CITY GUIDE · MAUI
We compare Maui hotels by coast first (Wailea in the south, Ka'anapali and Kapalua in the west, Hana in the east), then by beach access, size of the property and how much of the stay happens on site.
Wailea, on Maui's dry south coast, suits first-time visitors who want beaches, a shoreline path and several resorts within walking distance: Andaz Maui At Wailea Resort - A Concept by Hyatt, Fairmont Kea Lani Maui (and its villas), Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea, Grand Wailea Maui, A Waldorf Astoria Resort (with Ho‘olei Villas at Grand Wailea across the road) and Wailea Beach Resort - Marriott, Maui. Ka'anapali, on the west coast, is a long beach lined with larger resorts and suits travelers who want a lively beachfront and the Black Rock cliff: Hyatt Regency Maui Resort & Spa, Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa and The Westin Maui Resort & Spa, Ka'anapali. Further north, The Ritz-Carlton Maui, Kapalua is set apart in the Kapalua resort area and suits travelers who prefer a quieter stretch with golf and hiking nearby. Hana-Maui Resort, a Destination by Hyatt Residence is on the remote east side and suits those who want to be away from the resort strips and accept the long drive in.
Reference rates: nightly, 2 adults in one room, before tax, across four dates a year; from about US$358 a night. Compare all Maui hotels with perks in one table: Maui reference rates.
Ka'anapali · near Ka'anapali Beach
The Westin is a large beachfront resort on Ka'anapali Beach with about 760 to 770 rooms. It has a redesigned pool area with a waterslide, a swim-up bar and cabanas, plus a full-service spa. Rooms in the Hokupa'a tower have premium ocean views. It suits families who want a pool-focused resort on Ka'anapali Beach.
Reference rate: US$358–608 / night (2 adults, before tax) · Perk program: Marriott Select Partner Hotels
Hana · near Hamoa Beach
This is the remote option on Maui's east side, in Hana town, well removed from the Wailea and Ka'anapali resort areas. It has about 70 guest rooms, studios and bungalows, many with private lanais, and a shuttle to Hamoa Beach, a few miles away. It suits travelers who want a slow stay in Hana and accept the long drive on the Road to Hana.
Reference rate: US$450–507 / night (2 adults, before tax) · Perk program: Hyatt Privé
Ka'anapali · near Black Rock (Pu'u Keka'a) · opened 1963 · 508 rooms
Sheraton Maui opened in January 1963 and was the first resort built in Ka'anapali. It is built on the cliff known as Black Rock, and the nightly cliff-dive ceremony has been held since the resort opened. Today it has 508 guest rooms in six towers after a major expansion in 1997. We suggest it for travelers who want to be next to Black Rock and its snorkeling.
Reference rate: US$487–568 / night (2 adults, before tax) · Perk program: Marriott Select Partner Hotels
Ka'anapali · near Ka'anapali Beach and Black Rock
The Hyatt Regency sits on about 40 oceanfront acres on Ka'anapali Beach, at the southern end of the resort strip close to Black Rock. Counts vary between roughly 800 and 830 guest rooms and suites depending on the source. We suggest it for travelers who want a large beachfront resort with pools and a short walk to Black Rock snorkeling.
Reference rate: US$494–563 / night (2 adults, before tax) · Perk program: Hyatt Privé
Wailea · near Wailea Beach Path and Ulua Beach · 547 rooms
This Marriott resort is oceanfront on a rocky shoreline, with no beach directly in front. Guests walk about five to ten minutes along the Wailea Beach Path to Wailea Beach or Ulua Beach. The resort has 547 rooms and suites, with four pools and a spa on site. It suits travelers who want a Wailea address and are happy to walk to the sand.
Reference rate: US$495–738 / night (2 adults, before tax) · Perk program: Marriott Select Partner Hotels
Kapalua · near Kapalua Bay · opened 1992
The Ritz-Carlton opened in 1992 in the Kapalua resort area on Maui's northwest coast, on a site of about 50 acres. It has roughly 460 rooms and suites, and was renovated in 2007 and again in 2018. We suggest it for travelers who want a quieter part of Maui, with golf and coastal walking nearby, and who do not need to be in Wailea or Ka'anapali.
Reference rate: US$636–917 / night (2 adults, before tax) · Perk program: Virtuoso, Marriott STARS
Wailea · near Wailea Beach · opened 1991 · 844 rooms
Grand Wailea opened in 1991 and covers about 40 acres on Wailea Beach. The resort's 2024 fact sheet lists 844 accommodations: 737 guest rooms, 57 suites and 50 villas. It is a large, activity-heavy resort with an extensive pool area and a big spa. We suggest it for families and groups who want everything on one property.
