We spent 8 days in Maui (was supposed to stay 5 in Oahu 5 in Maui) but due to ATA we extended our stay in Maui , the day after we got there ATA announced their closure. Our flight to OGG was with ATA, the crew was awesome, the flight great (and arrived early), my heart goes out to all of the employees. We had to change our trrip home via Phoenix (USAir) and stayed a couple of days in Scottsdale (due to long lay-over). USAir was great in the clutch as they had a very reduced rate on our return flight (boy did we get lucky). I recommend using Kayak as a your search engine, it was a priceless tool.

We got upgraded to one bedroom villa (with peek-a-boo ocean view). WE stayed in the newer North building, check in was a breeze. Room was great, large bathroom, clean with all amenities.

The pros
Easy check in, we got there early and they were all ready for us.
Shuttle to Lahaina and other Starwood properties made getting around island very easy
Food at the two pool bars was very good (but expensive), try the onion rings, dipping sauce is great.
Very quiet, no overhead or noise from other rooms
Responsive staff, friendly, very accomodating and wonderful after our ATA debacle, they extended a very reasonable "distress rate" to us (Sonia at front desk). We chose to move to Grand Wailea as they were offering a nice rate too (wanted to try something different)
Beautiful grounds, lots of beautiful foliage, waterfalls, etc.
Great on-site photographer, very reasonable rates, very accomodating
Comfy bed, great accomodations
Beach is great, saw lots of fish and a huge turtle
There is no tax or resort fee!!!

The cons.
The area (or maybe it was the time of year) was a bit windy, it almost fills like a wind tunnel through the North Building.
Water temp at pool a bit cold.
No hooks for hanging stuff in bathrooms

We stayed at a sister property in Scottsdale (Westin Resort and Spa), there did seem to be more poolside activities for the little ones.

We will definetly be back at this resort; hope to rent a week on Redweek next June. Next time we plan to use the kitchen facilities to save some ca$h. I highly recommend this resort to families with children. Loved the fact that we paid no hotel tax and daily rate, which was awesome.

We just returned from a five-night stay at the Westin Ocean Villas and were very disappointed by the experience. To begin, we were greeted by a 45 minute wait to check in that was reminiscent of a airport security line. Given the crowds in Maui over spring break, the hotel's staffing of two receptionists on a busy Saturday afternoon was inexcusable. Our assigned "villa" (really a glorified hotel room with a small kitchenette) overlooked the parking lot and the main Kaanapali strip. While the room was adequate, it wasn't very clean with an unappetizing wad of hair left in the shower drain and some dubious looking brown spots on the telephone console. During our stay, the maid service was very erratic and rather than coming during the day while we were at the beach/pool, it either arrived at 9:00 before we were ready to leave for the day or at 5:00 after we retunred to get ready for dinner. On several occasions, the bathroom sink wasn't even wiped down after cleaning.

The property is decent -- although not particularly special -- but the number of guests completely overwhelmed the facility. We arrived at the pool our first morning at 9:00 AM and were unable to find four beach chairs together as the savvy timeshare owners appear to make a habit of going to the pool in the early morning and "reserving" a chair for the day with their towel and personal items regardless of when they intend to actually use the chair. The overall pool experience is pretty mediocre on top of that with too many people crammed into too small a space.

While the beach in front of the property is nice enough, it was super windy while we were there and not comfortable after about noon. I can't say whether this is typical or not for the property. On the plus side, the snorkling was very good. On the negative, the reefs are quite close in and are rough on the feet for general swimming.

We left the Westin and spent the final four days of our vacation at the Four Seasons Koele Lodge on Lanai and the contrast was remarkable. We went from being one of the masses to special guests in an instant. While you do get what you pay for, the price difference between the Westin and the Four Seasons isn't all that great given that the Westin nickels and dimes you for everything and many items at the Koele and its sister resort the Manele Bay were provided for free as part of their great service. For example, beach chairs, umbrellas, and snorkling equipment are complimentary at the Koele/Manele. Those same items cost well over $100 per day for a family of four at the Westin. And that doesn't even take into account the free cold pineapple slices, popsicles, ice water, lemonaide, cold towels, and Evian mist at the FS.

I would not recommend the Westin Ocean Villas to anyone looking for a luxury experience and professional service.

ur family of four spent two weeks at the North villas at the end of March, beginning of April. We had stayed at the South villas last year, so it was nice to compare. Both resorts are spacious and have very nice furnishings. It is like staying in an apartment with the full kitchens, washer and dryers, and full bathrooms. It makes it very convenient with families. The BBQ grills also came in very handy and were fun as you could watch the ocean. the location is wonderful with a lively and colorful snorkeling beach right in front of the property. My husband and I snorkeled with a turtle, saw an eel and a couple of squid. there are lots of beautiful fish too. The whales were visible in the distance, though they seemed to be slowing down toward the end of our trip on the 5th. The pool bar and grill was very good, although they stop serving food around 4pm and move to bar status. The pool bar/grill is open for dinner at the south villas. We didn't get to try the main restaurant, but heard it was very good! It was a wonderful stay and location, but housekeeping was a little lax. If you stay for two weeks, they get very confused about cleaning your room on the 7th day---it happened last year at the south villas as well---something they need to work out. I highly recommend the North villas. They have not opend the store, work-out facility or spa yet, but they should be opening soon. It is a great family destination!

We stayed at the North property March 28-April 5, 2008. I'll keep my review focused on the resort rather than all the neat things to do on Maui.

We are owners; we purchased at this property in 2007 without visiting it. We were nervous when we arrived...concerned that we'd be disappointed with our investment. No need to be concerned!

We checked in early, and were given an ocean view room on the 5th floor of building 7, overlooking the pool. Our one-bedroom "premium" room was perfect for our family of 3. We ordered a cot for our son, rather than using the sofa bed. The cot was actually a full-sized twin bed on wheels, and it, too, was a Westin Heavenly Bed.

The free in-room Internet access was a huge benefit, and it was great to sit on the balcony, enjoy the scenery and surf the 'net. While we didn't watch much TV, it was nice that both TVs are good quality with lots of channels.

The kitchen was well-equipped. We had breakfast every day in our room, and ate several lunches there as well. We only tried one resort restaurant (the pool bar at the South pool), and the food was good and not too high-priced.

The hallways were a bit dirty, as has been mentioned in other reviews. It would be nice to have housekeeping services daily.

We loved our visit, and we're already counting down the weeks until next year's visit.