miiller5728 12/14/2019

This was the 1st year my husband and I traveled away from home/family for a holiday and it was well worth it! The staff at The Whaler treat you like family and are very accommodating to your requests. I would recommend paying a little extra for an ocean front room. We had a corner unit in Tower 1 which meant we had two really long patios. One that faced the ocean and the other had ocean and mountain views. Walking distance to Whaler Village is really nice because it was a quick trip to the ABC store to buy all of the little things you forgot or just have to have. Also, there are some pretty amazing restaurants in there. Beach access was spectacular and our condo had beach chairs and an umbrella for us to use. The pool area is smaller than I expected so it was a little difficult to find a chair in there on some days. The kitchen was top of the line and had everything we needed. We also made use of the grills down by the beach and learned they are cleaned every day. They were always spotless! Did I mention the 70" flatscreen we had?! We are already discussing making plans to go back again next Thanksgiving!

Jumccaff (Victoria, Canada) 12/08/2019

Serendipitously, our friends have direct-owner-rentals in bldg 1 overlooking the court yard in between the two towers. We were too frazzled trying to figure it all out (lack of mental capacity due to crazy months of work) and went to a travel agent, which got us a slightly better price b/c of their purchasing discount, but we didn't have control over the room location. Our friends suggested calling the Whaler's 1-800 number and requesting Bld 1 (b/c updated furnishings compared to 2) and overlooking courtyard, but we procrastinated and called too late. We landed in Bldg 2, not overlooking the courtyard (which would have been prettier), but west facing over the whaler village which was still incredibly nice. We were on the 8th floor and I'd recommend fl 8 or higher for ocean views! Bring a bit of tinfoil, saran wrap, maybe a lockable tupperware container for food, as these aren't provided, but virtually everything else is. Also bring good thermal water bottles that you can pack with ice from your room and add ice tea or water from the lobby to keep hydrated - it'll save you buying bottles of it over and over. OUR ROOM: 865 BEST ADVICE - don't do bldg 1 east view, your ocean sights are impeded. IN SEQUENCE, TRY - bldg 1 west side overlooking courtyard, then Bldg 2 east overlooking courtyard, then Bldg 2 west side overlooking whaler's village. In all, 8th floor or higher. The studio apt. was well appointed, the bed awesome, they had dishwasher/sink/laundry soap provided. Balcony was lovely. Shower walk-in. Safe in large walk-in closet. The room was ideal for 2 adults, and I could see it being fine for an additional child too b/c seating is for 4 and room is large to accommodate. Safeway is 10 minutes down the road - buy food and bring it back by catching the public transit next door at Whaler Village for $2 to Lahaina, which you must plan to visit. They have neat touristy shops (prices differ per - so compare), an outlet mall, and a really neat boardwalk area with great architecture, scenery, eateries overlooking the water, and the banyan tree is actually worth the visit. We are planning to do a full day-trip to Hana (everyone advises start early - 7 ish - and plan a full day for a sunset there). Also, the Old Lahaina was the luau we wanted to go see, but plan ahead and book early. Instead, we could get into Drums of the Pacific which is bigger, less authentic, but fine for first-timers like us I'm sure. We did a lot of research on luau's and snorkeling excursions. To save money we considered just renting on the beach by Black Rock, but to ensure we make the most of our time, booked a morning trip with Magic Merman. It was cheaper to book Magic Merman for the snorkel through Expedia than their own website, btw, b/c no booking fees. Look for ABC in Whaler's Village for snacks or convenience food stuff, even liquor. The first time we needed to forage for food, I could only find a seafood burger and fries for $25 and it was meh. The next day I found ABC and could have gotten snacks, fresh fruit, sandwiches and the sort there for pennies, comparatively. I have issue with paying $25 for a boogie board that I can't fit in my luggage and would have to leave behind after a day or two of use, but what I found is that there's many who do, then just discard perfectly good ones on the beach come sun down, so we snagged two and enjoyed the day on them and will gift them to others when we leave. We also brought a decent beach mat with us and that worked great on the beach without needing to rent chairs. We also brought a small collapsible 6 can cooler that with ice, allows you to bring snacks or lunch with you to the beach or on the road to Hana, or to keep groceries cool when travelling to/from Ka'anapali. For a first time visit, I would repeat every single minute. I've traveled over 20 countries and quite extensively through Canada and U.S. (by motorcycle predominately) and I hope to make this a routine visit for us every 2-3 years.

MGLarsen (Vienna, Virginia) 12/08/2019

Staying at the Whaler on Kaanapali Beach in Nov 2019 was our best family vacation yet. Room 920, two bedroom, on bath, ocean view of black rock. The room was so beautiful and we loved our balcony. The location was perfect for a family of 4 with kids ages 11 and 9. It was directly on the beach, walking distance to lively restaurants, and many hotel options to get meals. Snorkeling at Blackrock was so cool, eels, turtles colorful fish. We went on a boat/snorkel trip to Lanai, Kayaking and snorkel, Road to Hana to see many wonderful waterfalls. We loved our room, the pool, the beach, the black rock and walk distance to so many things. We had a great day golfing at The Royal Kaanapali and our youngest went to the kids club at the Aston Kaanapali Shores. She had a great experience. Our son had his 11th birthday and the staff was so gracious and made him feel very special. We want to give a shout out to Nathan for his great informative conversations, fish food and singing Happy Birthday, Cheri for her kindness and support celebrating Jaxen's birthday, Nicki for her advice and photos of us, Princess for fun conversations, Michael for his towel and info, Ben for his insights on the island, Gasty for helping Jaxen have a fire by the beach at night and Dexter and Rod for their fun conversations with Jaxen. We can't thank you enough for making us feel so comfortable. It was our Home Away From Home! We want to plan a trip back next year to see the whales. The Whaler was an amazing experience, not only because of the property but more importantly because of the people. I am a business professional in the Washington DC area and my company believes in being customer obsessed, this was a great example of the staff going above and beyond to amaze and delight their customers. And it was because they truly cared. Mahalo!

HoniBluesky 11/23/2019

This place was gorgeous! We had a spacious condo with a king bed in the bedroom and ensuite bathroom and a pull out sofa in the living room which was plenty comfortable. The second full bathroom was fantastic for two girls vacationing together. The kitchen was well stocked and beautiful. A lovely wraparound deck with plenty of choices of patio furniture. We didn't want to leave. Safe, gated entrance, secure underground parking and a $10 drop in yoga every second day. Ocean view and a view of the ocean from the living room mirror made it seem extra luxurious! Highly recommend this fabulous place!

michael r 11/22/2019

Nice place with beautiful grounds, independently owned units. Great 24hr gym with free parking, 3 miles to Lahaina, shopping center next door. The beach area has chairs, water toys, towels etc and is open till 10pm.