The Westin Kaanapali Ocean Resort Villas

Pluses: great snorkeling beach, beautiful pool, spacious villas, heavenly beds, shuttle to Lahania, most staff helpful and friendly. Barbecue grills nice spot to meet others.

Negatives: front staff not very friendly, food was ok, had to pay for exercise classes - expensive - $24 for a yoga class! I encountered one unfriendly staff at conceirge desk but the rest were great! Had to pay $10 each time we used a regular lounge chair on the beach.

Overall it was a nice place to stay and we would do it again! Save money and bring your own snorkel equipment, camp chairs for the beach and rafts for the pool and beach.

We stayed here in June 2008 in the origional building and had an ocean view. This resort was top notch. Washer and Dryer in ALL units! The resort was very clean, staff nice and friendly. Plenty of activities. Nice pirate ship pool for the kids. The beds in all Westin properties are "heavenly" so no issues there! The snorkeling was great right in front of the resort, literally at chest deep water there was coral and fish to see. It was amazing, so bring your mask for a look around! There was no problem getting a grill by the pool. This June 2009 we stayed just a few resorts down at the Marriott Ocean Club. It was also top notch as long as you get the new buildings. The origional one is dated and doesn't offer the full kitchens or w/d in unit. But there is a big laundry mat for free on the first level. All in all we like both places a LOT and would stay at either on again and give both a 5 star for differnt reasons. The Westin was more up scale, but the Marriott was amazing with palm trees everywhere and the pool was fantastic. It looked more like a tropical paradise at the Marriott. The Marriott was smaller and more fun to walk around, the Westin had better activities and babysitting in their kids club. The Westin will not let kids under 10 in the hot tub. The Marriott advises against it but does not restrict it. They keep one hot tub perfect and all the kids go in that one. Then they kept the other hot tub really hot and the adults that like it that way went in there! Good thinking on Marriotts part! Other differences are: Snorkeling right at resort beach at Westin......Marriott was small surf waves the whole time and NOT good at all for snorkeling. Black Rock is between the two resorts and you can walk there for wonderful snorkeling, but it is a good long walk from the Marriott and aftering doing it once, decided not to do it again! The pools are funner for kids at the Marriott. Both offer borrowed sand toys for the kids, so no need to buy them. Both have a borrow a book, leave a book library which I always find nice. I have read on here not to stay on the mountain side of the north resort at Westin b/c of sewer plant odors, but in the front of the old building is no problem at all! The building was totally modern and nice inside.....Looked bran new! I think you should try both the Westin and Marriott resorts here on kaanapali you will not be disappointed with either! If you are going to buy a timeshare I would recommend Westin b/c you can trade internally and all Westin's seem to be equal quality. Plus all Wesin units seem to have w/d and functional kitchens even in the smallest lock off sides! Marriott is hit and miss what you are going to get and some don't have w/d in them or anything more then a minifridge and mini microwave.......really just a hotel room for the lock off portion!

Just returned from first visit to Hawaii. Stayed for 2 weeks in Maui; first week at Marriott Ocean Club, second week at Westin Ocean Villas. I'll use a comparison as a review and a 1-10 rating.

Location: TIE (8) = 2 miles seperate the two properties and each have advantageous locations

Room: Westin (9) = occupied the single best unit at the Westin (2631/2630=top floor ocean front new building w/ largest balony) GET THIS ROOM if you can; at Marriott (6)stayed in Lanai (older converted hotel) 2 bed/3 bath...OK, but missed a full kitchen; If we had a new room at Marriott, I've a feeling that Westin would have lost out overall.

Grounds: Marriott (10) = Gorgeous park-like setting...stunning/lots of private areas around the pool with high-end umbrellas; Westin (7) was nice but felt like a resort...Westin pool chairs are so close you have NO privacy and there are very few chickies for which you have to hunt or go down at 730AM to attain

Outdoor grills: Marriott (10) = New VERY high end granite surrounded outdoor grills that are numerous and conveniently located-probably cost over $10K for each pair. Westin (7) nice, but more like a built in outdoor home type gas grill as opposed to Marriotts professional grade

Beach: Marriott (7) = The beach directly at Marriott is nice, but further down toward Sheraton it is very nice; Westin (5) = Nice to look at but unusable due coral. [As reference, we've traveled extensively throughout the carribean and typically vacation in Aruba which would score a (10) for beach quality]

Luxury feeling: Westin (8) High end products and service abound-nothing feels cheap except the beach towels; Marriott (7)...felt like a Marriott.

