My wife and I spent three nights on Maui as part of an island-hopping honeymoon. As a Platinum guest with Starwood, we were upgraded to the Imperial Suite (room 1188) which is quite possibly one of the nicest rooms I have ever spent the night. The suite had seven balconies which opened to the ocean and pool. The view was amazing and the treatment we received across the property was very nice.

We rented a cabana on the beach (for a small fee) and enjoyed the fresh pineapple and ice water throughout the day. The restaurants were very nice and served very nice meals. We took advantage of the spa and fitness center and highly recommend that future guests take advantage of this amazing benefit.

After staying at the Hyatt Regency Waikiki and the Four Seasons Maui, I was a bit disappointed with The Westin Maui. I didn't expect it to be quite as good but I thought it should have been better than what it was.

The main message I have after staying there: If you have kids, it is GREAT. If you don't have kids, and don't want to be around kids constantly, it is NOT GREAT.

The Westin certainly isn't a quiet place. Even when it was not peak season (I got back a week ago), the resort was still busy. I would definitely not recommend it for couples on a romantic getaway or honeymoon, or older travellers who want a quiet vacation.

The theme of the resort encouraged kids to be there. It was sprawling, there were lots of activities, five interconnecting lagoon pools and water slides, so it was a kid's haven. The resort was also on a lovely stretch of Ka'anapali beach for more swimming and activity.

For adults, if you wanted a place with lots of action and enjoy water parks and the beach, it is a great place to be. The main drawback with the pool though is that you HAVE to be there really early to get a deckchair by the pool. There seemed to be a lot of deckchairs, but they were almost completely filled when we first arrived about 11am. Also, only some of the deckchairs were in the shade which made it even more competitive. They asked people not to reserve chairs (in the room information which probably no one read) however most people would get there really early to reserve them and come back (or one member of the family would mind them). If you wanted to spend a day by the pool, and it was really hot, it wasn't that ideal to lay directly in the sun. I think they should have had more shaded areas.

The other option was to rent an umbrella or a cabana on the beach. We couldn't get anything in the shade so we rented a cabana, which provided a nice view of the water and food service (only pineapple and water was offered free though). However to rent a cabana all day was $55, so it was not for everyone and you generally needed to book ahead.

The Westin had two restaurants and a cafe, which were not high-end but more casual outdoor settings. One good thing about the Westin was its location right next door to the Whaler's Village, which was basically an area with retail shops, restaurants, bars etc. It provided a good alternative to resort dining and suited to families in particular as there was also fast food such as McDonalds, pizza etc.

My only other disappointment with the resort was the customer service. When we checked in, we had to wait for about 5 minutes for the bellhop to take our luggage and when we checked in the guy at reception was less than enthusiastic. We were also allocated a room which reeked of smoke (despite non-smoking laws) and we found out from another guest across the hall that there had been a big party in there the weekend before. I asked reception for a room change which I luckily received.

Anyway, there were advantages and disadvantages of staying at The Westin. The views from nearly all rooms were great, overlooking the resort and the beach. The pool complex in itself looked amazing from above. The Heavenly beds and duvets were also very comfortable. The room itself was of average size and furnished in a fairly standard way, so it was not luxurious if you wanted this.

Overall I would recommend this hotel for families and those people wanting a casual holiday with average standards. But if you wanted a more personalised service and intimate surrounds, it wasn't the ideal place to be.

Upon arrival we were very pleased with the resort. We got an oceanview room when we were booked with a garden view, so that was a pleasing surprise. Our room overlooked the pool area and we had a lovely view of the ocean - perfect to watch the sunset. The room was great - an average size room with nice decor and plenty of space for clothes and luggage. Our room had one bed, bathroom with tub and shower, sink area, small fridge (even though sometimes it froze our water, sometimes didn't get it cool enough). The resort grounds were quite impressive - many swimming pools, a little "cave" with waterfall entrances, slides, and an adult pool w/ bar area. Just seconds from Kaanapali beach. The restaurants were great - we ate at Tropica, the Ono, and the snack bar. We also utilized the pool service when waiters/waitresses came by. We made visits to other hotels for meals (since they partner with the other Westin and Sheraton we had meal coupons and shuttle service) and I prefer the Westin Resort and Spa. It was the best between the 3 resorts I saw.

The Westin is a Beauty.
Lots of space and stunning grounds. A lovely pool with waterslides and stunning flowers. The hammocks were great, and they even have real flamingos. They have all kinds of fun activities everyday including fitness classes for an additional $10.
Although the Westin is NOT in Laihaina, it's in a great spot. It's directly on the ocean and really close to the black rock (best spot for snorkeling).
We loved our stay.