Montage Kapalua Bay

My wife and I spent 4 nights at the hotel in a one bedroom residence. There is much to like about this resort, but it also has limitations that should be understood. The property was originally developed as a Ritz Carlton club and residences in 2009 (which means condos), and...

My wife and I spent 4 nights at the hotel in a one bedroom residence. There is much to like about this resort, but it also has limitations that should be understood. The property was originally developed as a Ritz Carlton club and residences in 2009 (which means condos), and was remodeled and rebranded as the Montage in 2014. It is a lovely property with great swimming pools. Because it was built as condos, all the units are large and really comfortable. Our one bedroom unit was huge and included a great kitchen, laundry facilities, and a big deck. There is a nice public beach at the edge of the property that allows you to bill your room for chairs and equipment. Maid service is twice per day, and really efficient and professional. The main restaurant, Canoe, is quite good and destination dining for the area (though be warned - you need reservations so plan in advance). The spa is one of the best things about the property. It is expensive, but it a beautiful facility with wonderful treatments. And the downsides.... I would not consider this a 5 star hotel, as it lacks the service and attention to detail. The entry lacks the grandeur of similar hotels, I think because it was built for condos. Service is very friendly, and everyone is doing their best, but it often feels understaffed and undertrained. When we checked in I had to explain to the woman at the desk that they were a member of Preferred Hotels. When we asked the concierge for assistance she referred us to a rack of brochures. Many of the poolside chairs are reserved for "residents" - I assume people own many of the units, and these chairs were mostly empty. Poolside service is very poor (it took 45 minutes to get a drink, so you end up getting it yourself). Food options are very limited. Aside from Canoe, the only other option is bar food. There is a nice bar next to the pool where you can order lunch, but the downside is that they store all their garbage next to the structure, and with the right breeze it smells like a sewer. The biggest issue is the construction. One of the towers is undergoing a complete renovation, and it is not only noisy but ugly to look at. Our deck looked out on a wrapped building, and they were unable to move us to a unit with a better view. While sitting at the pool you are treated to stereophonic cacophony, as it appeared one of the residents was remodeling with a jackhammer on one side, and the tower construction was on the other. Overall the energy of the place is more like a condo or timeshare development. There is not much going on at night, and many people go next door to the Ritz to enjoy more food options and a good bar and music scene. I think this is a good choice for people with kids that want big rooms (and there are a lot of kid activities), and are not looking for a lot of dining or cocktail options. Or it would also be good for people travelling in a group and want big rooms to entertain. The big kitchens and lack of dining options make it ideal for people that want to cook, but if cooking on your vacation is not your thing this hotel has drawbacks. A couple hints.... Try to get a room that does not look out on the construction. Make your reservations in advance, as they do not appear to give preferential treatment to hotel guests at Canoe. The best restaurant in the area, Merrimans, is walking distance from the hotel, but reserve far in advance.

Today is our last day after spending 10 here. The accommodations are amazing. Room is clean, comfortable and well supplied. Bed is super comfortable. Service is amazing all around - we lacked for nothing. The only complaint - there is MAJOR construction in progress, with one tower completely wrapped in...

Today is our last day after spending 10 here. The accommodations are amazing. Room is clean, comfortable and well supplied. Bed is super comfortable. Service is amazing all around - we lacked for nothing. The only complaint - there is MAJOR construction in progress, with one tower completely wrapped in tarps. On the other side, there is a remodel of a unit in progress. The entire time we have been here has been hammering and tile saw. It is LOUD! We just finished a major renovation at home, and are in the middle of a development that has had heavy construction for 6 days a week for the last year. We were specifically looking forward to being away from construction noise. For the money we spent to be here, the fact that it wasn’t disclosed anywhere is very disappointing. We were planning to rebook but will definitely discuss the renos with concierge prior. They were just out here looking at samples of pool tile also - and judging from the state of the pools and update is coming on those as well. Also keeping an eye on how the recent change in ownership will affect the Montage. After years of staying in VRBOs here, we are enjoying the splurge on the luxury and hope that it doesn’t change to more Holiday Inn accommodations. Finally, swim in the pool that connects with the one closest to ocean at your own risk. Despite common sense AND signage, we saw one family consistently swimming with littles without swim diapers. Get your chairs early in the adult more secluded areas or if you end up down at that deck, maybe don’t swim in that pool. Obviously not the hotels fault but just beware.

