I'm writing this siting on our balcony here at HGVC Maui Bay Villas after a five day stay. Heading to Kona and another HGVC later today. I thought I would add my comments to the property experience. The pictures and comments above are very accurate.
Having taken numerous personal and business trips to Maui, my perspective on the island's accommodations and resorts is shaped by my experiences. Most of my stays have been at top-tier resorts like the Four Seasons, Grand Wailea, Ritz Carlton, and the Hyatt. In my opinion, the HGVC Maui Bay Villas is a decent option for a short stay, but it wouldn’t be my first choice for future visits. I’m scheduled to return to Maui next May, and I’ll be staying at one of the previously mentioned resorts.
Here are some pros and cons of staying at the HGVC Maui Bay Villas:
Pros:
- New and still under construction, so it’s clean and well-maintained.
- Services, amenities, and more as you would expect from any HGVC property
- A convenient location if you plan to visit Kahului or go on island drives.
- Most units offer good views of Haleakala.
- Some units offer pool views and partial ocean views.
- A short drive to grocery stores and some restaurants, although they aren’t within walking distance.
- A nice pool by the beach with an onsite restaurant right there.
- Good parking close to the rooms
- Elevators
- Friendly staff
- Multiple pools
- Nice gardens and open spaces.
Cons:
- The resort feels isolated and is squeezed into a neighborhood setting.
- A few first floor units have views of only the parking lot
- Some units suffer from offensive road noise, particularly those close to the road.
- Limited privacy on the balconies.
- The beach is small and mostly unusable
- The pool and main restaurant require crossing a semi-busy road.
- No robes in the rooms (I do like hotel robes).
- Limited on-site dining options.
Another con, common in many Hawaiian locations like Maui and Kauai, is the presence of loud roosters. This can be problematic for those of us who need to take conference calls or prefer to stay incognito when conducting business while traveling. It’s difficult to work with the door open or sit on the patio with the rooster noises in the background.
On this visit, I was particularly disappointed by some encounters with unfriendly and downright nasty locals. I observed two interactions with tourists and locals. One was a local who appeared to want to start a fight for no reason with a couple in a convertible. The convertible driver was in the right. It was the local who was bullying them. While locals have gone through the hardship of the recent fire, the unpleasant behaviors I observed was in Hana and the Kahului area and far from Lahaina. The lack of Aloha on Maui seems to be at an all time high (IMO). The attitude is concerning and could negatively impact tourism and the local economy. Why visit a place with high rates and very high tourist taxes when other islands and locations are more welcoming? Additionally, the amount of roadside debris (discarded refrigerators, a couple cars, ovens, etc.) on the drive from the airport to HGVC was disheartening and reflects poorly on the community’s lack of respect for their environment. I'm not talking about debris from the fires, but rather locals who wont pay to dump their broken kitchen appliances at the dump because of cost. It creates a bad visual for locals and visitors.
I’m not looking to delve into the broader issues of tourism and over tourism, just sharing my observations.
The highlight of this trip was lunch at Mama’s Fish House. Always a personal favorite. I highly recommend it to anyone visiting Maui—clearly, my priorities are in order. Haha.
If the HGVC Maui Villas is on your wish list of places to stay I think the more you know the more content you will be with your stay.
