Some kitchen tools were cracked or missing, There was no cookie sheet, blender, small frying pan, salt or pepper shaker and the one spatula was cracked and hard to use. The only frying pan caused the food to stick and was hard to clean. A second chair was missing from the lanai and could not be replaced.
Embarrassing Maintenance
JohnnyBoe
Be careful! The pictures on the website are NOT current. Although magnificent ocean views, the facility, and rooms are in very poor condition due to maintenance. Ask to see a room before finalizing check-in. My family and I initially stayed in suite 302. It was filthy with years of carpet stains and over-painted damaged walls and moldings. Some sliding glass doors were inoperable due to corroded aluminum and/or missing rollers. We moved to suite 602, which was better but still had similar issues. The staff was accommodating but did not appear surprised by the disappointment with the cleanliness and lack of maintenance.
Simply beautiful
709ginac
Second time staying here and it’s just as wonderful as it was the first time. Staff is very friendly. The pools are clean and have plenty of seating. The hotel restaurant is delicious and food is very quick. The cocktails are delicious. The beach that the resort is on, Kaanapali beach, is breathtaking!!! I would stay a third time, fourth, fifth, etc.
Fantastic
Kodaske
(La Verne, California)
Great resort and great people and really spacious condos. We were upgraded to a very large 2 bedroom oceanfront condo with a huge lanai. Happy hour is now all day instead of just a few hours in the afternoon. The resort is completely open
Aston Kaanapali Shores is conveniently located and a good value.
Mike H
Family vacation, 100% personal/pleasure. Me, my wife, and our two kids, 20 and 17. Our first trip to Hawaii.
Price to value was important to us. If that's you, and you keep that in mind, your Shores experience will likely be quite satisfactory. Research prior to committing and conversations and observations with other folks staying on the strip confirm that while swankier resort experiences are available, you'll pay 2x to have it.
There is no golf course here to be maintained but if you wish, you can check out gear from the front desk and shoot hoops or play pickleball. There's some minor cheapo stuff (The hot tub may be lukewarm. We had to buy filters for the in-room coffee maker. Appreciate the in-room laundry setup for sure; wish we'd known to pack detergent and dryer sheets. Handheld can opener was useless. The sliding doors are screaming for replacement or, at minimum, some WD-40. The bathrooms, while clean, are on the level of an economy motel.) but these are, I think, individually owned condos and so some units are likely appointed differently than others, the resort's ability to standardize is limited, and the maintenance staff is responsive enough but you really don't want to whine to them about every little thing...
The art in the lobby is cool. The resort and the room are clean. The prices of incremental purchases are surprisingly reasonable. For example, if you forgot your swimsuit, you can get a new one for $20 without leaving the resort. An on-site cabana offers competitive prices for beach rentals. The lobby, the gardens, the pools, and the small private beach are as advertised. If you are tempted to save a few bucks and forego the ocean view, we would say if at all possible, and especially if you, like us, spend life landlocked, spend the money. Starting the day with coffee and breakfast listening to the waves crash on the beach and gazing upon other islands, and winding down in the evening with same, is more than worth it. You can see the sunset from the balcony, but you'll want to be downstairs on the beach for that.
At check-in, we were presented with gifts of buttery white wine (anniversary), chocolates (multiple birthdays), and canvas tote bags that came in handy. The only real customer service snag we encountered was that, because we arrived a bit before the room was ready, we checked our bags with the Bellman and were paralyzed in our room for a couple hours until he could accommodate delivery, and we offered to come get them but in doing so annoyed the very busy front desk--but I would put this on us and our inexperience more than these short-staffed folks. So, if we were to do it again, we would either leave the bags in the car or make sure that we kept anything we needed right away--swimsuits, for example--with us.
