We are a family of four who just returned from a stay in the Bay Villas at the Kapalua Villas. We rented a two-bedroom ocean view villa through the hotel web site (Kapalua.com).

To cut to the chase right away, I was expecting, as per the web site description "Sweeping ocean views of the beautiful Pacific Ocean..." from our villa. Instead, we had sweeping views of other condos and an extremely limited peek view of the ocean from the dining nook of our ground level unit. I was so shocked by the lack of view that I called the front desk to say we must have been put in a partial ocean view unit by mistake. The manager indicated the Bay Villas are their "top of the line units" and yes we did indeed have an ocean view unit. I asked to be moved to a unit with an unobstructed ocean view and he said all two-bedroom units were booked and we couldn't be moved. So, this was one big disappointment.

As for the unit itself, it was very spacious with two-bedrooms and three bathrooms. But, it was an outdated, luxury wanna-be accomodation. The dresser in the kid's room was completely unusable with drawers that tilted precariously and threatened to fall on bare feet if used - the slides were partially broken and there were no drawer stops. Two of the three sink stoppers did not work. The kitchen knives were low quality and some basic knives - like a bread knife - were missing. There was no cutting board to slice fruit or cut bread for sandwiches. The bath towels were small. Although I must say that the two main bathrooms themselves were beautiful with the showers in a large tiled area surrounded by wood. The closet in one of the bathrooms had folding doors that kinked the wrong way and were difficult to open.

Good things about the unit included a washer and dryer with soap, full kitchen with dishwasher and soap, air conditioning (although it was too loud to use during the night), lots of closet space, and plenty of room to spread out.

Overall, the area is beautiful although it was quite windy every day we were there. The kids swam at the D.T. Fleming beach and Kapalua Bay and preferred Kapalua Bay for the clearer water that was good for snorkeling. The Ritz pool was available to us (there is an $18/day resort charge) and the kids enjoyed that also although it is difficult to find a chair out of the sun unless you rent one with a shade.

We took a shuttle to the Maunalei Arboretum Trail and enjoyed the walk so much that our group was motivated to hike all the way back to the resort (about 6 miles). I recommend doing this in the morning while the day is cool. We had lunch at the Honolua Store which has a great selection of breakfast and lunch items that I recommend highly - you order at a counter and eat at tables outside.

For general info, there is a Safeway in Lahaina to stock up on groceries and a Costco near the airport where someone in our group said they stop at to get snorkeling gear.

The kids really enjoyed the stay but I would be extremely hesitant to return to the Kapalua Villas. Maybe it works better if you book a Gold Villa - another family in our group booked a Gold ocean view unit and had a wonderful view and a more luxury feel. At a minimum, maybe you should always specify a top floor unit to at least have a fighting chance of getting a view.

We rented unit 30 B-1 of the Bay Villas through vrbo.com and just got back to reality after a week in paradise. This unit was an oceanfront 1BR unit on the 2nd floor and had the most incredible view. Even though this unit was on the 2nd floor, it was level to the parking lot, so we didn't have to drag anything up and down a flight of stairs.

After reading other reviews,weI was very nervous about renting here, but we were able to see many pictures of the actual unit we would be staying in at vrbo.com. The unit was being managed by a property management company and we got fresh towels and linens once during our one week stay. The property management company was a pleasure to deal with, met us at the unit and even helped us with printing out boarding passes.

The unit was clean with an updated kitchen , new carpet in the living room, new flat screen TV and an enormous bathroom. Everything was working and in tip top shape. Our child slept in the sleeper sofa overlooking the ocean every day.

One concern we had when renting was the ongoing construction. We never heard any construction, even though it was quite close. The construction did prevent walking access to Kapalua Bay Beach, but they have a nice public lot to access that beach nearby. We could access Oneola beach fairly easily (a walk down a path).

The reason we loved this location was that it was close to Lahaina, yet it was quiet and peaceful. If you're looking for a spot to party all night, perhaps Kapalua isn't for you.

