The Ritz Carlton, Kapalua

I haven't written about my travels to the other Islands as yet. I have been to the other major Islands (Maui, Kauai, Big Island) a few times, so this post is about my trip to Maui with my mom when she came to visit in 2007. She stayed with us in Honolulu and we decided to sneak away for the weekend and head to luxury at the Ritz-Carlton, in Kapalua. We spent a full weekend there, and it was so wonderful that I didn't want to leave. The facilities were amazing, especially the pool and the pool bar! The hotel does have its own private beach, but when you live in Hawaii you tend to get tired of the surf all the time, so relaxing in the huge swimming pool was a nice change. I was used to the heat, and stayed out in the sun for hours (with sunscreen on of course) - but my mom was not so impressed with the need to get fried like a lobster in the sun, so she chose the shade option. Personally I think she wanted to leave the hotel and see a bit more of Maui, but I have decided that after that trip, and a recent trip to the Wynn Las Vegas - I am a resort/relax by the pool/cocktail drinking gal. When we were at the Wynn I could have slept by the pool I loved it so much. Not sure what the obsession is but note to self: purchase a house in a warm area with a pool as soon as possible!

The Ritz-Carlton is made up of a number of guest rooms and suites, at a price for everyone. Mind you, we ate at one of the restaurants for dinner, nothing fancy but the bill was nearly $US400 - so be prepared to bring a few extra $$ with you to fully enjoy the experience and what the hotel has to offer. The one thing I really liked about the hotel was that they used a lot of local ingredients. Hawaii produces a wide variety of food, from Maui onions to goats cheese from the Big Island. Of course, there is also the obvious - pineapple, coffee and sugar cane.

Enjoy some snaps from our vacation. If you have time to go to Maui for the weekend, I would definitely recommend staying at the Ritz-Carlton - I hope I will get the chance to go back one day soon!




One of the wings of the hotel - looking out to the pool



The private Ritz-Carlton Beach




Ahhhh the pool!