Elegant Hotels and Inns of Maui
| January 24, 2011 | Posted by admin under Travel |
When my daughter was about to turn 17, I planned our annual birthday trip with gusto. “Guatamala!” I enthused, and I actually went out and paid retail for a guidebook. When I read aloud that we needed to bring our own toilet tissue and plenty of bug spray, my daughter advised me in no uncertain terms that this was not what she had in mind for HER birthday trip, forcing me to open (wide!) the Jones’ Family Bank Account so we could accommodate her desire for a more elegant retreat.
“Maui!” she cried; and the die was cast.
A map of the Hawaiian island of Maui resembles a closed fist with a swollen hitch-hiking thumb. The two major tourist areas, as outlined on the above map, are Ka’anapali, near Lahaina town, and Wailea, near the town of Kihei.
Happily for us, the Ritz-Carlton Kapalua was just opening at the time we were scheduled to travel; they were offering an “introductory special” of which I was only too pleased to take advantage.
We arrived at Kahalui Airport after a very long flight from the east coast, went to Budget, picked up the red Mustang convertible, and headed toward Lahaina town, Ka’anapali and then Kapalua.
After approximately 15 hours traveling time, we were dishevelled, exhausted and most likely stinky by the time we pulled up at the portals of the Ritz-Carlton. (I don’t have any idea how less messy travelers do it, but I felt inelegant, to say the least; like an interloper who did not belong at this exquisite resort.) And elegant it is, from the moment of arrival when the extraordinarily handsome young men who work as greeters place a fresh flower lei around your neck and take the car keys for your valet parking.
I’m not sure how it happened, but we miraculously got upgraded to a club level executive suite, Bedroom, Ritz-Carlton Kapaluawhich I still believe was a few square feet bigger than my house! (Granted, I have a small house, but still…) There was an entry hall, a bathroom with shower in the main salon (Salon! Only in a Ritz-Carlton suite is it appropriate to use the word “salon.”) a sofa and huge TV, and then the bedroom with another TV, dressing area, and full bath. The furnishings were light and more tropical than most Ritz-Carlton furnishings tend to be, and we had a double lanai (balcony) overlooking Molokai and the 18th hole of the Kapalua Bay golf course.
We were entitled to use the club level lounge which provided us with drinks and munchies all day. Breakfast was wonderful; we took a tray back to our room and lazed on the lanai while eating fresh strawberries and cream, yogurt and croissants; the Kona coffee was heaven-sent and the orange juice freshly squeezed. We relaxed in our Ritz-Carlton bathrobes (which must weigh at least 50 pounds) until the sun got too hot on our lanai, then reluctantly got going for the day.
The Ka’anapali Beach resort area is located near the town of Lahaina, an old whaling port now given to mostly tacky tourist shops. Parts of Lahaina retain the charm of the “olden days,” and are worth exploring. There are also a few noteworthy and very elegant hotels in the Ka’anapali Beach resort, specifically the Westin Maui, with over 700 rooms in two 11-story buildings, 5 swimming pools, 2 waterslides and many other amenities; the Maui Marriott, which was recently renovated, also has over 700 rooms, and is adjacent to the Royal Ka’anapoli golf course.
Before it was closed for a two year renovation, the Sheraton Maui was comprised of several low-rise clusters and a highrise section on one of the nicest stretches of Ka’anapali Beach. Since the renovation, the hotel now has many highrise sections and only a scant few lowrise areas. It did need the renovation, but the loss of the clusters of small units is a shame.
The Lahaina Inn in the heart of the old town is a reasonably priced elegant alternative to the teeming beachside resorts. And condo-type properties abound; with kitchens, washers/dryers and usually seperate sleeping areas, the very nice ones can be much more beneficial than a full-service hotel, depending, of course, upon your needs. The Aston Ka’anapali Shores offers daily maid service and other conveniences of a full-service hotel; the Sands of Kahana, a perennial upscale favorite, is located between Ka’anapali and Kapalua.
The absolute top-of-the-line in West Maui luxury, however, is to be found at the resorts in Kapalua, such as the Ritz-Carlton, the Villas at Kapalua, and the soon-to-reopen Kapalua Bay Hotel, with new management by the exceedingly elegant Resorts of Halekulani.
