The Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua

We always wanted to visit Maui and were very excited to have reservations at the Ritz Kapalua as all our previous stays at the various locations of RC were wonderful (San Francisco, Boston, New Orleans). However, our experience here was far below expectations. And I mean Way Below. Upon arrival in our car, no one greeted us. We had to ask for baggage assistance as no one offered. We could overlook these as we had a 9 pm Saturday arrival and it looked busy. Upon checking into our unit, what appeared as a nicely appointed two room suite (a separate mini kitchen with living area) greatly disappointed us as we were shocked at the level of cleanliness or lack thereof: a sleeper sofa covered in dirt stains, the kitchen counter littered with crumbs, the handle to the mini refrigerator with gooey matter, a kitchen floor needing severe attention, kitchen cabinet faces simply covered with splash marks, crumbs and hair inside the crevices of the kitchen stools, a coffee table with permanent stains, and the closet floor displaying an assortment of M&Ms and pills. At first we thought they forgot to clean it, but the bed and bathroom were in decent condition (aside from the stains on the desk chair in the bedroom and a long hair on the spare white towels in the bathroom). A day and a half later after checking in, a deep clean was done to the room. After the deep clean, the crumbs on the counter and in the kitchen stools were still present, and splash marks on the cabinets still were there also. The floors looked better. The couch looked better, but I didn't want to use it. Regarding the lobby area and coffee shop, all seating employed cloth cushions many which were stained. I expected a lot more from the Ritz. Also be warned, this is a family style resort. There are lots of children. During our stay, there was a storm which was so bad that Hawaii Electric cut the power to the hotel. No TV. No pool or gym use. Restaurants closed. Generators were set up in the lobby so people could charge their phones. Free breakfast lunch and dinner were provided by the hotel. The staff over all were very pleasant. I have a feeling we won't be back.

My husband and I often stay at luxury hotels and this is not a luxury hotel, just a luxury price. The Ritz Carlton Maui boasts several restaurants (I believe 6) however there wasn't anything open. We bought a breakfast package but it was the mad house buffet or a menu with restrictions. The evening we arrived there was only one restaurant and the lobby bar available for food. The restaurant required a reservation which we didn't have so we ate at the bar. While eating, we observed that 80% of the tables were empty. I'm not sure if they didn't have enough staff or if they don't know how to schedule reservations. The last night we were there the only place to eat was the lobby bar. I noticed that all the seat cushions in the lobby seating area are stained (probably from people trying to eat at coffee tables while sitting in lounge chairs and sofas.). This seating area seems designed to sit and have drinks, not a meal. If you don't have a car you're screwed when it comes to getting food for lunch or dinner. When we arrived we saw people eating on the outside porch of the convenience store that is located on the property. At the time I thought it was odd that people would eat there while staying at a luxury resort, but it soon became clear when we tried to get food. Also, food and drinks are off the chart expensive at this resort. People keep posting that it's a beautiful resort, but it's average. This hotel seems to be more concerned about entertainment than the basics they should be providing. I felt like I was on a badly run cruise ship. I would not recommend this resort and Marriott should send someone to fix this mess of a hotel.

Ritz is a bit dated but due to Bonvoy service I would advise anyone to avoid Marriott properties.

The best experience, the beach is lovely, spacing is fabulous. Highly recommend for anyone traveling to Maui. The facilities are great and the Landscape is well appointed. Also the have a local restaurant near by that serves sushi an other mini market near by also

Wow. Hope you have time to read! I attended a medical conference at the Ritz Maui from January 31-February 7. Booking a medical conference at the conference rate usually means a reasonably good room, but I have a 5 year old autistic little boy with some specific needs, so I am always wary of what I book and what I need for him to travel. Having said that, we travel a LOT. Montana 6-7 times yearly, Hawaii yearly, family in Philadelphia and Atlanta yearly, at least one hunting trip yearly. So our little guy travels a lot as he is always our third wheel. Wherever we stay we need to buy an air fryer, sometimes a toaster oven, and an ice chest. His diet is very limited and specific. If it isn’t right, he won’t eat. We bring his special brand of peanut butter and honey, his specific drink mix and his specific snacks to ensure he eats during the trip. This has worked around the world as well. Luckily, we have a great friend who works with the Ritz Carlton at a signature property in California who offered to call Maui and have them reach out to us. A few days later we received an email from the Hotel manager Melissa Lee to set up a Zoom call with the head chef, their concierge, and herself with my wife to discuss our specific needs. They assured us things would be taken care of. On arriving at the hotel we were greeted by Julie, their administrative assistant of food and beverage, as well as their traditional greeter with leis for the three of us. Julie assured us that Melissa and the chef had insured we were in a room with a full refrigerator and freezer, a microwave, stovetop, and a newly bought air fryer to accommodate our 5 year old. They upgraded our room in order to do so, and when we arrived to the room the refrigerator and freezer were stocked with the specific foods Jacob would need. A welcome fruit plate only made it that much better. We had heard about the legendary customer service from Ritz Carlton but had never had the opportunity to stay there previously. Simply phenomenal. While I attended the conference, my ire and baby were welcomed throughout the hotel…the pool, beach, stores, coffee shops, restaurants, etc. People remembered our names and specifically, remembered Jacob. Melissa, the hotel manager, whom I am very sure had many more important things to do, met us for coffee one morning to chat. We bonded over Irish heritage and life’s fateful moments, making a wonderful friend in the process. Melissa was even so kind as to outfit Jake with some Ritz “swag” for the pool. Beyond these incredible experiences, the conference was amazing as well The Ritz certainly does know how to make a conference special. Wonderful Kona coffee, breakfast fruits, fresh juices and pastries for breakfast, incredible sushi and one of the best burgers ever for dinners. And on the Mai Tai scale, they are a solid 9 (the best still being Monkeypods in K’Olina with their incredible foam!). So many wonderful staff members to mention from the front desk, to the housekeepers, bartenders and servers, shop personnel, and again, their wonderful Hotel Manager Melissa. An incredible place I hope to visit again and again.