The Westin Maui Resort and Spa Review

The Westin Maui is the quintessential family resort in Hawaii: It's on Ka'anapali beach with views of neighboring islands Lanai and Molokai. There's a luau. A sprawling pool area with water slides and kids activities. A heavenly spa. Pool Bars with Mai Tais. A daily shuttle to the little town of Lahaina...

And the list goes on.

When booking your first trip to Hawaii, this is what you expect your vacation to look like.

The Westin Maui Resort and Spa

When I first arrived at The Westin Maui, I felt right at home, even though I was far from it. The property is welcoming, with lush landscaping and waterways with koi fish and flamingos.

The rooms were as you'd expect from The Westin-- very spacious, comfortable and clean with the signature Heavenly Bed and Heavenly Bath. There's also an in-room coffee maker and mini fridge. A daily resort fee is attached to each room and includes 2 complimentary bottles of water daily, in-room Wi-Fi, shuttle service, admission to WestinWORKOUT, an outdoor portrait session and a Westin Maui souvenir eco bag.

Views vary from room to room, all of which are either garden, mountain or ocean views. I stayed in an ocean view room with a great view of the pool area.

The Westin Maui has a few on-site dining options. I enjoyed the 'Ono Bar & Grill breakfast buffet daily during my stay. While the food was good, I was a little disappointed that there weren't more traditional Hawaiian breakfast items. The buffet was standard fare with an omelet station, bacon, sausage, potatoes, fruit, waffles, breads and cereal.

The upside is kids will no doubt find something they like to eat. The buffet costs $27.95 for adults and $13.98 for children 4-12-- a little steep even for Hawaii. When booking your stay at The Westin Maui, look for a package that includes breakfast daily; it's much cheaper to add it that way than paying for the breakfast buffet out of pocket.

I also enjoyed a great meal at Tropica, The Westin's signature, oceanfront restaurant. The outdoor space flickers with tiki torches and offers diners a spectacular view at sunset. I highly recommend the four-course farm to table tasting menu featuring local ingredients from the Hawaiian Islands.

I only caught the tail end of the Wailele Polynesian Luau, but this is a definitely a must-see, especially if it's your first visit to Hawaii. The Luau is traditional with authentic dances, music, and costumes (along with knife-wielding fire dancers!), and includes a three-course dinner with drinks.

The resort offers daily activities --some free, others with an additional cost-- including hula and lei making, surfing lessons, koi feeding, hair wrapping, and pool games.

The location is excellent. In Maui, there are two main tourist areas-- Kaanapali Beach and Wailea. Kaanapali, where The Westin Maui is located, is on the west coast of Maui with views of Lanai and Molokai. The Westin Maui is 10 minutes from old Lahaina, a historic whaling village with dining and shopping. There's also a little shopping center called Whalers Village within walking distance of the resort.

The Westin Maui offers a free daily shuttle to guests with stops at the Lahaina Cannery Mall, Hilo Hattie's and Lahaina Gateway. An inter-resort shuttle takes guests to the Sheraton Maui and Westin Ka'anapali Ocean Resort Villas.

No vacation would be complete without a trip to the spa. The Heavenly Spa at The Westin Maui is simply.... heavenly. I indulged in the Maui Manaka (Mango) Scrub which includes the Vichy seven head shower.

This was my first experience with the Vichy shower and I really enjoyed it. My only regret is not taking extra time before my appointment to use the spa amenities-- I always forget! Guests with spa treatments can enjoy an ocean view relaxation lounge and a whirlpool, steam room and sauna in each of the locker rooms.

Overall, my stay at The Westin Maui was fantastic. Unfortunately, my family wasn't able to join me on this trip to Maui-- but next time,  I would have no hesitation in booking The Westin Maui Resort and Spa for my family vacation.

Special thanks to The Westin Maui and the Maui Visitors Bureau for hosting my stay and visit to Maui.