Which is the best Marriott hotel in Hawaii? We think the best Marriott hotels in Hawaii are the Ritz-Carlton Kapalua, the Ritz-Carlton Waikiki, and Wailea Beach Resort, but there are plenty more to choose from, depending on your budget. Read on to find out which hotel will work best for you.
The Marriott brand includes Luxury Collection, EDITION, St Regis, W Hotels, and JW Marriott, as well as mid-range brands like Autograph Collection, Renaissance, Sheraton, Le Meridien, Design Hotels, and Westin. If you collect Marriott Bonvoy points, then it’s worth knowing where you can spend them and earn them and which hotels in the Bonvoy portfolio are best in Maui.
1. Wailea Beach Resort by Marriott, Maui
Of the three best Marriott Bonvoy hotels on Maui, the Ritz Kapalua is the most expensive on points, and the Marriott Wailea and Sheraton Maui cost fewer points. If I were spending my points or traveling with kids and teens, we think the Marriott Wailea is the best hotel because of its location in the classy resort area of Wailea and the superb kids’ pool.
We love Wailea. It gets bags of sunshine and oozes sophistication. We love the boardwalk along the beach that joins all the resorts and the little mall behind the resorts where you can pick up essentials and cheap eats. It is perfect for a high-end, classy honeymoon or a wonderful family holiday.
The Wailea Beach Resort by Marriott Maui is a luxury Maui resort at the ocean’s edge with stunning pools, redesigned rooms, and unique amenities. It is located on a peninsula, so right in front of the hotel, ocean-view rooms sit on a rocky outcrop. To the left of the hotel, when facing the ocean, this hotel is connected to the same beach that the Four Seasons and Waldorf Grand Wailea enjoy.
This Marriott recently created a new and incredible pool with impressive slides and a pirate theme. This NALU pool area is a dream for children, teens, and the young at heart and offers water sprayers, waterfalls, and four water slides – one of which measures the longest in Maui at 325 feet – and splash zones for younger kids. Amenities include a swim-through grotto and spacious family cabanas. The NALU Pool Bar and Mo Bettah Food Truck serve kid-friendly favorites and local treats.
This category 6 property starts at 50,000 Bonvoy points per night. This Marriott is within walking distance from the Four Seasons Maui, Wailea, which is great if you want to take advantage of the restaurants and bars in the Four Seasons. Overall, Wailea is the most high-end resort area on the island. You will also find the Fairmont and the Andaz here.
If you stay at the Marriott, you can enjoy evenings at the Four Seasons Maui for a much smaller price tag! A disadvantage of this property, beyond the resort fees (there are no resort fees at the Four Seasons), is that the Marriott is positioned on a rocky peninsula between beaches, which means that it can be quite a walk from this very spread out resort, down the hill and to the beaches. If you want to spend much time at the beach, book a higher category room, as the base rooms are situated at the back of the resort, and it’s quite a long walk up a hill to get back to your room.
Of course, money was no object, we would stay at the Four Seasons Wailea on Maui. We think that this is the best luxury hotel on Maui. Book here or any other luxury hotel via our luxury travel concierge, and you will get great free benefits.
2. Ritz-Carlton Kapalua
The Ritz-Carlton Kapalua is the most expensive if you want to book your stay with points. It is also the other best Marriott on Maui. This is a stunning beachfront resort on Maui with Hawaiian-inspired dining, spa, culture, and activities. This is a Category 7 property and starts at 60,000 Bonvoy points per night.
Kapalua, being at the northernmost point on Maui, makes it wetter and windier than the rest of the island, particularly in winter. If you keep driving North beyond the hotel, there are some incredible snorkeling beaches and some volcanic tide pools that the waves crash around. The Honolua store (ABC store) is right next door to the resort, which is ideal for snacks and a complimentary shuttle up to the Plantation Course to grab an alfresco bite with great views.
While elegant, this property lacks a Four Seasons level of service. The bellmen don’t always come to pick up your bags, and the restaurant isn’t great, although the cabana and pool service is excellent, with attentive staff, free sunscreen is available to everybody, and cool off mist at the adult pool section.
A massive advantage of this hotel is that it houses the best club lounge on Hawaii. They call the Ritz-Carlton club lounge a hotel within a hotel, and it offers a dedicated concierge and a well-appointed, relaxed lounge environment. Continuous culinary offerings include breakfast, light snacks, hors d’oeuvres, beverages, and sweets – many reflecting the cuisine of the Hawaiian Islands.
The continuous culinary offerings throughout the day (breakfast, light lunch, evening hors d’oeuvres, desserts, and sweets), and in the afternoon and evening, you can drink alcoholic drinks of your choice, and staff will make up great cocktails complete with flowers in, all included of course.
