The Ritz-Carlton Maui, Kapalua

Very nice resort. Adorable view. Service is good. A bit far from airport.

As much as I WISH this could be a fabulous review, there’s no way that can happen. I am not one to leave negative reviews unless the experience was truly horrible and I want to warn other people about it - but something needs to be said here..ALL HONEYMOONERS DO NOT BOOK HERE. My husband and I were both so excited to visit Hawaii and stay at the Ritz, but after the experience we had..we seriously need another vacation after this and we will NEVER stay at the Ritz again. First, upon arrival we were not given a warm greeting. Everyone from “National Life Group” was gifted flowers or drinks and we were basically just tossed to the side…We went to get a drink at the bar and we were greeted by the most rude bartender who asked if we were with National Life Group and when we said no he looked at us disgruntled and replied “well what do you want”. Upon giving us our drinks (which were awful) he asked why we were here if we weren’t with the other group and we said “it’s our honeymoon”… He looked at us and went “Oh” (no congrats or anything) & then proceeded to go over to his computer where he went “well I’m scared for you all” (like what the actual hell does that mean). My husband and I looked at each other and just decided to leave because it was so uncomfortable. After several days I finally realized why the bartender probably said that. National Life Group basically took over the whole resort (every reservation, certain drinks & the best part was the events were hosted outside of our room). I called and complained about the fact that every night a new event was blasting music for hours (like an actual concert) right outside of our room. Their reply: “yeah sorry about that there’s nothing we can do”… & here is the cherry on top… we rented a Jeep (had no problems with it). We let valet take our car and when we came back to get it the guy slid the keys across the counter and my husband and I were confused because when you pay for valet they are supposed to go get your car. The man wouldn’t & when I looked at him and asked where it was parked he didn’t answer and got on his phone. Irritated, my husband said “forget it let’s just go find it”…Upon finding it, the car wouldn’t work? Funny how it’s almost like the man knew and wouldn’t go get it when that’s actually his job. After having to get a different car, they would always go get it...So we truly believe something happened to our car because the man obviously knew something was wrong but wouldn’t tell us. Every day it was something new. The one time we tried to dine in for a nice dinner, the waiter forgot half of our food, disappeared for half an hour (I had to go find a different person to get us water) and then the waiter tried to blame US for his mistake and didn’t apologize or anything. Our honeymoon was a 8k WASTE thanks to this place. Never stay here.

Staff was fantastic and the fact the pool and hot tub were open 24 hours was fantastic

The resort is beautiful and serene. The people in it live and breathe the aloha spirit—you can tell they are proud of what they do. Bella and her team were absolutely amazing! Laura, Trevor and Denise were very attentive and their efforts in making the club lounge experience personalized was evident everyday. Sheila from the front desk provided such a warm welcome to my family and i. She made us forget about a horrible 15hr flight experience instantly at check-in. Marybeth and Zelia always had a smile on their faces in the lobby, and they frequently checked in on us throughout our stay leaving handwritten cards and surprises for us. Mike from recreation was also super friendly and had a great chat with him on the golf cart ride back to our pool. Highly recommend guests to attend the Sense of Place experience— aunty Sam was very engaging and lovely to speak with. The fitness hike with Kathy was also a highlight for me. Not only was the experience fun but I learned a lot about Kapalua and got some amazing tips on where to visit next. Ended up doing the coastal trail a few more times on my own. Definitely will continue to recommended The Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua to my friends and family.

Customer service was exceptional

It is a nice hotel but it is the crappiest Ritz I have ever been to. Our family would have been better off doing all inclusive in the Caribbean. The food selection is extremely weak. Things are sort of rundown too. I can’t tell if this was originally a different hotel but it is definitely dated looking and needs a refresh. The beach is lame too. No one even hangs out down there. They just dumped a pile of sand in the ocean at the bottom of the property.

Our family of four (40s/16/12) visited the Ritz Kapalua for spring break. All staff that we interacted with from check-in to check-out were friendly and helpful. The hotel was close to capacity but it never felt crowded. The resort grounds are large but it never seemed cumbersome to walk anywhere. Room to pool is 2-4 minutes no matter where you're located. The beach was a 3-5 minute walk from the pool, which isn't ideal, but it wasn't bothersome and there's a golf cart shuttle that can take you back and forth if you'd like. The resort is also connected to the coastal walking trail which is very beautiful. We had a basic room with partial ocean view and it was better than expected. It had a good sized balcony and bathroom. We never felt cramped. I'll get this out of the way: everything is very expensive. It's a Ritz - it's expected with the name. Beers are $10, mixed drinks are $20+. Meals are costly but you can view the menus beforehand to see what you're in for. It is what it is. The dining options aren't the best since we have a picky eater in our group so we ate most meals off property. We had the breakfast buffet at Ulana once and it was very good. My wife and I had drinks and appetizers at the Banyan Tree, which was tasty. We ordered a few things poolside throughout the week and the food is what you'd expect. We attended the Takes of the Kapa Moe luau and had a great time. The food was delicious and the show was entertaining but I thought it was going to be "bigger". We weren't disappointed at all though. If it's in your budget, splurge for the VIP tickets so that you can sit closer to the stage. It makes a difference. The mandatory valet parking was somewhat annoying and felt cash-grabby. It seems unnecessary since the lot is right by the lobby circle but the valets were fast and friendly - not a huge deal. There's a market/deli next door that's a short walk and is a really good option for breakfast or to grab sandwiches to take on the road if you're going exploring for the day. They also have a good selection of beer and wine. We wouldn't hesitate to come back!