Service (front desk/restaurants/shops/bellman/valet): Westin (9) = VERY professional upscale service; very responsive. Marriott (7) felt like a Marriott.

Housekeeping: Westin/Marriott (4). Both resorts have subpar housekeeping standards. Each have a 1 time per week cleaning; When the sofa bed was opened the previous occupants bedding was still in place and very unkempt; Marriott had mold on the shower curtain and between some shower tiles; Westin had hairballs on shower floor; Westin housekeeping made the bed and left some toiletries...no towels replaced, nothing else done. Very disappointed with housekeeping at both properties and both felt somewhat dirty. Would not purchase from either for this fact alone. Our timeshare in Aruba (CLBR) has housekeeping 6 days per week and on the 7th day (Sunday) towels are replaced...and costs far less (albeit a somewhat older property) than either of these properties but still maintains a far superior beach with great service.

Recap. We had a nice time at both resorts and would probably return, but Maui would not be our first choice for destination.

My family of four stayed here from 6-11-09 to 6-18-09. Our room was located in building 8 in the North Villas. We had room 8103 on the first floor. It was awesome. We had the large one bedroom which has a huge patio on the first floor. We had two padded loungers and a table and four chairs on the deck. We could sit on the patio and see the pool and ocean. We were able to walk fifty feet to the pool or about 50 yards to the ocean from our patio. It was incredible. We had sunset views and ate dinner on our patio every night. There was six gas BBQ's located 25 feet out out front door which made grilling simple. I would live in this room if I could. We could not have asked for a better stay. The beach was not crowded like other nearby beaches and the snorlking was good. We had a large turtle swim right by us at the resort beach while we were snorkling. I don't own here, but I do own two Starwood properties. Starwood has been great to us. I did tour the Marriott timeshare on Maui. It is a very nice property, but that part of Kaanapali Beach can get very crowded. We are planning to come back to this resort for two weeks in 2010.

Westin Clean Westin bedding Westin shampoo Westin service

Really wonderful!

We have been here two weeks. The first week was Presidents Week and we stayed in the South Building. This week we are in the North Building.

Service is excellent. The resort staff are friendly and helpful. The other guests, many coming from the NE are being refreshed and renewed and escaping the winter like us.

We are owners and rate this facility 5 star and would like to buy another unit.

Stayed at Marriott Lahaina Villa first week - 5 stars, excellent. Stayed at the Westin the next week. There is no way we will ever come back. We took the advice of earlier reviewers to call and state a preference for our oceanview one bedroom with lock off room to highest/closest to ocean possible. We even stopped in the prior week to say hello and get acquainted with property. we asked for an early a check-n as possible as we were already close by. We got our room exactly at 4pm, it was nowhere near the ocean. The smell - not as I had heard from the water sewerage plant up the hill - but from the exhaust from the property's very own engineering plant. I tried to change rooms and was told that "somebody has to get these rooms". Even though the weather was cooler and much windier than the previous week, we could not even open our sliding glass window due to the discharge gasses' odor. The pool was closed for aboiut 6 hours on two of the days due to sanitation issues. We could not even arrange for a one hour late check-out. Did I stay the staff was less than aloha? Needless to say we are not buying here and will never stay here again

Stayed at the Westin Vacation Ownership South property (6 Kai Ala Drive) - Jan 5-19

Bellman - 5/5 (friendly, personable, and v helpful)

Concierge - 4/5 (lobby concierge 5/5 in tower concierge 3/5)

Front Desk - 2.5/5 (provided only the basics and not very friendly - missed expectations)

Pool - 5/5 (great for kids and adults)

BBQ Area - 4/5

Beach - 4.5/5 (nice and empty in comparison to the Kaanapali beach - main beach around Black Rock)

Parking - 5/5

Rooms - 5/5 (clean, spacious, multi - functional)

Kids Programs - 5/5 (variety, movie nights, quality staff that cares, and flexible)

All in all I would consider returning.

