Pros

  • Fantastic pool complex with secluded waterfalls and hot tubs
  • World-class spa with outdoor treatment huts arranged in a garden
  • Large, luxurious one- to four-bedroom villas
  • Updated gourmet kitchens with wine coolers
  • Each villa has a spacious lanai, many with great ocean views
  • Three restaurants, including the beautiful Cane & Canoe fine dining spot
  • Adjacent to a lovely, quiet beach
  • Large fitness center with yoga and other fitness classes
  • Kids' club with nature walks and daily crafts
  • Free Wi-Fi
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Cons

  • Large property; takes some time to get from one side to the other
  • The beach is a bit of a walk down a hill
  • Daily resort fee
  • Daily charge for parking
See More Cons

Bottom Line

The Montage Kapalua Bay is a lush 24-acre luxury property that features 56 one- to four-bedroom villas and a world-class spa. The spa itself is on five acres with an infinity pool and hydrotherapy treatment rooms. This beautiful oceanfront location in Kapalua is situated on a point with dramatic ocean cliffs on one side and a lovely crescent-shaped beach on the other. Three restaurants, two bars, and an excellent, multi-level pool complex are spread across the expansive property, which can take some time to walk across. The excellent villas have gourmet kitchens and spacious lanais, many with great ocean views. It's far more intimate than the nearby Ritz-Carlton, which lacks the kitchens found here.

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Oyster Hotel Review

Montage Kapalua Bay

Scene

A polished luxury resort with a focus on luxury and serenity

The Montage Kapalua Bay sets the tone for luxury and serenity right from the entrance. You will pass through a breezeway surrounded by koi ponds before entering the open-air lobby decorated in dark woods and nautical accents, with soaring ceilings and amazing views down to the pools below and the ocean in the distance. Off to the side, there are a few concierge desks ready to help to reserve tee times, book island tours, or arrange pictures with the on-site photographer.

This luxurious 24-acre property sits on a point with dramatic sea cliffs on one side, and a small golden-sand beach on the other. There are 56 villas, which are arranged across six buildings spread around the expansive property. The ambience of the resort is definitely polished and upscale. It’s at once elegant and relaxed – though it’s a bit on the formal side for laid-back Maui, and the touches of local flavor are more subdued that at other resorts. Picture golf carts and grand pianos rather than Hawaiian shirts and Mai Tais. In evenings, fantastic sunsets are reflected in the pool and at nighttime, which is generally quiet and peaceful, tiki torches light up the pathways. Unsurprisingly, the place is popular with couples, but it also draws a large number of well-heeled families who appreciate the large kitchen-equipped villas found here. The only real possible downside is the weather: this area of Maui is known to get more rain and wind than other parts of the island. Those worried about showers might prefer a luxury resort in sunny Wailea, such as Ho'olei at Grand Wailea, which also has large, kitchen-equipped villas (prices tend to be higher, however). The Westin Kaanapali Ocean Resort Villas is a more comparably priced option but its larger size means more crowds. 

See More Scene

Location

On a oceanfront point in posh Kapalua, next to a lovely beach

The resort is situated on 24 oceanfront acres in the swanky Kapalua area of West Maui, near the expansive Ritz-Carlton resort and right next to the Kapalua Golf Club Bay Course. This property is one of the farthest north on the Maui coast, making it a very quiet and private location, away from the tourist crowds and condo complexes around Ka’anapali. It enjoys a stunning coastline featuring dramatic ocean cliffs, and a path the winds down to the lovely Kapalua Bay Beach, about a 10-minute walk from the resort. There isn’t much in walking distance in this suburban area, but many shops, restaurants and a grocery store can be reached by a short drive. It’s about a 20-minute drive to lively downtown Lahaina, and it’s about an hour to the Kahului Airport.

See More Location

Rooms

Beautiful, modern villas with gourmet kitchens and spacious lanais

The Montage refers to its villas as "residences," and they are – each includes a fully equipped gourmet kitchen, a dining room and living area that opens on to a large lanai, and one, two, or three stylish bedrooms. There are also a few Four-Bedroom Grand Residences available. The spacious villas range from 1,250 to 4,000 square feet.

The beautiful kitchens each feature a large center island, marble countertops, and a wine cooler. Sitting on the counter of each kitchen, there’s a cookbook filled with local recipes called “Taste of Maui” and free bags of local coffee from the Maui Grown Coffee Store. These touches are a great example of the extra attention to detail the resort puts forth to make a stay here special. The living rooms feature extra-large flat-screen TVs, DVD players, and iPod stereos. There are large sliding door panels that open to the lanai to create and indoor-outdoor space. Each villa has an expansive lanai with a great outdoor dining area and comfortable outdoor couches and chaise lounge chairs.

