Lahaina is Maui’s big town with a big legacy. It was the center of the Kingdom of Hawaii and the whaling capital of the world.
Today, Lahaina is considered by many to be the center of Maui because of its walkable attractions and amenities. In a short distance, you can walk through historical landmarks and shops that are among the best in Hawaii. Even humpback whales love to visit now that they are protected.
Must Go
Old Town Lahaina
Old Town Lahaina is essentially a giant outdoor museum. Take a walking tour of the more than 50 historical landmarks nearby. You’ll pass by palace ruins, an “Old Prison,” and 19th century homes.
Lahaina Harbor
Lahaina Harbor is your portal to an exciting adventure. The humpback whales swim by in the winter, and you can partake in many whale watching tours and trips that depart from its shores.
Kaanapali Beach
Just four miles north of Lahaina lies Kaanapali Beach. It’s a world class beach with white sand and calmer waters that make it a great destination for families.
Must Know
The best way to tour Lahaina is actually on foot. Park your car and let your feet take you to your destination.
The huge West Maui mountains have beautiful valleys visible from the historic district of Lahaina. The valleys are the backdrop for "the 5 o'clock rainbow" that happens almost every day.
Must Do
Shopping
Lahaina is a top shopping destination on Maui for good reasons. Shop for designer clothing, locally made fine art and jewelry, and specialty goods in the shops on Front Street and in Old Town Lahaina.
Dining
Some of the best food on Maui is in Lahaina. Stop by Lahainaluna Cafe for mahi mahi tacos and crab fries on your shopping trip, or Hapa Ramen from Star Noodle on your way back from a day trip to Lanai. There are a lot of options, and you’ll probably want to taste everything.
Whale Watching
From November to April, you can spot the humpback whales that swim by each winter. Take a boat from Lahaina Harbor to see the gentle giants of the sea.
Museums and History
Hawaii changed a lot in the 19th century. Many of those changes started in Lahaina. On a walking tour of Old Town Lahaina, you’ll learn what life was like during this transitional time. Stop by the Baldwin Home Museum to learn about some of the changes that were brought to Hawaii by Christian missionaries.
Garden views everywhere. Who builds a property on the beach in a "v" shape so most of the rooms see trees instead of water. The rooms are 1980's chic, peeling paint on the ceilings, tired bathtubs with scratches, old calking and just not nice. New paint on the walls covers about 200 other coats of paint from over the years. 1980's rail lighting to match the old style tile counter tops. The elevators were scary to get into with nasty dirty doors with some type of white liquid everywhere. We paid $6,000 for 9 days. Won't fall for that again!!
"Beautiful & Awesome Property
Loreen H
My room on the PH Floor was so beautiful with a great view. The facility is clean and well kept. The staff their is so accommodating and nice. The General Manager - Mark Mrantz is awesome. I loved my stay at Kaanapali Shores. It made my business trip successful and fun.
True Hawaii Hospitality
770esam
A wonderful get-away right off the shores of Kaanapali beach. Hotel is clean, fresh look and great amenities. Coffee bar, movie kiosk, shops, spa, pools, garden retreats, amazing sunset views. Well manicured landscape and friendly staff that really makes you feel welcomed and to top it all off, the hotel has a wonderful on-site Clubhouse dinning and bar with amazing menu choices and fun flavorful drinks. My team and I had a late night dinner and the staff was still full of energy and the food came out fresh. I look forward to my next visit.
Great place to stay
Hawaii2112
This was an excellent place to stay while in Maui. Everything was well kept and the staff were extremely helpful and friendly. The only thing I would say is that the rooms are a bit outdated but were very clean!!
Not enough chairs
kathleen959
(Ogden, Utah)
We rented a 2 bedroom 2 bath suite for 4 people. There were only 3 chairs on our deck. When asked for a 4th chair were told it's not possible to get another one.
Not much of a beach area. Very hard pillows, After 4 days still have a stiff neck.
Beware of renting Unit 364, at The Whaler on Kaanapali Beach
DEBDELVEC5678
I am a long time visitor to Kaanapali and have been renting there every winter since 1993. Throughout this time, I have never had any serious problems until now. In March of 2021, I arranged to rent Unit 364 through the owners of this condo, for my January/ February 2022 trip. I secured this rental with a $2,000 deposit at that time. All of our flight arrangements were made as well.
