The Westin Kaanapali Ocean Resort Villas Reviews & Ratings

Stayed July 14 through 21 and had the most beautiful week ever. Stayed the first week on Kona in a Wyndham resort and what a difference! The Westin is first class all the way. Made reservations early and got just what we wanted. Top floor ocean/pool view. The key is to reserve early. Unit is beautiful with its granite and marble. The lanai is quiet and breezy. Shower and bed are the best! Comfy robes given. Service was great all around. Pool and beach beautiful. Restaurant food was excellent

Rooms need to be refurbished. They are outdated and for the price you are paying you don't get your money's worth. The rest of the resort is very nice. The pool is wonderful. Restaurants are good and it's in a great location on Kaanapali beach.

Spectacular snorkling right off the beach. Glorious sunsets, too! The ammenities are top notch. The staff friendly and helpful at all times.

We stayed Christmas week 2006. A 1BR/1BA that we rented through RedWeek. 2 adults and 3 teenagers. We generally liked the resort and the unit. Agree on the heavy pocket door in the bathroom, nice heavenly shower and bed.

Two annoyances were that at check-in there were 3 names on the reservation - mine, the owner we rented from and someone else. So check-in took too long, left me a little nervous, and all week long we kept getting concierge calls to the third party...I still have no idea who they were.

Also, the unit was never cleaned although a midweek cleaning was promised and scheduled. We called several times and they never came. We finally just took new sets of towels and one set of sheets and let it be. But that was disappointing particularly for a Westin.

Grounds were nice; restaurant was good and service was very friendly. We actually liked the location away from the main Kaanapali beach -- a little quieter. Underground parking that we got a space ~50% of the time. The pool chairs very comfortable and the pool not too loud, but you have to get there by 8am to reserve a chair or you are out of luck. In- room internet and also a business center with 2 pc's and a printer which was convenient for boarding passes etc.

We were never asked to take a timeshare tour which was a nice respite from some other resorts where we have stayed. We would stay there again and recommend it to others for a reasonable price.

We stayed there in Sept. on a timeshare sales promotion. Very nice resort. Our room opened onto the new construction, no view. Resort amenities were decent. Enjoyed the pool and the waterslide, yeah, even at my age waterslides are a hoot. Definitely a family resort. Food at the cafe was OK. Definitely rent a car to see the island. Take a helicopter tour... wow.

Beach was nice, and terrific sunsets! We'll come back with our grandchildren.

Island View Studio 12/31/2006 - 01/07/2007

We have been to several other timeshare properties over the years and just returned from our first use as owners at Westin's KOR Villas. At times it was easy to forget we were at a "condo" and not staying at a high-end resort. Other properties slap some condos close to existing resorts... this property IS the resort and at the same time - it doesn't try to be something that it is not.

We are glad we own this spot on Maui for a family vacation and we eagerly await our next visit.

Only complaint... and it isn't even really a complaint - I would appreciate an adult pool/spa area to relax in (every time I went to use the spa, kids were playing) BUT this is a family resort - so expect there to be plenty of kids around - doing what kids do when they are on vacation (therefore I don't recommend this resort for adults looking for a romantic get-away).

Villa - 5 stars; Food/Bar - 5 stars (for what it is - a poolside bar/grill); Pool - 4 stars; Beach - 5 stars; Shuttle Service to Lahaina/Whalers - 5 stars; Staff - 5 stars

I give this place 5 non-snob Family Stars for what it is...

- a high-end FAMILY condo resort complex - with beautiful, modern, clean villa "rooms" - AIR CONDITIONING (many condos on Ka'anapali do not have A/C) - a resort style pool - an on-site bar & grill - a great resort- calibur on-site staff

... on the best stretch of Ka'anapali beach... that is isolated from the bustle (but close enough with a free shuttle ride) and an overall great place to have a Maui family vacation.

Stunning resort, great service, well-maintained villa and awesome views.

