Stayed there with another family for 9 days and overall it wasn't bad; but wasn't quite what we were expecting:

We stayed in 1 bed condo (1 child) and found it to be ok. The hotel is located close enough to whaler's village for restaurants and shops and most amenities are close by - STAR Market was good (across the street from hotel).

Clarify which room you want and I would suggest trying to get 4th floor and above with garden views as most have reasonable ocean views regardless (unless you want the full ocean view). We originally were given a standard room with terrible smells from the canal as well as loud construction noises, and the hotel lobby staff was LESS than sympathetic. So after 1 night we decided on paying for the upgrade; which was on the south side and the trade off was no smells but a lot of outside early am noise with tour busses and garbage trucks in the early A.M. The other family with us had no problems with their room (north side garden view 5th floor), but again the cold response from the front desk upset us. The renovated rooms are nice, but having tried both, my reccommendation would be to work on location rather than renovation.

Overall, pools were cold (!) with the lower pool being slightly warmer. The ocean/beach was considerably warmer, and as others have noted, partially sandy with rocks - but the kids had fun. Clean towels in the pool area were hard to come by for the 1st 2 days but they got better. Late checkout was a pipe dream (I stood behind 2 others asking the same thing) which was probably more about departure timing, but they make you wait until 8:30 the night before to get a response. Again, front desk was not at all sympathetic about our plight and I walked away understanding why they couldn't give the room, but more irritated with the cold response I got from the staff - Though they did mention other showers, travelling on a 9PM flight with a 5 year old could have been made easier with an afternoon rest.

Overall not a bad spot for first time families with young kids, but not sure about others unless you want to drive everywhere for restaurants, etc. (hotel parking is $9$/Day) Kids club was mediocre and we were with 3 kids 5, 7,9 and none wanted to go back a second day. Gym is just ok, but for $10/day I would have expected something slightly better than old treadmills, 2 elipticles, 2 bikes and no ventilation.

Rooms were nice and close so lunch in and rests were nice on the balconcy. The Beach club was decent. I would reccommend the free introductory SCUBA lesson in the lower pool.

We booked our week stay through Expedia on line. We reserved a Garden View 2 bedroom, 2 bath suite and were very pleased with our accommodations. The location of the hotel is good, near shopping and the higher end resorts. We lucked out and actually had a great ocean view room, plus overlooked the pool so we could watch our children from our balcony. Ask for the renovated rooms - very spacious, kitchen counters in granite, large TV in living area plus another in the master suite. Very spacious and well decorated.

Buyer Beware: In booking through Expedia we were told we would receive a $100 food and beverage credit upon check in. We did not, and after making 3 calls that wasted over two hours of our time getting no where we gave up.

Tip: Use the Lahaina Ticket Company for your activities reservations. They are very helpful and the prices are much lower than those quoted by Boss Frog, plus you get much better customer service.

Our three night stay (after Oahu) began with a very personable reception by the bellhops, followed by a smooth check in at reception. All were very friendly and helpful, with the hellhop staying to answer our tourist questions of how to maximize our stay.

The room was clean and what would be expected of a condo style room. The restaurant was resonably priced and the staff there ensured our meal was very pleasant. Family oriented as well and relaxed dressing.

Our checkout did not correspond with a late flight but we were very graciously accommodated with luggage storage and a room to shower and change (first come-first served). A lovely place to enjoy the beach, central location to visit the highlights of Maui and just chill out.

We did not stay at Kaanapali Shores (we stayed at their sister hotel, the Mahana) but we were fortunate enough to book a massage at their spa on 4/17/08. On a whim one day, my husband decided he wanted a massage so I called and they got us both in that same afternoon. We were met at the front desk by Kelly who was extremely friendly and welcoming but the best part was yet to come. Libby, our Massage Therapist, was outstanding! My husband went first and when he came out he looked the most relaxed I'd ever seen him. He said it was the best massage he had ever experienced and told me he already planned to book another one the following Monday. I typically get several massages a year so my expectations were pretty high. I was not disappointed. Libby used the exact pressure I asked her to and I even opened my eyes once to see her sitting with her knees on the floor in order to get the right angle. I got a 50 minute massage which was around $99. I had the option of having my massage beach side, garden side or inside and I went with inside. I told her that I wanted her to spend more time on my upper back so she worked for 30 minutes on my back and then spent 20 minutes everywhere else. Usually, when I ask a Massage Therapist to do this they have a hard time breaking their routine and I only get about 10 minutes on my back. She really worked on getting the knots out of my back and I felt wonderful when I left. I'm sure the other Therapists are great too, but I would go with Libby if you get the chance. The only challenge is that I think she only works part time in the late afternoon and evening. If you are in Maui for a relaxing vacation, I can't think of a better way to relax than a massage with Libby.