This is a typical resort hotel in the Lahaina/Ka'anapali area of West Maui. It has a lovely beach, okay but pricy restaurants, water slide in a wonderful pool, good fitness center with a sauna and steam room, but is just typical of the several resort hotels in the area.
The lower end room that we stayed in had a separate master bedroom with bath and a living room with a pull out couch that was comfortable enough and had its own bath. It also had a microwave, sink, small fridge, and dishwasher that Marriott calls its Gourmet Center, but was really only useful for making breakfast or maybe appetizers before dinner.
Security was terrible. Our friends checked in earlier and we just gave a room number to the porter and he opened the door and dropped us and our bags in the room, just like in the old James Bond movies where the maid lets Bond into the room. Good thing we were honest (and had the right room number.)

We are Marriott owners but this was our first stay in the newly opened Lahaina Villa tower. We were in a two bedroom lock off room and had the two sides. You can lock part off and stay two weeks instead of one. The tower was well done and very nice. We had an ocean view on the 10th floor overlooking the pool and the ocean. We were very impressed with the staff and the quality of the rooms. This is truly an outstanding property with everything you could possibly want. We were there with our grandkids who also enjoyed the pool and ocean. The whales were right off shore and made for very interesting and exciting views. We also went on several whale boat excursions, a boat trip to Lanai for snorkling and saw many dolphins and whales. We also went on a kayak tour which allowed us to be very close to the whales.
There are also some great areas to visit while on Maui. About one hour south is the Wailea/Makena area which has some excellent snorkling with lots of fish and turtles. Only negative is that Maui is getting very popular and traffic is very congested at times.

My husband and I stayed at the Marriott Maui Ocean Club for two weeks over the '07-'08 holidays, and found it suitable for our purposes. [We traded our two weeks at the Marriot Kauai Beach Club for the Maui property.] The convenient location made it possible to explore nearby towns and restaurants by public transportation, the Maui Bus. However, there are very few non-resort restaurants to choose from in Kaanapali itself. The beach in front of the resort has eroded away, preventing beachgoers from parking directly on the beach, but one is able to walk down the path to the area of the beach with more sand (and more people!). The pool area is overcrowded, with most pool-loungers staking their lounge chairs by 8am; and the hotel consistently ran out of towels by 9am. The resort shops are lacking in quality, especially compared to their next-door neighbor, the Hyatt. The spa is decent, although it pales in comparison to the luxurious spa at the Grand Wailea. Our room was spacious, and the comfortable bed was dressed in great sheet; but the towels are in need of updating. While the kitchen facilities, namely the mini-fridge, were convenient, there isn't a stove for any real cooking; however, there are wonderful grills available all over the property; and they're cleaned daily. The property is great for families, but not for those who have difficulty putting up with the throngs of screaming children. All in all, the Marriott is nice, but a tad overrated and overcrowded.

We are multiple-week owners at the Maui Ocean Club; just returned from our yearly stay.

The M.O.C. is a time-share resort, located near the south end of Kaanapali Beach and a short drive from the historic town of Lahaina. The resort has all the services/amenities expected of a luxury resort: 24-hour front desk, concierge, valet parking(optional), fitness center, gift & other shops, children's playground, restaurant, pool-side market and bar.

We own/stay in a 1-BR/2-BA oceanview villa. These units can accommodate a family of four or two couples, with relative privacy. The 1-BR villas have a limited kitchen (the 2-BR units have full kitchens); furnished with microwave oven, small refrigerator, dishwasher, basic small appliances (toaster, blender, coffee-maker, etc.) and kitchen ware. The bedroom is spacious; with a sitting area, private bathroom and lanai. All villas have been recently remodeled.

The main swimming pool, IMO, is one of the best on the island; multi-tiered with waterfalls and a large water slide. There are several Jacuzzis and a children's section, complete with sandy beach and a pirate ship to play on. The resort supposedly has a "no lounge chair-saving policy (towels to be removed from un-occupied lounges after 30 minutes)" but it did not appear this was being enforced (lounge chairs around the pool are at a premium). A recently built, smaller and less crowded swimming pool is located between the Lanai Tower and the recently opened Lahaina Villas building.

Since our visit last year, the two on-site restaurants (Nalu Sushi and Va Bene) have been closed and replaced by Longboards. We did not eat at Longboards but heard it was receiving good reviews. The pool-side Marketplace serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, along with snack and dessert items. For a nominal fee, the resort sells a coffee/drink mug which includes unlimited refills of soda and Starbuck's coffee for the duration of your stay.

Construction continues at the resort. The Lahaina Villas building, located next to the Lanai Tower, is now open. We did not tour the new two and three bedroom villas in the Lahaina Tower but the photos we saw were very impressive. Construction of the Napili Villas, located next to the Molokai Tower, is due to be completed early in 2009. We stayed in the Molokai tower and construction noise was not an issue; however our room was on the opposite side of where the construction was taking place (if you stay in the Molokai Tower before construction is complete, I'd recommend requesting a room with balcony overlooking the swimming pool).

The beach in front of the Maui Ocean Club is not the best for swimming, due to sharp rocks in shallow water. Decent swimming conditions can be found a short walk to the west, in front of the neighboring Kaanapali Alii. Good snorkeling can be found at Black Rock, at the west end of Kaanapali Beach (15 to 20 minute walk). Whaler's Village is about a 10 minute walk from the resort.

The Maui Ocean Club is well-maintained and the service is typical Marriott (very good). As a guest at this resort, you will be invited to tour the new villas but there is no pressure to do so. Should you take the tour, the sales presentations are also no pressure.

We have been coming to this resort since we purchased in 2002 and have enjoyed our stays each and every year. If you have any questions about the resort, feel free to contact me.