Honua Kai Resort Review

We have been coming back to Maui now for over 2 decades and opted to give a different resort, the Honua Kai Resort, a go. We did some investigating and booked our 2BR Ocean view suite with the truly dependable Maui Resort Realty company (more concerning them later on).

Actually, our first impression of Honua Kai Resort was not the very best: we were not quite knowledgeable about the resort’s North Kaanapali beach front area and when we drove up to the porte cochere outside the lobby, I felt underwhelmed by the somewhat uninspired resort access and surrounding landscape. We were immediately attended to by the management company agent and came into the lobby for quick introduction of the property. Upon entering the hotel my uneasiness dissolved; the lobby area and were a few of the most visually pleasing resort center points I had seen during my years paying a visit to Hawaii.

With a feeling of anticipation we accompanied the representative up to our suite. The unit was contemporary yet maintained a truly Hawaiian feel and I could not identify any flaw. The vistas were impressive; the sea off in the distance with the pool areas in the forefront. The young man showed us around the suite and did a great job making us feel comfortable, letting us know to call him at any time if we necessitated assistance.

I remember reading somewhere that the name Honua Kai is Hawaiian for Land and Sea; after taking a saunter on this large, coastline front estate (38 acres) I appreciated that the resort’s label was wisely selected. Sizable belts of green yard, knolls and beach front gave a feeling of openness to the resort rare in many common Hawaiian beachfront hotels

 Features:

I will mainly concentrate on which features of the property my family had fun with the most:

  • Mom appreciated the several fitness centers situated in both the Konea and Hokulani towers. She liked having her early morning workout session before beginning the day.
  • I indulged in extensive pool features, which most likely covered up at least 3 or 4 acres sandwiched by the beach and resort. I enjoyed alternating in between going swimming and body boarding in the ocean, showering off and swimming in the pool or loosening up in the hot tub.
  • The kids truly enjoyed buying goodies from the Aina market place, pool areas, water slides and, of course, having the ability to socialize with additional kids their ages (we went at the time of Spring Break).

A couple of more observations:

The Honua Kai Resort property has every thing for everybody and IMHO was a genuinely great vacation adventure.

There is a wonderful strolling path in front of Honua Kai Hotel that takes you to the renowned Blackrock point in front of the Sheraton resort and back past the Royal Lahaina resort as well as Westin Kaanapali Ocean resort. I actually delighted in the possibility to experience the North side of Black rock; while a little quieter, it was in many ways a more magnificent setting then the South Kaanapali beachfront region. Snorkeling is excellent in front of the hotel– but, be careful, I would certainly suggest entering the water 75 yards to the south of the resort to avoid the coral.

Pros and Cons:

Pros

  • Family friendly
  • Villas are recently constructed as well as beautifully appointed
  • Beautiful grounds, pool areas and relaxed setting
  • Management company was very responsive regarding the few concerns we had in the suite (some appliance quick fix problems)
  • Friendly staff

Cons

  • Market was great but pricey for what they provided
  • The area behind hotel is not that attractive– the resort is across the street from a transportation facility (although can’t complain regarding the vistas of West Maui Mountains)
  • I would have liked to see the day spa open– the Honua Kai resort and spa is the official title and supposedly it will open up in the near future.

Overall impression:

Despite a few slight detracting concerns, the Honua Kai Resort challenges the Marriott’s Maui Ocean club for very best resort amenities, and rooms are in a class by themselves.

I would highly recommend using Mauiresortrealty.com for making a reservation for the Honua Kai– their rates are notably better than the ones offered directly from the hotel and their service was impressive from starting to end.

To learn more about the Honua Kai Resort please visit my Maui review blog @ http://www.westmauireview.com/2012/11/13/honua-kai-resort/ for tips and reviews on the best and worst resorts, dining and activities found in Maui.