This location was a bit windy, but it was really welcome on those 90 degree days when it was unbearable in Lahaina. The property was beautifully landscaped and maintained. We had 2 pools nearby and one pool had recent extensive renovations which included a grill.

This unit is for sale on the Market. We must be a Mega Millions ticket to buy this incredible place. The view was worth every penny. The only thing we regret was leaving!

Thanks to all those who have written reviews here. Based on reviews we rented a 2 bedroom 3 bathroom condo at Kapalua in the Ridge complex with Ridge Realty Rentals.

The location could not have been better! We had a very great wide ocean view. We could see the islands of Molokai and Lanai and the sunset. FYI it was villa 2614. We ate on our lanai most nights and watched the sunset while the kids played in the grass, it was amazing.

We paid $375. The villa was surprisingly large, much larger than it looked online. The three bathrooms and the kitchen had not been remodeled but were high quality and much nicer than a remodeled condo we once stayed in at Kaanapali five years ago. The furnishings in the bedrooms and the living room looked new, and were very nice. (check out the pictures). All the kitchen appliances were new, which was great because we are a family (six people including our kid’s friends) and we cooked almost every night. For $375 I think we got a great place. We met a honeymoon couple at the pool that paid over $400 for a 1 bedroom gold condo with the Kapalua Villa Program. They could not believe what we paid. The service was also great. The Ridge people were very nice and helpful.

The condo had air conditioning, but we didn’t use it. We are environmentalists and we don’t like to waste energy, plus you don’t need air conditioning in Kapalua. The weather in Kapalua is the best in all of Maui. There was a constant trade wind breeze that kept us cool. The villa was also close to the Ridge pool, which was nice for the kids. If you have kids I recommend Kapalua, another great thing for kids is the free shuttle. You just call it and it comes to your condo and takes you anywhere in Kapalua at no cost. Our kids and their friends used it a couple times to get lunch at a place called the Honuloa Store. The food is cheap there (compared to the rest of Maui, ha!) and really good. I recommend the Honuloa Store too.

FYI everything is expensive in Maui so stop at Costco next to the airport when you first get there and stock up… especially if you have kids! I hope this review helps others as reviews on here really helped our family to have the best vacation we have ever had.

We had an excellent 8 night spent at the Kapalua Villas. On Memorial Day, we checked in to our Golf Villa, which was perfectly located on the property. We had a partial ocean view off our lanai, which saw the Island of Lanai in addition to the ocean, the Bay Course golf course, and several of the Golf Villas. The architecture of the buildings on site are either quaint (churches, stores, little schoolhouse) or easily blended into environment - no garish high-rises here, like down in Kaanapali. We were struck with awe in looking at all the Cook Pines on the property. They really define the resort better than any other landscape element here.

We were greeted at check-in with a nice glass of pineapple juice and a thorough description of services provided. We were provided with covered parking near our villa, and when we unlocked the door and walked in, we were quite revlieved with what we saw. Our two-bedroom Gold Villa was well-appointed with granite countertops in the kitchen and bathrooms. Appliances, fixtures, furniture and carpeting met the level of luxury expected from the room rate, and all were clean and relatively new.

The Honolua Store on property has everything you may need, though perhaps a bit expensive. Costco or Safeway elsewhere on the island will be better for your staples, but the Honolua Store is an excellent option for forgotten items, or delicious prepared foods.

The Kapalua Activity Center (and Logo Store) also is a nice place for breakfast or lunch. The concierges there were more than happy to arrange our sunset catamaran sail, ziplining, and horseback riding.

One amenity that was well worth the $18/day resort fee (which also covered wireless internet in the villa, parking, and a few other things) was the access to the pool and charging priveleges at the Ritz Carlton Kapalua. The pool and pool service there are second only to the Four Seasons Hualalai on the Big Island.

I also enjoyed several of the restaurants, including Sansei for sushi (and Karaoke on weekend nights), Pineapple Grill, and Plantation (at the Plantation Golf Course Clubhouse). O yes, the golfing is outstanding also! Two courses, one hosts a PGA event, and the other hosts an LPGA event.

I wholeheartedly recommend the Kapalua Villas for anyone considering going to Maui.