Beyond the lobby, the interior of the hotel is extremely dated. This includes kitchen appliances and in-room technology. The TVs in your condo may or may not work. (Maintenance is quick to respond; my clear inference is they get this particular request a lot. The cable company in Maui sucks as bad and maybe worse as the one where you live. But you are not here to watch TV, anyway, and if it is absolutely dire that you have minute to minute eyeball updates on your sports gambling interests, the game is likely on in the poolside bar, where the Mai Tai's are delicious and on the happy hour special menu, and the Internet in your room is probably, usually going to work.) There is a spa on the property but it was unreachable prior to our stay and closed for our entire duration. No one seems to know the story. If you seek a massage, there are lots of places close by, accessible via a short drive to pay less in a retail center or a walk up the boardwalk to one of the other resorts.
This worked: We ordered groceries via Instacart from the Times Market, which is about a block away. This local market is large and well-supplied; we pre-selected our groceries prior to our trip and placed the order, online, upon accessing our room and the resort Internet. A few push notifications re substitutes on the level of they-don't-have-Clementines-are-you-cool-with-regular-oranges later, a text confirmed the order had been delivered to the lobby. As we hurriedly headed down to retrieve them, we encoutered the Bellman, who had packaged them onto a luggage cart and was bringing them to us with a hey-relax-you're-on-vacation-I-got-you-brudda smile.
The room was described as having "two or three" beds. We proactively requested the three-bed setup and a higher floor, in order of priority, and if possible. Both requests were honored. The beds were comfortable; we slept well. Everything presents as safe and secure.
We had been counseled that food trucks on Maui were a good way to get delicious, authentic, affordable eats. The food truck plaza is adjacent to the Shores--it is a walk, not a drive--and this counsel held true.
The resort's website recommended the Old Lahaina Luau. We had a wonderful experience there and second the recommendation. Other stuff we did right was rent a full beach package from The Snorkel Store, just up the road, for the whole time we were there, giving us very comfortable and affordable moment-to-moment options for activities. Chairs (one per person), umbrellas (we got two, one would have been enough), a cooler (one was plenty) quality snorkel sets incl flippers, float belts, and boogie boards. You need not bring towels; the resorts supply them. They are pretty cool with most things--the C19 mask policy, for example, is enforced in the relaxed hey-ain't-none-of-us-perfect-but-we-all-mean-well way most of us would want--but they are strict on the towel thing, and once you see how all these resorts flow into one another on this stretch of beach, the reasons why become clear.
I've been presented stories about vacations in Waikiki that require tourists to be constantly on guard; we encountered nothing of the sort in Kaanapali or Lahaina. Things are pretty relaxed. The locals seem generally happy that you're here. They want you to be minimally wasteful and respectful of their fragile ecology. And we can dig that, right?
I see other reviews critical of the check-in process. Ours wasn't exactly smooth, either, but I don't think that's all on them; I think C19 and our inexprience were principal factors.
Best Location! Best Beach! Best Staff! The Best of Everything!
BruceMesa_Az
(Mesa,Az)
My Wife and I just returned from a 3 week stay at the Kaanapali Whaler. There's only one way to describe this ocean front paradise. It's the BEST! The location is perfect. Situated directly on Maui's world class Kaanapali Beach, and just steps to the upscale shopping and dining playground of Whaler's Village. The Whaler is famous for it's comfortable rooms, each with fully equipped kitchens and stunning views form spacious lanais. The grounds are quite and manicured to perfection. The beachfront pool is the perfect place to listen to the surf, watch rainbows, and make new friends. The very best of the Whaler is the staff! The pool staff and concierge is legendary. Joseph knows the island like no one else. If you need a tour, reservation, or local info, he's the one. Marc, Manny, and Samu keep everyone loose and happy. Everybody has a smile and the Aloha spirit. The Bell staff, the front desk, and the smiling faces of all the staff members make you feel instantly at home. We keep coming back because the Kaanapali Whaler is the BEST!
The Best of the Best!!
teri388
The Whaler is an amazing Condo--the best in Maui!!! Every aspect of staying on the beach was perfect! Thanks Whaler for an unforgettable experience!! Aloha and thanks for keeping us safe during Covid 19!
