a few more expensive meals on the resort as well.

We were lucky enough to get a studio with an upgraded pool/partial ocean view upon check-in even though we booked through bidding on Priceline.com. At no time did we feel like second class citizens, and there was never any mention of our Priceline booking method. Our room was well appointed with a comfy king bed, sofa bed, fully equiped kitchenette, small table, and washer/dryer. The bathroom is a great size, with separate Jacuzzi tub and shower. There is no real balcony in the studio unit, but there is a glass sliding door with railing so you still get to take advantage of the hawaiian breeze. I should note that I've heard others complain about timeshare sales pressure, but we were only asked once by the concierge at check-in if we'd like to attend a sales session. We politely declined and were not asked again the entire trip

The resort grounds are what really put the Westin Ocean Villas over the top in my opinion. The common areas are beautifully landscaped and there is plenty of natural beauty. You enter through the open air lobby and are greeted with the koi pond complete with frogs and little birds splashing around in the waterfalls. The pool is an organic shape with a tastefully done water slide for the kids. One thing I really liked about the pool is that it does not stink like chlorine or chemicals. The pool was never really crowded during the day, and it can't be beat for an evening swim under the torches, swaying palm trees, and clear evening sky.

If you have kids, this hotel can't be beat. The grounds boast a kids' pirate ship pool and playground, and there are many activities for children of all ages. They were set up for Christmas during our stay, and had a mini ice rink set up for the kids to skate on (artificial ice, but good nonetheless). The beach out front of the resort is excellent for swimming, with numerous good breaks in the coral to enter.

The grounds are set up so that guests can enjoy their own drinks/food throughout the resort. We found this refreshing as usually resorts don't want you enjoying your own drinks and food in the public areas. The pool restaurant/bar has good food, and we did eat/drink there a few times during our stay and it certainly does provide a good yet expensive experience. We went for a drink at the Sheraton Black Rock pool bar down the road and came to the consensus that we preferred the atmosphere and value at the Westin Ocean Villas better.

Another bonus that many of the hotels in Ka'anapali provide is a complimentary shuttle around the local area. The Westin Ocean Villas has a great shuttle that goes to the other hotels, shopping, the Cannery Mall (grocery, drug stores, restaurants etc.), and even all the way into Lahaina. We loved this as you could go out for a drink and not have to worry about parking or driving back to the resort.

I can for the life of me figure out why Priceline rates this as a 4* and not a Resort class property, but I hope they continue to do so as it makes bidding on it easier! We've been lucky enough to stay in some nice hotels in our previous trips to Hawaii, but both my wife and I agree that this was unequivocally our favourite stay out of a dozen or so trips. The Westin Ka'anapali Ocean Resort Villas strike the ideal balance of condo and resort for us, and I have a renewed love of Maui as a result. We will be back for sure!