Best Maui family hotel - Hyatt Regency

We had the privilege of staying at the Hyatt Regency Maui at Ka’anapali Beach. The Ka’anapali Beach area is a very long stretch of beach on the west side of the Maui island which used to home to plantation workers. This area was developed in the 60s. If you walk north all the way along the beach you will reach Pu‘u Keka‘a (commonly known as Black Rock). The Hawaiian people believed this was a sacred spot where the souls of the deceased would leap from this physical world into the spirit one. Around the Black Rock is also great snorkelling spot. The Whaler’s village shopping center is a 15 minute walk from the hotel. There is a family friendly resort feel with the Hyatt Regency.

Transportation & Parking

It takes around 40 minutes to drive from the airport to the resort. You will turn into a long driveway and the actual hotel is located at the very end of the driveway. Keep going as you will pass by a few other hotels, then the Timeshare resort, at the end of the driveway is the Hyatt Regency. Valet comes at a cost though and the self parking lot is around a 7 minute walk to the hotel lobby, keep note if you have lots of item to carry to the hotel.

The check in was quick and easy and also located in an open lobby style setting. Upon checkin, everyone will be given a Luau( flower necklace) to welcome you to the hotel. There are plenty of staff and everyone is ready and willing to help. The service at this resort is top notch.

Open lobby and gardens

Once you walk into the lobby you will notice the beautiful open garden. This design is very typical of Hawaiian hotels and gives it a very relaxing and open vibe.

Open garden and penguins, yes penguins

Five steps out of the lobby are beautifully manicured tropical plants and free range birds. The building first opened in 1980 but the interiors have been re done and the maintenance staff did an excellent job. Surprisingly, the hotel managed to put an open air penguin enclosure there and it is very popular with the kids.

There are countless number of pools on the property and you can swim from one pool to the other. There are tunnels and waterfalls that you can swim under, there is also a bar area that you can swim into, reminds me of the all inclusive resorts in Cancun.

Hyatt Regency Maui pools, all of the pools are connected through tunnels

Rooms

Since my bestie is a Hyatt Globalist member, we are upgraded to the highest floor and the biggest room available. The room itself feels dated but clean. Dated oak panels and furniture surrounds the room and the air conditioner is an loud old style machine in the corner of the room, not the central integrated cooling system. Limestone tiles cover the bathroom and although old, the room is clean and spacious. If you are looking for a more glamorous vacation, this place might not cut it for you.

Hyatt Regency Maui restaurants and beach

Overlooking towards the turtle snorkeling spot

Luau - Drums of the Pacific

There is also a very popular Luau show called the Drums of the Pacific located on the southwest corner of the hotel. You can ask the concierge to purchase tickets. The venue is surrounded by traditional fire torches and with the rays of sunset, it casts a nice hue to the area. The view from the area outside the Luau is spectacular

This luau is buffet and drinks included. Mai Tais, Pina Coladas are refilled non stop.

This is the second luau that i attended in Hawaii, the first one was at the Polynesian Cultural centre. The food at this luau was superb and they served the best Poi( fermented taro root) + Ahi Poke i had in Hawaii, even better than the famous Poke store in Honolulu. The Kalua pork is made on site in a fire pit beside the stage. Kalua pork is a traditional hawaiian dish which literally means pork baked underground. An entire pig is seasoned lightly then wrapped in fresh banana and covered by hot rocks. The inside of the pork is also packed with hot rocks to cook it from inside and out. Heat from the rocks steams the pork and the juices and fat are trapped in the banana leaves. The result is similar to pulled pork, extremely soft and with very gentle taste with a hint of charcoal from the kindling. Usually it takes about one hour of cooking for every 10 pounds of meat, the preparation starts during the day and is ready at night for the community feast.

Drums of the Pacific Tonga tribe fire dance

The performance was captivating as well, incorporating lots of humor into the evening.

If you are not staying at the hotel, the parking is included with the Luau, make sure to validate your tickets before you leave.

Tennis courts

Walking towards the self park lot which is around 7 minutes from the lobby, you will see towering banyan trees and under the canopy are 6 tennis courts. Each court is surrounded by fencing and Bali style decorations. There are even water stands where you can grab water. Given the age of the hotel, the tennis courts are very well kept. At court one, you can see the golf course in the background with the mountain ranges. Tennis in paradise.

Snorkelling

One of the most underrated things about this resort is the excellent snorkelling. We walked 10 minutes south at dawn and spotted 9 turtles. There are lots of rocks near that area so please be careful but there are lots of fishes and turtles feeding in the morning. Considering no turtles were spotted when i stayed at the Turtle beach resort, I was extremely thrilled to see the turtles. Turtles surface the water to breathe and with a breath it can submerge for a few hours if it is inactive. In addition, they also blend in well with the rocks so they can be hard to spot. Being able to spot 9 turtles at a go near the hotel is quite remarkable. The hotel is also very close to Olawalu, which means turtle town.

Map below shows the snorkelling spot, you can see the rocks from the satellite imagery. The turtles are near the rocks.

Travel insurance is always recommended when traveling abroad.

Rent a car with booking buddy. You’ll need a car for your travels in Maui.

Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase, I will receive an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. All opinions remain my own.