Aston at the Maui Banyan

BostonTravelerBoston (Boston, MA) 10/19/2021

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.

ChristineW3076 09/21/2021

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.

StephiGix 08/18/2021

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!

marionfarber 08/09/2021

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.

rafiquehasan 07/12/2021

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.