On November 10, 2020, I reached out to the owners to inquire about when they wished to have the balance owing paid, only to be told that they had double-booked and the condo was no longer available to us. After having my deposit for over 7 months, they did not have the decency to inform me of their decision to double-book. At this late date, it is next to impossible to find another accommodation, as Maui is extremely busy during the high season. The owners were extremely rude and simply said they had put a refund check in the mail ‘a while back’ ! To date, I have not received this check.
I would highly recommend that you not consider dealing with these owners.
Love The Whaler!
jillbudnik
We loved staying at The Whaler. Spacious condominium. Convenient location. Service and cleanliness were great. It was important to us to have a kitchen in which to store and re-heat carryout food and to also be able to make toast in the morning. We hope to return to The Whaler very soon.
Excellent!!
12345450
(Los Angeles, California)
Amazing hotel, very clean, very friendly and accommodating staff! The hotel is a two minute walk from great restaurants and shops, and sits oceanfront on a beautiful white sand beach! We will definitely be back!
Paradise
bubblegurl83
(Redding, California)
Check in/out was a breeze, friendly staff, beautiful views and walking distance to whalers village for shopping and restaurants! Resort was clean, saw staff cleaning bbq’s and pool areas every morning. Will definitely stay here again! Mahalo!
Great place
Bonesman
(Honolulu, Hawaii)
A great resort that is well maintained. The staff is friendly and very helpful. Enjoyed our time at this beautiful place. Checking in and out was very simple. The pool and spa are well maintained. The rooms especially the ocean view are great. You can walk from your accommodation right to the beach.
We absolutely love the Maui Kaanapali Villas resort, and particularly unit 180. The resort sits north of black rock, away from all the crowds on the main part of Kaanapali Beach, while still an easy walk on the beach path to Whaler’s Village and other resort restaurants. The beach here is outstanding – calm waters, nice sand, and great snorkeling just a short walk up the beach. The resort provides lounge chairs (for free!) on the lawn in front of the beach, has a nice pool and hot tub, a great bar, okay restaurant, and activity rentals all right there on site. This condo unit #180 is right on the lawn facing the ocean, and it’s wonderful to be able to walk right out of your condo to the lounge chairs and beach, or lounge on the lanai looking out at the water and sunsets. The bed is very comfortable, the linens and towels are especially soft, the décor throughout the condo is lovely, the LR has a huge TV that you can watch from the lanai as well, the bathroom and kitchen are modern and spacious, and the condo has every amenity you might need. The owners even provide beach chairs, umbrellas and other beach items you might need which we really appreciated. They are also very responsive to communicate with and very accommodating. This was our second stay in this unit and we will definitely be returning. The only down-side – it’s extremely hard to leave!
Beautiful Property in Kaanapali
cindyhottinger
Staff was friendly and attentive from check in until check out. The property is clean, well maintained and located within walking distance of many attractions. Shout out to the great staff members who went over and above.
Great Visit to Maui
V3301BUkarenp
Our family had another wonderful stay at MKV. Our room was clean, spacious and it felt like our home away from home! Enjoyed relaxing down at the pool and the beautiful beach. We also love that Castaways is right there on the property, we had friendly service and there's plenty of choices on the menu that even the picky eaters in the family had food they'd eat! We also loved being able to grab a cup of coffee or tea for our morning stroll along the beachfront walk. A special thank you to Michael for capturing a few beautiful sunset family photos. It's the little gestures like that that stand out and make MKV our top place to stay while visiting Maui!
Great location and atmosphere
gbergby2021
Easy check in, castaway cafe was good, beach was fantastic and the rooms were clean. The pool and hot tub were well maintained and the activity shack was good. Spent most of our trip sitting in a cabana or swimming in the ocean.
Great location for your stay
Lharr01
(Brentwood, California)
This was our first time at this hotel. Not fancy but great for the price. and location great. You can walk to the beach, Whaler's village (if you like walking), Duke's. Restaurant on site is Castaway Cafe. Great food, nice view, and wonderful Bloody Mary. They are going through renovations but it did not bother us.
Our room had been updated inside and was very nice and very comfortable. However it did have a few issues. I strongly suggest if you get assigned room 182, refuse it and ask for any other room in that same building. The building it was in is in the best location, but that room is the worst because of position in the building and no freezer in the refrigerator.
lStayed here many times and always are very happy. There is no better ocean front property! Prefer
bedroom units to studios but all have fantastic ocean front views. Pandemic created a few less than normal housekeeping duties but it was still very good.
