What a totally wonderful unexpected surprise!
Written: Jul 24 '06
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Great location on the beach, excellent value, super helpful staff, wonderful environment, terrific accommodations
Cons: Leaving - we had to come home from vacation
The Bottom Line: This place is a real undiscovered gem! We only found out about it through the recommendation of a friend, and will be coming back here from now on
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| g_dubya's Full Review: Luana Kai |
At the recommendation of a friend, we stayed at the Luana Kai in Kihei on Maui for a week. We've stayed at places farther south in Kihei, as well as in Wailea, and this place has everything we could have wanted right on the water. We like the South Maui area around Kihei because of the weather (doesn't rain as much as everywhere else, not too windy, and overall great climate), the location (relatively convenient to everything on the island, and the surroundings (not overly crowded like Lahaina and Kaanapali)
The Luana Kai complex consists of 4 three-story buildings - the 'A' and 'D' buildings are oceanfront, and the 'B' and 'C' buildings are set a little back around the terrific swimming pool area. We were on the ground floor of the 'A' building, and had unobstructed views of the ocean. We just walked our our lanai (Hawaiian for back patio), across the well manicured lawn, and down to the beach. It's not the best beach we've ever seen, but it's clean and not too crowded. My wife and I had a one bedroom condo for the week, which was spacious, comfortable and well stocked. We opted for the deluxe accommodations, and everything was definitely first class. Our friends also joined us for the week, and they had a two bedroom condo on the third floor, which had expansive ocean views, but you couldn't just walk out your patio to the beach (we really liked the open feeling of our patio). Each unit is individually owned and furnished, and both units were well stocked with all the comforts of home (including a full kitchen and washer and dryer), while still feeling like a resort. We especially liked being able to sit on the patio for breakfast or drinks whenever we wanted, then going out to a really nice dinner with the money we saved.
Besides our unit, we also spent time around the pool, which was always popular with other guests. There are 5 gas barbecues around the pool, and on several nights we decided to BBQ either fresh island fish (Costco by the airport has really fresh local fish) or the famous Azeka's ribs (close to the Luana Kai). Always friendly conversation with the other guests, many who invited us to sit down and share their appetizers while we were cooking dinners.
Unlike many of the other places we've stayed in Maui (and on other islands), the Luana Kai has a dedicated rental agent at the complex to take care of everything we needed. Leslie and Shelly in the front office were absolutely great, and you can tell they really care about the Luana Kai and making sure everyone feels welcome and has a great time. Even though we arrived late Sunday afternoon after the office closed, they had everything ready and waiting for us without any problems.
Location-wise, the Luana Kai is probably the most convenient place we've stayed in Maui. Going further south to Wailea or Makenna is a short drive, either on Kihei Road or the Pi'Ilani Highway. Heading north to Lahaina or Kapalua was easier than anywhere else we've stayed. And when it was finally time to head home :( hitting the road to the airport was a piece of cake. The Luana Kai is also close to all the restaurants, stores and shops we wanted to visit.
The Luana Kai is just the right size. Big enough to have everything we wanted, and small enough to feel comfortable. The price is extremely reasonable for oceanfront accommodations, and is definitely a bargain compared to everywhere else we've stayed on the island.
This is the first time we've been to Maui for the past few years (we've been going to Hawaii ("the big island") and Oahu most recently, but we realized just how much we missed everything about Maui this trip. We're already planning our next trip to Hawaii (Maui of course!) and know we will be definitely returning to the Luana Kai.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
g_dubya
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Reviews written: 30
Trusted by: 1 member
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