# Marriott or Westin on Maui ?



## gmarine (Aug 27, 2015)

Heading to Hawaii for the first time next summer. Kids will be 16 and 11. 

For Maui, we are going to stay at either Westin Kaanapali or the Marriott Ocean Club. Which would you choose ?  Do you prefer a certain section of either resort ?  Thanks for any help !!


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## bastroum (Aug 27, 2015)

Marriott will be more fun for the kids.


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## happyvacationman (Aug 27, 2015)

*Marriott Ocean Club*

stayed at it and a great property.  Good spot for the kids that age.


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## Ken555 (Aug 27, 2015)

Hard to go wrong with either. Lots of threads on TUG about this very question...


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## LisaRex (Aug 27, 2015)

Both are great and both are beach front.  It depends on whether you want to be in the middle of the action or not. 

Marriott is in the middle of resort row, so it's surrounded by other resorts. It's on an oceanfront path that runs the length of Ka'anapali Beach.  It tends to be more crowded and energetic.  You can walk to nearby resorts and restaurants if you want.  If I was renting here, I'd look at the towers (Napili or Lahaina?) because they were built to be timeshares and have proper kitchens and en-suite washers/dryers.  The older section was converted from hotel rooms, so they have kitchenettes and shared laundry facilities.  

Westin is just off resort row, so it's quieter and the beach isn't as crowded.  It's on an oceanfront path that meanders on an off the ocean, so it was more of an afterthought than purposefully built.   The villas are very nice and built to be timeshares, though the north phase lacks a stove.  Snorkeling is outstanding in front of the resort.  They offer a very convenient shuttle that goes between Lahaina/Whaler's Village and the Westin, so no worries about drinking and driving. 

Both have great pools.  Both are beautifully landscaped. 

Personally, I'd look to get the best deal and go from there.


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## pspercy (Sep 1, 2015)

gmarine said:


> Heading to Hawaii for the first time next summer. Kids will be 16 and 11.
> 
> For Maui, we are going to stay at either Westin Kaanapali or the Marriott Ocean Club. Which would you choose ?  Do you prefer a certain section of either resort ?  Thanks for any help !!



Do you mean the Westin Hotel vs Marriott timeshare rental?

Marriott will give you far more space than a hotel room, don't know what the cost difference would be.

Westin has timeshares further away, not part of Kaanapali Beach as it's usually defined. It's the other side of Black Rock right by Kahekili Beach Park.

I think your kids would love Maui Ocean Club:whoopie:

http://kaanapaliresort.com/where-to-stay/


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## Ken555 (Sep 1, 2015)

pspercy said:


> Westin has timeshares further away, not part of Kaanapali Beach as it's usually defined. It's the other side of Black Rock right by Kahekili Beach Park.




You need to check a map. "Usually defined"? Lol


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## pspercy (Sep 1, 2015)

Ken555 said:


> You need to check a map. "Usually defined"? Lol
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPad



What is now called "North Kaanapali Beach" was only a very few years ago called Airport Beach. I guess Westin got it redefined/renamed.


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## JIMinNC (Sep 1, 2015)

pspercy said:


> What is now called "North Kaanapali Beach" was only a very few years ago called Airport Beach. I guess Westin got it redefined/renamed.



I think the names Airport Beach and North Kaanapali Beach have been used somewhat interchangeably for some time. We used to own at Kaanapali Beach Club, just a bit farther north up the beach from the Westin, and even back in the late 1990s before the Westin was even announced, the beach was referred to as North Kaanapali Beach as well as Airport Beach (because it used to be the site of the old west Maui airport). In fact, the Kaanapali Beach Club was an Embassy Suites hotel for a decade or two before it became a timeshare, and that hotel was called the Embassy Suites at Kaanapali Beach. It then became the Embassy Vacation Resort at Kaanapali Beach when it converted to timeshare, and now Kaanapali Beach Club. The restaurant was called the North Beach Grill. The property next door to Kaanapali Beach Club is called Aston Kaanapali Shores. So North Kaanapali Beach has been used for some time.


