Dreaming of Hawaii…. As that refreshing fall air hits your face you know the cold winds of winter are soon to be upon us. We all know that cold gust of wind you fear as you open your front door to go outside. Your body tenses up, you brace yourself…… You open the door and…. this is the perfect time to be planning your winter getaway! I know I am thinking about it.
There are not many places that have consistent or predictable weather in the high 70’s and 80’s in the US from December to February. Hawaii typically has beautiful weather at this time of year. As everything continues to become more expensive you can stay in hotels on Maui for the same price or less than some hotels in Florida.
We have stayed on Maui twice, once on Kauai, and once on the Big Island. Our favorite island we have visited is Maui and for first time visitors I would recommend Maui as I believe it captures the essence of the islands with the convenience of the main land.
The first trip we took to Maui at the beginning of November and the second trip at the end of January/ beginning of February. In both instances we were lucky to have beautiful weather. Maui has the perfect balance of natural beauty, convenience, serenity and many activities. Having been to Florida and Arizona many times over the years there is truly something special about Hawaii. Peaceful. Serene. Tropical. Exotic. Perfectly Beautiful.
It can be a long flight, especially from my neck of the woods. Some may think if you are traveling that far why not travel to another country? In my opinion you have the best of both worlds, you have all of the conveniences of being in the US but it feels you have traveled somewhere exotic. Perhaps its the peaceful music, serene and beautiful landscape, or relaxing Hawaiian culture that always calls my heart back to Hawaii.
There are many areas to stay on Maui and the activities you want to do may influence where you want to stay. Consider what activities you would like to do, places you want to see and tours you want to take before booking your hotel. I will be adding a post on my suggestions of things to see and do in the next few weeks. While it may seem like points of interest are close on a map there are not always direct routes between them. We have booked both of our trips through Costco after much research, I would definitely consider booking through them as well.
Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa
The first trip we stayed in Lahaina/ Kaanapali at the Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa. As you enter the hotel you are welcomed by the friendly front guest staff who have fresh flower leis waiting for you. You can see the ocean from the grand foyer and you will also be greeted by some beautiful animals. During our stay we met a family of penguins, a blue parrot, flamingos, swans and more.
The hotel was open aired. Below is a picture taken from the hallway outside our room.
The Hyatt has two nice pools. One pool was very relaxing, while the other had more going on for children/ all ages including a slide and a rope bridge over the pool . Between the two pools you could cross under a waterfall to get to their Grotto bar. There are also hammocks throughout the property which we enjoyed as well.
We stayed in an oceanfront king room. The room had a beautiful view of the sunset. The hotel rooms are set back a little from the ocean. When sitting on our balcony we overlooked the swimming pool first and then the ocean. The aerial view from our helicopter ride shown below gives a good idea of the actual layout of the hotel. We also requested an extra refrigerator (separate from minibar) to hold some food we had bought from Costco. Eating out in Maui can be very expensive so we bought deli meat, cheese and rolls to have for lunch. Stopping at Costco is a must for snacks, drinks, bottled water and even some souvenirs.
In booking the Hyatt through Costco my husband and I received free buffet breakfasts every morning. They were delicious!
Most hotels provide a pamphlet of both complimentary as well as paid for activities. A suggestion would be to contact the hotel prior to arrival to see what they are offering or even tours you can take through the concierge. I would also do your own research as you may be able to find the tours cheaper on your own.
In front of the hotel there was a walking trail which led to Whalers Village. The shops included boutiques, souvenir stores and chains like Lululemon, Oakley and Swarovski. Throughout our stay there were also local artists set up along the path that sold their handmade items.
The oceanfront path had several restaurants set upon it, which is very convenient if you have been enjoying some delicious Hawaiian drinks throughout the day…
This resort is less than a 10 minute drive from Lahaina. This is a very cute town with everything from wonderful restaurants to small gift shops. You may also find locals who are carving tiki men statues out of wood or cracking open fresh coconuts. I would recommend buying both!
