The Palms at Wailea
Good question, and one that is not so easy to answer. Basically, this all depends on your preferences about whether you want to stay in a hotel (purple markers on map at the bottom of this page) and be pampered, or stay in a condo (yellow markers) and have a more homelike experience. In the hotel you may have more maid service, elaborate pools and grounds to enjoy, and will not be cooking your own meals. It is a relaxed and more expensive way to go. In the Condo, you will have less elaborate pools and grounds, may not have as much maid service, will be able to do your own laundry and cooking, but it is a less expensive vacation. And with a condo, it is possible to share a unit with more people. A condo might be a better choice for families with children. Plus, you are often still within walking distance of the shops, restaurants, and hotels. You can choose to stay in one of the very nice, and expensive luxury hotels on the beach, a cheaper hotel in town, a beautiful condo complex in the resort areas, or a cheaper condo in town.
Another decision is about which part of the Island to stay on. In my opinion, the two choices are either West Maui or South Maui. West Maui resorts offer a much busier atmosphere as compared to the quieter south Maui resort areas. So, if you like the hustle and bustle of crowds, then this is your area. If you prefer a quieter, more secluded vacation, you may want to check out the Wailea area. It is posh, still has shops and restaurants to enjoy, but the beaches and streets are less crowded. The other difference is that south Maui tends to get less rain than west Maui. Both are great.
Since I have only stayed in West Maui once, about 18 years ago, it is hard for me to recommend places. The Kaanapali area is very nice, has a huge beautiful beach, shops and restaurants, lots of people and activity, and is close to the town of Lahaina (a fun, touristy town with shops, restaurants, art galleries, and nightlife). We stayed at the Westin Hotel. Sabina and Mark have stayed at the Kaanapali Royal condo complex, and they recommend it. There are many hotels, and reasonably priced nice condos in the Kaanapali area. Or for a quiter stay on West Maui, you can check out the Puamana condo complex located on the beach very close to Lahaina.
In South Maui, in the Wailea area, there are upscale hotels (quite expensive). I would recommend The Four Seasons, The Fairmont Kea Lani, and The Grand Wailea. The Grand Wailea has amazing pools that are fantastic if you have kids. There are condo complexes in the area that range in price from the very expensive Ho'olei and Wailea Beach Condos, to the less expensive Grand Champions or Wailea Ekolu condos. A couple of nice condo complexes are the Wailea Elua, and Wailea Ekahi. Unfortunately the hotel located between these two complexes will be in the process of being torn down, and turned into another hotel. So, it may not be a good choice to stay at either of those two complexes. The Palms at Wailea is a nice condo complex in the area, within walking distance to beaches and shops. The Polo Beach Club is a condo complex next to the Fairmont, is right on the beach, and has great ocean views, but is quite pricey.
Map of Wailea/Makena
The Makena area, south of Wailea, has some condos and hotels as well that you may want to look at.
If you want to stay in South Maui, close to Wailea, but are looking for something more affordable, check out the hotels and condos in the town of Kihei. There are many to choose from, but the only one I know of to recommend is the Kamaole Sands. It is a condo complex that has nice units, nice grounds, close to Wailea, and right across from the beach.
Finally, you may want to consider staying in the same hotel or condo complex as other wedding guests. On the other hand, you may prefer your privacy. For my brother's wedding this year on the Big Island, the wedding guests stayed in the same condo complex, which was great. We are going to be staying at The Palms at Wailea, a condo complex in Wailea. So, you might want to look into that location. You can book a place at The Palms through an individual owner, or through the Outrigger Palms at Wailea management. We found that a lot of units were booked up already, so if you know you are going, you might want to consider booking as soon as possible.
For those of you who have visited Maui before, your comments and recommendations of places to stay would be appreciated.No matter where you choose to stay, you can't make a mistake. It is Hawaii, so it will be fantastic!
A great website for booking condos is
Vacation Rentals by Owner. Here you can look at each of the areas of Maui, the different condos available, and you can see photos of the units. Happy Searching!
