We just returned from 4 nights at the Ka'anapali Beach Club resort in Maui. My overall impression was that the ownership was scrimping on maintenance, doing just enough to keep the first impression good while selling timeshares.

The location is great (although not on the main part of Ka'anapali) but it is right on the ocean. The pool is huge (although it needs replastering to get rid of the brown stains on the bottom), the slide is fun (when it is attended - otherwise it's closed for a 1 1/2 hr lunch break every day) and there are plenty of lounge chairs. If you want shade, you have to pay $100 for a tent - something that is kept secret until your stuff gets moved and when you ask the person in your chair, you are informed of this policy - very embarrassing!

Our room looked nice, but smelled musty. One bed had a trough in the middle, it was so bad, I had to switch beds with my kids. The rollout couch went downhill, but it's a rollout, so what do you expect. Maid service was at 3 pm every day by which time we were back in the room taking naps and showers, so we'd usually just get towels and skip the cleaning. The maid knocked on the door as we were checking out wanting a tip.

Mini golf course is fun, although the carpet is peeling, the flags are falling apart and it looks like it needs TLC. The nice sit down restaurant, North Shore Grill which was advertised ad-nauseum in posters all over the place does not exist any more. The time share guy said it was being renovated, but I saw no evidence of this. 2 of the 6 elevators were not working, so there was usually a wait for an elevator.

If you are there for the time share presentation, be prepared. They say it's 90 minutes to 2 hrs. We were there for 2 1/2 hrs and I was having my kids call my cell screaming so I'd have an excuse to leave. If you're thinking about buying, say no to their first offer, they dropped the price by 1/2 after we said no. When we said no the second time, he did the used car salesman trick of going to talk to the manager who thankfully was busy (after 15 minutes of sitting there) and didn't come out. Then we were asked to fill out a "survey" which was another sales pitch to come back next year and do it all again! No thanks. BTW there are numerous timeshare resellers all over the place who have timeshares at prices way less than what is being offered - check prices before going, you can probably bargain for a better deal if you really want to get into this. Every time I asked about a maintenance issue, I was told that it was going to be redone - but I didn't see any work occurring while I was there.

The scuba was fun, and the food was reasonably priced. I wouldn't go again just because it's not worth the savings to get hassled by the time share people. Too bad it's not still an Embassy suites.

My family of four (kids age 13, 10) just returned from a week at the Kaanapali Beach Club. This was our first trip to Maui/Hawaii. My aim in booking accommodations was to get a comfortable, spacious room for our family with Hawaiian-resort amenities for an affordable price - and a bit of a kitchen to cut down on dining-out expenses.

The KBC attracted us for four reasons: 1. Location 2. Pool 3. Rooms 4. Price. KBC proved to be a great value and lived up to all our expectations. It did miss the mark in a few areas (see below).

The Property, Bad: We knew it was pink, but still cringed at it's color every day. The pink walls and turquoise tiles date the structure. A little paint would go along way to update the grounds - and it would cover up the rusting roof structures visible on the top floor that reminded you were not staying at the Four Seasons or the Hyatt.

The front tower elevators were still not operating.

The Property, Good: Beautiful, tropical open air lobby attractively furnished makes you feel at ease upon arrival. Lush koi ponds and waterfalls impart a touch of luxury resort feel despite the modest resort price tag. It doesn't feel like a compromise.

The pool area was perfectly situated right next to the ocean. The pictures are accurate: Waterfalls, fun slide, lots of space, always a lounge chair available. Loved it!

The Restaurants: The evening ambiance at the 'Ohana Bar and Grill was very nice. Service and food was good, not great. Tables are covered with grass umbrellas and the torchlight (lit nightly by a young man in native Hawaiian costume) makes it a easy alternative to the more crowded restaurants with good, not great food along Kaanapali Beach boardwalk without the drive.

We did not eat at North Beach Restaurant - it seemed closed several of the days we were there. Nor did we eat at the hotel breakfast buffet.

A surprising plus: The Keiki menu was a nice touch. Kids 12 and under had their choice of $2 menu items (cheeseburgers, mac 'n cheese, chicken strips, etc) valid resort-wide, including room service. (Just watch the bill when you check out - Our Keiki's $25 room service bill had a $15 tip - in addition to the 15% mandatory gratuity - added to it by an dishonest delivery person. Management apologized and removed it, but it sullied the family-friendly feel and took a time investment to sort out).

Staff: Except for the room service incident, staff was exceedingly courteous and helpful. Lana at the front desk upgraded our scenic-view room reservation to Ocean-view for no additional charge when I inquired on availabilty and really made our trip - mahalo, Lana! Our top floor room was GORGEOUS. Granite countertops, new carpet and furnishings - we especially appreciated the ipod docks in both the living room and the bedroom. Lots of space for the family to spread out and a nice long balcony with views of Molokai to enjoy morning coffee. Housekeeping cleaned the room daily, including loading and running the dishwasher and refilling the coffee supplies.

Location: If you want a piece of the Kaanapali Boardwalk, this isn't it. KBC is located about a mile and a half north of Black Rock and the busy boardwalk. But for us, that was a plus. Close enough to visit, far enough away to be uncrowded. The beach directly in front was sandy and quite nice for wading and playing in (better than the Hyatt, IMO). A bit murky for snorkling, but a walk/swim to the south (in front of the new condo construction area) were clear waters and beautiful coral gardens teeming with fish and even sea turtles - and very few people. I highly recommend checking it out!

Amenities were nearby, too. We opted to rent snorkling gear and boogie boards for the week from Maui Dive Shop, just across the street in the Star Market parking lot.

To get our special room rate, we did have to sit through a timeshare presentation. We did not buy and the staff was pleasant enough. It was a fair trade.

Missing element that kept it from being perfect: No beachside/poolside service. I'm not sure why - the resort definitely stood to increase it's profits by stopping by my beach chair to ask if I wanted another lava flow (too tasty to decline).

To summarize, KBC is a great place for families trying to maximize their holiday budget - but still want a big pool, tiki torches and a great beach.

This was a great place to stay! My husband and I went there on our honeymoon. We really loved the appreance of the rooms and the cleanliness. Everyone was very helpful and friendly. We highly suggest staying there for anyone. Our overall experience was perfect.

Our family stayed at the Kaanapali Beach Club for five nights, July 17-22, 2008. We absolutely enjoyed our stay there and would recommend this property to everyone. The suites were very clean, the staff extremely helpful and courteous, and the best part of all is the location. It has a nice stretch of beach, a huge 1 acre pool, and is only 10 minutes away from many of the restaurants, shopping, and activity in Lahaina, HI. We celebrated our 25th anniversary there and were very glad we chose the KBC. They made our special occasion the best it could be. Our teenagers loved it, also.