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## gmarine (Sep 1, 2015)

One thing that may strongly affect my decision is that the Marriott Ocean Club is starting renovations the middle of August next year and the main pool is going to be closed. If I plan on going at that time then I definitely will choose the Westin Kaanapali.   
Thanks to everyone for the help !


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## jlr10 (Sep 2, 2015)

It is all about personal preference. We have been to both and prefer the Westin.  When the Marriott is full you can tell, kids running around screaming and lots of noise.  We found the Westin to be much quieter and the nicer of the resorts.  If we enjoyed Maui more we would have considered this for a home resort property.

As a side note the staff at the Westin were outstanding when we were there. i had broken my leg the week before on Kauai and so was pretty much limited to the resort most of the time, while I sent my husband off to do hikes.  The staff went out of their way to accomodate me. One day I thought I would go down to the pool area to read. I was in a wheelchair since I could not get the crutches down and somewhat clumsy.  Someone from housekeeping saw me coming down the hall and ran towards me to see where I was going. I was then pushed down to the pool, and seated in a choice spot with a view of the pool an ocean, under a nice big umbrella. I was brought ice water and a cold cloth and told if I needed anything to just let them know.  I sat there enjoying my book and the lunch I packed for a few hours. After about 2 hours the young man returned with fresh ice water and another cool towel.  That is service I will never forget.


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## Colt Seavers (Sep 2, 2015)

LisaRex said:


> Snorkeling is outstanding in front of the resort.



While I can't comment on the snorkeling near the Westin I did want to comment on the beach in front of it.  We were there several years ago in May and the waves on the beach were rather strong and there is a steep dropoff not far into the water.  I know the swells are different depending on the time of year but it did limit swimming in the ocean with our young son.


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## Ken555 (Sep 2, 2015)

Colt Seavers said:


> While I can't comment on the snorkeling near the Westin I did want to comment on the beach in front of it.  We were there several years ago in May and the waves on the beach were rather strong and there is a steep dropoff not far into the water.  I know the swells are different depending on the time of year but it did limit swimming in the ocean with our young son.




Yes, there's a slight drop not far out. But, you only need to be two or three feet out to enjoy the snorkeling, though 15-20 is much better. 

Time of day, current weather, and more makes a difference, too. Typically it's very easy to enter and exit the water by the Westin.


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## LisaRex (Sep 3, 2015)

Colt Seavers said:


> While I can't comment on the snorkeling near the Westin I did want to comment on the beach in front of it.  We were there several years ago in May and the waves on the beach were rather strong and there is a steep dropoff not far into the water.  I know the swells are different depending on the time of year but it did limit swimming in the ocean with our young son.



This is definitely true.  However, I've found this to be the case in much of Hawaii because of its topography.  The steep shelf makes entry into and out of the water challenging to very difficult, depending on the surf.  The beach next to the Four Seasons on Lanai was the most difficult place I've ever tried to snorkel because the waves came in threes and pummeled you if you weren't out far enough. I somersaulted and lost my bottoms a few times before finally making it in. 

I would seriously think twice before taking a young child into the ocean in Hawaii.  In addition to the waves, you have to watch where you step because there are tons of lava rocks ready to stub your toe.  This is why I prefer to snorkel via charters on Hawaii, because hopping into the ocean from a boat is so much easier. 

FYI, the best place on Maui to enter and exit the water is Honolua Bay and that's because the bay is protected from the waves.  Also, there's an old boat ramp that allows you to sit and put on your fins without getting pummeled.


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## NJDave (Sep 3, 2015)

gmarine said:


> One thing that may strongly affect my decision is that the Marriott Ocean Club is starting renovations the middle of August next year and the main pool is going to be closed. If I plan on going at that time then I definitely will choose the Westin Kaanapali.
> Thanks to everyone for the help !



This will impact my decision for next September.  I will be using staying at the Westin.


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