Before leaving (and after making the reservations) I read all of the reviews possible. I was not sure what to expect, since some were a bit discouraging. We visited many of the hotels along the beach while going for walks, and I would not have traded my experience for all of the glitz and glamour at the other hotels. The Kaanapali Beach Hotel is a special experience. If the goal of your trip is to have the perfect hotel room in the perfect building, then this is not the place for you. If your goal is to experience the beauty of the island, to experience local arts and crafts, and to feel like a part of a family, then this is the place.

Sure, the rooms could be updated, but why? The view of the ocean from the patio doors is incredible, and the view of the mountain from the walkway cannot be topped by any interior decorating. The hotel staff encouraged us to attend a welcome breakfast for free on our first day there, and we expected it to be a high-pressure sales event of some type. Instead, it was a helpful overview of Maui and the opportunities, events, and an introduction to staff at the hotel who were able to help us get connected with whatever our goals were.

The hotel has a church service Sunday mornings, we had no intention of attending this, since we were encouraged to find a local church and benefit from the local Hawaiian cultural influence in a worship service. It was too easy to stay at the hotel and worship in the beautiful gardens, hearing the waves crash onshore a few feet away. And it was such a great experience, too.

I did not meet anyone on staff who was not helpful. They even had a good understanding of the emotional and physical demand it is to travel to Maui from the mainland and worked hard to make our check-in very smooth and simple. They pointed out that the time change can cause people to feel anxious and tense, and they do not use that time to make any kind of suggestion or demands but encouraged us to attend the breakfast the next morning. This is a small detail that shows the depth of their understanding of what tourists need!

We had a room with two double beds and a nice-sized bathroom. The room overlooked an area that was full of trees and beautiful plants. The room had a television, dresser, nightstand, and table and chairs. The view was good, but I was woken up early every morning by the sound of birds chirping in the trees in front of our room. That is the only complaint with the room, though. The hotel offered daily activities. They had Hawaiian actives, like lai-making and hula lessons.

The hotel has a bar and grill area and also an outdoor pool. The pool was nice but nothing spectacular, just a regular pool. It was also a little shady. The hotel is located directly on the beach, and there is a nice boardwalk between the buildings and beach, so that is neat to walk on and see the wonderful views without getting sandy.

Across the street from the hotel is also a gorgeous golf course. They have paved golf cart paths and even an overpass over the highway. It was the nicest course I had ever seen. There is also a lot to see and do around this area. This area is known for whale-watching, but we were there during the off-season for this.