This resort really is a top notch facility, especially if you know to call in advance and secure the unit(s) with the best views. We are owners at this resort and have stayed here on three separate occasions. On all three stays, everything has been perfect. It should also be noted that we regularly stay at 5 star resorts including the Four Seasons and Aman Resorts, so we know a good resort. The original South property is better - larger units with better views. There is a total of three buildings here and the original building, building #2, has just been refurnished and updated - new furniture, etc. so everything is spotless. It is true that some of the "Oceanview" units do not have direct ocean views, but if you call in advance to reserve your unit, you should get a good view. I would forget the islandview units though as these do have views of the parking lot and highway. It should also be noted that this property is ideal for families and kids. We took our 18 month old son here this past Thanksgiving and he had a ball in the main pool with the waterslide. There is also a pirate ship pool for little kids on the north side which is great. The beach here also has the best snorkeling - better than Blackrock because the reef is much longer and wider, so thus more marine life. I am a diver, so I know if there's good snorkeling or not. I wouldn't necessarily pick this place for a honeymoon since it is more family oriented. The large units have full kitchens and bathrooms with spa tubs - about 1000 square feet for the 1 bedroom. I've also NEVER smelled any sewage so I don't know what the other reviewers are referring to. Overall, this place is fantastic and I plan to return every year!

i cannot believe the amount of people hammering the marriott i own at both and would sell at the westin to go to the marriott any day of the week. the service at the westin is terrible, the location is terrible and the prices are terrible. just came back yesterday and i will not go back there- anyone want to trade a marriott week for a westin week? the program does not compare to marriott and they sold almost everything on the property as an ocean view- even first floors with a view of the garden- oh yeas marriott calls them garden view. seriously- anyone want to trade ownership of a marriott for this westin i will look at almost any marriott propert (except florida as i already own there.) maybe westin should take a hint from marriott and not have union bartenders- how silly-union bartenders they make 22 an hour all benfits and we tip them- they should be tipping us!!!!

I am an owner, and I was upset to see the teak pool chairs with soft pads had been replaced with mesh chairs and no pads.......bummer. Feels like they hired a Marriott Staff member and took direction from him / her. Does not really seem like a high caliber Westin anymore, more like an Embassy Suite or a Marriott.

The room we had was missing the sofa table, but the room was clean. We have always been concerned that Westin was hurding people through like cattle to sell sell sell the place and now that this building is sold out, I'm afraid the things we really liked about it are about to disappear.

The sewage treatment plant is a small one and it's about 1 mile north east of the complex, Google it if you want to see it. Marriot sales people always show pictures of the sewage treatment plant in their presentations, but what they don't tell you is there is plenty of crap in their sales information and lots of pee right there in their pools..... :)

Nice complex, we like it, but we are worried about it staying nice and we see prices falling at the Northern group of towers, with lots of specials and points and free vacations, free this, free that; so ask for a lot if you are going to buy....

I stayed at this resort in November 2006 and was very disappointed.Despite being told that we had a room away from the construction when we arrived we were given a room directly facing the noise and mess.We were told throughout the week that no other rooms were available although we knew that was not true.

The only defenders of this place are some of the owners who paid ridiculously high prices to buy their"oceanview"unit although you will see reviews from owners who can never get the unit they expect.There is a very large timeshare operation there which brings in lots of people from outside to gawk at the people lying around the pool.There is no aloha spirit here,just a concrete edifice that could be anywhere.

This is an awesome resort with every amenity. The rooms are the best part about staying in Maui, next to the golf, snorkeling, fishing, hiking, bicycling and the food. Wow, what a wonderful experience.

You will totally enjoy your stay.

Norm, San Diego

Sewage Plant. We just toured the Marriott Maui, and yes, the sales associate told us there was a sewage plant by the Westin and even pointed to it on a map. I have no idea if this is tru or not bc we never checked. This was not a typical Marriott first class sales presentation (we are Marriott owners in Aruba) and it showed how desparate this guy was to make a sale-- even if it was true. NOTE: disregard my star rating--had to select something to make a comment.