Wailea Beach Resort- Marriott, Maui
For our second trip to Maui we wanted to try out another part of the island. We were torn between the Ritz Carlton in Kapalua and finding a hotel in Wailea. The area by the Ritz Carlton was a lot more secluded but we knew the Ritz is always an amazing choice. On the other hand Wailea had a lot of convenience and was on the warmer, drier part of Maui, yet we didn’t know how the hotels would be as many were older.
After a lot of thought and research we decided to stay on the warmer side of the island Wailea, as we were traveling in January eager to escape winter for a week! This meant I now needed to do a lot of research and read about all of the hotels. As mentioned before many of the hotels were older, so I began to look for hotels with the most recent renovations. If you haven’t learned from my previous article we prefer staying at newer hotels.
Our deciding factors for a hotel were being able to view the ocean from our room, convenience and we didn’t want to break the bank. I came upon the Wailea Beach Resort which was currently undergoing a multi million dollar renovation that was slated to be done by the time we got there in January 2017. As we all know, renovations can sometimes take longer than expected. I decided to take a risk on this hotel, although the oldest property in Wailea, it was also built closest to the water as there were not as many regulations placed on hotels back then. The price was reasonable for an oceanfront room, and I loved the idea of an infinity pool in Maui! We are so happy we took the risk and stayed at a property we had never heard of.
We booked an oceanfront room which had the most beautiful view! We would pick up breakfast at the Island Gourmet Market at the Shops at Wailea and bring it back to our room to eat on the balcony and watch the waves roll in (a post will soon be added about the restaurants we visited).
The room at the Marriott had been completely renovated. The beds were new and very comfortable, and trust me we can be picky! There was a walk- in shower, although due to it being an older hotel the ceilings were lower. The view was definitely the highlight and could not be beat, we were literally steps from the ocean!
The Marriott has a gorgeous adults only (18 and older) infinity pool that overlooks the ocean. We were able to whale watch from the pool at the end of January/ beginning of February, which was amazing! l can easily say this was my favorite pool from all of our trips and I would return just for that. It was so peaceful and serene and I feel relaxed just thinking about that experience.
They have two other oceanfront pools which allows all ages. If you cannot find a seat at the adults only infinity pool you can enjoy this one.
We happened to be visiting during my husbands birthday and the Marriott left a spread of wine, cheese and crackers. It was so thoughtful! Of course we enjoyed this on our balcony- what better view could you have?
There was a kids pool and play area, along with two slides. We even tried out the slide once- totally worth it! It is supposedly the largest slide on Maui.
There is an oceanfront path in front of the hotel. This is perfect for a morning run, enjoy the path early as it can get crowded. The views are beautiful so be sure to take a walk on this path during your stay.
Another great amenity of this hotel was the Departure Lounge. As a frequent traveler we do not find many hotels that have this. Sure, most hotels will let you keep your luggage at the concierge and occasionally let you change in the spa. This hotel actually has a lounge designed for your use once you check out of your hotel room. This is especially useful for flights from Hawaii as your flight may not leave until 9PM at night. You can maximize your day enjoying the pool and beach without having to worry about boarding a plane without a shower. We kept our luggage with the bellman, and when it was about an hour before we needed to leave for the airport we retrieved the bag we needed with our travel clothes and headed to the lounge. We were able to take showers, dry our hair, watch TV and relax before heading back to the airport. This definitely added to our enjoyment of this hotel.
The hotel was also a short walk from the Shops at Wailea. This is an outdoor mall that has many restaurants and shops. I will be adding a link to discuss the shops at Wailea in the next couple of weeks.
If you are looking for a place to escape winter, Hawaii is a wonderful option. I would never have thought the prices would compare to traveling to Florida with an ocean view, but they do. In addition to this, the atmosphere of Hawaii cannot be beat. Albeit a long flight, I would do it again!