Reference rate: US$662–841 / night (2 adults, before tax) · Perk program: Virtuoso, Hilton for Luxury
Wailea · near Mokapu Beach and Polo Beach
We find the Andaz on about 15 acres of beachfront at 3550 Wailea Alanui Drive, between Polo Beach and the other Wailea resorts. It has several hundred guest rooms, suites and oceanfront villas, so it is a mid-sized property by Wailea standards. It suits travelers who want to be on the sand at Mokapu Beach and a little away from the busiest part of the resort strip.
Reference rate: US$776–872 / night (2 adults, before tax) · Perk program: Virtuoso, Hyatt Privé
Wailea · near Polo Beach · opened 1991 · 450 rooms
Fairmont Kea Lani opened in 1991 on Polo Beach, at the quieter southern end of Wailea. The property is made up of suites and separate villas, about 450 units in total on roughly 22 acres, and it has three pools. We suggest it for families and for travelers who want more space than a standard hotel room.
Reference rate: US$1,048–1,112 / night (2 adults, before tax) · Perk program: Virtuoso, Accor Preferred (HERA)
Wailea · near Wailea Beach · opened 1990
Four Seasons opened here in 1990, its first resort in Hawaii, on about 15 acres next to Grand Wailea and a short walk from Wailea Beach. It has roughly 380 guest rooms and suites and was renovated in 2007 and again in a project that began in late 2014. We suggest it for travelers who want a mid-sized resort with an established Wailea location.
Reference rate: US$1,163–1,428 / night (2 adults, before tax) · Perk program: Four Seasons Preferred Partner, Virtuoso
Wailea · near Polo Beach
The villas are part of Fairmont Kea Lani and sit on the same grounds near Polo Beach. Fairmont describes the three-bedroom villas as having a fully equipped kitchen, two master bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms, a living room, and a gated courtyard with a private plunge pool and barbecue. Villa guests use the resort's pools, spa and restaurants. Villas have stairs, which matters for guests with limited mobility. We suggest it for families or groups traveling together.
Reference rate: Rate on request (2 adults, before tax) · Perk program: Accor Preferred (HERA)
Wailea · near Grand Wailea and Wailea Beach
Ho‘olei is a gated residential community of villas across the road from Grand Wailea, not on the beach. Most villas have ocean views, and the walk to the beach is about 10 minutes through the Grand Wailea property, with a shuttle running between the two. Villa guests can use Grand Wailea's pools and spa. We suggest it for families and groups who want a full residence with a kitchen and are comfortable being a short distance from the sand.
Reference rate: Rate on request (2 adults, before tax) · Perk program: Hilton for Luxury
We suggest Wailea for a first visit. Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea, Fairmont Kea Lani Maui and Grand Wailea Maui, A Waldorf Astoria Resort have beach access and a walkable shoreline path, and the south coast is dry for most of the year.
Fairmont Kea Lani Maui is on Polo Beach, Andaz Maui At Wailea Resort - A Concept by Hyatt is on Mokapu Beach, and Grand Wailea is on Wailea Beach. In Ka'anapali, the Hyatt Regency Maui Resort & Spa, Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa and The Westin Maui Resort & Spa, Ka'anapali are on Ka'anapali Beach. Wailea Beach Resort - Marriott, Maui has a rocky shoreline in front and a short walk to the sand.
We look at Fairmont Kea Lani Maui Villa Experience for villas with a private plunge pool and a full kitchen, and Ho‘olei Villas at Grand Wailea for a gated villa community across from Grand Wailea.
We would look at The Ritz-Carlton Maui, Kapalua on the northwest coast for a calmer setting than the Wailea and Ka'anapali strips, and Hana-Maui Resort, a Destination by Hyatt Residence if you want to be far from the main resort areas and accept the drive.
Both work. Wailea resorts such as Grand Wailea and Fairmont Kea Lani Maui have large pool areas and suites. Ka'anapali has the Hyatt Regency, Westin and Sheraton on a long walkable beach with Black Rock snorkeling at the south end.
Each rate is the nightly pre-tax price for 2 adults in one room on 2-night stays, checked on four dates across the year (February, May, August and November). We drop the most expensive date and show the lowest to the second-highest, in US dollars. Peak dates can cost more; we re-check live rates for your dates before booking.
Typically daily breakfast for two, a hotel credit (often US$100 per stay), and a room upgrade and early check-in / late check-out when available, at rates in line with booking direct. Perks vary slightly by hotel and we confirm them before you book.
NOT ON THE LIST?
Fill in the form with the hotel name and your dates, and we'll check the price for you directly.
Request a Quote