My husband and I stayed at the Ritz Kapalua for 10 days on our honeymoon in April/May 2008. It was the best vacation we have ever had. I'm reading some of these bad reviews of the hotel, and laughing to myself. Some people can find something wrong with just about everything -- even a five star resort in Maui!! I can honestly say that it was worth every penny, albeit many pennies! But you get what you pay for. My husband and I were blown away by the service -- from the bell staff, to the pool crew, to the lounge bartender, to the maids. I felt spoiled the entire time I was there, to the point I was embarrassed to be taking cold washcloths off silver plates and complimentary pineapple slices at the pool. We made friends with the pool staff, and they took care of us every single day. We were on a first name basis with them. We were getting invited to parties that they were attending on their days off -- kind of funny. We were involuntarily upgraded to a residential suite upon check-in. We didnt know what to do with all the space. We felt so comfortable and at home. If we wanted to, we could have cooked a full-course meal in our stocked kitchen, but we just didn't feel like cooking on our vacation. The only thing I didnt have was an iron, but who cares! My husband was, for some reason, overly impressed with the complimentary Bulgari bath products. Granted, they were nice, but he was a little too excited. I guess we're just easy to please. The pool was not overcrowded -- we always found great seats. They were working on tiling some of the pool waterfalls the week we were there, but it wasnt the end of the world. The spa was not open at the time, but it looked like it was going to be pretty cool.

One thing that I have to recommend is getting the breakfast package. The daily prices arent cheap. We wound up with a complimentary breakfast package through our travel agency, and it was such a money saver. We went for a late breakfast every day around 11:00 and basically stuffed our faces. It held us over until dinner everyday, so we were only buying one meal a day.The meals aren't cheap, but you will never have better seafood than in Hawaii. My husband went into withdrawal when we got home after having had salmon and eggs benedict every single day. I was a big fan of the omelet station. I wasn't too crazy about dinner at the Terrace. The menu was kind of limited and pricey. The Banyan Tree was delicious. They were having half priced wine bottle specials when we were there, so we definitely capitalized on that. The sushi restaurant, Kai, was nice. I'm not a huge sushi fan, but my husband enjoyed himself. The weather was 84 degrees every day were there, and the biggest 'problem' we had were two really windy days at the end of our trip. We got over it. The pool staff actually hooked us up with a free cabana because there were hardly any people at the pool on one of the windy days. We paid $250 (yikes!) for a full day cabana rental so that my husband could tell all his friends that he watched the NFL draft poolside in Maui. I, being the new and accomodating wife, gladly went along with the fully stocked, fan-conditioned, plasma tv cabana. I kind of felt snobbish siitting in one of the seven cabanas that sit slightly up above everyone else at the pool, but I enjoyed myself. It was our week to splurge! The hotel has a complimentary shuttle service to various different places within Kapalua. I highly recommend the Plantation House for sunset dinner. I'd pass on the Pineapple Grill, except for maybe eating a quick bite off the bar menu. We heard great things about sandwiches at the general store, but we never made it there. We were so comfortable at the pool that we didnt spend too much time down on the beach, so I can't comment too much on that. The view of Molokai from the resort is beautiful. Kapalua is in a great location, about a 15 minute drive from the touristy Ka'anapali and Lahaina areas.

Off-site recommendations: Haleakala bike tour (28 miles downhill after watching the sun rise at the top of a volcano), and the Old Lahaina luau. This luau is much more authentic than the others. I wasn't overly impressed with the food there, but it was just about the experience. Pacific'o restaurant in Lahaina was delcious and romantic. The Road to Hana is something you have to do just because everyone does it, but it is a long long day of driving. We chose to ride it ourselves instead of with a tour bus just so we could pick and choose what we wanted to stop and see. We enjoyed the Seven Sacred Pools and the Black Sand Beach the best.

One more thing -- if you are renting a car, drive around the southwest side of the island when coming from the airport, as opposed to going up and around the northwest side of the island. I thought I was taking a shortcut when looking at the map, and we wound up on poorly paved roads basically dangling off the cliffs for 20 miles while trying to steer clear of locals that just buzz past you. It had all the makings of a bad start to the trip, but we survived.

Summary -- go there. It's expensive, but worth the money. It's hard to beat this place. I loved it. I'd go back tomorrow if I could.

My family just got back from a week's stay at the Ritz in Kapalua. We actually had three rooms. My husband and I stayed in a one-bedroom ocean-front suite, my son and DIL in a ocean view room, and my daughter, SIL and baby in a residence suite, which has a kitchen. We have stayed at various Four Seasons one-bedroom suites, and they always have a half-bath in the living area. Not here. All the rooms were nice looking, if a little dull, and the bathrooms were nice. Hardwood floors and patterned carpet gave a nice tropical feel. We found the food throughout the resort to be excellent, though of course, quite expensive. We never had a bad meal. Room service was very prompt, never messed up an order and the food was also excellent. The concierge service was very good, but sometimes not well-informed.

Now the issues: the pools were very nice, but a little cold. Cabanas that hold four lounge chairs were $150 per day. Because of the winds, there are no umbrellas, but if you were willing to move around during the day, you could find shade from palm trees. The lounges were unbearably uncomfortable. They are hard rattan, with no pads. Since lying near the pool, reading and dozing are my favorite things, these lounges were a real problem. I heard that pads were ordered, but had not yet been delivered. I don't know if that is true, but if it is important to you, check with the hotel.

Housekeeping was spotty. The Bulgari products did not seem like Bulgari products, more like some low end products. It would sometimes take room service three hours to remove our breakfast table. Pool service was good, but no nice things like fruit or Evian spritzs. It's VERY windy this part of the island.

