Are you considering the Hyatt Regency Maui Resort & Spa for your Maui stay post shelter-in-place? This article is for you if you’ve been sheltering in place, but dreaming of a resort that has something for everyone in your family. Situated on one of Maui’s best beaches and close to the Lahaina action, the Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa is your perfect family or group getaway retreat.
I stayed at the Hyatt Regency Maui for three days and two nights in early December 2020 (in the midst of the Covid pandemic) after going through the Hawaii Safe Travel Program. If you are curious to know what my whole experience traveling to Hawaii was like – read here!
Location, location, location.
The Hyatt Regency Maui is set on 40 acres on Ka’anapali Beach, 15 minutes north from Lahaina, and 50 minutes from Kahuli Airport.
- Kaanapali Beach is known for its amazing sunsets, pristine beach, golf, and shopping area. It sits on three miles of pure amazing beach with five resorts and timeshares all along its coast. The water just laps up on to shore and is so smooth and calm! This is an ideal place for kids to swim. It truly has something for everyone – whether you plan to golf or to shop!
- Lahaina is located very close to this resort (10-15 minutes by car). Originally the capital of Hawaii, Lahaina is one of the centers of activity on the island. It used to be a whaling community and has a great downtown area. It’s also the home of some of Maui’s best restaurants (check here), historic places, and activities like whale, dolphin, snorkel and diving.
This is an ideal home base if you want to spend time in Lahaina with a large group or want to get some of the best sunset views on the island.
Let’s talk about what the 40 acres of resort includes
Bridge 
Temporary Lobby 
Courtyard
What I love about the Hyatt Regency Maui is that it exudes Hawaiian culture throughout its spaces. It has bit of old and new Hawaii mixed into it. Think dark hardwood with large spaces that lead out to its expansive views. This resort is located on 40 acres of beach front and features five pools, a swan lake, penguins, five restaurants, and it’s own private luau.
When we arrived, the lobby was under construction so we went through the side entrance. Even though the lobby was under construction, you wouldn’t notice it outside of driving up to the resort. I can’t wait to see what the lobby looks like post renovation.
What’s great about the Hyatt Regency Maui is it has a total of 810 rooms including suites. This makes it an ideal place for groups and families. Perfect place if you are want a multi-generational trip with grandparents, parents, and kids – there’s something for everyone. Plus, the resort is actually connected to the Hyatt residences which makes it feel even more spread out. Ideal for social distancing!
Stay in modernized rooms with private lanai balconies
Modern Furnishings 
Lots of space 
Ocean Front
There are various rooms that will give you resort, partial, or full ocean views. We originally booked a Partial Ocean Front View, but were upgraded to an Ocean Front Room (one of the amazing perks of booking through us!). Every room has a private balcony and honestly, the ocean front views are so worth it. If you are deciding between ocean front or something else, I highly recommend the ocean front!
The room was a fantastic space for the two of us and could easily be extended to a small family with two beds. For a larger family family, there are adjoining rooms to connect. The bathrooms and closet space is quite large allowing for plenty of space for stays more than a week!
One big thing to mind is that during the pandemic that housekeeping has been reduced to minimize contact. You must schedule a time to get your room cleaned. This is a standard practice across many luxury hotels to help you stay distant.
A resort with so much to do…
What to love about the resort is how big it feels. There was never a time where we felt smooshed into people. Plenty of space to spread out. With five pools on property, there is a ton of space to lay out by the pool, feed the swans or penguins, or walk on the beach.
Perfect for laying out in the sun
Main Pool 
Bridge over kids pool 
Third/Fourth Pool
One of the big changes to travel today is the introduction of the idea that every guest gets their own pool and beach lounge that is distant from everyone else. I mean, isn’t that what everyone wishes for? This is definitely one of the perks that has made being at a resort even better. All of the pool lounges are identified with a marker that says that they have been sanitized and are ready. We visited the pools at various times, early morning, mid afternoon, and late afternoon and never had a problem finding a sanitized chair to sit out.
This made our time sitting out by the pools enjoyable. We spent one day at the main pool and the other days bouncing around towards the adult pool. If we ever felt overly crowded, we were able to find a pool space that was completely empty.
There are even multiple slides and waterfalls for kids to play in. There is a Grotto Bar, but unfortunately it was not open during the pandemic.
Or get your swoll on with workout & activities
Inside Gym 
Lobby 
Outside Gym
Want to be by the beach but make sure you workout? They have you covered! Not only is the Moana Athletic Club open to work out indoors, there is a ton of space to spread out. We worked out every day and people were incredibly respectful. You must wear a mask and its recommended to only work out for 45 minutes.
If gym time isn’t your thing, there’s also great activities that you can reserve like morning yoga, pilates, barre, or beach activities for rent like snorkeling, and paddle boarding. There’s also great activities for the kids where they can feed the penguins & koi, make leis, and bracelets.
KAMAHA’O, a Marilyn Monroe spa is also open with a limited schedule and capacity only on Mondays, Wednesday, and Fridays. Unfortunately our schedule didn’t work out to try out the spa 😩
Be the beach bum you were made to be
Three miles of pristine beach along the coast of Kaanapli. You really couldn’t ask for much more than this amazing beach!
Eat until your heart’s content
One of the best things about the Hyatt Regency is it’s close proximity to amazing places to eat in Lahaina. I don’t want to discount how amazing it is to eat in Lahaina and the Hyatt Regency is in the prime location for you to visit. The restaurants on property are good if you are looking to truly make this a resort vacation. We ventured off property, but here are some highlights of the eats on property:
Umalu Poke Nachos 
Ululani’s Shave Ice 
Swan Court French Toast
- Umalu: This is a poolside bar and cafe next to the main pool. It features a mix of poolside bites and tropical Hawaiian drinks. I highly recommend that if you are staying here you try the Hawaiian drinks versus getting your cocktail of choice. Their poke was one of the first places I’ve ever had poke with cheese.
- Swan Court Breakfast: We ate here two days. The first day we ordered off the ad hoc menu and the second day we ate the buffet. My recommendation is to order off the menu. The breakfast buffet is ok, good for groups. Here’s what we got from the menu: French Toast & Kulua Park Scramble. We shared this with a side of eggs and it was epic.
- Ululani’s Hawaiian Shave Ice has a small shack at the Hyatt Maui. The one in Lahiana known for the best shave ice is closed because of covid, but no worries this outpost is pretty magical. Just steps away from the pool and the beach, this is a great place to grab authentic shave ice for you and the kids
- The Whaler’s shopping center is also located about 3/4 a mile away from the resort. This is a great place if you are looking to get away. We ate at Monkeypod Kitchen to get some farm to fresh eats. We did have to wait about 30 minutes but had fun poking into the ABC store nearby
In summary, the Hyatt Regency Maui is your family paradise
Overall, staying on Ka’anapali Beach is a great place to capture some epic sunsets with family. This is perfect for those who want to be near Lahaina but want more space for their group. Along the beach there are a lot of group, family, and timeshare resorts including the Westin Maui Resort & Spa.
Was this helpful? I would love to hear from you about how you feel about the Hyatt Regency Maui Resort & Spa. Plus by booking with me, you can get extra perks! Love Your Wanderlust is a Hyatt Prive member, which means we can hook you up even if you are a Globalist member! Perks for the Hyatt Regency Maui include $100 resort credit, free breakfast for 2 (~$100 per day value), room upgrades, and early check-in/check out.
Are you ready to book your next family vacation with me here? click here to schedule your wanderlust session!
Cheers to your wanderlust,
Kristie
