We were in Maui the week of April 12th for a family wedding. Altogether there were about 21 people who traveled to Hawaii for the wedding and majority stayed at the Mahana. My family (my husband/me/15 yr son) were in Unit #107 and my inlaws were in Unit #106 -- ground floor. It was nice being able to walk to the lobby/pool area/front desk/Expedia (very nice having Expedia right at the hotel to book last minute activities) without worrying about an elevator but we lost some of the "view". Next time I would like a higher floor to get a better view of the ocean. It would have been nice to open the sliding glass doors with the screen and listen to the ocean waves all night but being on the 1st floor we didnt want to take the chance.

Our rooms were clean and well maintained. We had a problem with our shower sliding glass door but maintenance came and fixed it right away. Maintenance did shut off water for 2 hours and they were doing work on the A/C system but we really were not inconvenienced since the work was done during the day and we were out. Internet connection wasnt that great, very slow and sometimes would not load at all. We were told to use the computer by the balcony . It was great having a kitchen well stocked with supplies and having a unit washer/dryer--I packed less clothes (although you had to pay for any additional Tide packets $1 per box). The pool area is smaller compared to other hotels but we really didnt use it that much-early morning, later at night.. You're mostly out in Maui enjoying tne sun, water, and sightseeing--for $287 night, it was perfect!

You can use the hotel next door for restaurants--very close. My husband and father-in-law often walked to the shopping center for quick supplies early am--very close 10 min walk. Mahana was in a very convenient location for us--town of Lahaina short drive 20min and lots to do (restaurants, shopping, Atlantis Submarine, Hard Rock Cafe, Bubba, etc). It's about 45 min from the airport (shuttle cost $66) but we rented a car for the rest of the week. My son and I walked to Black Rock at Sheraton and it's not a 10-15 min walk, more like 45min or longer! But we stopped along the way at another hotel and had a great lunch at Castaway Cafe, rented snorkeling equipment and had a great time. For beginners in snorkeling (me), def go to Black Rock (the ocean waves are really rough when you're trying to snorkel for the first time). BR may be alittle crowded but its calmer water and you can really practice -- I actually swam at BR with a sea turtle!!! Our other activities included Aquarium (nice/small but if you have 2 hrs to spare which we did before the wedding its worth going); Luau at the Hyatt--wonderful food/drinks/show; Oahu--while we were in Hawaii we booked our 1-day flight thru Go Hawaiian (inter-island flights, $100 per person) and saw Pearl Harbor--I loved this trip--the tour of the Arizona, USS Missouri and the Bowfin was just terrific, I thoroughly enjoyed this day and highly recommend you make it a part of your trip. (I dont usually like to do history-type activities but this one is a must-see).. We also booked the Atlantis Submarine and Mauiscape Helicopter tours thru Expedia last minute (on Wed/Thurs to do on Friday). We did not get a chance to drive the Hana Road--Im told it takes almost a full day (5 1/2 hrs longer) and we just couldnt devote a whole day to it so we booked the Helicopter Ride which I loved.. First time in a helicopter and it was just fantastic to be in the clouds looking down at the volcano and the ocean. I thought it was too expensive to do but you know, you're in Hawaii, when will you get the chance again...

We also booked with Blue Water Rafting 5 1/2 snorkeling trip -- highly highly recommend--it was awesome!!! the captain Jeff and tour guide Dante were just the best.. We felt like one big happy family even though we were all strangers!!! We stopped at 3 diff places to snorkel, saw a sea cave and spent time studying "rock formations" in the ocean.. Its a very fast raft trip and they warn you thats its not for pregnant woman or people with bad backs--you most def get wet on the boat going to/from the diff sites.. It's alot of fun though.. By mid-April, the whales are starting to leave for Alaska but Jeff thought he spotted one so although our tour was not a whale watching tour, he took the time to stop and look for it. We spotted a momma and baby whale.. All of a sudden the baby whale went under our raft, blew bubbles on the one side, turned around and came back under the raft, blowing more bubbles then swam off to join his mother.. Both whales then popped out of the water not far from our boat so we could see them perfectly. It all happened so fast.. Apparently it's rare that the whales come that close to the rafts and even more rare for them to blow bubbles so close. Our captain/Dante were just amazed, beyond words!!! lol They said we were "mugged" (when a whale comes close) and "bubble blasted" lol This was the best trip and highly recommended. The entire wedding party did the 2 1/2 hr whale watching/snorkeling tour and saw the same ones we did but at a much farther distance, calmer boat ride, and little time to snorkel. If you're looking for more excitement do the longer 5 1/2 tour. they take you to Molikini Crater/ front and back wall, Turrtle Town and the Kanaio coast..