They opened their new spa the day we arrived, but I was sad to hear that a guest could only use the sauna and steam room if they were there for a treatment, or if they paid $25.00. Since I like to do a workout (gym very crowded early in the morning) then take a steam, this was very disappointing. My daughter and DIL had facials and massages, and were not thrilled with the service, the music, and said the treatment rooms were cold. The sauna had not yet been turned on and they had to wait for 20 minutes while it heated up.

In short, I would spend just a few more dollars and stay at the Four Seasons Maui. At least you'll get far better service, a comfortable and free cabana, pads on the lounges, some flowers and chocolate and water with turn-down service, and you'll be spared annoyance and disappointment.

My daughter and I returned from a 9-day stay here last week. The property is spectacularly beautiful (which I already knew), well-maintained, and the staff was stupendous. I simply can't laud them enough, from the maids to the Terrace breakfast waiters to the valets to the pool staff. All were very friendly, professional, and immediately accommodating. I merely had to whisper and our needs were met. The remodel is unbelievable. The hotel is now the only 5-star property on the island. I stayed here prior to the over haul and the decor was all old world luxe (and getting worn) -- now it is hip, Hawaiian, and brand-spanking new. Our Residential suite was awesome -- 900 sq ft with 2 balconies, lovely furnishings plus refrigerator, freezer, blender, microwave, sink, dishwasher, martini shaker (you name it), etc. The bathroom was large and lovely. The products were by Bulgari. Two large flatscreen TVs, wireless connections, and an Ipod player/charger completed the picture. (I think there was a DVD player too.) The pools are wonderful and if you feel super self-indulgent, you can rent cabanas that have large screen plasmas (they were full almost every day!). DT Fleming Beach was rated as the world's top beach in 2006 (I believe). I spent about 3 hours in the water everyday. One day, a pod of dolphins (at least 20) came through and were swimming quite close to me. One kept jumping and twirling in the air. It was amazing!! The property has some wonderful lava formations just off the golf course (near the beach) very worth exploring and there are hiking trails with terrific views up in the hills behind the hotel and zip lines too. You can ride the shuttle up and walk or run through a Koa forest (initially) all the way back to the hotel -- probably about 8 miles in total but mostly down hill (watch your footing). The iron men and women among you could run it uphill for a harder workout. (My daugher who is 20 and rows varsity college crew for the Ivy League {can you tell I'm a proud mom?} did part of it and pronounced it a "decent work out.") The gym is well-stock with recumbent bikes, ellipiticals, treadmills, machines, and free weights. There are a number of classes and very fit instructors. A brand new fabulous spa is opening its doors any day now -- I heard from a PR person who took the tour that it is amazing. Re food: The Banyan Tree restaurant (on the property) is my favorite restaurant on Maui -- forget the very over-rated Pacific'O in Lahaina (it was expensive and so mediocre that the woman at the table next to us stormed out). The Banyan Tree has been consistently excellent over a long period, despite the change in chefs. It's expensive but if you love fine cuisine, worth every penny. Check and see if the unique musical group, Ranga Pae, is playing. The Terrace buffet breakfast was fantastic!! Book it with your package, otherwise it costs around $70.00 for two, with tip and tax. We only had to eat one other meal per day. I stocked our fridge with yogurt, etc. (Right now there is an incredible package on Expedia for every fourth night free and breakfast included. It is so worth it!!! I splurged on one of the residential suites and was delighted.) There is a Sushi restaurant on site and a beautiful lobby bar that serves until late. I didn't try either because my daughter, the athlete, has a very particular diet and doesn't drink. But they looked great and I heard good things. Room service was good (my daughter, a picky eater, kept talking about the pizza). Down by the beach, there is another restaurant that serves tropical drinks and burgers, etc. There are beach chairs and a towel station nearby and it is a great place to position yourself for lounging all day. One caveat: Kapalua is windy. It blows around the entire property which is quite large. I personally liked the wind (I've gone to Kapalua for years) -- it never gets unbearably hot, like it can in Wailea where all those fancy hotels are jammed together with lots of tourists. We opened our balconies at night and the wind blew through and refreshed us. So, walk on the beach, frolic on the beach but position yourself up on the shore near the restaurant -- it's an idyllic spot and you are sheltered there (shade and wind-wise). There are two others beaches within walking distance of this property -- the wonderfully tame Kapalua Beach and Oneloa Beach. The latter is practically deserted because people walk down to it and it looks entirely reefy, it's not -- walk to the other end and there is sandy bottom. No shade though. The property is close to Lahaina and Kaanapali and very close to Kahana and Napili -- where other good restaurants and beaches can be found. I cannot recommend it highly enough. Book your trip today!It is a very different experience than touristy Kaanapoli. PS If there is a sailor among you, you must go for a sail on America II. If the trades are blowing, you'll have the ride of a lifetime versus the other boats which usually motor or barely put their sails up. On the return portion of the sail, we were literally surfing down huge rollers. It was wild!! Prepare to get wet!

I made a hotel reservation online, and received a Confirmed Reservation for an Ocean Front Suite, described as and "Ocean front suite with full view of the Pacific Ocean from the guest room". I then made plane reservations and other plans based on the room's promised availability. When I arrived they told me that, despite my Confirmed Reservation, they had given away my room to someone else, and gave me a room with a view of the opposite building and a concrete pool area. I told them this was completely unacceptable. They just said "I'm sorry" and did nothing to correct the problem. No manager ever returned my call or contacted me. They were completely non-responsive. To add insult to injury, upon returning home I find they have charged my credit card $5,000