We spent six days in Maui at the end of June 2023, staying at three different resorts, checking out a few others and doing a bunch of random island activities with the kids. The next month, the devastating fire in Lahaina upended the entire island, leaving so many families and individuals without homes.
As the entire island continues to recover, we feel the next best way we can offer support to Maui, after donations to the relief efforts, is to highlight a few of the hotels and places that make this island one of our favorites to visit. So this is what this Maui Strong series is about. If you’re interested in visiting Maui and need help planning your trip, let us know.
We’ve long loved the Montage Kapalua and its residence-style hotel rooms but on our latest visit to Maui, we appreciated this “just like home” feeling more than ever. This time we stayed in a three-bedroom residence which comes with a full kitchen and dining area, an expansive patio overlooking the pools and ocean, three full bathrooms and one half-bath, and perhaps the holy grail for families on vacation—a washer and dryer.
Why It’s Great for Families
Aside from having rooms that accommodate families in the best way possible, the Montage goes above and beyond to treat keiki like their own, starting at check-in when kids receive not just leis, but a stuffed animal of their own choosing. Upstairs, a Welcome sign from Paintbox, the kids club, was pasted on the wall in the room right when we walked in. Later, the hotel sent up a cookie decorating kit with three butterfly shaped cookies and different colored frostings. (This got messy but that’s what the full kitchen is for!)
Paintbox
Naturally one of the biggest draws for kids here is the Paintbox Kids Club. With a few resorts in Wailea discontinuing their kids club at the moment, Montage makes a smart option for parents who are looking for some actual relaxation on their trip. But sending the kids to the kids club isn’t just a self-care or selfish move. Sometimes it’s necessary if families with older children want to do activities that have age requirements like snorkeling trips, boat rides, or hikes (depending on the activity, it can be 6 or 8 years and older.)
Whatever your reason for sending the kids to Paintbox, rest assured they will have a super fun time. The day typically starts inside the kids club but pretty soon kids get to adventuring on-property, starting with a koi feeding out front and then walking along a section of the coastal trail near the property. Lunch is served for half-day kids and of course, lots of arts and crafts are done.
Kapalua Bay Beach
Even though the beach isn’t exclusive to the Montage, Kapalua Bay has some of the greatest snorkeling. In our short time there we saw all kinds of fish and swam with green turtles. (From a safe distance of course, as per Hawaii law.) Plus the Montage resort fee includes two beach chair set-ups and you can also rent additional gear like snorkels and fins for a fee.
We took out one of the pedalboards for an hour which was easier for the older kids to manage than stand-up paddle-boarding, plus the littlest one could hang out on the back. The pedalboard glides over the surface so you can totally spot fish and turtles from it.
Our stay at Montage was too brief but it solidified how much we love the Kapalua side of the island.
DID YOU KNOW? The Montage Kapalua Resort in Maui is part of Virtuoso which means guests who book through a Virtuoso travel advisor like myself will receive added amenities during their stay such as daily breakfast, $100 resort credit, welcome amenity, room upgrade and more. Please email me when you’d like to go! Aloha!
Need help planning a trip to Maui? I helped write the Condé Nast Traveler guide on Maui and would love to plan a trip for you to my favorite isle. Start filling out your trip wish list here and I’ll be in touch!
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