The Westin Kaanapali Ocean Resort and the Hyatt Regency are two of the island’s top hotels, boasting luxurious rooms, exquisite dining experiences and easy access to the world famous Hawaiian beaches.
In this comparison guide, we’ll be breaking down the key features of each hotel and helping you decide which of the two is most perfectly suited for your vacation needs.
Location
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The Westin is located further North along the beach than the Hyatt, in a place slightly further away from all the other hotels and resorts. This gives it better access to some of the local restaurants, stores and places to explore.
If you’re a golfer, know that the Hyatt Regency is located slightly closer to the Kaanapali golf course.
- For a relaxing, ‘sit by the pool all day and take a stroll to the golf course’ kind of vacation, the Hyatt Regency is ideal.
- However, if you’re more interested in exploring more of the island, the Westin Kaanapali might be a better location for you.
Rooms
Having a comfortable room can really make or break a vacation, so it’s vitally important you pick somewhere that’s well equipped.
Hyatt Regency
We’ll start with the Hyatt Regency. The rooms at the Hyatt have nothing too special in their interior—it’s about what you’d expect from any decent hotel. What you’re really paying for is the gorgeous ocean view. Some rooms also have a view of the golf course.
The suites at the Hyatt Regency all have slight differences in their décor, making each one feel unique and special. Naturally, they also come with a lovely ocean view as well as a few bonuses over a regular room, such as living areas, kitchenettes and patios.
However, the suites at the Hyatt also don’t offer much in the way of excitement. Sure, the rooms are clean, well decorated and comfortable, but it’s about the same standard you’d expect from any decent hotel.
Westin Kaanapali Ocean Resort
With the Westin Kaanapali Ocean Resort accommodations, there isn’t quite as much variety to choose from, but there are a few aspects that might make it seem slightly more appealing than the Hyatt’s rooms and suites.
With the Westin, you won’t find any elaborate suites with multiple rooms for the premium luxury experience.
Their rooms and villas are all decorated with an authentic Hawaiian style and they’ve been made to feel more like a home than a hotel room.
The Westin’s villas also provide all of the basic amenities and more. There’s a selection of bed configurations, depending on the size of your party. You can even choose between a range of ocean views, island views, or rooms on the oceanfront. The largest villas have their own kitchenette.
- If you’re after the most premium and luxurious accommodation available, the Hyatt Regency has you covered.
- Alternatively, if you want a more budget friendly, but well equipped and well decorated place to stay, the Westin Kaanapali Ocean Resort has better options for you.
Food
At the Westin there are five different restaurants, with cuisines ranging from Italian to American comfort food. The Westin also has a sports bar which shows ESPN coverage of all the big games.
Alternatively, at the Hyatt Regency, you’ll be provided with a much wider range of restaurants and bars with a variety of interesting surroundings. For example, at their Grotto Bar, you can swim right up to a bartender and order a cocktail or small bite to eat.
The Hyatt provides dinner side experiences like traditional Imu ceremonies and live Hawaiian music at their restaurant, Drums of the Pacific Lu’au.
- The Hyatt Regency provides better food options than the Westin Kaanapali. We’re not saying that the quality of food will be better at either hotel, but the variety of selection available at the Hyatt certainly places it ahead of the competition.
Activities
The Westin Kaanapali has a great spa and fitness center which can be used by any of its members. This is a great way to stay active and burn off a few of the calories you’ll get from all the delicious food.
Of course, there is also a great range of swimming pools at the Westin, but other activities include snorkeling, scuba diving, and tennis.
The Hyatt also has some fantastic swimming pools and its own spa and fitness center. What the Hyatt also has going for it is its unique experiences for the whole family.
These include stargazing tours, cultural classes, and the Mindful Mermaid Academy. The Mermaid Academy is open to children aged four and above, and offers three different levels of mermaid experience.
As well as all that, the Hyatt even does daily penguin presentations, teaching their guests about their resident African black-footed penguins.
It’s pretty clear to see that the Hyatt Regency provides a better range of activities overall, so it wins this round.
Conclusion
Overall, we think the Hyatt Regency provides a better vacation experience than the Westin Kaanapali. Because of its great range of restaurants and activities, you’ll never be left with nothing to do.
We’re not saying that the Westin isn’t still one of the best hotels you could hope for in Maui, it just can’t compete with the diverse range of experiences offered by the Hyatt.
