The Ritz-Carlton Maui, Kapalua

Very Dissapointing Experience

We just got back from our summer family vacation to Maui. After reveiwing many different options we settled on the Ritz as we were looking for a luxury experience. Let's get the good things out of the way first. The Accomidations (2 Bedroom Suite) was very nice and large. It was perfect for our family of 4. The location of the resort in Kapula, beautifful all the way around natural beauty. Some what seculded but in a good way. No for all the dissapointing areas. Over all this resort is old and really starting to show its age. But beyond that it was really the lack of service, quality and attention to detial. This is not at the level of any other Ritz we have stayed at and we have stayed a several. Food quality accross the board was average at best, at the pool, breakfast buffett, burger shack, Banyan Tree. Nothing was great it was all so very average or worse (ceaser salad at the pool was terrible). Now as for service, outside of the Valet Stand and Housekeeping. Service was bad or did not exisit. For example there is no pool attendents. They have a large stand that is focused on trying to sell you Maui Jim sunglasses, crazy and overall the pool deck was terrible for finding any real shade. They have fixed to the ground permanent thatched umbrellas that are way to few and far between. The beautiful beach on the property is a bit of a walk but we knew that going in, not a big deal but there is no chair service provided by the hotel. There is yet another stand that is selling rentals that you must pay additional for. At the rates we are paying I still need to pay an aditional $60 + tip/a day to get a lunge chair and umbrella at the beach, just crazy. We primarily chose this hotel because it was a Rtiz and it had a 2 bed/2 bath suite. I would not recomend this hotel to anyone looking for a luxury resort and overall this property needs a major renovation. How this hotel has the rating on here it does I think speaks to how long this resort has been around. Maybe 10 or 20 years ago it was worth it but not any more. I would recomend to TripAdvisor to add a feature where you can see average ratings over a shorter period of time (5 or 10 years) as I think the early years of this property are doing the heavy lifing on its ratings. It definantly fooled me. The truth is the Ritz Kapalua is an older and very average resort but with a 4/5* price tag.

Fake Beach Resort.

THIS IS NOT A BEACH RESORT! How can you call a hotel a beach resort if there is absolutely ZERO beach service. The only thing in that beach is the option to spend $85 for two chairs and an umbrella. At a Ritz! Shameful! So we would have to spend over $200 for 5 of us. Outrageous! Why would I go to Maui and sit at a pool? The concierge had nothing to say about the beach at all. Also shameful. The grounds are very nice and the staff was really great! The lobby bar was great too with some live music. Can you believe a massive Ritz wouldn’t have room service past 9 or 10pm? Especially when they tell you in advance that if you have a late flight you better find something to eat on your way. Crazy! The hallways were a mess. Plates of food, room service dishes etc. We saw the same plate of apples for at least two straight days. I would def think about finding a true beach resort. This wasn’t it.

Almost perfect

We really enjoyed our 4 night stay. Kapalua is more tranquil than Kaanapali or Wailea yet only ~15 minutes away from Kaanapali and Lahaina for convenience. Although it's not the newest looking Ritz, I disagree with others who said it looked dated. I thought it looked classic/timeless. The lobby is beautiful and the room was great. The pools are really nice and we liked how 1 of 3 pools is adults only. The beach was closer to the main hotel than I expected. It was just a short walk downhill with golf cart shuttles routinely available to bring you back. However, the waves were pretty big. Even on the calmest days those who prefer calm water wouldn't want to swim here. The breakfast buffet (included with Chase Sapphire booking) was solid with some options rotating each day. The burger shack lived up to the hype. We never ate dinner at the hotel. There are only a couple other restaurant options walking distance from the hotel, but there are dozens within a 15 minute drive. The service was excellent as expected. Everyone from the front desk, concierge, housekeeping, valet, pool bar, etc. were great. A few things could be improved: - pillows were way too soft even when I asked for firmer ones - hotel bar closes way too early at 9:45pm - they should offer a shuttle for short trips or activities booked via the concierge (at least the golf course) - we were told you can't get a beach cabana after 12pm (we arrived around 2:30) even though there were tons empty and were willing to pay - something to do with the POS system

Awesome place to enjoy Maui

The Ritz Kapalua was the first Ritz I stayed at. What an amazing experience! The customer is at the center of everything they do. Location was beautiful (great rooms, amazing pool, easy access to ocean/beach). There was great dining options on site. I enjoyed every minute of being there and they made my family vacation exceptional!. I will seek out Ritz for future family vacations!

Very Nice Resort but.....

I love Ritz-Carlton properties. We stayed here recently for the Food and Wine festival. Our first issue was we waited 20 minutes just to check in. What was frustrating about that was only one person was working the counter, but three people were in the concierge's area; all three doing nothing. Send one over to help for Pete's sake. Our room was good. Pools are good but very crowded. Pool service has to be search for at times. The beach is nice but quite a hike from the hotel. They have the best club room I have ever seen at any property. Their people were very nice. Valet parking at $68 a day...so be aware if you have a rental.

Highly recommended place to stay - Ritz Carlton Maui Kapalua

We had an amazing night at The Ritz-Carlton Kapalua while celebrating our daughter’s birthday and we somehow managed to fit a lot of wonderful memories into one stay! The grounds are stunning and the resort feels peaceful and secluded while still being close to nearby beaches and restaurants. We loved walking the Coastal Trail at sunrise, even if getting out of bed that early required a little vacation-level determination. D.T. Fleming Beach is gorgeous and noticeably less crowded than many nearby beaches. The Burger Shack is also a perfect spot for an outdoor lunch with beautiful ocean views because burgers always taste better at the beach. The pools are fantastic. The area was lively, but it never felt overly crowded, and there were plenty of opportunities to relax and pretend we had no responsibilities waiting for us back home. For our special birthday dinner, we ate at the Banyan Tree Restaurant, where our server, Lara, was outstanding. She was warm, attentive and offered excellent menu suggestions, topped off with wonderful wine recommendations. She helped make the evening feel truly special and anyone who pairs great food with the right wine is a hero in our book. Topped off with a lovely "Happy Birthday" cake at the end of our fantastic meal. The staff also made our daughter’s birthday especially memorable. When we checked into our room, we were delighted to find a beautiful tray of chocolate-covered strawberries and a bottle of bubbly from Mary Beth, thanking us for choosing the Ritz for our celebration. It was such a thoughtful surprise, and our daughter felt incredibly special. My wife and I were also very happy to assist with the strawberries! We made so many special memories during our stay and wanted to thank everyone at The Ritz-Carlton Kapalua for making our celebration so memorable. We only wish we could have stayed longer!