From the moment we arrived at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Maui, we can truly say we experienced the best in service and accommodations. After an 11 hr. flight to Honolulu the evening before, we had to take another flight to Maui on June 5. We were tired and jet lagged. It just so happened that the Manager, was at the check-in desk; he greeted us and made sure we were set up satisfactorily during our 6 day stay. We were upgraded to an 1100 sq. foot suite with 2 baths and 2 balconies - oceanfront. It was unbelieveable! Every night there was turndown service, and towels were replaced twice a day. I never had to ask for a thing.
Just fyi, my husband and I travel quite frequently every year and we never rough it. We work hard in our own businesses and hope to have a restful and luxurious room without breaking the bank. Going to Hawaii was less expensive than going to Europe with the way the dollar has been declining recently.
This was a great alternative.

During our stay at the Ritz, we felt like royalty. Many of the staff knew our names and always asked if we were OK. At the pool, the waiters looked after us regularly. Although there was a walk down a hill to the beach area, if you needed a ride up or down, there was always a golf cart available with a chauffeuer. We never had to ask for a thing. I was quite amazed at the great service.

The restaurants at the hotel; The Banyon Tree specifically had the most delicious tuna I ever ate. Service was impeccable. I was spoiled and now everything pales to the food we ate in Maui. Breakfast was included with our accommodations- it was always fabulous. I was trying to be selective in order to watch my waistline. I was easily able to eat good and healthy without compromising taste. The staff always knew how we liked our beverages and brought everything to us on a timely basis.

Also the hotel had a gratis shuttle to Kapalua Bay where we snorkeled.

This was a wonderful experience and would highly recommend the Maui Ritz Carlton to anyone looking to have a great time.

Ultimate luxury at one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. If you want true luxury, look no further. It offers everything you expect at such hotel; great service, true hospitality, smile and quality. If you can afford $100 more per night, don't go to average nationwide hotels but try Ritz Carlton Kapalua. It's the best Ritz I've ever experienced as well.

Here's one downside of the hotel, of course. It's far from convenience. It takes almost an hour from Kahului Airport and 15 minutes to Lanai. No restaurants nearby. Only restaurants in the resort area, which are expensive. I highly recommend rent-a-car and stop by at Wal-Mart(5 min. from Kahului Airport) on the way to hotel. ABC stores are in Lanai downtown, but you'll pay about 20-30% more than you do at Wal-Mart.

We spent a week in Maui splitting our time between the Ritz and the Four Seasons. We were familiar with the Ritz so we wanted to return for nostaligic reasons, but we also wanted to try out the Four Seasons.

The Ritz is an incredibly beautiful property. The grounds are expansive. The pool area is one of the most gorgeous I've ever seen. Unlike the Four Seasons, they had room to build the hotel in a way that didn't seem crowded.

In the past, there were a lot of complaints about the dingy rooms. With the remodeling, the rooms look modern. They got rid of the carpeting and put in wood floors. The furniture has all been updated.

We loved our stay at the Ritz. They upgraded our room for us. And we loved the breakfast at the Terrace Restaurant every morning. You can't beat it.

The advantages that the Ritz has over the Four Seasons is that it has a large central court with a huge pool. Sitting by the poolside doesn't necessarily mean being in a large crowd. However, the poolside service at the Ritz was spotty. I read one reviewer complaining that you had to get your own towels at the poolside at the Ritz. I never understood why they complained about this until you experience the service at Four Seasosn.

The Ritz has a disadvantage in that it's in Kapalua. It tends to get very windy there and the weather tends to be worse there than on the Wailea area where the Four Seasons is located.

The Ritz has a beautiful beach but it's a short hike down to the water and with the pool as big and beautiful as it is, hardly anyone seem to be at the beach. I did inquire about going to Kapalua Bay and it's beach (considered one of the most gorgeous in Hawaii) and they have golf carts to take you there and get you back.

Bottom line is that for sheer beauty of your surroundings, you can't beat the Ritz. Service is definitely not up to Four Seasons standards but then the Four Seasons seems to charge a heck of a lot more.

Before going to the Ritz, I was a little nervous based on some of the reviews, but I should not have been worried. It was wonderful. Yes, it is a little bit farther away from the action. Yes, it can be windy and a bit chilly on the beach or at the pool. BUT, neither of those were problems. Being farther out meant more privacy, fewer people, and more peacefulness. It's an easy enough drive to the beaches and shopping in Kaanapali and Lahaina. We found those areas to be fun to visit, but crowded and more "touristy" than relaxing. As for the breeze, it was nice to have that to cool us off. Other areas of the island were extremely warm with NO breeze. And the "walk" to the beach is a paved path down the side of the hotel. No big deal. Be sure to take advantage of the shuttle to check out other beaches and restaurants in the resort. Great views all over. Also, make the drive to the beaches north of the resort. Honolua Bay is amazing for snorkeling and the walk down to the beach is full of beautiful trees and plants.

The people who worked at the Ritz were great, especially the valets. Our room was upgraded upon arrival, a few minor issues ( really squeaky bedroom door) were resolved immediately, and restaurants were very good. Our meal at the Banyan Tree was fantastic, and we are big restaurant goers. Eat the mango chutney at the breakfast buffet!

Our only wish is that they had an adults only pool area, as teachers on a honeymoon, we wanted to try to avoid the kiddies. Overall, lots of pool space, so not a huge problem.