For us it just didn't live up to our expections. Since I cannot give a half star I rated it 3 stars however it should be 3.5 stars.

We had a full 2 bedroom unit on the 6th floor in building 3 with a very nice view of the pool and ocean. Check in was quick and easy and they had the one bedroom side ready for us at 1:00 PM. Although we didn't stay there that first night we checked in and got our keys. The foyer between the units is a complete waste of space and I had to buy door stops to keep the doors open between the units so my Mother in Law didn’t feel unwelcome to come into the living room and kitchen located in the one bedroom side. The kitchen was a nice size but the refrigerator and freezer had a horrible smell so I went to the store and purchased 2 boxes of baking soda and put one in each location and it didn’t even touch the smell. The dining room table is too big for the space and the furniture placement wasn’t the best with just one smallish sofa and a chair. The furniture was well used, very soft and needed to be replaced. The décor was not very Hawaiian and really could have been any Westin anywhere. It had more of a Southern California feel than a Hawaiian feel. Having the washer/dryer unit behind the entrance door was a real pain if you wanted to keep the door to the unit opened. I had heard the washer/dryer was a complicated to operate European set however our unit had a whirlpool stackable set that was very simple to operate. The bathroom was huge and very nice and I loved the heavenly showerhead. The pocket door to the toilet area was extremely heavy and hard to close. I don’t know why they would use a solid core pocket door for a toilet area. We never used the large jetted tub. The bedroom was a decent size but the heavenly bed was way too hard for both my husband and me. When I called housekeeping and asked for 2 egg crate mattress toppers they seemed shocked I did not like the bed and asked me to check under the mattress to see if a board had been placed there for a previous guest. There was no board and they do not have any mattress toppers for the heavenly beds so we made due with the mattress toppers they provide for the sofa beds. The studio side was very nice and I really liked the mini kitchen set up. I thought they did a very good job getting everything you would need into a small space, mini refrigerator, dishwasher, sink, microwave, smooth top 2 burner cook top, toaster, blender, coffeemaker dishes and utensils. The studio side would be just fine for a couple or small family. The only negative to the studio was no balcony. The limited grounds were nice with a green lawn area near the pool and a koi pond but not a lot of green open space, but hey you are beachfront in Hawaii! The resort is set back from a beautiful beach with excellent snorkeling. It is set back further from the ocean than I expected and I missed not being able to hear the ocean when out by the pool. The pool slide was a big hit but the pool was too small for the resort especially when they were using part of it for water aerobics classes. I can’t imagine how busy the pool area must be during the busy Holiday and Summer seasons. The pool temperature did not seem too cold for us. It felt cool (refreshing) when you first got in but in a couple of seconds it was just fine. If you wanted a free umbrella you needed to find one by 7:00 AM and the pool shack (where the towels are) does not open until 8:00 AM. At the end of the day we would get fresh pool towels and take them up to our room to use for the next morning and that worked out fine. The wait staff at the restaurant and pool were extremely nice and I cannot say enough kind things about them. They worked very hard and always had a smile on their face. The food at the pool side restaurant was good although we never ate dinner there, breakfast (off the menu) and lunch (usually by the pool) was just fine and we were always satisfied. We were not on the construction side and never heard any construction noise so it was not an issue for us. There seemed to be a lot of units with poor "views". The island view units face the highway and even many of the lower floor pool/restaurant facing units don't offer much privacy. Several times in the elevator when we selected the 6th (top) floor other guests commented on how lucky we were to be on the top floor. We met several unhappy owners who were given less than stellar view units. (We rented our unit from an owner thru Redweek). All in all it is a nice resort but offers nothing that I would say is exceptional for the price you have to pay to own at this resort, the high yearly maintenance fees, the high costs to rent from an owner or directly from Westin especially during peak times like Summer & Christmas (compared to other timeshares). The units are spacious and the resort fronts a beautiful beach however unless it was a SUPER great deal we would not return to this resort. We are not owners at either resort however our family prefers the Marriott Ocean Club and that is hopefully where our future Maui vacations will be. Aloha!

