The Royal Lahaina The Royal Lahaina is a good choice for budget travelers. It is an old-school resort with a recently renovated tower that huddles against the beach like a camper to a fire. One can get a room with an ocean view that would be far more pricey at a newer property.

You will see many other visitors that are staying elsewhere come to the Royal Lahaina for the Luau, rated one of the best luaus on Maui. It is certainly one of the most well established. It is a favorite for groups such as weddings for the large block of rooms they can offer and the value for the dollar on your stay.

When we went to the Royal Lahaina Luau, they had quite spectacular fire dancers, beautiful hula dancers, and great singers. All of the performers were in amazing physical condition!

THE ROYAL LAHAINA Arrival Date: January February March April May June July August September October November December 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 Departure Date: January February March April May June July August September October November December 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

In the year 2008 the tower saw a 35 million dollar renovation that included Kohler appliances. There are renovated cottages.

Most of the negative reviews on the Royal Lahaina are old, and most of those old reviews revolve around the cottages.

While most cottages that front a resort are considered premium accommodations, these are considered "moderate". The expectations must be in line with the realities!

The cottages are good for cottages, and superior in detail to most of the privately rentable cottages that dot Maui, but be aware that they are not as insulated from the rest of the natural world as you would find in an artificial tower.

There have been many reviews of the cottages that mention this, but it is our opinion that when staying in the tropics, insect-human encounters are an inevitable and should be expected and forgiven.

Resorts are everywhere, Hawaii is in one place only. To experience a place, you must put yourself into its natural path.

But one should not sell short the Royal Lahaina in its Hawaiian-ness. She is a venerable lady, resplendent in her dotage as she holds court for pilgrims from all over the world. The Royal Lahaina is special.

The Royal Lahaina will leave you feeling as though you have been invited although you have paid to be there. Perhaps this will make sense to you having already been there more than now.

Hotel amenities include two restaurants, three bars, an ice cream parlor, laundry room, a beach activity center, tennis lessons, beauty salon, beach side massages, shopping center, as well as a scenic jogging path.

There is also a 3,500 seat tennis arena here that hosts major championship events, so bumping elbows with celebrities here is a likely event.

The main draw is Kaanapali Beach. The extinct volcano in West Maui blocks the moist trade winds, driving them both around and up to cooler elevations where they loose their moisture. The lee is dry, sunny, and warm year round, similar in climate to the mainland sunbelt of California, Arizona, or Florida. Kaanapali Beach is one of the best beaches on earth.

Dry air is why so many people love to whale watch from their private lanais at the Royal Lahaina Resort.

Random Reviews on the Royal Lahaina powered by Trip Advisor™...

"Yes, you should stay here " :: My hubby and I stayed here for our anniversary. I scoured the internet for months looking for the best hotel/condo to stay in on Maui. I have NO regrets staying at Royal Lahaina. The hotel itself is as magical as Maui itself. When I walked into our room Sunday evening after a LONG flight, I was immediately at ease. There was an absolutely breathtaking view of the ocean and sunset. I just melted. Not to mention the rooms are nicely decorated. I loved all the wood decor. The tile shower was great and relaxing. Also their toiletries were really nice. It was a lime coconut scent that was really good. The next morning we ate breakfast at the hotel. It was REALLY good buffet. I thought it was pricey ($20 per person), but actually after eating at other restaurants, this is actually a good deal. If you want something quick and light, they have a little cafe on the premises that sell bagels, donuts, fruit, juice etc. We ate there a couple times. The pool area is cozy and is right in front of the ocean. If I could go back I would do a few less activities and spend more time just enjoying the hotel. I just smiled the whole time I walked around the hotel. There is light Hawaiian music playing everywhere. It just oozes Aloha. It wasn't a crowded hotel either which was great. Lots of people we met on various activities bragged they were staying at more expensive Sheraton or Westin, but we walked around those places, and it wasn't really worth the money from what we saw. The location of this hotel is also perfect. It is right near Black rock which has AWESOME snorkeling just a few feet from the beach. It was like swimming in a fish aquarium. I didn't see any sea turtles though = (RL is also close to Whalers Village which is REALLY nice! I wish we would've checked it out sooner than our last night. Plus the hotel is right off the 30 highway which easily gets you anywhere on the island quick. About 10 minutes from Lahaina and 30 minutes to airport. I PRAY that we can go back soon. I truly left my heart in Maui. I plan on staying at Royal Lahaina. It is the best deal with an amazingly cozy hotel.

"Amazing beach, great breakfast, quaint room" :: We just arrived home after 14 nights in Maui. We spent the first part in Wailea at the Marriot Resort and Spa, the middle a condo at the Papakea and our last night in the Royal Lahaina. We loved it. The lobby was pretty, the valet was quick and attentive, the rooms were clean, and perfect. We had a room on the ground level that was a four room bungalow?! I don't know what it was called! We were upgraded to this as we just pricelined the room. Our family (an infant, a three year old and a nine year old) all were in the room. The bathrooms were large. The tub was quite deep. There was a mini fridge in between the double sinks, very large closets. The room was average sized and had two double beds. There was a TV, a chair and two small tables. The back was was entirely glass doors and sliding shutters. The patio area was concrete, had a full sized table and chairs, over looked a grassy area then a pool, then the ocean. This is an ocean property and like all Maui property it isn't new. However, it was clean and sweet. It isn't shiny. It isn't the Ritz, but the room size is the same :) We did the breakfast buffet in the morning, it was wonderful. The prices weren't bad for Maui. The made on demand omelets were fantastic, there was tons of stuff for everyone. We sat outside and overlooked the ocean and pool. It was heavenly. We did a bit of time in the ocean before our flight and it was our favorite beach. It was so clear that you could read a book through the water. The waves and sand on this stretch of the beach were the best were saw on our 14 day trek. It was beyond amazing. Check out was super easy. We found the valet to make sense for us and for only $5 more. I can answer any questions if you want to e-mail me. We would stay here again in a heartbeat!

"Wonderful hotel with traditional Hawaiian feel" :: This was our second stay at this hotel and they have done a great job with the room renovations. Our first stay was five years ago. The hotel still has the feel of a traditional Hawaiian hotel with rooms that are modern and yet have Hawaiian accents. The staff is efficient, helpful and fun. The grounds are beautiful and not overcrowded. We love this hotel as it is not an overdone mega-resort. It's large, has decent amenities but isn't so big that you feel insignificant. Some of the favorite things about the hotel had changed though. The first was the "drink of the day". Previously, it changed on a daily basis but it was now the same very day. The parrot, Kona, was no longer in the lobby and there was no longer a small salon. All of these are minor, but details that stuck with us from the past trip. The chilled pineapple water in the lobby is phenomenal. There is plenty of parking, however, the spots are very tight (like most places in the Lahaina area). The location of the hotel is perfect and is situated on one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. You can snorkel right off the shore by the black rock. Great views of Molokai and Lanai. Two nice pools, Tiki Bar, food service, etc. We would go back.