Aston Maui Kaanapali Villas — Hotel in Maui

I work in social media, so I am painfully aware of the number of complaints that come in and typically don't try to add to that. However, I am a little disappointed in our stay here.

We noted on our reservation that this was our honeymoon, but nothing about our stay at this hotel made it feel like that. From the moment we pulled in, we were not pleased. We pulled up and were very confused. With no one out front to greet us, we weren't sure if we needed to park somewhere (There were no open parking spots visible near the entrance), or just leave our car in the round-about. We left our car in the round about and walked up to the counter where we were not even greeted with a hello (or aloha). To be honest, one of the things I was looking forward to most was being greeted with a lei at the very least (it didn't even have to be fresh!). When I realized that wasn't something they did at this location, I brushed it off, figuring we'd get one eventually. The lady at the front desk, asked us our last name and then immediately our license plate number. We were obviously in a rental, so didn't have it on hand. She said it would be on our rental key, and when my husband went back to the car to get that, she was very judgemental about us leaving the key in the car while we were checking in. (Totally fair concern, just the way she was vocalizing it was very demeaning, ESPECIALLY after not even greeting us or even mentioning a quick "congrats" or something for being on our honeymoon.) She went through her intro and then just stopped talking. No asking if we had questions, etc. My husband said, "Ok thanks, is that it?" And she said "Yes, That's it!" again, no "Thank you", "enjoy your honeymoon", etc.

We got to our room, which was just fine and well kept. No issues there. We later learned, however, that my parents called the hotel asking to send a bottle of champagne to our room for our honeymoon while we were out for the day. Whoever they spoke to at the front desk immediately said "We don't do that.” offering no other information. When my parents asked if there were any other options, the person mentioned going through a third party. After a run around, they eventually were in contact with the gift shop where they asked if that person could choose a couple treats and champagne and deliver it to our room. This person mentioned that they could do that, but it would not be done that day. (The call was made in the morning as they opened and they were asking to have it delivered by that night). After some back and forth and a “delivery fee”, when we returned to our room we have a gift bag of chips, an apple, and a bottle of champagne. Just not very romantic or accommodating for someone on their honeymoon.

The other issue we had was with the activities. We wanted to rent a “cabana” which was actually just lounge chairs with pads, but they were all taken. So we asked about surf lessions/sailing lessons and were told the instructor was on vacation. Just kind of annoying.

And finally, we decided to have lunch at the cafe one day. We walked in and saw the sign that said “Please seat yourself” So we went and took a seat. One waitress yelled at us from 3 tables away “Are you guys eating with us?” We said yes and she answered with “Well, you need to check in at the front.” When we mentioned there had been a “Seat yourself” sign, she yelled at the hostess in a joking way “Ha! You set me up!” then looked back at us saying she’d bring us some menus. Just not a very good first impression or service.

Ultimately, our honeymoon in Hawaii was great, we just left wishing we had stayed at a different hotel. This might have been fine and the expectations might have been lower if we were here with kids or on a family vacation, but for a romantic honeymoon week this was...

I stayed in this property recently for 4 nights with my pregnant wife. I made an online booking looking at the beautiful pictures of the resort with beach view, kitchen and all the good reviews but i was in for a surprise from the beginning i checked in. Initially i was offered a room towards the back-end of the property at 5th floor. The elevator in the property operated very slowly and it felt like it needed repairs. I dint book a room with a beach view but looking at the picture i was hoping for a room which has some beach sound, but the room they gave me was overlooking the street with loud traffic noise and no kitchen. I reached out to front desk to change my room and was ready to pay for a premium but unfortunately every room in the front was booked and so the front desk person offered me a different room in the 1st floor which felt much better than the 1st one because this room had a kitchen and Garden view at least.

On the day of our check out we had a booking for early morning sunrise view at Haleakala National Park. So we started from the hotel at 3 am in the morning and it is a 2 hour drive to the summit. I was hoping to return around 9 am after sunrise and to checkout before 11 am but we got delayed and reached around 10.30 am. So i called the Front office requesting for a late checkout . The immediate response was a big NO in a rude tone and without even asking how long we need. So i disconnected the call hoping if i present myself to the front office then may be they will reconsider but they din't. I have been to all Hawaiian islands, and i travel for work with membership in some branded hotels where they offer a courtesy time sometimes if we request for. In this situation i already had a long morning with 4 hour drive and with my pregnant wife all i was expecting was an additional 30 minutes or may be 15 mins to take shower and to pack up. So i kindly requested the lady in the front desk (her name is Leann) explaining our situation but she was just adamant even after i requested several times and said NO again and asked us to checkout before 11 with only 15 mins remaining and use the hotel restrooms for shower. I lost my cool at that moment, felt like i was talking to a deaf person, came back and checked out immediately by 11. The next check-in to the property is at 4 pm and i just cant believe that these guys dint even have 15 mins to offer us.

I called the property manager after i checked out and gave my feedback and requested that they don't treat other guests like...

This is my first time in Maui and I had a lovely experience here.

The service: top notch in every aspect from the time you check in. Very friendly front desk and concierge. The maids that clean the rooms did a good job every time. The manager on duty was eager to help at every encounter. They have a helpful orientation every morning at 8:30 for new guests which is nice but the purpose of it is to sell experiences which was a little bit of a turn off, but people have to earn money here where they can.

The rooms: while I can only speak to the quality of my own room, it did leave a bit to be desired. It just needed a little bit of TLC(peeling paint and some finish work). The AC worked very well which was invaluable on a few of the very hot days. The kitchen had all the basics including a dishwasher which was a pleasant surprise. The two TV's functioned properly and had an accurate channel list. The balcony was very tiny in my room but it was the smallest size balcony I saw at this site(and I was looking).

The grounds: the guys and gals who maintain the grounds here do a world-class job. Every single day they are out there keeping this place very well manicured. These guys took it from a 4-star to a 5-star rating from me. Great job, grounds crew! There are two small or medium sized pools on the premises and they are both well kept and I saw them being cleaned each and every morning. One notable downside in my opinion was the pool closer to the ocean; any alcohol consumed at that pool must be purchased from the Castaway Cafe(the bar and restaurant on premises). Kind of seems like a squeeze for money to me but I can understand their stance on this policy. You can drink whatever you want at the pool further from the ocean so long as it's not in a glass container.

Extras: they have a happy hour with live music and fresh made Mai Tai's Wednesdays from 3:30-4:30pm which I capitalized on both Wednesdays I was here. Awesome music! There is a gym here. If you go to the gym for resistance, you'll be a bit disappointed. If you go to the gym for cardio, it's just fine. There's a laundrette here which is convenient but it will cost you $2.50 for the washer, $2.50 for the dryer, and $1.50 for the detergent. $6.50 for a load of wash is a bit more than I'm used to but the facilities seem newer and the machines did...