Travel Review: Royal Lahaina Resort Maui Hawaii

The Royal Lahaina Resort in Maui, Hawaii is located on 27 beautiful acres of tropical gardens. Along side it resides a half mile stretch of the Kaanapali Beach. My husband and I had the pleasure of winning a sweepstakes, which included a five day four night stay at the Royal Lahaina Resort. We spent our vacation there celebrating our 20th anniversary in June of 2008. I would definitely stay there again, but would make different choices the next time around.

Lahaina Kai Tower versus Cottages

At the Royal Lahaina Resort you have your choice of staying in a garden or beachside cottage. You also have the option of staying in the 12-story Lahaina Kai Tower. My husband and I stayed in a garden cottage. It was just a short walk to the beach, restaurant and pool area. I loved that the cottages were nestled in a beautiful landscape. It was surrounded by gorgeous flowers and trees. I enjoyed the privacy the cottages had to offer. I did not want to walk down hallways and the lobby every time I wanted to go outside to the beach or pool area. The only draw back of staying in a cottage is that they are not luxurious like the rooms in the tower. They are a very nice size, but if your looking for fancy updated bathrooms, you will not find them in the cottages. I am a huge fan of soaking in a big comfy bathtub, but was very disappointed to find an outdated large shower with cold ceramic flooring. I suppose it was also meant to be a bathtub, but it was very large and very hard and cold. It reminded me more of what you find in a high school locker room. I was also dissatisfied with the mattress on the bed. It was incredibly hard and uncomfortable. I believe my biggest mistake was not choosing a room in the tower. They have all been remodeled with comfy beds, decor and bathtubs that would make anyone happy. As much as I was displeased with the cottages, I was thrilled with the tower rooms. My best suggestion if you decide to stay at the Royal Lahaina Resort is to choose a room in the Lahaina Kai Tower.

Restaurant

We ate breakfast almost everyday at the restaurant. They had a buffet that would put other buffets to shame. Anything you could possibly imagine was there. Hearty foods like bacon, eggs, sausage, gravy were abundant. If you love pastries, waffles and pancakes you will not be disappointed either. Their selection of fresh fruit was wonderful too. There was even a Chef preparing eggs to order with a variety of ingredients to add to your omelet or scrambled eggs. It was a bit pricey but with such a great variety of food, it was well worth it. We dined outside overlooking the pool. One tip is to watch the birds. If you leave your plate for a minute, they will happily devour the rest of your breakfast.

Pool and Beach

I spent most of my time in the pool located just above the beach. They do offer an additional pool that borders the restaurant and bar area. Both pools were exceptionally clean and well kept. The beach was calm and relaxing. There were no crowds to wade through and it is only a short walk from your room. I was a bit intimidated by the ocean waters. The current seemed a bit strong and I chose not to venture too far out. I am not an experienced ocean swimmer so you might feel differently when you take the plunge.

Lobby

The lobby was nice, but a bit dark. There are several classes that are offered in the lobby during certain times. You can sign up to make a lei and other items. I did not attend any of them, but thought it was a nice addition to the resort. Vendors are also located in the lobby during the day, and offer an array of collectibles and souvenir. You can also find an abundance of informational pamphlets on site seeing tours, attractions, and just about everything Maui, Hawaii has to offer.

Staff

The staff was wonderful. Everyone from the desk clerk, garden keepers and the house keepers were awesome. There was not a moment that went by, where someone was not asking if you needed anything, or smiling and offering a friendly hello.

Royal Lahaina Luau

They do offer a luau right at the resort. We did attend and it was very nice. The food was great and the show was wonderful. If your looking for a fancy more authentic Hawaiian luauyou might not enjoy it as much. There was a large amount of people there and you were seated in large groups. It by no means was quaint and private. I loved the fact that we could walk straight to the luau from our room, and not worry about driving anywhere after a couple of cocktails. Cocktails by the way are free with the purchase of the luau tickets. They have pre made cocktails to choose from. You can purchase tickets from their web site for the luau. We found them a bit cheaper at Boss Frogs in town. I actually called and made arrangements with Boss Frogs a couple weeks before we left for Hawaii. We had the option of purchasing them or sitting through a timeshare, at a neighboring resort and receiving them free. Free is always good. Needless to say we sat through about a 2 hour presentation. It was worth it because it saved us money and we had free breakfast at the presentation.

Room Rates and Choices

The room rates are very reasonable, starting at only $149.00 a night. Of course they go up according to your accommodations. An ocean view will cost you a bit more. They even have special package rates that include breakfast and dinner for two. I would recommend you checking their web site for Internet specials and deals. You also have the choice of staying in the tower or a cottage, so prices are adjusted accordingly.

Overall Review

The Royal Lahaina Resort is not as fancy as some of the newer resorts in Maui. I actually enjoyed the fact that it was not a huge commercialized resort crawling with tourist. The beach and pools were not crowed, and the rooms were a nice size for me and my husband. I would definitely stay there again. I would how ever stay in the Lahaina Kai Tower. I was not impressed with the cottages, especially the bathroom and hard mattress. It was nice but as I mentioned before, I am sort of a bathtub lover so that was the biggest disappointment for me.

Source:

http://www.hawaiihotels.com/Main/

http://www.maui-vacation.net/mauiluaus.html