I really enjoyed my recent stay at the Westin in Kaanapali. I'd say that it checked the boxes in…read moreevery regard that was important to me - convenience, great location, updated facilities, and family friendly. I came here late April 2026.
When you first arrive and walk into the lobby, it is quite stunning. I don't know when their latest renovation was, but it feels updated within the past 7-8 years, modern but also keeping that nice Hawaiian touch. You're welcomed by several live plants and flowers covering the walls in the breezeway when you walk towards the front desk, and can spot a waterfall and koi pond.
Rooms - As Marriott Bonvoy members, we luckily got upgraded to the room with view of ocean and expansive pool area - literally looks like the picture featured on this Yelp review. It's a stunning view. The room itself was also nicely updated! It felt modern, yet still cozy and inviting. We got 2 queens, and it seems that every room comes with a balcony. We all loved the balcony - great way to be outside and enjoy the weather, live music, and dry your swimsuits. Anyway, the room itself was very comfortable, and it's hard to find updated rooms in Maui for a somewhat decent price. I think my only complaint is that it was a bit small - it was ok for the 3 of us (2 adults + 1 toddler), but I can't imagine coming here as a family of 4 with teenagers, and have to squeeze into the small room.
Swimming pools - there were several to choose from, including a designated kid's pool, regular pool, and adult only pools. They were each nicely designed and landscaped with the trees - there were several slides for each pool, and designed in such a way where you couldn't even notice them. Also, the adult pool was hidden, so little ones aren't tempted to access the adult only pool, and I'm sure it worked well the other way by not being able to hear the kids! The towel process was a little annoying. We were given several towel cards good for each towel. But the annoying thing was that we had to carry separate towel cards separate from our room key, that was a wristband. Might as well just combine the two to make it more convenient for guests? Not that it was a huge hinderance - just a suggestion.
Beach access - you are basically right there, on a public beach. It was extremely convenient to be right there, grabbing our towels from the hotel and using them for the beach. If you want lounge chairs, umbrellas, etc. though, you will have to pay a fee to rent them. Obviously it's not as nice as other hotels that have that all set up for you, like we've experienced in other countries, but hey, it's just the Westin.
Restaurants - There aren't too many restaurants to choose from here - but we did really enjoy the Hale Moʻolelo Restaurant/Bar. We didn't actually eat here at all, but enjoyed cocktails here every night. They have live music DAILY each evening, and welcome all ages, including our toddler. I was getting tired of the Hawaiian tiki drinks, started ordering regular cocktails, which were decent. The live music alone was wonderful each evening. There was also the Ulu Kitchen by Merriman's, which we were somewhat interested in trying, but never got around to it.
Marriott Bonvoy members also get free breakfast with their stay. They did not have a designated breakfast restaurant, unfortunately, but rather they gave us credit for the convenience store that served hot food and other beverages. They had options such as Loco Moco, scrambled eggs and potatoes, acai bowls, spam masubi. Honestly it was all very disappointing food - my daughter really only liked the spam masubi that didn't seem worth it for one entree item. We did utilize the free beverage for bottled water each day though, which was convenient.
Location - was wonderful too. It was located right next to Whaler's Village, which is a shopping center with lots of restaurants, coffee, an ABC store, etc. It's a short walk, and we walked here each morning to get coffee, have my toddler run around, and also walk around with her in the stroller during her naps. The hotel is also located with just a few minutes drive to Lahaina, where more restaurants were.
Amenities - they have random pet parrots that come out during the daytime, which my daughter loved seeing each day. Fun to see the fish in the koi pond. Also, they have random vendors/activities in their breezeway where the shops are, including pineapple tasting, hat making, etc. which can be fun for the little ones. The arcade was also pretty amazing. Some of the games have this "play until you win" feature, which was really nice for all kids playing to win something. My daughter was hooked. Elevators can be slow. We found that the ones located on the side closest to the front desk were faster than the ones closer to the Arcade!
Just realize that this place seemed like it was intended for families, but it was executed quite nicely. Would highly recommend.