The grounds of this hotel are very nice with close ocean access, although the beach is not very big.
The room I had was very comfortable and roomy, but could really use ab update. By no means was it plush or luxgerious
This hotel has no maid service. They do drop off clean linens so you can do it yourself.
Made things right.
Al L
(Sacramento, California, United States)
I am a return guest. I was not happy with my room location and bed. They immediately took my situation and made it right for me. Very impressive how they worked to make things right. Staff was friendly and accommodating.
Clean, friendly, great location
amystar137
(Georgia)
We had a great time at this hotel. Check in was easy and when we told them we were celebrating my step daughter's graduation, they brought out chocolate treats for her - it really made her day. They upgraded our room for free. Everything was clean and nice. The pools are great, and the hot tub was never too crowded. Meals on site were really good and priced fairly for the area. We got massages on site and it was one of the best I've ever had. All around great experience!
Fun Trip in Maui
tjarvis85socal
(Yucaipa)
The hotel is in a great location with a market, restaurant, and other shops within walking distance. Easy access to the beach and neighboring hotels. Housekeeping and Reception staff were excellent! The choice of 2 pools was an added bonus.
Aston Restaurant
amgray2018
(Grain Valley, Missouri)
We had breakfast a couple times, lunch poolside, and sunset dinner while staying at the Aston, the staff was always friendly, accommodating, and efficient. Food was tasty too! They had a great mango Mimosa. Would recommend visiting while you are staying there.
This is the place we stay whenever we come to Maui. Great rooms, ocean and mountain views on Kaanapali Beach next to Whalers Village, with restaurants and shopping. Ocean side walkway gives you access to all the hotels in the Kaanapali Resort. You have lots of great options for suites (from 1 to 2 bedrooms). Nice pool and beautiful grounds. The staff was excellent (kudos to Derrick, Tiana and Marissa) for their professional and friendly attention at check-in and throughout our stay.
Beautiful Place to Stay
232gilbertz
(Ontario)
My family and I have stayed at the Aston-Whaler property every year for the past five, (save 2020, the year of the pandemic). Every stay has been wonderful. The staff has always been friendly and very accommodating. The rooms are clean and the bedding is very comfortable. The view from the oceanfront rooms is unbeatable. I highly recommend this property!
Not What We Booked
Me0611
(Hanford, California)
We were so excited for this trip as it was our first big vacation in 2 years as for many. We had heard such great things about it from family and had researched best places for family and was convinced this was it. Was very disappointed when we checked in after a long day of traveling to find out they did not have our room for us that we had reserved and already paid for. We reserved a one bedroom/2 bath ocean view suite and they basically said “whoops”, we don’t have one. Then they tried to assure me they were giving me a “premium” one bedroom/ 1 bath ocean view. There was nothing “premium” about the room we were in. It was just your average room with an okay ocean view, but we had reserved and paid for that already. Worse, the room was not ready and we had to wait 30 minutes past check-in time in a hot hallway as we just wanted to get in our room, use our one bathroom to wash up and unpack and relax. We were told we would get a credit for the mistake and inconvenience but we have yet to see anything. We have only been home a few days but that seems like something that could have been done right away, so we shall see. We asked for the possibility of a late checkout on our last day and reminded them of the inconveniences we had dealt with already and they gave us one hour. While the location is a nice one and convenient to shopping and restaurants at Whaler’s next door (if you could get in to the restaurants) and to Black Rock, I am not sure we would stay here again. The lanai was nice and we sat there many hours, but would have loved to have done so from the lanai of our reserved room. The only reason we chose this location was for the fact we could get 2 bathrooms and we didn’t get that. I am thrilled for those who have had great experience here. Am just sad ours was not the same.
Above and Beyond
David G
My wife and I celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary by taking our entire family, “The Eleven” to Hawaii. Half of our stay, fortunately, was at the Whaler in Maui. The main reason our stay was so wonderful was due to its manager, Terry Dowsett and his fantastic staff. They made the difference from the first day to the last. We did zip lines, ATV’s, helicopter ride, para sailing, and a sunset cruise on a catamaran that picks you up right there at the beach. Terry and his concierge arranged all of it. The view of the beach, especially the sunsets were beautiful. Service from greeting and assistance at arrival to care of the room were the best.