Hawaiian Paradise
darryllundeen
Amazing location and staff. I have stayed here twice now and will definitely be back. The view from the balcony is amazing. The suites are very comfortable and clean. The staff very friendly and helpful. There was some construction happening which made it a challenge to relax during the day but otherwise everything was wonderful.
Best views on Ka’anapali Beach from Whaler 1202
ejfmaf
(Leominster, MA)
Whaler 1202 is the penthouse, facing west (Sunsets) and north ( north Ka’anapali and Kahana). This “stack” at the Whaler has unobstructed views. You aren’t looking across a courtyard into other peoples windows. 1202 is beautiful inside with local artwork and unbelievable bathrooms, marble floors, ocean views from the bedrooms kitchen LR and dining areas.
Aloha Vibes 🌈
Passport15216992626
(Los Angeles, California)
We have been coming to Aston at the Whaler for the past five years and it has always been a wonderful experience “coming home” as a couple and as a family. The aloha that you feel the moment you arrive stays with you throughout your entire stay. The warm and amazing staff of Marissa, Amy, and Rod have always made sure of this and are now like family to us.
The property has a very nice balance of retro architecture with contemporary renovations - There are two 70’s vibe buildings with a gorgeous tropical grounds between them. With it’s rock waterfall spilling into its gorgeous koi pond and arching wooden bridge, completely surrounded by neatly manicured grass, it never fails to take our breath away.
The location is perfect for us. We much prefer the more relaxed and casual feel of Kaanapali (as opposed to Wailea). With Whalers Village just next door, it’s a one minute walk to restaurants, shopping, and live music. The beach is a long stretch of sprawling golden sand with a hint of red to it that leads into the clear warm waters of the South Pacific. A five minute walk up the beach provides the opportunity to swim with some of Hawaii’s most vibrantly colored fish and beautiful sea turtles (just remember to resist the temptation to touch them!)
The units are individually owned and can vary on both size / upgrades so we recommend doing your research or speaking with someone on staff before booking. While hitting our favorite dining spots is always enjoyable, we love the ability to prepare our meals in the unit’s full kitchen. 1 bedroom Ocean View is definitely a winner!
If you’re looking for a beautiful, down to earth place with superb service, Aston at the Whaler is your “home”!
The entire grounds is radiantly brilliant! Immaculately tended to. The grounds keepers are unobtrusive and very happy to answer any questions. The front office is incredibly welcoming and responsive to any needs. The rooms are very comfortable and kept incredibly clean, especially for a resort only feet away from the longest beach in Maui! This is a beautiful place and is perfect for any memorable occasion. Mahalo!
Nice location, not crowded but a little dated.
aeandmp
The resort overall was nice and clean. The grounds are beautiful and location is great. The rooms and structure are dated. The staff at the resort was very nice and accommodating. You can pay for tiers of rooms and higher tiers require a more updated look. We did pay for a premium tier and I felt our room was dark and dated.
Our family vacation
jessiemccoy628
We absolutely loved our stay at this beautiful oasis! The staff were very friendly and helpful. Our room was awesome! The pool and beach were amazing! Everything was so close. Definitely staying there again!
Perfect location
tpsdracutma
(Dracut, Massachusetts)
This place is in a perfect location with Lanai to the left and Molokai to the right and a sunset in between. The pictures are incredible. Clean, well maintained property and super friendly staff. It is a slightly smaller and older resort than the Marriott monsters out there (though those resorts are gorgeous), but that suits us fine as we are a bit older now and travel without the kids. What more could one ask for. We absolutely loved it.
Punishing Refund Policy in time of Covid
tigger911
Sun Beach Rentals, the Property Management Group at this property advertises the ability to reschedule and a 50% refund for a cancellation within a certain time frame. What they don't tell you up front, is that if you are cancelling due to the increasing rates of covid, with no available hospital beds, based on the Governor of Hawaii's request, is that there is a no refund and a no rescheduling policy. It is only after you make your request that you learn this. Be aware before you book here! I will never book here nor with any property managed by Sun Beach Rentals.