Aston Mahana at Kaanapali
ibabcbqb2021
The following morning after arrival, there were large live cockroaches in the entryway. I stopped at the front desk to inform staff, she stated they just sprayed the day before and offered to send up housekeeping. I asked to move rooms and she was unsure if any rooms were available. She stated she would call back. After retuning to the room, my husband said he saw cockroaches in the utensil drawer the night before; he opened it & found two live bugs, one in a bag of food & one crawling on the counter as we cut fruit. I called back down and stated we continue to find more live ones. Karen reiterated they just sprayed. I explained that I wanted to move rooms; she stated she didn't think they had any rooms but would check with manager between 9-10am. I asked to move to a larger unit; she stated I could and pay the difference; I explained I would not due to an infested room. I stated I would accept a refund to look for an alternate hotel if they could not accommodate. Shortly after, staff called back with an available room but we would need to leave our room to clean before new guests arrived.
Our new room had no issues, however; the next day, I realized that our new room was not a premium room that we originally purchased. I stopped and spoke to staff & she stated it was a premium room. I explained the outdated fridge and countertops included in the description were not premium. She continued to reiterate it was premium; I asked to see a room list verifying it was a premium room and she refused to provide it. After arguing with staff for the last two days, I walked away. I was completely disappointed in the customer service, I understand things happen but work with pest control and hotels in my occupation on a daily basis so I am very familiar. If there were known issues take responsibility for them; close the room, offer to up-grade to a larger unit at not cost, offer to re-treat the room. I was glad they moved our family as I would not have stayed but felt bad for the next customer that was placed in the unit without any regard to them. It would have been well received and respected if they would have have refunded my money. I still hope they consider doing that.
Mahana... No Ka Oi
mrifool2021
Truely the best view of any resort in kaanapali...from the room dolphins, turtles, rainbows and the milkway. Covid friendly resort. Located near shopping, restaurants and the beach couldnt be closer. The staff and management are the best...
Incredible views
Andy W
(United States)
Every room is directly on top of the ocean so you can hear the waves crash and have the most spectacular view of the sunsets. The rooms were a tad dated but the location alone made up for it. Also the staff were extremely friendly. We didn’t have any problems but anytime I asked for a recommendation for dinner or a place to hike they were more than happy to help!
Beware of the word "premium"!
Venture736319
Stayed in room 1206. Hotel represented this room as a "premium one bedroom suite". Trust me, this room was not "premium". Old appliances (ice maker didn't work on arrival) and very dated décor and furniture. Amenities at this property are very limited (small pool and tennis court), you must go elsewhere for everything else, including beach chairs.
Honestly, the “resort” is the only negative critique I have of our entire Maui vacation. We were duped by the Aston at Papakea. First, this was our honeymoon so we didn’t wanna go cheap. We sprung for the upgrade to the “Ocean View Suite.” The picture on the site showed us looking right out at the ocean from our balcony. No, we got a pool-view room with a view of the ocean out in the distance. Yes, we could see the ocean, but our direct view from our balcony squarely faced the pool area, and we were only on the 2nd floor out of 5, this was no “ocean view.” I knew this was a price scam because there IS a quote for “pool view” but the loophole was that you can actually see the ocean, it’s just not in close view.
Then there was the room itself. It was a suite kinda set up as a one bedroom apartment. It is DATED! The furniture was so sold and so uncomfortable like something out of the late 1970s, we didn’t even feel comfortable sitting on the clothed couch and chairs. It seriously needs an update, and you can tell they spring for some things because there was a brand new stackable washer/dryer in there. Shower is tiny and uncomfortable, toilet flush was weak, room was not attractive at all. All I can say is that it gave us a place to sleep, we spent most of our time out and about. Other than that, this “resort” is trash.
Poor service, room not as described
Resort779734
I would not stay at this property again. We reserved a two bedroom, with minimum of 3 beds. We received a one bedroom with a loft and only two beds. This was not appropriate for our unrelated group of senior citizens.
Staff was not friendly, to the point of rude. They said they would txt when room was ready, they did not
They did not offer help, or luggage racks to get bags to the room.
There is no swimming beach at this property. For sand beach entry to ocean you need to walk about two properties south.
