Westin Maui Resort & Spa Ka’anapali: centrally located and great pool
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Quick Overview
In a nutshell: the sparkling pools are the main attraction in this centrally located Ka’anapali resort.
Overview of the Westin Maui Resort & Spa Ka’anapali
Ka’anapali is a popular location on the west side, thanks to its miles of golden sand beaches and sparkling blue water. The Westin Maui Resort occupies a prime location here, sitting next to Whalers Village and just a quick walk from Black Rock. But it’s not just the location we love. The pool area is the best on the west side and makes for a vacation that both kids and adults can enjoy.
Westin Maui Ka’anapali Location
We’re going to talk a lot about the location because the Westin Maui Resort occupies a truly prime spot. Ka’anapali is located on the west side of Maui, approximately 40 minutes from the Kahului airport and 10 minutes from historic Lahaina.
The resort is located in front of the best stretch of Ka’anapali Beach, and it is also walking distance to Whalers Village, a lively outdoor mall with shopping and restaurants. A beach path connects the resort to Whalers Village and other hotels on Ka’anapali Beach so it’s easy to get around the resort complex.
There are plenty of things to do on West Maui that you’ll enjoy just nearby the resort!
Highlights of the Westin Maui Ka’anapali
Pools
We love a good resort pool and the Westin Ka’anapali has the best pool on west Maui. Technically, the hotel has six pools including the Kawaiola aquatic playground, a 270 foot water slide, and a splash zone kids love. But the pools aren’t just great for the kids. Located up a level, you’ll find the adults only infinity pool and hot tub.
There are pool chairs available for everyone and cabanas available for rent. The pool is one of the best features of this property and the design and space ensure that both kids and adults will enjoy some special pool days.
Rooms
You can book a room in one of two towers: the Ocean Tower or the Hōkūpa‘a tower.
The ocean tower offers different room options. You can get a resort view room, an ocean view room, a room on a lower or a higher floor, and different bed configurations. You can also opt for a larger guest room or a one bedroom suite. Rooms in the Ocean Tower are priced a bit lower than those in the Hōkūpa‘a tower.
Rooms in the Hōkūpa‘a tower have been newly renovated and offer a fresh feeling. There are different room options that vary in size, lanai (patio size), and they also offer one bedroom suites.
Beyond that, staying in the Hōkūpa‘a tower gives you access to the lanai. The lanai is a separate relaxation space with a lounge area, additional cultural activities, and snacks at breakfast time and happy hour. To have access to the lanai you must specifically book a room in that tower. While we usually don’t prioritize upgrades like this, we dare say that an upgrade to the Hōkūpa‘a tower is worth it thanks to the great rooms and the lanai access.
Restaurants
They have a number of different dining options on-site, including:
- Waicoco: their newest, ocean front dining restaurant with a casual to-go option called Waicoco-to-go
- Hale Mo’olelo: an outdoor bar/restaurant that is open all day
- Hale ‘A: a pool bar located near the adults only pool deck
- Mahele market and eatery: a grab and go food option
- Starbucks: for your morning caffeine
But if you’re not interested in what’s onsite, you’re a very close walk to all of the shops and restaurants at Whalers Village.
Activities
One of the best parts of staying at a resort is being able to take advantage of the free activity offerings. Not all resorts offer a wide range of activities, but the Westin does. Many of these activities are complimentary — paid for by the mandatory daily resort fee that you pay. So take advantage of them! Activities include:
- Ulana Nui (Coconut weaving)
- Keiki (kids) hula show
- Lei making
- Sunset torch lighting and pū-blowing (conch shell) ceremony
Additional activities are available for those staying in the Hōkūpa‘a tower.
Westin Ka’anapali Review: why we love it
- Shuttle service: No car? No problem. Jump on the free shuttle service that takes you from the Sheraton and the Westin to the Lahaina Cannery mall, the Outlets of Maui, and Lahaina Harbor. To explore further than Lahaina (which we highly recommend doing), you’ll need a rental car. But skip driving and finding parking when you’re heading to Lahaina for the day.
- Location: We love the Westin’s location in Ka’anapali. You’re so close to Whaler’s Village so it’s easy to pop out of the resort and enjoy another restaurant, grab a coffee, go shopping, or enjoy and afternoon ice cream (Ono Gelato truly is ono).
- Beach: Ka’anapali is big and beautiful, but we really love the section of the beach in front of the Westin stretching towards the Sheraton and Black Rock. The sandy area in front of the Westin isn’t huge, but walk just north and it starts to get much larger and it feels less crowded. The Westin also has beachfront cabanas available for rent, so you can enjoy the sand but get a break from the sun.
- Pools: Not to be a broken record here, but the pool makes this hotel. If you’re planning on enjoying a significant portion of your vacation at the pool, this is the spot to book on west Maui.
- Hōkūpa‘a tower: staying in a large resort in Ka’anapali can feel crowded. But the Hōkūpa‘a tower feels like a bit of an oasis in a large hotel. It’s a bit of a serene and quiet(er) escape if you need it. While we normally don’t pay for upgrades like this, in our opinion, it was worth it for our family.
Things to Know Before Booking the Westin Maui Ka’anapali
- Expensive: Honestly, hotels on Maui have been exorbitantly priced and the Westin is no exception. This hotel is expensive, though when comparing it to other Maui hotels, the price is not as high as some of the luxury options you’ll find.
- Crowded pool: We have been to the Westin a number of different times and each time we have found there to be plenty of chairs and space at the pool. But we noticed that some negative reviews called out how crowded the pool can be and a disappointment at how close together the chairs are. We haven’t experienced this — the spacing and occupancy seemed in line with other Maui resorts — but this is something to be aware of. Most popular resort pools will get crowded, especially during the peak season.
- Resort and parking fees: Unfortunately, high resort and parking fees are par for the course in Hawaii. Like many resorts, the Westin charges both a daily resort fee and a daily parking fee, which is not included in the room rate. This can be sticker shock if you’re not expecting it.
- Marriott loyalty doesn’t get you much here: When we dug into the bad reviews for the resort, it was clear that most of the disappointment came from Marriott rewards members. Unfortunately, having status in the Marriott Bonvoy program doesn’t go far here as it does for many other hotels. So room upgrades and other special perks are hard to come by.
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