Got married while I was staying at this hotel in Maui. When checking in the hotel gave us an upgrade to a larger room that had some nice couch and dining room table in it. The hotel is a bit older and could probably use some upgrades to make it more modern but was very comfortable. Most of the other guests at the KBH seemed to be generally older so there was no worries about any late night partying or anything of that sort so we always had a good night sleep. This was the only hotel in our trip to Hawaii that you could really tell the hotel went out of their way to give their guests the "Hawaii" experience. They have a free breakfast with a little seminar explaining all the activities and events in Maui and at the hotel. They give you a free lei when you checkout. We enjoyed our stay.

My husband and I spent 5 days at this hotel Jan 2012 and really enjoyed ourselves. The place started with great staff, always helpful and very polite and ended the same way. The breakfast buffet was included in our stay and it was very delicious. We never had to wait for anything here, the staff always was available and so very polite. Our only problem, which was remedied after the first night, was our room type wasn't available (2 Queens instead of 1 King). After talking with the front desk people and our travel agent, the King was available the next day. The pool was pretty little, but it did the trick anyway. The beach is beautiful there so that was a big hit with us. We ate dinner in Lahaina every night, and it was really very convenient. The traffic in this area of Maui is terribly congested, but the beauty of the area made up for this. Since this was whale watching time, you could watch the whales jumping out of the water at any time of day right from your balcony. It was spectacular. We also did the magic show at the hotel, very fun with a great dinner too. The concierge there was very informative for us, and she suggested the "Feast at Lele in Lahaina, which was a total blast. Great food and great hula and dancing. We would definitely come back!

We just stayed here 4 nights from 1/28 through 2/1/2012. We came here from the Four Seasons on Lanai which was beautiful and wonderful, so we had been spoiled. When we walked into the lobby of the Kannapali Beach Hotel, we were very disappointed. It is small, boring, and dated. They gave us a room in the Molokai wing even though I had requested one in the newly renovated Kauai wing, but they had upgraded us to a partial ocean view room. It was very dreary and depressing. The hallways were narrow with low ceilings, and the best word to describe it was dreary. The rooms were decorated in brown and beige with dark blue and white bedspread. Why in the world wouldn't you use "pretty colors" in Hawaii? We went over to the Kauai wing and the hallways were taller and wider and it looked alot better, alothough still not "pretty". When we checked in, they said that we could be moved to Kauai wing in 2 days. However, we decided to go back and press the issue. We told them we would like to be moved or we wanted to leave the next morning. They then found us a room in the Kauai room which was much better.

They bill themselves as "the most Hawaiian Hotel on Maui", however, in reality, I think that is just trying to put a nice spin on the fact that the hotel needs a serious redo. In their defense, the rates were probably significantly cheaper than the other hotels on the Kannapali Beach strip, but after you spend all the money and time and effort to get there, you want a nice place to stay. The hotel we came from on Lanai was about $15.00 more per night and 20 times nicer. They charge for beach chairs, etc not so in Lanai.

We ate 3 meals there and all 3 were average or below. My husband said he liked his meal okay the first night, however. And the prices were not cheap. We did the Sunday buffet brunch which was $39.00 each, and it was quanity over quality in my opinion. It was the most expensive meal we had on our trip but nowhere near the best. Plus, the service was terrible. I was having to get my own drinks, no one was checking on us to see if we needed refills, they were not clearing our used plates, etc. Yet, when the bill came, they were suggesting your tip which was over 20%. It was a buffet for pete's sake and the service was terrible. The people are nice but they don't know good service.

On the pro side, the hotel is well located and our room ended up being convenient. The people at the concerige desk were nice. We had not been to Maui in 27 years and I could not believe how much more "crowded" it was and over built. They are turning paradise into a concrete jungle. I prefer less crowded beach areas. Lanai was alot nicer for about the same price, although Maui is still beautiful. Can't beat the sunsets on Kaanapali Beach.

We did not have a car there, they were sold out, so we had to use the bus. Another good thing about this hotel is it is near Whaler's Village which has a bus stop. For 2 bucks, you can hop on and off all day and it worked okay. If we went back, I might just get a car for part of the days when we wanted to drive far away. This was a significant savings. We went on a whale watch with Pacific Whale Foundation. A piece of advice. Go early and join the foundation. You get a free admission and a free tee shirt plus priorirty boarding, etc., and it all totals about what you would pay for one admission. I didn't realize this until after we were already on the boat.

If I went back to Kannapali Beach, I would try to stay at the Sheraton, the Hyatt or the Westin. They all were very nice in terms of their grounds and lobby, but I did not see the rooms. I probably would not go back to this hotel unless I knew they had had a serious redo.

This is a fairly basic place in comparison to many other hotels in the area. The location and views are great, but the interior finishes and general vibe had quite a dated feel. We found the food over priced and not really to our tastes - once again, it felt like we were back in the 1970's. The pool is basic , but cutely whale-shaped. Our room was spacious and clean, with a gorgeous view over the ocean - seeing the whales spout from the lanai was a highlight of our trip. The luhau we attended at the Royal Lahaina, recommended by friendly staff, was great - and kids got in free. This is a pretty and friendly place, but not quite up to par for a really special holiday.