Kanaapali Villas verses Kannapali Resort and Spa

I have the opportunity of either staying at the Villas in October or at the Hotel base Resort and Spa, I will be bringing a 9 year old child as well.

Are these resorts near each other, can I use both facilities. I have heard some bad stories about the smell at the Villas is this true. Are these both on the beach. I stayed at the Maui Ocean Club Lahaina Villas last October and although it was nice..there was really no beach at all. Is there more beach outside these if so which has the best beach.

What is the best resort for Childrens activities and which one has the Luau, what night and has anyone ever been to these.. Lots of questions....sorry..but very important vacation for my family. Thank you

We own a 2 bedroom unit at the Westin Kaanapali Villas and have visited several times. We've also stayed at the Westin Hotel on Kaanapali Beach. Both are very nice properties, and both have direct beach access.

The beach near the hotel is nicer for bathers; beach at the villas is nicer for snorkelers due to the large amount of coral. Our children love both beaches. There's a free Westin shuttle that goes between hotel and villas, so you can easily experience both.

The villas and hotel both have nice pools, so your 9-year-old would enjoy either one. Our children always preferred the villa pools. There are several to choose from.

I believe the Westin hotel still offers the Luau at its location, but you can take the shuttle from the villas to the hotel. However, the Lahaina Luau is supposed to be the most authentic and most popular luau, but it fills up weeks/months in advance so if you were interested in it, you'd need to check into booking it soon.

At the villas, you may notice the sewage smell occasionally, when the wind comes from the wrong direction. But it's a minimal annoyance. The overall quality of the villas far outweighs any annoyance though. If we could put the Westin villas into the Westin hotel's location, you'd have the perfect resort.

All in all, the villas are nicer, in our opinion---especially for families. The units are exceptional, and the full kitchens are fantastic. You won't find anything close at the hotel. We love having the option of cooking a meal ourselves, or going out. It feels like a home away from home, rather than just a room. And it offers a great deal more flexibility, which is great when there are children involved.

Hope this answers your question.

I'm writing this from the Villas right now. We own at the Villas and have stayed many times at both the Villas and at the Westin Maui on the Kaanapali strip

The strip is great - you are central to the activity of the beach and right next to Whalers Village. Personally, I prefer the Villas. The grounds are wonderful, the Villas are fantastic, and between the North and south properties you now have dining options, two stores, multiple pools and a spa on site. This year we starting BBQing some dinners - you can get great marinated fish and meats at the stores, or at Safeway, Kings Market (formerly Star market) or the Fish market - all minutes away. I actually prefer this beach for my family (including a 4 and 9 year old) - the surf seems less rough for the little kids and the kids do prefer these pools. Others opinions may vary from mine in this area.

My biggest point of discontent with the property was the location. I've never smelled the smell, but I always loved walking along the beach path on the main Kaanapali strip. Now that path connects from the Hyatt at the south end of Kaanapali all the way up past the Villas. My family and I have walked down a couple of times to Whalers Village (in about 20 minutes) along the ocean and taken the shuttle back to the Villas. The Westin shuttle now stops at all the Starwood resorts, The Lahani Cannery, Lahani Gateway and Lahani itself. It's been great, I feel fully connected, but not overcrowded and now I am a totally happy camper.

Love the Villas! It is quieter than the hotel areas and you can relax more. The boardwalk makes a great activity to venture down to the busier areas of Whalers village if one desires but you can always return to the peace of the Villas. The beach is right beside the Villas and is wonderful and less crowded than the hotel beach. The villas also have good pools including a children pirate ship pool. I definitely prefer the Villas.