I have been going to this resort for the past 15 years. Being that I am only 25 years old, this is a large chunk of my life. It is amazing. There is no othe way to put it. If you want a total laid back Hawaii experience, this is the place.

Don't go here if you expect the full service and amenities of a place like The Ritz.

The tallest building is not much larger than 2 stories.

There is only one restaurant, with no room service.

The rooms are a little old school.

No nightlife to speak of. A lot of older couples stay here.


But believe me when I tell you there is no better place in Maui to kick back and relax. The beach is amaing.

Stay in the Lani 1 or 2 building for a great view.

We stayed at Napili Kai Beach Resort from Jan 5-14, 2008 for our wedding/honeymoon vacation. We were very happy with our room on the second floor of the Puna II building. The room was clean and comfortable and BIG - we had two seperate sleeping/bath areas seperated by a foyer. The kitchen was well equipped. Housekeeping did a great job of daily cleaning.

We just loved the lanai - incredible sunsets every night, sea turtles on the rocks, humpback whales breaching....There is small strip of grass and garden between you and the ocean - you really couldn't be any closer. There was rarely ever anyone in sight when we were laying on our lanai (in the comfy loungers). I just cant rave enough how private and quiet it felt. Even the ground floor units would feel private. We swam every day in the Puna II pool and never once did we have to share it with anyone. The walk from the Puna buildings to the beach and the centre of the resort was not an issue, very short either along the oceanfront trail or through the parking lot.

We had A/C but didn't need it. Just open the door and let the breeze in. We left the door open overnight and the sound of the waves was amazing.

We had no issue with bugs. The grounds were immaculate. The staff were very friendly and helpful. My husband cut his foot and within minutes a staff member arrived at our door with a first aid kit.

We enjoyed the putting party, the free use of snorkling gear and the shuffleboard. We loved Kapalua Beach right next door - so we decided to get married there! It was a minute walk from Puna II building. Having explored the resort, we determined that besides the Puna buildings we would also be happy staying in the Lani buildings. We liked being away from the centre of the resort, it was just more quite and peaceful. The Keaka, Honolua and Lahaina buildings surround the putting greens, pool, snack bar area and to us they felt a lot less private but great for people with kids because it's steps to the beach.

The Napili area was perfect for our needs. It felt like a rural neighborhood with a little shopping plaza at the entrance. No big resort high rises. We visited family staying in the Kaanapali area and it was much too busy, built up and commercial for our taste. Lahaina was an easy drive about 12 minutes south. Golf at Kapalua Plantation was amazing as was our wedding dinner at the Plantation House.

We recommend downloading the Top Maui Restaurant Guide before you arrive. We consulted this guide before all of our meals and were never disappointed. We made some of their suggestions the purpose for day trips and it really added to our experience on Maui. Make the drive around the northern tip of the island for Julie's Best Banana Bread. And make sure you buy two loaves, one didn't even last the drive back!

We're already planning our trip back for our one year anniversary!

The Napili Kai has an incredible setting on Napili Bay ... a beach with incredible fun for the family .... body surfing, snorkeling and sea turtles to name a few. Last year we came to stay in Lani 2 and it was a vacation of a lifetime. We came back this year with high expectations but were placed in the Puna Point Buildings. Puna Point has a fabulous, unobstructed ocean view but these units are older, have a musty smell and bug problems. Little ants were all over the counter. There was a pesticide under the counter for us to spray if we wished; however, we didn't really want the residue of the spray on our food so we put up with the ants. We could have asked to change rooms but decided to stay put because of the wonderful view. The staff were professional but not as friendly as I remembered from last year. Housekeeping was hit or miss, depending on which cleaner we got. One was exceptional, the other (in the afternoon) left garbage under the sink and did not appear a happy camper. Overall, we enjoyed our stay but were also ready to move on at the end. Napili is a good location for fun and proximity to lots of excellent sight seeing and activities. The Napili Kai, as we have experienced, has the potential to be excellent. If they renovated the older rooms and upped their level of service, we would definitely want to try it again; however, next time we come back, we will likely try somewhere new.

Napili Kai has a policy of making no refunds over the holidays. I think this is reasonable except that they make no exceptions, even when they are able to rent the room back out - even if you call just 24 hours after making the reservation to cancel it.

We booked two rooms at Christmas, calling just 2 days before we wanted to stay there. The next day we realized our parents couldn't make it so we cancelled one of the rooms. They told us it was non-refundable meaning we were out approximately $1,500.

The bad part was at check-in time our room wasn't ready. We asked to use the other room (that we were paying for) and they said they had rented it out to someone else. The clerk at the desk said we should ask reservations about getting a refund. I kept calling them and got transferred to voice-mail with no return call until my third message. They still wouldn't give me an answer and promised to call the following week. Still no call until two weeks later when they just said "no", with no apology. I told them I thought the policy was unfair and that we probably wouldn't come back. The office manager just made an annoying "uh huuuuh" sound, and that was it.

We won't go back and would recommend you go somewhere else, too. Their policy comes off as greedy, and their customer service was slow, unresponsive and unapologetic.