3. The Ritz-Carlton Residences Waikiki Beach
If you’re looking for the best luxury hotel in Waikiki, look no further than The Ritz-Carlton Residences Waikiki Beach. This is a fantastic property, but it’s worth mentioning from the outset that the hotel itself is not based on the waterfront. There’s no beach in front of the property; instead, it’s a 10-minute walk away.
The views that you can enjoy from the rooms at the Ritz-Carlton Residences are breathtaking, as the hotel itself is a high-rise. Oh, there are also fantastic views from the adults-only infinity pool, which is the highest infinity pool in Waikiki. This infinity pool is a great spot to enjoy a cocktail in peace, and if you splash out on the private cabanas, you can enjoy a TV and minibar by the pool.
The hotel has a number of restaurants, including Sushi Sho, as well as French and Italian eateries. In this part of Waikiki, you are spoiled for choices in places to eat. Whip up dinner in a gourmet kitchen with Miele appliances, or savor chef Keiji Nakazawa’s omakase-style cooking at Sushi Sho.
4. Royal Hawaiian, a Luxury Collection Resort, Waikiki
For any avid Bonvoy points collectors or spenders, this hotel, which is also part of the Marriott and Sheraton SPG group, is undoubtedly a fantastic choice if you want to stay in Waikiki! This hotel is one of the three best Marriott hotels in Waikiki. If you are looking for chain hotels, there is also a well-located Hyatt Regency with a club lounge in Waikiki.
The Royal Hawaiian opened in 1927. This “Pink Palace of the Pacific” is located slap band in the center of the famed Waikiki Beach. With 528 rooms and suites, The Royal Hawaiian features modern comfort, indigenous accents, and refined luxury. Each room in the Royal Beach Tower provides an intimate lanai for a private vantage point of the sparkling Pacific Ocean. In the Historic Building, fresh and elegant guest rooms. The resort’s signature restaurant, Azure Restaurant, is perched along the Waikiki beachfront and serves some of the best seafood in Waikiki and Honolulu.
5. Moana Surfrider Hotel, A Westin Resort
The last time I stayed in this hotel was just before Christmas, and there was a charming Christmas train set in the foyer with sparkling snow and a train making its way around tiny mountains and through petite tunnels. It is one of the three main memories of my stay here. The other two moments that stick with me are sitting on the rocking chairs on the balcony at the front of the hotel, looking out to the main street, watching people walk by, and sipping a cocktail in the gardens overlooking the beach.
The historical setting and the old-fashioned architecture make the Moana Surfrider such a special choice in Waikiki. The hotel was actually built in 1901, and the perfectly restored lobby is in the original colonial building. You enter, bypassing the decked front porch lined with white wooden rocking chairs.
Enormous tropical flower displays scent the lobby, and guests are greeted with a lei and a glass of fruit juice. Rooms are, unfortunately, less noteworthy.
The historic and diamond rooms lack a balcony, and although pleasant, they don’t enable you to sit out and enjoy the views. The best rooms here are the more modern Tower Ocean Front and Ocean View Rooms with incredible vistas. If you are not bothered about a balcony, the Historic Banyan Ocean rooms are also cute. Of note, the Royal Hawaiian does not have rooms overlooking the beach like the Halekulani, but for a cheaper option, the Surfrider also has rooms overlooking or even hanging over the beach.
The base rooms here are small. You really need to upgrade to a room with a balcony and views for a luxury experience. Many city-view rooms overlook the International Marketplace to the right of the hotel from the back. The view is great, but the music can be loud and can continue well past midnight.
The location, right in the center of Waikiki Beach with direct beach access, means that you couldn’t be more central. The pool is small, but the location and overall upkeep of the hotel are superb, making it a great hotel choice in Waikiki. The private beach at the Moana Surfrider is a thin strip of over-crowded beach with a small area closest to the hotel property cordoned off by a rope, where you can use hotel beach chairs. But then there isn’t a Starwood or Bonvoy option in Waikiki on Oahu with anything close to a secluded, private beach feel.
Access to the beach club lounge may actually save you cash even though there is a steep price tag of around $100 USD/room. This lounge is one of the best club lounges in Waikiki and does actually feel a bit like a beach club. The lounge is on the ground floor and has an outdoor seating area, which is great for breakfast and alfresco or drinks in the evening. You are just a few feet above the beach! The Moana has a popular popcorn machine. There tend to be fewer children at this hotel than at the Sheraton Waikiki up the beach, so usually, this lounge is the more peaceful lounge of the two if your loyalty sits with the Marriott brand and you collect Bonvoy points.