I loved our trip--always wish you had more time (and money, Maui is not cheap.lol) but I think we accomplished majority of the activities. Next time, I would like to drive the Hana Road, more snorkeling and perhaps spend more time relaxing on the beach. April tends to be windy and it was very very windy esp at the beachfront Mahana resort. Would stay at the Mahana again--price was decent, close to restaurants and tours and shopping..

We stayed at the Mahana for just three days/nights at the beginning of April, 2008. Without a doubt, this hotel was a highlight of our stay.

There was no way to be prepared for the view from our room - #1013. As soon as we opened the sliding glass door and stepped onto the lanai, we had a 180 degree panoramic view of the ocean- with Molokai and Lanai hanging out like old friends. We spent a lot more time on the lanai than expected- I ended up sleeping on the comfy patio lounge chair every night. Blissful.

Whale watching from our lanai was equally as good - even late in the season, we were treated to dozens of whales breeching and enjoyed the calm sound of the waves breaking on the sand all hours of the day.

I know I'm elaborating on the lanai- but we spent time searching for a better lanai in any of the hotels.... couldn't find ANY. This hotel is very special- with EVERY lanai having 100% privacy (no way to see any one else's lanai), and it was THE CLOSEST to the ocean in all of Maui. At least everywhere we looked in west and south Maui... what a treat.

The pool scene was mostly kid-friendly, but the hot tub was a generous size, was empty often in the later evenings, and allowed for a lot of relaxing downtime after dinner.

Parking was easy and fun- we were overachievers and out til late night many nights, and there was always a reasonable close spot to park in.

Accomodations: A+
Staff: A+ ( we checked in 3 hours EARLY! Thanks Karen!)
Cleanliness: A+
Overall: A++ -- would do it again in a heartbeat.

Mahalo Mahana!

I am so excited for you we had such an amazing time that we wanted to buy that condo!The fridge is full size and the kitchen has everything you need.Kona cofee on the lanai sounds like heaven right now.
Star Market is across the street and its a full size grocery store so we never bothered with Walmart or Costco.We loved watching the sunset from our balcony so we would get salad from the salad bar at Star Market,some sort of meat or fish for the grill,bread cheese and wine.What a lovely way to end the day!
If you are up for a nightcap the hotel next door (Kannapalli Shores I think)has a pool bar that is open until about 9pm.We went to bed early and got up early(totaly opposite of home!)
We snorkeled almost everyday and it was so awesome!We swam with many turtles,saw an eel and an octopus and the many amazing fish of Maui.We did not bother with tours there was great sightings 100 yards from the hotel.The Dive shop (same parking lot as Star Market)is extremely helpful!
Promise me you will do at least one breakfast out!This was our favorite:The Plantation House at Kapalua.Gorgeous views of the ocean and the world renown golf course.They have crab cake Benedict for $11!Need I say more?We went 3x!
Whalers Village is fun for shopping and lunch.You can get there by walking on the beach (about 45 min.)not that easy in the sand since the incline is quite steep so good exercise.Good news is there is a $1 bus that will take you right back to the Mahana!Or you can drive it's only 5 min,we got lucky with free parking but be prepared to pay for parking.Check out KARIZA it's a kiosk in the middle of Whaler's Village.I lived in those wrap dresses so comfortable and pretty.They show you all the ways to wear them and give you a DVD too.
Lahaina is fun town a 20 min drive away.My husband took surf lessons and loved it!He highly recommends Goofyfoot.I shopped that day and I highly recommend jewelry from local artists.You will see!
Enjoy!And I would love to hear about you trip.Any more questions are welcome!
I meant to drop you a note and now I realize that I just relived my trip.Thank you.So I guess I will copy and paste and post the review that I was procrastinating to do so.
Aloah

There is not many negative things I can say about the Mahana. I booked the room through ResortQuest with the requests of a newly renovated room on a higher floor. They did not exactly fulfill the request however I was very pleased with the room still. I would definitely stay there in the future and judging from reviews I will book through a private owner so I know what I am getting.

I stayed in Unit #602 which although sat at the top of where the palm trees were still had a beautiful ocean view. I was able to catch a view of sea turtles in shallow waters and whales in the distance several times. This was a studio room which is more then enough for 2 people having a kitchen and a washer/dryer in the unit. The room was nicely decorated although did have some peeling wallpaper and some minor blemishes.

My only real complaint is that I was not able to connect to the wireless internet inside the room. After asking the front desk about this I was told the best access points were on the balcony or in the lobby. The wireless signal was slightly better on the balcony which was good enough for me. I am not sure if all units have the same problem but if you are in need of solid wireless internet access than Mahana might not be the best choice.

The only thing i would do differently in the future is book a room from a private owner instead of ResortQuest. Other than that everything was very good. I would highly recommend the Mahana and stay there again because no matter what you will get an ocean view room and that is a major plus in my book.