On a final note, my wife and I renewed our wedding vows the last day. Terry arranged everything. From the local Hawaiian minister (Ernest),to the staff hand making our ceremonial lays, to booking the final dinner. The Whaler and Terry Dowsett are truly “Above and Beyond!” Dave and Mary Lou Gordon
only okay
TexasTrip_Queen
(Texas)
We had two rooms at The Whaler to accommodate our group. The large two bedroom suite had a wonderful layout but the unit itself needed some love. The seating in the living area was worn and in bad repair. The carpet in the bedrooms smelled of either smoke or pet. Our visit was immediately after the reopening following Covid. It was busy and the staff was overwhelmed and a little short tempered with guests in my opinion.
The MKV is a great place to stay as a family. It is well maintained and the grounds are beautiful. The beach is a nice sandy beach but the waves can get pretty high and there is a drop a few feet out. The kids loved playing in the waves. The pool was also clean, big and warm. The MKV is close to everything, within a short drive to Whalers Village and Lahaina town and they also offer a trolley to Whalers Village. You can also take the beach walk to Whalers Village which is only about a 15-20 minute walk. We stayed in a great condo rented directly from the owner. I would recommend renting directly from an owner so you know exactly which condo you will get. Many rooms are not renovated and very old. So renting directly from the hotel can leave you with a really dingy room. Plus you can find better deals renting from the owners directly. The staff is friendly and welcoming. Overall we would return.
Family vacation
Anniversary
525pennyj
Had such an amazing stay here even with some things still closed or closing times early due to covid i would still recommend this place great people friendly smiles everywhere ..Clean beach and pools. helpful staff makes for an amazing vacation
Know Before You Go
KrissyKay
(Kennewick, Washington)
I try to do a lot of research before I book my vacations. My family prefers a hotel or condo where the sleeping and living area are separate. This is what I thought I was getting with our one bedroom, ocean view room.
This resort was built in the 1970’s and for the most, it looks it. It’s not that the grounds aren’t beautiful or that the rooms haven’t been touched up, but when you look at the air vents, the curling paint, and the chipped tiles, it shows it age.
Still, not a big deal. What was the biggest disappointment was that the bedroom and the living room weren’t separate (at least at the price point available through Costco at the time of our booking.) I think at one time, there may have been an accordioning-folding partition.
The staff however was friendly and helpful. The beach is amazing and the Castaway restaurant and bar were nice. Overall, we enjoyed our stay. I just missed not having two separate areas.
Sent from Mail for Windows 10
Location is great. Everything else ok.
marissfreeman
The location was by far the best quality of this location. The room was outdated kind of looked like my grandma decorated. The bathrooms were not the best. There was a smell in the room that made me have to buy an air freshener during our stay.
I Will Visit Again
Ceeyoung10
(New York City, New York)
The room was lovely! The staff was friendly! The beach was absolutely gorgeous! Having the luxury of a full kitchen was beautiful since we were there for 18 days and that would be a lot of meals to eat out. I’m looking forward to rebooking this trip again next year.
We were looking for a quiet, 2BR+ and full kitchen property, beachfront on Maui and Aston Mahana was perfect. We stayed in unit 709 and had a flawless ocean view on a large lanai and a beautifully decorated condo. You can snorkel right off the quiet beach in front of the property and see fish and sea turtles. Our place was very clean on arrival and the staff was very helpful. Due to Covid, they weren’t performing daily housekeeping but brought us fresh towels quickly upon request. The kitchen was well equipped and plenty big for our 6 person family. The bathrooms are very nice with marble and rain shower heads. This property does not have restaurants and has a fairly small but nice pool on the ocean but we liked that we didn’t feel crowded in the public areas. I took several jogs on the Kaanapali beach walk south of the Mahana and could see the big resorts had people reserving pool chairs by 8am. That is not relaxing to me and I was glad to enjoy our quiet pool area for evening grilling with our extended family. I would stay here again and would recommend a high floor for the view.
Family Vacation
Jackiellp
Family came to visit from out of town and we joined them for a staycation at The Mahana. The construction is not even a factor. Everyone is adhering to wearing masks where needed and no more than 2 in the elevator if you are not part of the same family.
ONE OF THE BEST
Corleone9007
(Vancouver, Washington)
This would be our 5th time that we stayed here at the Mahana inn and every time we had nothing but good times and lots of good memories and I’m sure we’ll come back again . People are very nice and accommodating here , our flight was late in the evening and they let us stay way pass check out time .