There is a great selection at breakfast; scrambled eggs, fruit, cheese, and porridge, a nice variety along with coffee, espresso, and bottled water (bottled water is not available at the equivalent club lounge at the Hyatt across the road, so the Moana beach club lounge offers a much better choice is the hotel lounge is a deal-breaker at your hotel). There are also soft drinks available throughout the day.
In the evening, they serve you free wine/beer, but your glass will never be empty. There is also a decent spread of food and excellent service.
6. Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa, Maui
The Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa on Kaanapali Beach, Lahaina Maui, is a category 6 property and starts at 50,000 Bonvoy points per night. While Kaanapali Beach is a less sophisticated resort than Wailea and Kapalua on Maui, the Sheraton is right on the beach, and there is great snorkeling. This is a great, less expensive Marriott choice for your honeymoon or family holiday. The Ritz-Carlton, by comparison, is set back away from or above the beach. This Sheraton is right on the beach and has a great club lounge.
Relax at the resort’s 142-yard lagoon-style pool, taste fresh island cuisine, learn indigenous Hawaiian cultural activities, and play at the white sandy beach. Eighty-three percent of the resort’s 508 newly renovated rooms and suites feature breathtaking views of the Pacific and sister islands Lanai and Molokai. At sunset, the resort showcases its iconic cliff dive ceremony, a tradition since the resort first opened in 1963. Yes, this is a great vacation destination.
7. The Westin Maui Resort & Spa, Ka’anapali
The Westin Maui Resort & Spa, Ka’anapali, is a Rewards Category 7 Marriott Bonvoy hotel. It offers a stimulating oceanfront setting on Ka’anapali Beach with the perfect backdrop for your getaway or family vacation.
This Maui hotel is steps from Whalers Village, where you find upscale dining, shops, and entertainment. Activities at nearby Lahaina Town are a short ride away with our hotel shuttle service. Stop by Heavenly Spa by Westin™ for a refreshing massage or facial and take in dazzling views of Ka’anapali from the fitness center. Savor delicious, all-day dining at our tropical bistro and sip world-class cocktails by our beach and pools.
8. The Westin Hapuna Beach Resort
The Westin Hapuna Beach Resort stretches along its namesake white-sand beach on the Island of Hawaii. The Kohala Coast is known for its world-class shoreline and cultural and archaeological gems nestled between centuries-old lava fields. The resort’s contemporary style contrasts with lush, manicured gardens and the endless blues of the sky and the ocean.
The island’s bounty inspires four reimagined dining venues. Arnold Palmer designed the award-winning 18-hole Hapuna Golf Course. Two swimming pools, a 6,800 ft² freeform family pool, and an adult-exclusive infinity pool overlook Hapuna Beach. The Hapuna Spa complements a Westin Workout Center and Crossfit Studio for rejuvenation and relaxation.
The island’s bounty inspires four reimagined dining venues. The resort boasts more than 85,000 ft² of newly refreshed function space for productive business meetings and inspiring social events. Choose from 249 oversized guest rooms, including 17 suites.
9. Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort & Spa
The Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort & Spa is a Big Island resort ideal for relaxing. Soak in the sun around one of the three swimming pools or on the soft, white sands of Anaeho’omalu Bay.
For golf, there are three 9-hole golf courses surrounded by lush, meticulously maintained grounds. For dining, they source most of our offerings locally to give you a true taste of the islands. For shopping, the hotel is steps away from two luxury outdoor shopping centers, the Queens Marketplace, and the Kings’ Shops.
For self-care, our Mandara Spa has a range of treatments designed to reinvigorate. For Hawaiian cultural enrichment, walking trails and historical markers around the property let you discover the history of the fishponds and the surrounding area. For watersports, they have everything you need to snorkel, surf, or SUP on Anaeho’omalu Bay. For adventures on land, choose from zip lining, hiking, helicopter tours, and more.
10. Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, Autograph Collection
Mauna Kea Beach Hotel has an oceanfront setting on a stunning soft white sand beach at Kauna’oa Bay on the Kohala Coast of Big Island. Large accommodations that are sophisticated and serene in one of the most celebrated locations in Hawaii.
Championship golf, award-winning tennis, cuisine that honors local flavors, plus beach and cultural activities combine for the ultimate in-resort experiences. The Mauna Kea Beach Hotel is as relevant and impressive today as its opening in 1965 by visionary Laurance S. Rockefeller.
Copyright Luxury Travel Diary 2014 - 2024. Duplication outside of luxurytraveldiary.com is forbidden.
Image © Matt / Adobe Stock.
Note: Benefits & upgrades subject to availability. Benefits offered correct at the time of writing. Terms & conditions apply. Enquire for more information. Benefits offered correct at the time of writing but may be amended at discretion of the vendor. Posts may be sponsored by the proprietor or brand being appraised. All opinions remain our own & are in no way influenced.