I am sure that the 2 previous writers lying about a sewage smell work for the Marriott selling timeshares 2 miles away. There is no sewage plant across the street and absolutely no smell. These people posting need to get a life. I have stayed here many times and that is just ridiculous. There is not a sewage plant anywhere in the vicinity of this property. This place is spotless and absolutely awesome. All of the benefits of a luxury hotel, but you have a condo with a kitchen. Most nights on the grass they have some type of live performance of local hula dancers or musicians. The snorkeling is unbelievable right outside the hotel. Better than Black Rock. My kids (6,8,12,14) absolutely love it. You can also swim on this beach, if you just go 50 yards up the beach where there is no coral. You get the best of both worlds in that regard. I have been to 4 Seasons Wailea, Grand Wailea, Hilton Waikoloa, Kauai Hyatt, Kaanapali Hyatt and most of the other nice properties in Hawaii and I would rather stay here anytime. For a family, you can absolutely not beat it. The staff is friendly. The property is very open, unlike the new villas North next door at the sister property. Westin Villas North (next door) is very densely built and you feel closed in. This property does not feel that way. When you read a review on this site where someone says they stayed in the new building and did not like it, realize they are actually reviewing the Westin North, and not this property. There is a different page on Red Week for that property. The "new" building is the North property, which is a couple of years newer. The pool at the South property hardly seems crowded. I just returned 2 weeks ago in the busy season and had no problem getting seats in the shade under umbrellas most every day around the pool. Once again there is absolutely, positively no sewage plant across the street or anywhere nearby and no foul smell whatsoever.

Have stayed at this resort 5 years in a row. Great resort! I have never smelled sewage, so I am not sure what the other reviewers are talking about.

This is what you dream of when you think Hawaii!!! With the shuttle service into town why stay anywhere else?

we have stayed at the resort several times now and although we enjoy the close proximity to the beach, our love for this place is conditional. we were never informed by the sellers that this location was almost across the street from the sewage plant. the smell is awlful at times. we have stayed at the north property as well and it is unacceptable. shame on starwood for not disclosing this in their sales presentation. they have the audacity to launch a third property for sale directly across the street from the plant. i predict a class action lawsuit amongst the owners for such blatant disregard for a material fact that all should know prior to purchase.

the first property was built with nice space and amenity, now old and badly needing refurbishing. the north property reminds me of military barracks or close quarters like a prison. what were they thinking. the corridors and hallways are unfinished and poorly designed. it is obvious that quality is not a priority with the vacation ownership division, just greed and high maintenance fees. it is too bad, because westin hotels have more to offer in service and quality. maybe someone will read some of these reviews and wake up and do the right thing.

We rented a 2 bedroom unit during the Mother's Day Weekend, (5/9 - 5/12). We had requested to stay in a room overlooking the pool area, but instead got a room on the ground floor overlooking the Kahekili Beach Park parking lot, pavillion, and poor landscaping. The air also smelled like the sewage plant that is located directly across of the resort. Yuck! I pity those in the North building. The one bedroom unit with the kitchen had filthy furniture and carpet. The room setup was quite odd. You could not view the television from the kitchen or dining table. You would have to be sitting directly in front of it for a good view. The bathroom seemed bigger than anything else. That was a plus. The studio side was much cleaner, but the balcony was built for a menehune. I could have sworn it was 1 ft wide by 4 ft. long. The entrance way to the units was really a waste of space. The swimming pool area definitely need upgrading. You had to bend your knees to be submersed in water up to your neckline. The deepest is 4 ft. The waterslide should have been named "the slowslide." The problem is that there isn't enough water running through it to give you the speed that you need to enjoy it. People were actually using their hands to push themselves down. The shipwreck for kids should have been located near the main pool area in the south building. The game room was a disappointment for the kids. It turned out that they removed all of the games and left it an empty room. The food was fantastic, but the service really need to be better. We waited a little over an hour for our breakfast order at the Pulehu restaurant. It turned out that they only had 1 cook working that morning. The view from the Pulehu restaurant is a building. I am still confused as to why they would put a building in the middle of 2 buildings. That was very puzzling. I really felt like I was staying in a ghost resort. No people. No action. If this resort would upgrade its rooms, service and location (away from the sewage plant), I am sure it would be a 5 star resort without a doubt.