Each of the rooms in the villas is beautifully and tastefully decorated, like something out of a magazine. The luxurious plush bedding includes more pillows than we knew what to do with – they seem to take up more than half the bed. On each bed, one of the many pillows is embroidered with the word "Ohana" – which means family in the Hawaiian language. The bedrooms all have huge walk-in closets. The fantastic large bathrooms offer both soaking tubs and spacious walk-in showers with multiple shower heads. Every unit has a washer and dryer.

See More Rooms

Features

Three restaurants, including the trademark Cane & Cane, a kids', club and a tranquil beach

The beautiful Cane & Canoe restaurant in the middle of the property has a distinctive triangular roof and views facing the pools and the coast. Next door, the Cane & Canoe Lounge features dark woods, billiards tables, and great cocktails at happy hour. Other options include the Sunset Patio for lunch, a private bar at the Beach Club, and the Hana Hou lounge, a casual outdoor bar and cafe on the lower pool deck. There is also a deli, coffee shop, and market in the lobby called the Mahana Market for items on the go.

There are several meeting spaces available to reserve, including the spectacular (and aptly named) Cliff House, a historic building perched down on the very edge of a cliff that juts out into the bay, with panoramic views through the picture windows. It was once a place where hotel owners gathered; now it’s used for events and special dinners. The Montage has an excellent kids' club called the Paintbox, which offers games, arts and crafts, and badges that kids can earn for spotting things around Maui – such as a sea turtle or a whale. There are a handful of games around the property, like beanbag toss and a golf putting green.

At the bottom of the property, there is a path that leads along the waterfront down to Kapalua Bay Beach, a lovely crescent-shaped beach with gentle, protected waters. It is shared by other nearby resorts, however this beach is largely quiet and peaceful. Water sport activities are available, such as snorkeling and stand-up paddleboarding. It is, however, about a 10-minute walk down to the beach from the resort, and from some rooms it may take even longer. The walk back is uphill – not great for less-mobile guests.

See More Features

Pools

An excellent multi-level pool complex with waterfalls, whirlpools, and hot tubs

One of the stand-out features of the resort is the pool – which is more like a series of beautiful pools of different styles that cascade several levels down toward the sea. At the top is Sunset Patio, a small bar and patio with light lunch fare that faces the adult-only infinity pool. Water spills over the edge of the infinity pool as a waterfall into the next level, and the complex includes more waterfalls, a footbridge, and an area with whirlpool jets and hot tubs. At the bottom, there is a large sundeck with shallow kids' pools. There are padded lounge chairs scattered throughout, and the canopied daybeds must be rented for an extra fee. There’s an additional infinity pool and hot tub at the Beach Club, a semi-private area with a bar and lounge for members.

See More Pools

Spa

A fabulous spa with hydrotherapy areas, outdoor treatment huts, and a large fitness center

The Montage’s Spa is an impressive facility in its own right. Just the spa itself is set on five acres of land, with a stream that meanders through plush tropical gardens. It also has its own outdoor infinity pool. The 30,000-square-foot facility has indoor and outdoor treatment rooms, a huge fitness center with a studio for yoga and spin classes, luxurious locker rooms, a vintage-themed barber shop, and a salon. The outdoor treatment area is arranged like a little village, where each private open-air hut has an outdoor shower and a stone soaking tub. The hydrotherapy center connected to each locker room offers whirlpool hot tubs, rainfall waterfalls, a steam room, and a sauna. Outdoors, there are a pool and hot tub that can be used by both genders. In the lobby of the spa, there is a juice bar and boutique shop.

See More Spa

Oyster Hotel Review

Montage Kapalua Bay

Scene

A polished luxury resort with a focus on luxury and serenity

The Montage Kapalua Bay sets the tone for luxury and serenity right from the entrance. You will pass through a breezeway surrounded by koi ponds before entering the open-air lobby decorated in dark woods and nautical accents, with soaring ceilings and amazing views down to the pools below and the ocean in the distance. Off to the side, there are a few concierge desks ready to help to reserve tee times, book island tours, or arrange pictures with the on-site photographer.