Worst place to stay in Maui
Reviewbydesi1
For anyone planning on staying at Aston Mahana at Kaanapali.. we were there from July 2-7th and this is what there rooms looked like. I complained but no one has called me back. Please save urself the hassle…
*cockroach in the cabinets
*stains in all the curtains
*ripped bedsheet and mattress
* dirty roof
*the broken concrete coming off the window and hurting us when we walk barefoot.
* paint under the bathroom sink and on top of the fridge cabinet
* fan and the dish washer didn’t work
* rusted dishwasher
*construction going on and it’s noisy
The view is nice and that’s about it. I paid $3300 and this was what I got.
Would not recommend to anyone.
Beautiful Ocean View
Heather M
My husband and I have stayed here twice now and we absolutely love everything this place has to offer. Quiet and absolutely amazing view. Short walk to the grocery store/coffee/shops. Anything we needed the employees were able to accommodate.
We stayed here for 10 days in an ocean front room. The room and the view was amazing, I love that it had air conditioning as well. This will always be our first choice when booking a trip to Maui. It was perfect!
Papakea is nice
rarelysatisfied
(Vancouver, Washington)
There are many units so I am sure there is a wide spectrum of experiences one may have. The resort grounds are well taken care of. It was a quiet and peaceful location with no obnoxious music or road noise. The games of shuffleboard and putting green were great. What knocked this down? A really poor (painful) mattress in our unit was a big reason. There was also obstructed access to the ocean and no places that were shaded for hours long lounging.. Again depending on the unit you get the mattress may be fine.
Nice resort for the price
Maxdog0099
(La Conner, Washington)
We’ve been staying at the Papakea since 2006 and have always thoroughly enjoyed our stays. The resort condos are a bit dated and could use some renovation. But for the price you can’t beat the oceanfront views. The only major downside is their is no beach.
Very nice quiet resort
MannyCampos
(Fontana, California)
What we loved the most was that we could walk outside and we were literally on the water. We loved having a kitchen and washer/dryer. We we fell in love with the sound of the waves all through the night
Toddlers pool “accident” spoils it for many
Freedom59132053913
We booked our unit through VRBO, unit #A201. This corner unit was beautifully upgraded, including faux wood tile floors, new kitchen, along with super nice decor. Large living room and patio for taking In the gorgeous view. No maid service, but we kept it picked up; that wasn’t a problem. My only complaint is that there was no safe! I don’t get how someone cared enough to make this condo so pretty, and didn’t include a safe. It was a hassle finding places to hide jewelry, cash and credit cards when we went to the beach or pool. BTW, there is NO BEACH ACCESS. You have to walk about 8 minutes, and they don’t make it easy. You have to walk along the highway, since fences and gates of other properties prevent you. North, there is a small public beach, but not great. Lots of rocks. To the south, just past the Mahana, a nice sandy beach starts, and you can walk all the way to Kaanapali if you want.
I did not realize that getting to a beach was going to be such a hassle when I made the booking at Papakea. As for the resort itself, it was “not that great”. There are two pool attendants at both of their small pools, whose only job is apparently to put on a daily wristband so they know you’re a guest. This appears to be SO important that other issues weren’t dealt with. I can give two examples. A group of girls playing loud music on the lawn outside the pool were allowed to continue. We had to close our patio door, it was so annoying. Yet, I guess this is okay (?) Nobody asked them to stop. The WORST thing that happened was a toddler defecated at the pool, not only on the pool deck, but IN the pool itself. Everyone had to leave the area, and the pool was shut down for 24 hours! If you wanted to use the pool, you could go to the other—even smaller —pool, and cram in. This is inexcusable. The posted pool rules call for all babies and very young children are required to wear swim diapers. It would be easy for one of the attendants to check for that. All you would have to do is ask the parent to confirm the child was wearing a diaper. A shame that one lazy person had to ruin it for so many. When I asked one of the attendants about it, they appeared unconcerned; it happens “3-4 times a year.” Why does it have to happen at all? This hotel needs to reinforce their own rules.
I would not recommend this “resort”.
We just had another outstanding vacation at Maui Hill. We’ve come here many times over the years, and it always feels like coming home! The staff is always welcoming and the General Manager Dennis Costa is really the best. He is the embodiment of the spirit of aloha, always taking the time to ensure that no detail is overlooked in making you feel truly valued, remembering names, providing welcome amenities, extending himself to truly and sincerely convey his desire to provide you with a wonderful vacation. The grounds are like a paradise, immaculately groomed, and there are tennis courts and a shuffleboard court for guests’ enjoyment. The best part is the pool, always sparkling clean and beautiful. The location of the property is convenient, close to both Kihei town and Wailea, and we always love Keawakapu Beach across the street. The unit we stayed in was beautifully updated, so clean and comfortable, all the enjoyments of home but with a tropical ambience. We had an ocean view, and really loved to sit out on the spacious lanais to watch the sunsets. We have stayed in other properties in Maui, but truly find there is no comparison to this resort. It will always be our favorite vacation destination. Thank you, Dennis and staff. We will definitely be back to enjoy your warm and welcoming service again as soon as we can!