After 2 weeks, all we can say is ...Wow! This condo resort is absolutely 1st class, 5 star all the way. It is the best vaction resort we have ever stayed in...anywhere. Its amenities are quality and pampering. Location, accomodations and service is simply superb. Maui itself is amazing. Linens and towels are plush and bathrobes are provided which is really nice. Housekeeping does a quick tidy every day and beds are made. Condos are totally cleaned midweek. You can arrange for a full clean daily if you want, but we saw no reason for it. The utility closet had a broom and vacuum, iron and board. Each unit has its own washer and dryer which came in really handy. We did see some complaining about daily houskeeping but they had obviously never stayed in a condo resort and were used to hotel room service. It was obvious that the only people complaining at all, about anything, were those who who expected white glove and royalty service and still wouldn't be happy. The beach is fantastic, endless and low key. BlackRock is a short walk and the snorkelling and diving in front of the resort is as good as anywhere else on Maui. The pool chaise chairs are brand new, plentiful and very comfortable. Big fancy cabanas and chairs can be rented for those who want to lavish it up for the day. The pool is heated and huge and there are 2 big grotto style hot tubs. We liked that the kiddie pool is totally seperate and away from the main pool. It is large and has a gigantic pirate ship and slide as well as lounge chairs and bbqs for a nice family day area. Grocery on Maui is excellent and reasonable unlike what we had heard. Lahaina has it all and is a great place to frequent. We had a rental car but the free shuttles ran all day and night, everywhere. If we had to make any complaint, it would be that we couldn't stay longer. Cant wait to get back for our next stay....real soon.

Maui is the place to be. At the Westin Mid-March and the weather was perfect. Sadly, have to agree with other comments, the service at this beautiful resort, is sub-par. Not sure what is wrong here,but the staff needs a behavioral adjustment. We are status SPG members and owners as well. While the resort is absolutely beautiful and spotless, the overall staff is not into service at all. It is almost as if a guest's presence is unwelcome. Even brought this up to the hotel and they agreed that they, indeed, do have a problem staffing the hotel. This seriously needs to be addressed. The food in the restaurants is amazing, the wait staff, McDonald's trained? The over-all staff needs to be terminated or reprogrammed. Once that is addressed, this resort will be perfect; the foundation is exemplary, staighten out the staffing problems and it will be outstanding.

Six months ago (our last visit) I would have given this a 5 star. But as I write this from an oceanview 1st floor i am going to downgrade to 4 star. Since they have opened up the north villas I've notices a few things I don't like. 1. They went from really nice cushioned lounge chairs that were plush to mesh type chairs that are not nearly as comfortable. The nice chairs have been moved to the cabanas only which require a rental.

Overall I have noticed that the room quality has gotten a little shabby. Lots of stains in this particular unit on the carpets and furniture. As we entered the room they were just finishing steam cleaning the carpets. They were soaked. I also noticed that the staff seems less friendly, which concerns me.

Its still a great place to bring the family but not sure if its still the place to bring your spouse without the kids.

Just returned from the Westin Kaanapali, staying January 20 to 27, 2008. We were in a one bedroom on the second floor, over looking the childrens' pool. Westin has done a great job with this property. The furniture, televisions, beds, and linin are all high end. We used the shuttle service to go to Lahaina and down to the Whalers' Village, it was very handy. The only complaint would be that the Westin complex is so big.

