On our recent trip to Maui, we spent some time in Kaanapali at the Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa. This was our second stay at the Hyatt and would recommend it as a hip hotel for families visiting Maui. The Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa in Kaanapali offers good online specials on rooms and also offers families a Family Plan, with 50% off the price of a second room, making this a good value for a high-end hotel. Call 1-800-55 HYATT, or contact your travel planner for Family Plan reservations. Hip Tip: Right now the Hyatt Regency Maui is running a Three for Free Offer, where you can enjoy the 3rd night free, free room upgrade and free daily breakfast for two at Hyatt Regency Maui from January 1 to April 30, 2010. The fine print does indicate that this offer is not available with the Family Plan, so make sure to confirm with the hotel to find the best deal for your family.
Property: The tropical grounds are engaging the moment you step into the open foyer, with tropical birds, koi fish, swans, pink flamingos and penguins dispersed along meandering flagstone paths. Our kids became very attached to our regular morning greeting by a beautiful gray parrot named R2D2 that meowed like a cat and barked like a dog. Hip Tip: Head down to the Koi pond by Halona Kai café at 9:30am every morning and the kids can feed the Koi and watch the Penguins enjoy breakfast.
Room: Our room was a deluxe oceanfront, which is in the middle tower looking out directly over the pool. Here there are spectacular views of the pool, beach, ocean and islands in the distance. Rooms are comfortable and include either two doubles, or King bed with a pull out couch. Cribs are complementary. The balconies are a bit cramped for relaxing, but the views well make up for their small space. Hip Tip: request an upper view room (18 floor +) near the Umalu restaurant for spectacular sweeping views and nightly music from the bar below until 8pm each night. (Great for those who have kids with early bedtimes so you can sit on the balcony and relax to music and the sound of the ocean below).
Pool: The Hyatt pool is one of the best on the Ka’anapali beach for kids. The Kids pool has endless activities for all ages and includes a sand bottom baby pool, fountains, slides, lagoon, rope bridge, and rock waterfall hot tub nearby. Poolside service includes delicious food and tropical beverages from Umalu. Hip Tip: grab chairs in the sand early, as parents tend to fill up the close spots by the pool by mid-afternoon.
Food: For Hyatt Maui family friendly dining options, Umalu is an excellent spot to catch lunch poolside. If you are a fish fan, I would highly recommend the Grilled Ahi Salad and the kids meals are great for picky eaters. The hotel also has a great breakfast buffet at the Son’z Maui at Swan Court that our kids loving to refer to as “Swan Breakfast,” because the dining room opens up to a big pond where swans swim around out front. Hip Tip: for early risers and a fast and less expensive option for breakfast, try the Hanola Kai Cafe downstairs in the atrium near the lobby.
Entertainment: We used the concierge to book the Drums of the Pacific Lu’au which is located on the property, making it an excellent choice for those who don’t want to make the treck into Lahania for the Old Lahaina Luau. Food was good and entertainment kept our little ones engaged. They were able to join the dancers on stage for a little Hula, which was fun for all. We also enjoyed the rotating nightly musicians at Umalu and walked down the path to Whalers Village each night for ice cream and live entertainment. I’m always a fan of the spa when I travel, so if you are like me, make sure to book a treatment at the Hyatt’s luxurious oceanside Spa Moana to refresh and recharge.
For more family friendly options at this and other Hyatt properties, check out Hyatt’s Perfect Family Vacations page.
Have other hip tips for staying at the Hyatt in Kaanapali? Post them in the comments.
Note: The recomendations expressed in this post are only opinions of the writer. Hip Travel Mama was a guest of the hotel and did not receive any compensation for our review of this property.