We stayed here may,2006. We were very disappointed with the property. The rooms were nice, we had a lock-off. The pool area was very hot, the U shape buildings blocked the breezes, also very little shady spots. The beach was next to tules which smelled like something was dead. There were used condoms in the sand. I really was surprised that a Westin property was so poor.

This is the only time share on Maui that offers all the amentities of a luxury hotel. We spent several days at the beautiful Sheraton Keahou hotel on the big island, and at the Fairmont in south maui with our two daughters this past June. We were all thrilled to finally check into the Westin for the last week of our trip. It was such a trreat to be able to relax in our spacious apartment, not have to rush out for breakfast etc., yet have all the services and amenities of a hotel available to us. We even did go out to a delicious breakfast in the restaurant adjacent to the lobby and beautiful water garden. Also, there is so much more to do in West Maui, than South.

Stayed here in June 06 for 1 week. Had 1BR corner unit with views of the freeway/mountains and construction, but even those views were great given the dramatic cloud formations. great patio and kitchen spaces. great snorkeling beach on property no need to travel to snorkel. lots of kids...no adult only pools. first class all the way.

My wife and I just returned from a 5 night stay in a studio. To see the smile on her face and have her comment, "I'm so glad we are owners..." is worth the annual fees at the Broadway Plantation. We were not in the room much, but the standard Heavenly Bed was... well, Heavenly. The dual shower heads and whirlpool tub were nice touches and there was free high speed internet at this location. There was never a hesitation to come back to the room to recharge... the attention to detail with tile floor, marble countertops, roomy bathroom, etc... made you almost not want to leave to see the rest of the resort. Everyone's children seemed to love the pool and I smiled every time I walked by a sign prohibiting the "reserving" of lounge chairs. I stopped by Safeway to load up on groceries and when it was time to resupply, was glad to see that the convenient general store on property had competitive prices. Restaurant prices at the resort are consistent with other area restaurants. If you want to see Maui, a rental car is a must. Ka'anapali is a short 40 minute scenic trip from the airport, and after driving all of Maui, you will conclude that the Westin Ka'anapali is the best location for beach, snorkeling, swimming, body boarding, sunbathing... Surf waves are just minutes away on other beaches. Most activities are within 10 minutes. You should dedicate all day for the "road to Hana" but that would be necessary no matter where you stay. Check out is at 10am and we were able to enjoy the resort until late afternoon and freshen up in the guest lounge loaded with full amenities (lockers, showers, many sofas in large waiting room) before our late plane departure.

We own a beautiful 2 BR at Sheraton's Broadway Plantation. We couldn't reserve a room at St. John or Harborside, therefore ended up in Ka'anapali. The resort is new, so there is no wear and tear. We attended a sales presentation for the new Ka'anapali Ocean Resort Villa North, being built next door. The sales lady said we would never be able to use our options to visit Maui again because once that property is complete, there will be guaranteed 100% occupancy. She had said that the only reason we were able to use our options now was because owners are being told not to visit due to construction noise (we were on the other side of the construction, so heard nothing). She had also said that was the way it is at all the vacaction properties within the network (I hope it's not true). The funny thing is that she continued to use the benefit of using options in her sales presentation. That's fine. The cost and time it takes to fly is enough to never complain about a 3 hour drive to Myrtle Beach. I'd like to eventually visit all the resorts within Sheraton's Vacation Ownership. Hopefully that sales lady was just using a so called "no pressure" sales pitch. If flying is not a problem, you will enjoy being an owner here.

