Makes the difference in Maui
Written: Apr 09 '02
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Huge rooms,friendly staff,free parking,great location
Cons: none
The Bottom Line: Made our trip to Maui a success, kids and parents loved it, could not have been better.
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| jayjoans's Full Review: Kaanapali Alii |
Wow, what a great place to stay with a family. We were booked into a 2 bedroom unit on the 10th floor of building 2. (unit 2105) We had a view out the front of the ocean and pool area, and a gorgeous view out of the gigantic master bedroom of the mountains and golf course.
The Alii staff was great, the pool guys were friendly and made us feel like owners. The free parking is great, just few yards from each building. The location of the Alii is good too, out in front of the complex is the point of Kaanapali beach, where the waves are best for surfing and boogie boarding. The rest of Kaanapali was all shorebreak waves, impossible to surf on and scary for the little kids. If you go out a little ways from shore in front of the Alii the waves break further out and are very rideable and fun. As a matter of fact we booked surfing lessons in front of the Whaler's village and they had us carry our surfboards all the way back to the Alii to ride the waves (argh). The Alii has chairs and lounges on the beach for you to use and beach towels handed out without question at the pool.
The unit had a washer and dryer (fabulously handy), dishwasher, disposal, large referigerator with icemaker, all cooking and eating utensils, tons of books to read (take one leave one) separate a/c controls in each room, HUGE master shower (big enough for 2), great water pressure (one of my pet peeves), king bed in master (I'm 6'5"), breakfast bar and glass dining table for 6, there were also beach games in the closet, 2 boogie boards, sand toys, umbrellas and chairs.
A few things we learned after our trip to the Alii. Don't pack beach towels, don't bring sand toys, and we WAY overpacked with clothes. Even the "nice" restaurants understand this is Hawaii, decent shorts and a collared shirt will dress you up as much as is needed. (another reason the laundry is great, one set'll do ya for the week)
FYI, we spent the last 2 nights at the Whaler at an oceanFRONT room. The room was nice, but the attitudes of the staff was terrible. Although we paid $600 a night for the room, they wanted $7 a day to park. The pool guy (Sama) was a an idiot, he interrogated us as to our room number and then we had to sign for each towel we borrowed, when he didn't see that we had returned them there was a $150 charge to our room for an unreturned towel! (believe me THAT was straightened out very loudly in the lobby when we left) No laundry in the unit, no beach chairs or lounges on the beach to use, the pool is sunken down so you can't even SEE the beach from the pool, low water pressure, a very nice but very small galley kitchen that separated you from the rest of the family and any outside views, and the feeling that we were 2nd class guests. I am glad we did stay at the Whaler, I would have always wondered about it, but now we know that the Alii is by far the better choice.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
jayjoans
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Reviews written: 4
Trusted by: 0 members
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