Dreamy oceanfront property with unbelievable ocean views. Nothing else like it
JJ72LA
(San Francisco, California)
This was our first time at the Mahana. It is amazing. We moved from Honua Kai because our room there had a “partial ocean view” which meant an ocean view if you are standing on one corner of the balcony. We walked up the beach one evening and saw the Mahana and lucked out because they had a cancellation starting the following day. Although it’s next door to Honua Kai, it feels like another world. All rooms are oceanfront with head-on ocean views. It is by far the closest building to the ocean in Kaanapali Beach. When you enter the room there are floor to ceiling windows on the entire west side and all you can see is blue ocean plus Lanai off to the left and Molokai off to the right. And all you can hear are the waves crashing all day and night. It’s mesmerizing. We never wanted to leave the room and especially the beautiful lanai. When you are on the lanai, it feels like you are floating above the ocean. We were in the north building and the construction was done. The south building was under construction but it didn’t bother us at all. If you want a very Hawaiian, very chill, very special property with quite possibly the best ocean views on Maui, this is it. The resort is tucked away at the end of a long private road in North Kaanapali away from the crowds yet an easy walk to the grocery store, Fish Market, shave ice, Duke’s, ABC Store, food trucks, etc. We had no idea anything like this even existed on Maui. We have stayed many places on the island and had great experiences at most of them but this was by far our favorite. The only downside is we were told it’s rarely available and is the most requested property on the island. I also don’t know how much the condos vary from one to the next…ours was on the 10th floor and was stunning.
Best Place on Maui
cdvaldez2021
From the beautiful sounds of the ocean, pounding on the reef, to the perfect Sunsets every night. This place, you will find relaxation and peace. Great location for anything or everything you need to get or enjoy on Maui. Mahalo Mahana. You are Ohana to us.
I will be back
Yangon2019
Very good building with access to beach. Very private location. Kids are happy. Rooms and beds are very comfortable. Good view of course. Staff are very welcome. Very close to Food truck parking and General store. Kitchen is bog enough for own cooking.
Excellent Place to Stay
tnt4012
(Thousand Oaks, California)
The Aston Mahana was an amazing place to stay The views are incredible and breath taking. The Aston was quite clean and had a very home like vibe. This was our first staying here and will definitely stay here for every trip to Maui. HIGH RECOMMEND!!!!
Beautiful
DominicEmelio
(Maui, Hawaii)
We love Maui and Aston Mahanna just a beautiful friendly place this is our 3 rd trip here and every time we stay here because we always have an amazing experience n time here . We snorkel here and see turtles beautiful fish as well as manta rays there no experience like it. We will continue to do vacations here for the rest of our lives Thank you for allowing us to share your beautiful island and Aston Mahanna. Respectfully yours The Emelio Family
The resort was ok main bedroom had no air conditioner had to request a fan.
The one bathroom is very outdated old furniture and a foul smell. You need to take out your own trash and clean up. Overall it has a pool and beach accessible and BBQ area.
Not up to Aston standards
mdigtravel
(Redondo Beach, California)
Although the property is well located and the oceanfront unit had a stellar view, the unit was not clean nor well maintained. The drapes were dirty, many fixtures were dusty, the dishwasher racks were rusted with sharp protruding pieces, the bathroom was not very clean, and the unit throughout had missing ounces of molding with rot. The unit was also advertised with a/c, but it was only in the living room the farthest from the bedroom, so it was difficult to get the bedroom properly cooled.
Anniversary weekend
stensruder
This place was excellent!! We Stayed in the 3 bedroom ocean view condominium. The view was absolutely breathtaking. There was a easy access walkway straight down to the beautiful ocean where the water felt amazing. !
Amazing and perfect!
denbob1010
We loved our stay here. The unit was totally updated, and gorgeous. Right on the water, with forever views. Super comfy bed - and the unit was fully air conditioned too! It's true there is not much of a beach, although there WAS sand when we stayed there (which I understand is pretty unusual) - but the ocean access was easy, and having lounge chairs on the lawn right by the water was better than laying our towel on the sand! We just can't say enough good things about how perfect our stay was. Wish we could have stayed longer!!!
