Kaanapali Beach Resort on Maui offers variety, excitement, tranquility
LAHAINA, Hawaii -- It's no secret visitors flock to Maui to escape from it all. And Kaanapali Beach Resort offers an ideal getaway. All the comforts of home -- and then some -- are at your fingertips. Whether it's a romantic getaway or a family vacation, the five hotel resorts and six condominium resorts offer the variety and size to fit all your needs.
Kaanapali Beach Resort is where 1,200 acres of paradise on Maui became the first master-planned resort community to be developed in the state of Hawaii. There are different properties and businesses within the resort all working together for a common goal -- to embrace this special location.
"There's no place more beautiful and diverse as Kaanapali," said Shelley Kekuna, executive director of the Kaanapali Beach Resort Association. "The beachwalk gives a sense of connectivity, but the properties all have unique personalities. There are a variety of values offered based on the choices of accommodation types."
With that in mind, let's get started on your next vacation.
The resorts
Let's look at the resorts first. After all, you've got to have a place to call home. The five resort hotels -- Hyatt Regency Maui Resort & Spa, Kaanapali Beach Hotel, Royal Lahaina Resort, Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa and the Westin Maui Resort & Spa -- all offer lush accommodations, stunning views, vibrant garden settings, water features (everything from pools to waterslides to the ocean itself).
The luxurious Kaanapali Alii, Marriot's Maui Ocean Club (Vacation Ownership), Maui Kaanapali Villas, Outrigger Maui Eldorado Resort, Westin Kaanapali Ocean Resort Villas (Vacation Ownership) and Whaler on Kaanapali are all condominium resorts and many are privately owned units that are rented out to visitors when the owners are away.
Whether it's a full-blown resort experience or the laid-back style of a condo getaway -- barbecues and all -- it's right here in Kaanapali.
Activities at Kaanapali Beach Resort
Where to start? How about the first thing visitors notice after they check in -- the beautiful and expansive beach. Kaanapali's beach is one of the best in the world. Smooth sand, gentle waves and breathtaking views of sunsets and neighboring Lanai and Molokai will help melt the stress away. And that's just on your first day. The beach activities are as endless as the ocean views, from scuba diving, to snorkeling, to sunset dinner sails, to parasailing, to body boarding. Just don't forget the sunscreen.
Off the beach, there are 36 holes of championship golf on the Royal and Kai golf courses giving guests great golf challenges while throwing in amazing ocean views from everywhere. If you're a golfer, look no further.
Shopping at Kaanapali Beach Resort
Whaler's Village (the only ocean-front shopping center on Maui) is just a short trolley ride from anywhere at Kaanapali Beach Resort. And this place offers a wide variety -- more than 90 shops and restaurants. It's all here, from dining options to clothing stores to specialty shops. And don't forget to buy those items to bring back to family and friends suffering through cold winter days and nights.
There are jewelry spots, footwear, cosmetics, wine and spirits, and, if the island really starts to be appealing, real estate ventures. Guests can stop in at the Fairway Shops located just off the highway for more chances to shop and dine. There's more: check out the Whaler's Village Museum, which takes guests on a narrated trip back through time when Lahaina was a whaling town back in the early 1800s.
"You can stay in the resort and have all your needs met, or venture into Lahaina for a change of scene," Kekuna said. "It's a very short taxi or shuttle ride and the town offers more shopping, dining and activities that can be enjoyed."
Weddings
You can't walk along the shore without seeing a wedding party either on the beach or along the shoreline, admiring the stunning bride as well as the amazing sunset views. All of the resorts offer wedding specials that include everything couples can want for that special day. The fragrant flowers and the picture-postcard scenery along with the help from a staff that will handle all of the details will make this a day and trip of a lifetime.
Kaanapali Beach Resort dining
It's not a special vacation without that special dining spot. How about places with names like Tiki Bar & Grill, Black Rock Steak & Seafood, Kekaa Terrace and many more that feature island flair as well as favorites such as steak, sandwiches, pizza, ice cream and more. Some of the hotspots are right on the beach providing great atmosphere for that special meal.
Another must is a luau. There are many choices along the Kaanapali Resort corridor and they include food, drinks and entertainment. There's something about eating a nice dinner outdoors at sunset in paradise that just makes the food taste that much better.
Kaanapali Beach Resort is a small city unto itself, offering anything and everything guests can want on their next vacation. Isn't it time you took a trip to paradise? Don't worry, they've saved you a room with a view.
March 2, 2011
Bill Bowman, Contributor
Bill Bowman is a Las Vegas-based writer who has more than 40 years in the sports-writing business. He's spent the past 16-plus years covering the golf scene in Vegas and has teed it up for magazine profiles with celebrities including comedian Bill Engvall, actor Jeffrey Donovan (USA's Burn Notice), ESPN personality Colin Cowherd, NASCAR's Kurt Busch, Collective Soul's Ed Roland, the Baltimore Ravens' Jonathan Ogden and many others.