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 Kaanapali
Beach Hotel - (Exclusive to Maui.US) As a
child I remember this hotel as being the lone "to go"
spot in the brand new Kaanapali Beach Resort on Maui.
The hotel was so very peaceful and the beach was isolated
and sparkling. Today, the Kaanapali Beach Hotel still
retains island charm. Moderately priced, it sits sandwiched
between the high end mega resorts with names like Sheraton,
Westin, Marriott and Hyatt. However, even with the newer
entrants to the Kaanapali Beach resort scene, the Kaanapali
Beach Hotel still has the best location in the resort,
and an abundance of Hawaiian charm and the setting is
comfortable, airy and hospitable.
After arriving
at the Kahului Airport, the hours drive to the resort
is a scenic one. Weaving past big box stores like Costco,
KMart and the busy intersections and shopping centers
of Kahului, the road heads south through cane fields,
golf courses and toward the West Maui coastline. After
the left turn onto Honoapiilani Highway, the highway
narrows to two lanes and follows a coastal path along
the West Maui mountains past scenic overlooks, beach
parks, snorkeling areas and small plantation towns like
Olowalu. The overlooks along this highway are the perfect
spot to capture that perfect Maui sunset memory on camera
and in the winter months, it is a wonderful place to
look for glimpses of wintering humpback whales breaching
the surface of the blue pacific Ocean. The first stop
light along the West Maui coastline is at Lahaina. The
old whaling town has a lot of character and charm. Restaurants,
entertainment, bars and shopping are just the beginning
when it comes to Lahaina. Snorkeling trips, ferries
to Lanai and Molokai also operate from the small harbor
in the center of town.
Once at Lahaina, Kaanapali is
a mere 6 minutes away. The resorts and golf courses
are visible in the distance and finally the left turn
into the Kaanapali Resort appears.
The hotel is centrally located
along this strip of oceanfront mega resorts. Walking
distance to the restaurants, bars and shopping at the
Whaler's Village and the Kaanapali Resort Lahaina Shuttle
to access other parts of the resort and other areas
in West Maui. It sits on eleven acres of prime beachfront
property with views of the Lanai, Molokai and the grand
Maui sunsets.
What I have always enjoyed about
this hotel is the genuine Polynesian atmosphere. It
is not themed Polynesian, it is Polynesian. It's a special
quality that other hotels even Disney has tried to duplicate.
One of the features that make this resort special is
that it focuses on a genuine Hawaii experience that
is more family or ohana oriented than upscale and flashy.
The facilities are comfortable but not opulent. The
setting features tropical landscapes and open-air ambiance.
The heart of the resort is the whimsical trademark whale
shaped pool and large spacious deck and green lawns
just steps from the beach.
The hotel offers a long list
of additional services and complimentary amenities.
For starters, every Monday through Saturday, there is
a complimentary welcome buffet breakfast with hula dancing,
music and even drawings for prizes. Every evening at
6pm, the sounds of the conch shell is heard in the air.
Return visitors know that this sound heralds the beginning
on the nightly sunset hula show at the resort Tiki Courtyard.
Music and dancing under the Maui moonlight continues
until 9pm. The resort also offers complimentary lei
making, ukulele, hula and lauhala weaving lessons. Also
offered are complimentary sand image souvenirs, story
telling, pineapple cutting and more. If this is not
enough to keep you going, there is always the tour desk
on site to arrange snorkeling, sightseeing, picnics,
golf and sailing on the resort's 50 foot catamaran.
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There are several dining options
that range from pizzas to champagne Sunday Brunch and
a fabulous dinner theatre experience. The Tiki Terrrace
is the resorts all-day dining restaurant. The menu features
everything from pancakes to fresh fish and steaks. The
Tiki Bar and Grill offers poolside sandwiches, pizzas
and sandwiches during the day and the bar is truly the
resorts adult hotspot after sunset. Sunday brunch is
a fabulous affair at KBH. Voted the best brunch on island
numerous times, the buffet consists of traditional buffet
favorites along with Hawaiian specialty dishes. There
is also the fabulous Kupanaha Magic Show and Dinner
theatre on at the resort. The late afternoon showtime
is perfect for a families evening entertainment.
The Kaanapali Beach Resort has
a grand total of 414 guest rooms and 14 suites spread
across four low-rise buildings. The Maui, Lanai and
Kauai buildings are the largest with six stories. These
building have elevator access, and guest rooms that
have full sized tubs and showers. The smaller three
story non-smoking Molokai tower offers stair access
and guest rooms have spacious showers, but no bath tubs.
All guest rooms feature compact
refrigerators, hair dryer, iron and ironing board, clock/radio,
coffee/tea maker, internet access and in-room movies
for a fee. Each guest room has a choice of views and
come with either one king, one twin or two double beds.
There are six categories of
guest rooms at the resort. The grandest are the oceanfront
rooms in the Kauai and Molokai buildings with spectacular
views of the Pacific Ocean and the neighboring islands
of Molokai and Lanai. Ocean view rooms are located in
the Maui, Lanai, and Kauai buildings and ocean and resort
views. Pool rooms are located in all buildings with
rooms overlooking the resorts pool. Garden rooms are
relaxing with resort and garden views and the Aloha
Value have views of the resort lawns and neighboring
resorts.
The Kaanapali Beach Hotel is
a unique experience in a sea of mega-flashiness. Down,
home, heartfelt and family oriented, it's perfect for
that special family vacation. Mahalo KBH, you made Hawaii
proud.
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