Wonderful stay
RJWill
(Yuba City, California)
My husband and i have stayed here several times. We really love this hotel. They are very accommodating for me since I have an allergy to fragrances. We are already looking forward to coming back for another stay.
Aston at Papakea Resort
P2687EHlaurad
(Watsonville, California)
The resort was ok main bedroom had no air conditioner had to request a fan.
The one bathroom is very outdated old furniture and a foul smell. You need to take out your own trash and clean up. Overall it has a pool and beach accessible and BBQ area.
Not up to Aston standards
mdigtravel
(Redondo Beach, California)
Although the property is well located and the oceanfront unit had a stellar view, the unit was not clean nor well maintained. The drapes were dirty, many fixtures were dusty, the dishwasher racks were rusted with sharp protruding pieces, the bathroom was not very clean, and the unit throughout had missing ounces of molding with rot. The unit was also advertised with a/c, but it was only in the living room the farthest from the bedroom, so it was difficult to get the bedroom properly cooled.
My wife and I love this place and would not stay anywhere else in Maui. Words cannot express the kindness and friendliest staff at Maui hill. This is my wife and my second stay and have another upcoming reservation in February with 14 of our family members. I would also like to point out Dennis the General Manager of this resort and his kindness and generosity to making our stay personally memorable. We also cannot forget the activities staff and Dawnya for always finding us the best luau’s and snorkel trips etc. Thank you Maui hill staff and management from the bottom of our hearts for everything you do to make our stay amazing as always. The Kant family.
Best Kihei Condos
eilselb
(Portland, Oregon)
Maui Hill is great! This was our third visit and we love the location - close to restaurants, shops and the beach. Our condo’s lanai had a beautiful view of the sunset every night. The pool is very nice and the staff made us feel welcome. Our condo was nice and very clean. We hope to return next year. Dennis, the General Manager, is the best!
Beautiful Place to Stay
P1177WTseanc
We were pleasantly surprised upon arriving at Aston Maui Hill. We had booked online and you usually run the chance of the resort not living up to its' listing.
It was the complete opposite with Aston Maui Hill! Quick, efficient and friendly check in with information about the resort and surrounding area provided by Rose-she was great! All of the employees we met were friendly and helpful.
The condo was roomy and spotless with a beautiful view of the pool and sunset from the lanai. And on the first level as I requested for my elderly in-laws.
Aston Maui Hill is a wonderful place to stay. You can drive or walk a few blocks to shops and restaurants or the beach. We loved the peace and quiet in the evenings.
We were only there for three nights but are already planning our return trip.
I highly recommend the Aston Maui Hill!!
Shower filled up fast
Cory G
Shouldn’t have to follow up with someone else after informing staff about the drain in the shower! The female that stayed in the room before me or clean the room left long black hairs on the floor in the master bathroom. Looked as though someone tossed it out of the shower onto the floor in front of the sink and left it, it was a lot of hair
Great place
ramonangiesandoval
Great place to stay,great location and views and staff was outstanding.We had restaurants and bars near by and everything was right on with the COVID-19 situation anywhere you went they were on it,and all the activities were great as well.
Maui Banyan #T-304 - Awesome (rented via Maui Condo & Home Inc)
BostonTravelerBoston
(Boston, MA)
Maui Banyan #T-304. Oct 2021. 14 nights, party of 8 - 4 adults, 4 boys ages 4-11. Rented via Maui Condo & Home, who were fantastic. We loved it! Great location, very nice pool areas (2), very clean, the condo is very roomy (plenty of space for 8). The 3 bedroom beds were awesome; the pull-out bed was not as comfortable but still good & just fine for the 2 young boys who slept there. Very well stocked condo, A/C worked great (3 window units, each on a 6hr timer...initially seemed like it would be an issue, but it was not), washer/dryer was awesome (takes big loads), great dishwasher. If the building had an elevator (we were on 3rd flr), and was the first rather than last building in the complex, I'd have nothing left to suggest for improvements. Except maybe beach towels...we bought quite a few at the ABC Store ($14ea; per Maui Condo's suggestion), but seems guests wouldn't steal beach towels any more than they'd steal regular towels (or the beach chairs, or the beach umbrella, or anything else in the condo)...so why not supply them (I'm directing my comment to the Owners)? 5 or 6 beach chairs & beach umbrella supplied in the condo (high quality for all). We found the condo unit to actually be roomier than it appeared in the pictures - usually we find the opposite. And, the staff provides generous amounts of initial stock for paper towels, toilet tissue, soap, dishwasher/laundry detergent (and people leave the extra they may have bought)...we've rented other condos where such initial provisions were disappointingly skimpy.