Perfect Stay!
sshernandez1012
My 4 friends and I stayed in one of the condos with 3 beds, 2 bath, and full kitchen. We had a beautiful view of the garden pool and ocean from our balcony. The location was perfect as it was on the water, close to grocery stores, gift shops, and places to eat. I would recommend this place to anyone staying in Maui!
Shouldn’t have to follow up with someone else after informing staff about the drain in the shower! The female that stayed in the room before me or clean the room left long black hairs on the floor in the master bathroom. Looked as though someone tossed it out of the shower onto the floor in front of the sink and left it, it was a lot of hair
Great place
ramonangiesandoval
Great place to stay,great location and views and staff was outstanding.We had restaurants and bars near by and everything was right on with the COVID-19 situation anywhere you went they were on it,and all the activities were great as well.
Amazing and relaxing trip to Maui
313daniw
(Millington, Tennessee)
The Aston Maui Hill was such a beautiful place to stay! We had an ocean front condo that was close to the clubhouse! They provided us with anything we needed help with! The staff was so friendly and the rooms were clean and perfect for a couple trip! They helped us book excursions also! It was located right in kihei so the main road had so many things to do for during the day and night and many beaches nearby! We needed room service cleaning one day while out and they cleaned our room so well! The lanai was my favorite part! It was so relaxing! I absolutely love Maui and the Aston Maui hill! If I come back to Maui, I’ll be staying there!
Maui Hill resort review
Olchik
(Seattle, WA)
The resort is located right on the border of Kihei and Wailea. Considering this resort has 40+ years of existence it's in a good shape. The grounds are beautifully maintained. Staff has been pleasant and manager Dennis of 38 yrs at this property also a very nice person. A 2 bedroom unit is very spacious and very clean even though the decor is somewhat outdated but that adds to the Hawaiian vibe.
Maui Hill
ANNETTERPH1
(Danville, Kentucky)
Maui Hill is wonderful. Great location and huge condos. Easy parking. New air conditioners. Very clean. Friendly staff and with a hometown feeling. Highly recommend. Economical
Grounds are beautiful with a gorgeous ocean view
What a great place to stay! The Maui Banyan is located less than a 2 minute walk to the beach; and walking distance to many restaurants and shops. We stayed in Condo H103, updated, clean, full kitchen with everything you need, new furniture ~ very comfortable. Loved having coffee in the early morning on the lanai looking at the beautiful plumeria trees in bloom. Very relaxing vacation.
Perfect trip!
StephiGix
We booked the Maui Banyan a little last minute so we were worried we may have missed the best places to stay, but there was no need to worry, we loved it!
Our one bedroom suite was clean and bright with two bathrooms, living room, full kitchen and large balcony. We were so shocked at how large the space was, it was like our own apartment in paradise. We even had a blender and made ourselves fresh smoothies every morning. The staff were friendly and helpful, there is lots of free parking and the hotel is right across from the beach. Would definitely recommend!
Maui Bantan visit
marionfarber
The location of the property is awesome, directly across from the beach and walking distance to restaurants and shopping. We had a great ocean view from our lanai. The pools are fine, and the unit itself was fine, except that the pullout sofa bed was unsleepable - I had to sleep on the couch, which was less than comfortable, but I got used to it. Next time we'll spring for a 2-bedroom unit.
Aston at the Maui
rafiquehasan
This is our 1st visit in Maui . We rented this resort for 4 night. We love the resort . Verities of flower plants and easy access to the beach . My wife took lot of picture and enjoyed Maui very much.
Poor Wifi is a deal breaker
FFei85
(Orange City, Iowa)
This hotel's location is great. In our unit, except for broken but functional beach chairs, the physical amenities are fine, BUT--a huge but--the Wifi in the unit is next to non-existent. I couldn't open emails or load Twitter, let alone other websites or stream video. It is absolutely horrible in that regard. I would AVOID this hotel at all costs if you want to stay connected or get any work done at all. My stay was during late June of 2021.
