This is part of a continuing series of my impressions and experiences staying at various hotels and resorts while traveling to attend concerts worldwide. This stay was during my recent trip to Maui in September 2015. This review is for the Hyatt Regency Maui Resort & Spa in Lahaina, Maui in Hawaii.
Property: Hyatt Regency Maui Resort & Spa
Location: Lahaina, Maui (Hawaii)
Address: 200 Nohea Kai Drive, Kaanapali Beach Resort, Lahaina, Maui, HI 96761-1985
Phone: (808) 661-1234
Website: www.maui.hyatt.com
Room Type/Class: Center Tower/Atrium Tower Rooms – Ocean Front Corner Suite (Room 2126)
Date: September 4 – September 7, 2015
TripAdvisor Page/Reviews: LINK
Booking Source: Direct
Overall Rating: 4.5/5 [Note: Score is totally subjective based on price, location, and comparison to “like” properties within same area and price range]
I have stayed in Maui many times, and this is my fourth stay at the Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa, where I stayed one night in 2012 and five nights in 2013, and seven nights in 2014. So obviously, I am a fan.
This was the first stop at three properties with my (now) wife Shelley, as we got married during this trip!
The resort offers both valet and self-park options, and since it is one of the ones where self-parking is pretty convenient, I opted to go that route (though it is a bit of a walk).
The huge construction project that was taking place between the Hyatt Regency and Marriott’s Maui Ocean Club at the north part of the property has been completed since our last stay, and now the Hyatt Residence Club Ka’anapali Beach stands tall. This is the time share sister property to the Hyatt Regency.
As was true with my past experience, the staff at the Hyatt were top notch – friendly and professional. Check-in was smooth and easy.
The resort features an open center area with the rooms circling around, going up many floors, so the hallways are all open and on the interior side of the building going up, and therefore all room windows point out (with view varying depending on which side of the building you are staying in).
With this visit, we stayed at the Center Tower/Atrium Tower in one of their corner, ocean front rooms, which offers a spectacular views from the two balconies.
The room was very nice… large, comfortable, fairly up to date (for Maui). My only complaint with the corner style room is that the corner of the bed does not offer a wide walkway to the bathroom, and I must have stubbed my toe half a dozen times. Overall, it was nice, comfortable, and clean.
Some of the in-room amenities included a desk, two mini fridges, and a digital safe deep enough to accommodate a large laptop (17″ screen) as well as many cameras and camera lenses I brought on my trip, which is amazing. It is the largest in-room digital safe I’ve ever found in all of my travels.
The resort itself is very nice, with some great ocean views, multiple restaurants, and a huge, sprawling pool.
In addition to parrots that they bring out throughout the day, there is also a family of resident penguins, which were really neat to watch. They have little huts to sleep in, and also go swimming in their pond. Further down the property, closer to the beach, are some beautiful swans.
One of the resorts in Ka’anapali that I’ve stayed out multiple times is the Sheraton Maui Resort and Spa. One big difference between the two properties is the beach area. The Sheraton is famous for Black Rock and snorkeling, and has a huge beach area. Conversely, the Hyatt has a very short the beach area, with not too much beach/sand between the sidewalk running across the back and the waves of the ocean hitting the beach. One benefit is that it is usually sparsely populated or empty, so you can enjoy some solitude. I did spot several big sea turtles while hanging out on the beach. The pool area and amenities at Hyatt, in my opinion, are superior to the same at The Sheraton (and the Westin, for that matter). In Ka’anapali, I would recommend the Hyatt over both the Westin and the Sheraton.
The weather was much different with this stay, and there were actually a lot of surfers out this time around, which I’d not experienced in past visits, so that was really cool.
Their Umalu outdoor eating area is excellent for lunch/sandwich type fare.
Two of the days during my stay I rented two of the big adjoining tents, which was very expensive but offered a ton of relaxation and privacy right on the beach.
All in all I had a very nice stay. For me, staying at resorts on Maui, I place a higher priority on the beach area, as opposed to pool area. But if you are more pool/poolside-oriented and/or you have a family, I would recommend the Hyatt. It is also a convenient walk to Whaler’s Village, which is nice (and I believe that they have shuttle accommodations as well).
I really enjoyed my stay and would definitely return again.
Below are photos I took of the resort and the rooms during my stay…
