Sarah Burns -- Oyster Locals Reporter
Sarah Burns is a California native who traded traffic-filled freeways & the cold West coast waters for a beach house in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Sarah, along with her husband and two children, now calls Maui home and shares her parenting dispatches from paradise, on her site The Ohana Mama. You can also follow and catch up to the minute happenings of Sarah’s Maui life on twitter, @SarahBhawaii.
- Places lived: Dana Point, California; Florence, Italy; Encinitas, California; Maui, Hawaii
- Education: University of San Diego
- Destination expert for: Hawaii
- Always in my suitcase: My iPhone, baby wipes and sunscreen
My Favorite Hotels
1
Hilton Waikiki Beach
- Pearls: Rating: 3.5 Pearls
- Location: Waikiki, Honolulu
- Price: $180/night
Families will find more to do at other, more resort-like places, like the Hyatt Regency Waikiki or Hilton Hawaiian Village. But Hilton's just-completed $65 million overhaul has reinvigorated the business-focused Prince Kuhio, especially its rooms, which are bright, spacious, and stylish. If you can nab a room for under $200, it's a great deal -- no matter whom you're traveling with.
2
The Westin Maui Resort & Spa
- Pearls: Rating: 4.0 Pearls
- Location: Maui, Hawaii
- Price: $300/night
The 759-room Westin Maui's five-pool aquatic playground, direct access to Kaanapali Beach, exceptional beds, and a slew of above-average amenities make it one of the best mega-resorts for the price in Kaanapali, if not all of Maui. But at a resort this big, you'll have to wake up early to snag a lounger.
3
Aina Nalu Resort
- Pearls: Rating: 3.0 Pearls
- Location: Maui, Hawaii
- Price: $150/night
This newly renovated condo property in the bustling, touristy town of Lahaina has fair-size, affordable studio, one- and two-bedroom units and two small, pleasant pools, but offers a bare minimum of amenities and services -- and the nearest beach is a five-minute drive away.