We just returned from two weeks at this resort and loved it! Because we got one week from interval and one week through redweek and had to fill the gap and a day on either end (times 2 rooms), I can truthfully say that we say a broad spectrum of the rooms. While some were over the top great, the very worst I could say about any of the rooms was that for 1 night we overlooked the parking lot. The beds and baths live up to the heavenly tag. My one complaint with the rooms would be the large shutter louvered openings over the bathtub to the bedroom that are in all of the units. While they are a nice way of opening up the vista, when combined with the fact that all of the bathroom lights come on on one switch, getting up in the night may well wake the dear spouse. The staff was incredably helpful in coordinating all of our rooms and were very flexible about moving our reservations around between the two phases of the resort so that after the first night we were always in the same building on the same floor. As our child is a fish even though only five we hung out by the pool in the 1st phase of the resort which has a modest water slide open from 10-5. Even though we were there during a peak golf tournament week, we were able to get the same shady tiki right by the water slide 10 days out of the trip at 8 am. The villa's restaurants are very good for lunch or breakfast, but if you want something more interesting there are loads close by including at the nearby Hyatt Regency and the mother ship Westin as well as Roy Yamaguchi 5 minutes away. If you are going whale watching (the harbour was whale soup while we were ther,) easily visible from the balcony), I highly recommend Safari Tours. Not the giant boats that go 5 mph and park in the harbour a mile from the action. Not the tiny dingies which get you right up to the whales but have no bathrooms and no real seats. Safari has a Coast Guard boat with a bathroom and padded back supported seats (all front row and shaded) that gets you right up to the action. For diving, if you are going in the winter months, I dont recommend the shore diving that the inhouse 5 * Scuba provides. No criticism of 5*, but the visibility is much better 20-45 minutes out. Lahaina divers will take you out to Lanai to Cathedrals etc (where my 5 year old saw the pod of 200 dolphins), or to the inner crater of Molokini or the back wall of the crater where the current was ripping and we saw a 10-12' tiger shark. Had to love the newbie who said 'what was that pretty stripe-y dolphin? His nose was different'.... The Captain of the boat said we called 'Heeeeereee Kitttttty Kitttttty' just for you! It was a great trip all around. I highly reccomend the resort.

This is our 3rd year in a row staying here. My friend is an owner of a 2 room Ocean View lockout.. Each year gets better and better.. Yesterday at the pool someone informed me of Redwek.com and guess what, I just rented a second week for $695.....for the whole week starting tommorrow Dec 1st. A one bedroom.

The things I like the most at the Westin Ocean Villas: The shower heads and comfortable beds. The staff is faboulos. Jessie the bellman is our favorite. Parking and internet is free. I have seen those as much as $20 each at some places. The BBQ's are great. We always plan on at least one night at the pool BBQ. It is easy to snk beers and ocktails down there as they never come check. The hot tubs and pools say they close at 10pm but we are usually there until midnight and have never been told to leave. The safe in the room is nice for those of us who still use cash...The balcony's are big and scenic. We wvwn slep on night on out balcony on the lounge chairs. Scuba at the resort. It is $100 but worth every penny, they even take you to the ocean. There is a $5 drink special every day.....Use it, yesterday I went to the Grand Wyalaya and paid $12 per drink and $4.50 for a soda at the pool. Ouch.....

Helpful hints: COSTCO WHEN YOU FIRST LAND......Rent a car as you are a 5 minute ride to Lahaina and 40 minutes to the airport. Go to BiG Beach and Litle Beach if you feel wild. (Little beach is Nude).. Cool Kat cafe has a great live act during dinner Sunday & Wednesday. Pioneer Inn for Breakfast. Kobe restuarant is a joke... Go to a Luau for sure. Old Lahaina is probably the best. Hana is way too far and a scarry ride. I went half way and turned around. Save the gas..

No matter where you stay, COME TO MAUI !!!! You will love it here.............

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.

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.

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

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.

PERFECT!

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.

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.

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!

I have been an owner here since 2002 before the property was built and I just acquired two more weeks because I like the place so much. The Starwood ownership program works very well if you travel a lot. My last visit was this Janaury and we enjoyed the whales as well as the weather. We've mostly visited in the summer so we were pleasantly surprised that it was not too cold in January.

I initially thought I'd be trading with other properties but as it turns out my family and I just keep coming back to Maui, with a week at another island each trip we make (the Starwood points you get when you buy direct really help for that and we also use them to go to other destinations). Our kids are getting older (college and high school freshmen), but they still love to come with us every time and our daughter would love to live here permanently. We decided to get more time to be able to bring friends and also make room for when our kids' families grow.

