I forgot that in addition to the slack key show they have the kids hula program. It’s kids that are studying hula, do a weekly recital. It’s super fun.
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I really love the Napili area. My parents used to vacation for years in Napili and stayed at a few of the places around that beach.
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Imagine listening to a friend complain about the industry conference in Maui followed by a company off-site in Cancun. “Some weeks you just want to stay home”. Yup. As I pack my bags for the Quality Inn in Newark NJ….
I hear you!
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We met a family on a day cruise from Maui one year, and they had (literally) 7 people in some kind of room at the Grand Wailea. They actually brought a blow up mattress or two with them so the kids had places to sleep.
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Kamaaina get special discounted rates at the beachfront hotels, and the staff doesn’t police occupancy rates. So families pack a hotel room to the gills so the kids can enjoy the fancy pools! If you get one of such rooms as your next door neighbor, you might have a “fun” night… happened to us at one Marriott. When I complained about noise at 1 am, I was told there was nothing they could do. So beware of hotels with elaborate pools on a weekend! 
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We have been to Maui many times (it’s our most frequent destination for warmth and sunshine). I’m a huge fan of the Old Lahaina Luau: https://oldlahainaluau.com. The food is pretty great and the entertainment is pretty wonderful. It’s the best one we have been to over the years. Have fun!
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Well, we had 2 boys under 16 and they were allowed to sleep on the pull out couch. I know the Grand Wialea was a very popular place for families with lots of kids and was compared to a Disney hotel….not any place we were interested in.
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There is a restaurant in Maui called Mama’s Fish House that many people really like (including me). It’s pretty expensive, but we think it’s worth it. If you want to go there, you may need to make a reservation ASAP for June. (I am not exaggerating).
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Also Dukes, right? I keep hearing about that.
Yeah, based on the responses here, I’ve ruled out the large resorts for this reason. It sounds like my nightmare!
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We go to Duke’s for their Hula Pie - YUM, but Mama’s Fish House is more fine dining. I’ve been to Maui several times and have never been to Duke’s there (we go in Kauai), but we usually try to get reservations at Mama’s.
But yes, good to make reservations at both before you even get there.
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Mama’s Fish House is great. We also like Paia Fish Market for a more casual meal. On Big Island we stumbled upon Ciprano’s Kitchen six months after it opened. It is a small family owned restaurant and the food is phenomenal. We have Dukes in So Cal. Personally, I don’t get the appeal. We also didn’t think that Merriman’s was anything special.
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We had wonderful dinners at Mama’s Fish House, Gather, and The Restaurant at Hotel Wailea. Monkeypod and Paia fish market for more casual dining.
Hotel Wailea is adults only; my cousin stayed there on her honeymoon and recommended it highly. A bit too rich for us, so we just had an anniversary dinner there.
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In Maui, besides Mama’s for food - Paia Fish Market (locations in Paia and Kihei) serves only fish that was caught that day - and it’s shared tables (picnic tables) for seating, which is a lovely experience (you will certainly strike up a conversation with others). The line will almost always be long, because it’s fresh food…well worth the wait…if you’re into beef, upcountry has a general store (Hali’imaile General Store) that has some of the best tasting burgers (stick to the local, homegrown beef) on the island - the cattle are raised, on site, and are treated to the leftover pineapple cores and shells, from the (pineapple) winery across the street (also an interesting place to check out), resulting in a unique flavor (juicy, not sweet) and tenderness of beef. In the same neighborhood (Kula), is Grandma’s Coffeehouse, one of the oldest (and cutest!) eateries on island (where you’ll find more locals than visitors) with some of the best homemade pastries and delicious breakfasts on island. They have a small but lovely outdoor (covered) patio, so even if it’s raining you can eat outdoors. I love their loco moco (have it with fried rice!) and always take dessert to go for later - they have short daylight hours (usually closing by 2), so always best to call ahead to ensure they’re open…which brings us to Leoda’s…for pie…the best pie! They close usually around 5 or 6, and again, the line is long, but sooooo worth the wait (there’s a nice farmer’s market next door where you find local jelly, honey, fruits, veggies, and other treats). Bring Leoda’s “home” for a sweet treat. And not to be considered least (yet last), food trucks! These aren’t your grandpa’s roach coaches, these are amazing, fresh and delightful. The Maui food trucks are not to be missed.
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The food sounds amazing! Thank you all for the recs!
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I have not been to Maui.
BUT- I have found that large adult groups (bachelor’s parties, bachelorette, “come celebrate my divorce at a fancy resort”) are JUST as loud and even more annoying than kids in the waterpark/lazy river. I don’t know the solution except to ask to be moved after a noisy night– the hotel generally knows the sections where the “we need extra sheets for the pullout couch” guests are staying, and also tend to have a quieter part of the property for honeymooners, older (regular) guests, etc.
If you’ve ever heard the “chug chug chug” yelling at 2 am come through the walls of the hotel you’ll long for the “Marco Polo” yelling at the pool as a bunch of nine year olds have fun. They are generally not drunk, don’t puke in the hallways, and usually remember to wear clothes when they go outside.
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I have had problems when we booked a hotel near our kids campus (USoCal) and the walls seemed paper thin, as we could hear what sounded like abuse and loud noise from the room next to us as well as the one above us. It was pretty bad and we never stayed at the hotel again. It wasn’t cheap either!
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The solution that has always worked well for us, regardless of the hotel location, is to use a white noise app on our phone or tablet. Play white noise all night and you’ll sleep like a baby.
Merrimans in Kapalua is great too. If you don’t want to spring for dinner(expensive) then go for the sunset on their lower deck. It’s phenomenal.
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We’re vacationing in Oahu this July. We found some killer deals with Air BnB. It’s nice to have a full size apartment with a kitchen so we don’t have to eat out EVERY meal in Hawaii. We can just hop over to a grocery store and buy food. I plan to buy the biggest and most obnoxious Hawaiian shirt I can find on Amazon. It’s not a Hawaiian shirt if it doesn’t cause sensory overload!
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Your rental might have a bbq grill available - buy some fresh fish and local veggies for a great dinner at “home”