TV situation could use some more detailed explanations, esp as there are 3 or 4 remotes next to each TV. I'm reasonably familiar with all the variables that users might mess up, like changing to an incorrect input or changing screen parameters...but those who aren't could be a bit lost if the previous user had hit a few wrong buttons. Also, the Spectrum cable system could use better ways to ID HD stations vs SD stations broadcasting the same content...took us a while to find HD channels for the football & baseball games we wanted to watch. But we didn’t use the TV’s much – we were in Maui!
Kamaole Beach Park II - right across the street - was perfect for our grandsons, ages 4, 6, 9 & 11. 5-6 minute walk from the condo, very nice beach. Waves big enough for kids to play in (0.5-2.5ft), boogie board & body surf a bit but (except on a few windy afternoons) not big enough to be too dangerous (always with proper close supervision of course). One day we went down to Makena Beach, 10 minutes away to the south - big mistake, we left after 15 minutes. Big, dangerous waves (4-8 footers, breaking right on the sharply sloped beach), got extremely windy a few minutes after we got settled to evaluate the situation. This is no place for kids, and on that day was no place for anybody...in fact we heard later in the week that an adult swimmer died that day in the surf. The gentleman there who supervises the required car/per-person payments (quite high!) should be advising all people of the dangerous situation BEFORE they pay - especially those with kids. As we were leaving we told everyone we saw coming in with kids to turn around.
The kitchen has more dishes/glasses/cups/utensils/gadgets than you could expect, all of a very high quality. Even such things as tupperware, coffer grinder & esp/capp machine. Great kitchen. More towels/linens than you could possibly use (esp with a the washer/dryer). Nice balconies off all rooms.
And the Maui Condo & Home team was FANTASTIC. Extremely responsive, patient, accommodating (we had to reschedule 3 times due to the ongoing COVID situation). Can;t say enough good things about every single person we dealt with.
Recommended outings: The obvious: Drive up to Haleakala, drive the Road to Hana. The aquarium at Maui Ocean Center is terrific (if expensive). The Old Lahaina Luau is terrific - all of our grandsons (4-11) were enthralled by the signing/dancing/chanting/costumes/history & lore. We highly recommend this luau. Lahaina Fish Company is a great restaurant, seating on decks right over the water. Dragon's Teeth/Pointe was a nice outing, up in Kapalua. And we took a day trip to Oahu, to take the kids to the sprawling Pearl Harbor memorials/ships/sub/museums - long day, but a fantastic day. Safeway - 24hr supermarket - about 4 miles away is the best place to stock up on groceries.
Relaxing Vacation
ChristineW3076
What a great place to stay! The Maui Banyan is located less than a 2 minute walk to the beach; and walking distance to many restaurants and shops. We stayed in Condo H103, updated, clean, full kitchen with everything you need, new furniture ~ very comfortable. Loved having coffee in the early morning on the lanai looking at the beautiful plumeria trees in bloom. Very relaxing vacation.
Perfect trip!
StephiGix
We booked the Maui Banyan a little last minute so we were worried we may have missed the best places to stay, but there was no need to worry, we loved it!
Our one bedroom suite was clean and bright with two bathrooms, living room, full kitchen and large balcony. We were so shocked at how large the space was, it was like our own apartment in paradise. We even had a blender and made ourselves fresh smoothies every morning. The staff were friendly and helpful, there is lots of free parking and the hotel is right across from the beach. Would definitely recommend!
Maui Bantan visit
marionfarber
The location of the property is awesome, directly across from the beach and walking distance to restaurants and shopping. We had a great ocean view from our lanai. The pools are fine, and the unit itself was fine, except that the pullout sofa bed was unsleepable - I had to sleep on the couch, which was less than comfortable, but I got used to it. Next time we'll spring for a 2-bedroom unit.
Aston at the Maui
rafiquehasan
This is our 1st visit in Maui . We rented this resort for 4 night. We love the resort . Verities of flower plants and easy access to the beach . My wife took lot of picture and enjoyed Maui very much.
Lahaina Harbor
Kaanapali Beach
Shopping
Dining
Whale Watching