As others describe, the views are great and the snorkeling in front of the property is nice. I also like that we are away from the crowds at Ka'anapali proper yet we can go there any time in the free shuttle bus that runs every few minutes. The staff is very friendly. We've been there several times and it is nice to see the same faces. The low turnover shows that the staff likes working there and it shows.

The units are very spacious and well-appointed, especially the one bedroom side. It is great to have a washer and drier in each unit so we can travel pretty lightly. We don't cook all the time, but we enjoy good breakfasts without having to go out, as well as a few home-cooked meals. We tend to go to Maui for a couple of weeks and eating out gets old fast. We like the full size range in the one bedroom and the BBQ's around the pool.

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.

Brand new property!

Well appointed rooms.

Excellent service and location. We actually traveled to Maui to buy at the Marriott Maui Ocean Club. At the time, the Westin was 100% pre-construction. We happened upon the Westin, after the Marriott spoke ill of the product, and purchased right away. The product quality and location were far superior than Marriott's product.

We have now stayed at the Westin Villas for five years-- ever since the property opened. I can't say enough about the Ocean Front 'center' units. Two large lanai's. The OF units are directly on the beach-- we love to leave the door open on the lanai and hear the waves crash! Relaxing.

I would recommend this resort to anyone.

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!

We spent spring break with our friends and their 2 kids -- total of 7 people -- in a two bedroom lockoff. The resort is outstanding. The units are large, the Westin heavenly bed is awesome. Can't recommend this enough!

Our visit was in February of 2005. We stayed in a one-bedroom unit on the 6th floor with an ocean view. We had a great view of the whales from our room. The villa was superb with lots of extras. The beach is fantastic with a corral reef about 50 feet offshore. We are going back next year.

Wow, what a place! Stunning Island, wonderful people, and a top class resort as well.

Eat at the poolside bar, relax and explore the island at leisure.

Climate - fabulous - even in November, and plenty to do or not do as you wish.

Rooms - superb.

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.

My husband and I stayed here the last week of 2004. The rooms were beautiful and well equipped. I was able to do my laundry in the room! The resort, while had many families with young children, was very quiet. We felt like we escaped from all the madness of a busy Maui on New year's week. The staff was very accomodating. There was construction going on, but we never heard anything. We only knew it was happening because we would pass by it. Overall, a definite thumbs up!

I took my family for christmas and new year 04. we had a blast. the rooms area very large and well appointed. everything was available in the kitchen. the pool area was always clean and neet. the small restaurant was very tasty and good service. acn't think of anything that need improvement.

We just got back and loved this Resort. We rented a week from an owner. The pool was wonderful and the accommodations in the 1 bdrm that we stayed in were perfect for our family of four. Our 8 month old slept wonderfully in the crib they gave us and my 4 year old loved watching DVDs from the pullout sofa before bedtime. I esp. love the Heavenly Bed & Shower. The service was outstanding from the bellman to the concierge. The construction wasn't much of a bother to us, but what I thought was amazing was the price these timeshares are selling for and how small of a unit you actually get. We've stayed in several timeshares all over the U.S. (our friends are owners) and I've seen so much more for your money. If you plan on buying here, you're paying for the name and service, not the size of the unit, and definitely not for an oceanview. When you book your stay here, I highly recommend asking for "Pool Side" since the other side doesn't have a view of the ocean at all. Seeing that I'm not going to spend the crazy amout of $$$ to buy here, I'd still stay here again by trading for it or renting a week from an owner.

We spent the July 4th week and had great weather. The resort is beautiful and quite. Very relaxing but close enough to enjoy all the area activities. The beach right in front is great for snorkling and scuba diving. We saw lots of turtles and small white tip sharks (safe kind). Only one of three buildings is available for use. Noise was not a problem. They have a very nice gym and also a great game room for the kids and you.

A too-short 3 night stay in November 2003 was fabulous. This resort is the top of the timeshare heap. Beautiful, luxurious.

Snorkeling at the beach right in front of the resort was incredible. Many different fish and lots of sea turtles. The units are spacious and tastefully decorated. The Heavenly bed is truly heavenly.

Construction noise wasn't an issue. The only thing we heard with the windows shut was the occasional back-up beeper. Even outside, the construction noise wasn't overbearing or obnoxious.

Excellent