If you are looking for 5 star service and amenities, this is NOT your place. My husband and I were here are on our honeymoon and excited to stay at a Montage property as we got married at one. This is the worst montage property I have ever visited! The...

If you are looking for 5 star service and amenities, this is NOT your place. My husband and I were here are on our honeymoon and excited to stay at a Montage property as we got married at one. This is the worst montage property I have ever visited! The grounds were outdated and dirty. The landscaping was not well manicured. The “serenity pool” or adult pool is far from serene. It is located in the center of several other pools full of children screaming and has no privacy aspect at all. There are also very few chairs to sit at the serenity pool. The bar by the adult pool is run down and ugly. There is only one towel stand for all of the pools… it is like playing hide and seek trying to find an employee to set up your towel and get your drink order. We were basically ignored! We decided to move over to the spa pool and received the same treatment. No towel service, no drink service. The blonde hostess at Cane and Canoe was rude when we requested a better table, as we had booked far in advance and were celebrating our honeymoon. We were thrilled to have a washer and dryer in our room, but quickly learned that the dryer would shut itself off after only a few minutes of drying. Not to mention, we were put into a room right next to a construction site and were not told previously that any construction would be taking place on property. This ended up being very disruptive in what should have been a relaxing and quiet stay. When I expressed these concerns to the concierge, they were less than accommodating and still tried to throw several more charges at us although we decided we were going to leave after one night. Do not stay here if you are looking for a 5 star, relaxing, romantic experience! Will not be returning.

Just a note to set expectations if you come here for the first time after other Montage experiences. We have been to 4 others. They were all amazing. But this one doesn’t live up to 5 star service. Solidly multiple notches below the others for service and food. Entrance and...

Just a note to set expectations if you come here for the first time after other Montage experiences. We have been to 4 others. They were all amazing. But this one doesn’t live up to 5 star service. Solidly multiple notches below the others for service and food. Entrance and staff at the front. Very good. Expected level. Housekeeping. Same The food was meh at best. After the first day we started leaving the resort to eat. To compare. Cabo. Healdsburg. South Carolina. The food was a highlight. They brought us a $30 fruit boat with nasty fruit and then didn’t say anything when we left most of it in there. Pool attendants and service also meh. Same with spa area. If it was a three star resort I would rate it higher. But for a 5 star. Not even close to what I would expect.

Had a wonder anniversary trip with my wife. The property was absolutely stunning and the accommodations were out of this world. With that being said the stand out part was the service. Everybody was extremely friendly and always smiling. Lief stood out and we were happy that he helped us...

Had a wonder anniversary trip with my wife. The property was absolutely stunning and the accommodations were out of this world. With that being said the stand out part was the service. Everybody was extremely friendly and always smiling. Lief stood out and we were happy that he helped us out each day by the pool. He was always professional, attentive, and had us laughing from our first day up until our departure. We will be back every chance we get.

Absolutely 5 stars. This has been the most wonder places I’ve stayed, PERIOD! Cane and Canoe is a great place to dine and I have to admit that the drinks aren’t made for the weak! Strong pours and overall my stay wasn’t cheap but more than worth every penny spent.

Absolutely 5 stars. This has been the most wonder places I’ve stayed, PERIOD! Cane and Canoe is a great place to dine and I have to admit that the drinks aren’t made for the weak! Strong pours and overall my stay wasn’t cheap but more than worth every penny spent.

An amazing residence with super friendly & helpful staff at all times. Breathtaking views and beautiful beach with excellent snorkelling. Truly magical experience and would recommend to anyone seeking to visit and stay in Maui. Thank you to all at the Montage for making our honeymoon so special.