Great resort, great accomodations. We just got back after trading 1 week at Westin Kierland for 2 here(using the studio 1 week and the 1 bdrm the 2nd) and thought it was awesome. The only trouble is the lockoff studio we stayed in has such a small balcony, but on the other hand, very well equipped compared to other timeshare lockoffs. That is why I would and am going to actually purchase here in an oceanfront unit which has a balcony on both sides. It is more $ but worth it for the guarantee of view. I still believe the extra cost (re Maui real estate)is worth it to assure getting accommodations here. I would disagree with Trina31 review, I think that the accomodations are big enough and compared to the ones I have seen are way bigger than some. Perhaps she was in a studio unit! I think the extra cost is because of the real estate here and even being in the Starwood system is hard to trade for for peak weeks. If you want to assure gong here, then you are apt to pay ehe extra$ Also, view is only guaranteed for Westin Maui owners, even we took what we could get and were happy to be there!

Just got back from my oceanfront deluxe unit and am so happy with my purchase. Can't be beat! I have now purchased an additional week in a 2 bdrm oceanfront in the new Kanapali North phase. Can't wait until it opens.

It's truly the nicest timeshare in Maui. However, spending an extra $30,000 for a 2 bedroom when buying directly through the sponsor is ludicrous. The starpoints are simply not worth that much. Put the extra 30K in the bank and use the interest to rent a hotel room!

I actually bought the Marriott Maui as they said dont even bother with the Westin. Their whole sales pitch was to bag on the location. Well we happened to go and snorkel the beach in front of the Westin a few days later and we decided to check it out. No wonder they didnt want us to see it, if anyone really took the time no one would buy at the Marriott. We used our one week recision rights and bought at the Westin 3 years ago. It was one of the best desicions we have ever made.

Outstanding....

This place if first class.

Great pool, but the best part is the beach. Location, location, location. This particular beach has great snorkeling. Great for all....from the family to the romantic couple.

Enjoy this new resort!

We've been here for one week of a two week stay. Everything is perfect so far! Can't say enough about this place.

Friendly service. They bend over backwards for you. Ask for anything from your room and there's a knock on your door freakishly soon.... like they're lurking outside your door, knowing exactly what you'll need. ;-) (We needed more hangers, foam pillows and an additional bath robe)

We're in a 5th floor ocean veiw villa and the view is AWESOME. Any 5th or 6th floor ocean view room will give you an unobstructed view. It seems the 4th floor and lower would have some trees in the way, but they are trimmed nicely and would still allow a great view.

The pool is nice. Our son won't stop sliding! Snorkeling right in front of the property is wonderful. Lots of fish and things to look at. I recommend buying one of those tubes of fish food at the store. You can get them at dive shops. The fish swarm all around you eating this stuff up. Your kids will go wild.

There are lots of things to do right on property. The location is great for anything and everything in West Maui. Kahalui airport is about 45 minutes away.

Awesome, awesome, awesome!! I can't recommend this place enough!

Update: Finished out the vacation in paradise. Everything was perfect. Bought two weeks! Hawai'i is truly Heaven on Earth!

We just got back Jan. 22, 2006 and the resort was much more than I had hoped for. We rented from a owner and we were so pleased. The studio was spacious and the bed was Heavenly! We were on pool side 6th floor and could see the ocean, the whales were wonderful. The next time we go to Maui I will try to stay here again.

The Ocean Front units at the Westin Ka'anapali Ocean Resort Villas are the best! We have never experienced better at any Hawai resort- this resort and these OF units cannot be beat.

We spent one week on both the 1 Bedroom Unit and the studio unit (Deluxe corner unit). Needless to say the 1Bd unit was incredible. The studio was very roomy (about 600 sqft) and has a good size balcony that is actually on the side of the building, but it isn't a problem since it is the front of the building so the ocean view is still terrific.

We wish we could live afford to live there year round.

We just stayed at this resort week of August 7, 2005. After checking out many of the resorts on Maui while visiting; we declared that we were in one of the nicest locations with incredible amenities. The only disappointment was that the "stay at one, play at all" was discontinued July 1. We stayed in a one bedroom and it was enough room for a family of four. Will definitely go back to this resort!