The Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua

We had the best experience at the Ritz-Carlton! The service was exceptional, warm, and incredibly attentive. Everyone was so friendly and welcoming, and the breakfast was absolutely delicious. A truly wonderful stay and an experience we will remember. We highly recommend the Ritz-Carlton! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

When you book a stay at a Ritz-Carlton, you expect a tranquil experience where your needs are anticipated and problems are handled seamlessly. Unfortunately, that was not the case during this stay. In just a few hours, we heard more “sorries” than we have during all of our previous Ritz-Carlton stays combined. Our primary issue was check-in. The hotel was upgrading its key system, and the system was not working, so no room keys could be issued. What I couldn’t understand was why an upgrade with the potential to affect every arriving guest was being performed during check-in hours. As a management consultant who has been involved with many enterprise-level system upgrades, this is exactly the type of work we would schedule overnight to minimize the impact on customers. To the hotel’s credit, they allowed us to wait in the Club Lounge. After approximately two hours, I received a text from a manager telling me that our keys were available and that the lounge concierge could make them for us. When I asked the concierge, however, she apologized and explained that her system was still down. At this point, I was getting very tired of hearing “sorry.” I texted the manager explaining the situation and received no response. So, back to the front desk we went. This is where Margie deserves special recognition. She was working extremely hard to keep guests happy in the middle of a difficult situation. She was clearly and sincerely upset that the key problem was affecting arriving guests, and she did everything she could to help. I was far less impressed with the manager. He happened to be behind the desk while we were there, yet there was no eye contact, no visible effort to engage frustrated guests, and no sense that someone was taking ownership of the situation. Problems happen, even at a Ritz-Carlton. Leadership is demonstrated by how those problems are handled, and this was exactly the moment when leadership needed to be demonstrated. We finally received our keys, got into our room, and headed back to the Club Lounge—only to discover that our key would not open the lounge door. Back to the front desk again. Once again, Margie stepped up. She genuinely felt bad about yet another problem and ultimately made things right by providing us with a hotel credit and upgrading our room. Her response was exactly what I expect from Ritz-Carlton service: acknowledge the problem, take ownership, and find a way to restore the guest experience. The Club Lounge itself has historically been one of the things that made the Ritz-Carlton Kapalua one of our favorite properties. Before it was moved, the old lounge felt like a private enclave within the resort, offering high-quality food, snacks, and drinks throughout the day. The staff was attentive, and the experience genuinely made you feel special. The new lounge is much larger, but unfortunately, it feels more like a high-end Marriott lounge than a Ritz-Carlton Club Lounge. The food seems more typical and less imaginative than what we remember. The staff still works hard to make sure guests are enjoying themselves, but some of the magic that made the old lounge special is missing. In the end, Margie saved the experience for us. I understand that the key-system failure and our check-in experience were probably not typical, and unexpected technical problems can happen anywhere. But at a Ritz-Carlton, the expectation is not that nothing will ever go wrong—it is that when something does go wrong, the hotel’s leadership will take ownership and make the guest feel that the situation is under control. That was missing during our check-in. Margie, however, demonstrated exactly the kind of service and personal ownership that has kept us returning to Ritz-Carlton properties. She deserves considerable credit for turning around what had become an extremely frustrating start to our stay. We have loved the Ritz-Carlton Kapalua in the past and still want to love it. This stay simply did not live up to the standard we have come to expect from the Ritz-Carlton name.

The holiday experience was great. We were there during the tree lighting and building the gingerbread house. My girls loved the pool. The staff were very attentive.

We splurged and decided to stay at the Ritz Carlton and it was an amazing experience! We felt so pampered and love this location. It felt like we were lost in our own little world. Love how there are so many trails nearby and fun little spots. We had fun walking Kapalua trail, walking down to the beach and getting an acai bowl, walking to the labyrinth, etc. Service was spectacular here as well! Associates remembered our names and everyone had a smile! We were surprised with champagne and chocolate covered strawberries and a suite upgrade too! They really made our trip special. One gripe I had though was the weekend we were here, the jazz festival was going on. We inquired about it at the front desk, but she seemed to know nothing about it (like we asked about tickets, etc.) - only to find out when we arrived at our prepaid buffet breakfast the next morning, they stopped seating guests at 9:30am! They did not inform us that... We got to take food to go, but a lot of it was gone already from everyone else packing food to go. Poor communication on that end. Waste of $80... Oh, and it was a little annoying that everything had an upcharge despite the resort fees. None of the activities available was complimentary. The walks and hikes were cancelled due to rain so I ended up going on my own, unguided. The $60 mandatory valet was such ROBBERY too. I know it was a bougie stay, but still crying. Loved the live music every evening in the lobby area! Food was just okay though... we ate at Banyan tree and all the food came out lukewarm, which in my head is a little gross. Makes me think they premade all the food and reheated everything. Pool was nice as well. The spa was the best part. Loved my therapist Kalecia! Felt amazinggg and the amenities were fantastic and relaxing. Could've stayed there forever!

From the welcome to departure, this place delivers everything you would expect from a Ritz hotel. The suites are comfortable and spacious. The smart toilets are a ‘revelation’. The food was outstanding. I was a little pensive about attending a Ritz, given its standards regarding dress code and decorum but I needn’t have been concerned. Yes it has standards but it’s so chilled. Staff from the bell hops to the top guy were without doubt faultless. If you fancy a bit of luxury, I can’t think of a better example of paradise.