Honua Kai Resort & Spa

My Husband, his two kids and I stayed in a two bedroom condo at Honua Kai for 8 days (9 nights) in late October. We found the condo on VRBO and booked through InvitedHome. We had a hard time finding a two bedroom condo (where one of the rooms had separate beds) at other resorts/​hotels so we were pleased to find plenty here.
We booked a room on the third floor overlooking a construction site next door because it was a couple hundred dollars cheaper than a room higher up (but still overlooking the construction site) as well as other rooms with a better view. I was disappointed that the construction next door was a lot more advanced (and blocked more of our view) than the photos online showed, but my beef is with InvitedHome and not with Honua Kai.
Our room was nice and clean and spacious. I liked how the doors next to the patio completely opened up to allow the nice fresh air in and the air conditioning was cool. There was a washer/​dryer, full kitchen and two full bathrooms in our condo. There was also a TV with full cable in the family room as well as one in each bedroom. I had no complaints with the condo.
The resort itself was very nice, there was a convenient general store downstairs as well as a parking lot and parking garage so that was never an issue. Their is a restaurant on site (Duke’s) which we never ate at and I tried to avoid because it was super pricey and not worth the money. No thanks.
The resort has a nice large lawn area in the middle and surrounding it, and many pools and a hot tub which were all open at the time of our stay. They were not too crowded, but we never used them because the beach was literally steps away from the property. The beach was lovely! Plenty of sand, some shade, calm water with very little coral and rocks. So amazing!
I would stay at Honua Kai again if I came back to Maui. I would choose a different room next time that wasn’t near a construction zone so I could actually enjoy the balcony and not get covered in red dust every time the wind blew.

We are a family of 4, with two small girls ages 5 and 2. This was our first trip to the Kaanapali area, but not to Maui.
We rented our room on VRBO via KBM Hawaii.
Overall, our experience in Kaanapali and at the Honua Kai was great. We think one of our best vacations. Highly recommend the resort and area in general; with or without kids. Here are some specifics:
Room
We stayed in the Hokulani Tower, and had a Mountain View over the entry. The view was fine, although we should have paid to upgrade to the Ocean View. The room itself was very nice and updated. Comfortable bed, nice toiletries in the bathroom, DVD Player with local cable, really nice shower.
Our unit came stocked with beach chairs, umbrella, kids sand toys, a cooler, and boogie boards.
The lanai was really nice and big. It had two doors so you could put the kids to bed, and still get access to outside.
Hotel Overall
Décor was really nice and fresh. Grounds really kept up. We didn’t interact with the staff much, as it was pretty self service. When we did, they were nice. Checkin was easy and the valet was very helpful.
Gym
The gym was basic, but nice. 4 treadmills, 3 elliptical, 1 stair-​stepper, a lot of weight machines. The exercise machines all had TVs. It was open 24 hours a day, if you’re into that kind of thing.
Parking
Parking was simple. They had an underground lot which was really convenient, especially when it rained. Direct access to your floor via the elevator.
Food
The ‘Aina Market was great. We basically only had lattes and breakfast foods, but both were stellar. Some of the best coffee I have ever had, and it’s basically grown across the street, which is great. Although we didn’t partake, the Market had a really eclectic selection of food and other grocery items. They also had a good selection of local Hawaiian beers.
The Duke’s on-​site was both convenient and high quality. We loved the food, and they had choices for our daughters that they would eat. Again, good beer selection. The mixed drinks poolside were nice, if not a little pricey. Great views from the restaurant.
Pools
We loved the pools. It was really great that all 3 were different. One was the resort-​y Infinity Pool type; the other a Kid’s pool with waterfalls, waterslide, beach area, and fountains; the third a river-​type more serene area. All had cabanas and private chairs (for hotel guests only, not renters from KBM or VRBO). The pools were well maintained and cleaned, and the staff was there cleaning every morning.
There was a small discrepancy with the towels for the pool. If you rented from KBM or VRBO, like we did, you aren’t entitled to the white pool towels that you can get poolside. If you’re not allowed access to the white towels, your unit owner will provide beach towels. They’re fine, but you just have to lug them up and down to your room and wash them. That’s probably the only downside I saw between Renters and Hotel Guests.
Beach
The beach directly in front of the resort is not the best. Waves are fine, the beach there is pretty narrow, and has a step entry. However, just a few properties south, the beach widens and flattens out, and is great. Beach is great for morning walks. There is a great plank walk to quickly get to the southern properties.
Two properties south, at the Westin, there is a great beach and a great food truck place right near the pool with excellent food that we brought to the beach.
Weather/​Wind
The resort is on the windier side of Kaanapali. I found it was pretty reliably windy between 9 AM and 3 PM. Wasn’t so bad that it made the pools untenable. It also was hot when we were there (October 2015), so the wind helped keep the temperature down. Depending on the wind, the beach was a little difficult with umbrellas. We got rain a few days, but it was brief.
Neighborhood
You’re really close to Lahaina, Whaler’s Village, and the other Kaanapali resorts. Easy to drive down there for dinner, drinks, and sunsets.
There is a small grocery store next door to the property if you don’t want to go to the Safeway in Lahaina. Also a small shopping center nearby with a Round Table Pizza, nail place, etc.
We took two side trips: one to the Maui Ocean Center (highly recommended) and the ReefDancer semi-​sub out of Lahaina (it was fine; depends on when you go and what you see).