Maui Hill
crazyazam
We have visited Maui Hill many times and keep coming back because of the great staff and location. The only issue is maybe it’s time to upgrade the units. Other than that a great place to bring the family.
Another great stay at Aston Maui Hill
Island1957
(Olathe, Kansas)
My wife and I had another great stay at the Maui Hill. This time it was just the two of us so we had a one-bedroom ocean view, 2nd Floor. The view was outstanding and we enjoyed many sunsets from our deck. The unit was perfect with one bedroom but two baths which made getting ready to go much easier since we were not trying to work around each other! We were on the lower side near the steps so we had only a 3 minute walk to the beach (actually 2 great beaches within a 5 minute walk) and right next to the boat ramp which was also nice. Note - there is a small sand pocket to the south of the ramp and we saw turtles relaxing on the beach every time we stopped by. The furnishings were in good shape and the unit was very well kept. While the facility is not a bright shiny new pile of concrete - it is well maintained and the pool and facilities are outstanding. The staff do a great job of making you feel welcome and you can tell they enjoy being a part of the condo team. We booked through Aston so we are not RCI users so I can not speak to those units or policies. I can only say we have stayed all over Maui, from Wailea to Kaanapali and this location in Kihei is perfect for site seeing, beaching, and just enjoying the Aloha spirit. One additional recommendation - spend some time driving south along some of the ocean front streets and look for Shoreline or Beach access signs and just park and go see what it looks like. We found some great small beaches to visit and beautiful ocean outcroppings to just share.
Beautiful place but...
themightydirk
The unit we had was #15 (does not line up with the unit numbers on RCI (#0755)). There are four units per building with two on top and two on bottom (note there are other building configurations on the property). The grounds are beautifully landscaped and we noticed people enjoying various activities on the property. The one bedroom unit was very spacious and has two full baths (so awesome). The bathrooms were nice and the kitchecn was nice. The lanai was awesome! It was big and had nice views of some mountain and some ocean. We really enjoyed breakfast there every morning! Ok...so why 3 stars (was going to put 2)...the poor sound insulation from the celing. There was a normal nice couple with two 10-12 yr old kids acting normal above us. It just sounded like people were bangin on the celing as they walked normally around. I have never heard anything like this. Thankfully we ate breakfast and took off on adventures most of the day. Please check out reviews of other building as the configurations are different but, they may have sound issues too. We are pretty easy going and rarely complain but this was just ridiculous! Would have highly recommended and given five stars if not for the insane noise issues.
Home away from home
mcharrey
Ive been coming here since I was a kid. The same payphone is in the pool area that i used to call my wife on when we were in high school. Nothing ever changes and thats okay, Thats why i come back over and over again because its home to me
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.
10 Days in paradise
556charles
The view of the ocean and upcountry from the 5th floor was spectacular. It was exactly as advertised. The price was great. Front desk staff was amazing and knowledgeable. We had problems getting the hide a bed back into the couch. Maintenance was prompt and courteous.
Across the street from the beach
alexis_N96813
(Honolulu, Hawaii)
If you want easy beach access and lots of great places to eat. This is the place to go. Literally cross the street and you have the beach. Lots of places to eat and small shops too. No resort feeling, just local aloha
Beware Hidden fees ! Booked online 3 nights for $203/ night then got hot with $229 in fees at check in.
149RobM
(Charlotte, North Carolina)
No daily cleaning service but a $125 cleaning fee will be charged, $39 damage waiver, reservation fee 29 plus taxes on all these fees totaled $229! No lobby, no restaurant, no bar, no ice machines, no room service, no beach chairs, charge for beach towels, window A/C will not break 75 degrees if run 24/7, tiny pool, room looks like a cheap Daytona Beach Motel from the 80’s.. wore out wicker furniture with pastel colors. Very musty smelling, wore out carpet. This property is barely a 2-star Motel...not a Hotel. Was a little worried when there were 2 exterminator trucks parked in the loading zone.