This luxurious 24-acre property sits on a point with dramatic sea cliffs on one side, and a small golden-sand beach on the other. There are 56 villas, which are arranged across six buildings spread around the expansive property. The ambience of the resort is definitely polished and upscale. It’s at once elegant and relaxed – though it’s a bit on the formal side for laid-back Maui, and the touches of local flavor are more subdued that at other resorts. Picture golf carts and grand pianos rather than Hawaiian shirts and Mai Tais. In evenings, fantastic sunsets are reflected in the pool and at nighttime, which is generally quiet and peaceful, tiki torches light up the pathways. Unsurprisingly, the place is popular with couples, but it also draws a large number of well-heeled families who appreciate the large kitchen-equipped villas found here. The only real possible downside is the weather: this area of Maui is known to get more rain and wind than other parts of the island. Those worried about showers might prefer a luxury resort in sunny Wailea, such as Ho'olei at Grand Wailea, which also has large, kitchen-equipped villas (prices tend to be higher, however). The Westin Kaanapali Ocean Resort Villas is a more comparably priced option but its larger size means more crowds. 

See More Scene

Location

On a oceanfront point in posh Kapalua, next to a lovely beach

The resort is situated on 24 oceanfront acres in the swanky Kapalua area of West Maui, near the expansive Ritz-Carlton resort and right next to the Kapalua Golf Club Bay Course. This property is one of the farthest north on the Maui coast, making it a very quiet and private location, away from the tourist crowds and condo complexes around Ka’anapali. It enjoys a stunning coastline featuring dramatic ocean cliffs, and a path the winds down to the lovely Kapalua Bay Beach, about a 10-minute walk from the resort. There isn’t much in walking distance in this suburban area, but many shops, restaurants and a grocery store can be reached by a short drive. It’s about a 20-minute drive to lively downtown Lahaina, and it’s about an hour to the Kahului Airport.

See More Location

Rooms

Beautiful, modern villas with gourmet kitchens and spacious lanais

The Montage refers to its villas as "residences," and they are – each includes a fully equipped gourmet kitchen, a dining room and living area that opens on to a large lanai, and one, two, or three stylish bedrooms. There are also a few Four-Bedroom Grand Residences available. The spacious villas range from 1,250 to 4,000 square feet.

The beautiful kitchens each feature a large center island, marble countertops, and a wine cooler. Sitting on the counter of each kitchen, there’s a cookbook filled with local recipes called “Taste of Maui” and free bags of local coffee from the Maui Grown Coffee Store. These touches are a great example of the extra attention to detail the resort puts forth to make a stay here special. The living rooms feature extra-large flat-screen TVs, DVD players, and iPod stereos. There are large sliding door panels that open to the lanai to create and indoor-outdoor space. Each villa has an expansive lanai with a great outdoor dining area and comfortable outdoor couches and chaise lounge chairs.

Each of the rooms in the villas is beautifully and tastefully decorated, like something out of a magazine. The luxurious plush bedding includes more pillows than we knew what to do with – they seem to take up more than half the bed. On each bed, one of the many pillows is embroidered with the word "Ohana" – which means family in the Hawaiian language. The bedrooms all have huge walk-in closets. The fantastic large bathrooms offer both soaking tubs and spacious walk-in showers with multiple shower heads. Every unit has a washer and dryer.

See More Rooms

Features

Three restaurants, including the trademark Cane & Cane, a kids', club and a tranquil beach

The beautiful Cane & Canoe restaurant in the middle of the property has a distinctive triangular roof and views facing the pools and the coast. Next door, the Cane & Canoe Lounge features dark woods, billiards tables, and great cocktails at happy hour. Other options include the Sunset Patio for lunch, a private bar at the Beach Club, and the Hana Hou lounge, a casual outdoor bar and cafe on the lower pool deck. There is also a deli, coffee shop, and market in the lobby called the Mahana Market for items on the go.

There are several meeting spaces available to reserve, including the spectacular (and aptly named) Cliff House, a historic building perched down on the very edge of a cliff that juts out into the bay, with panoramic views through the picture windows. It was once a place where hotel owners gathered; now it’s used for events and special dinners. The Montage has an excellent kids' club called the Paintbox, which offers games, arts and crafts, and badges that kids can earn for spotting things around Maui – such as a sea turtle or a whale. There are a handful of games around the property, like beanbag toss and a golf putting green.

At the bottom of the property, there is a path that leads along the waterfront down to Kapalua Bay Beach, a lovely crescent-shaped beach with gentle, protected waters. It is shared by other nearby resorts, however this beach is largely quiet and peaceful. Water sport activities are available, such as snorkeling and stand-up paddleboarding. It is, however, about a 10-minute walk down to the beach from the resort, and from some rooms it may take even longer. The walk back is uphill – not great for less-mobile guests.

See More Features

Pools

An excellent multi-level pool complex with waterfalls, whirlpools, and hot tubs

One of the stand-out features of the resort is the pool – which is more like a series of beautiful pools of different styles that cascade several levels down toward the sea. At the top is Sunset Patio, a small bar and patio with light lunch fare that faces the adult-only infinity pool. Water spills over the edge of the infinity pool as a waterfall into the next level, and the complex includes more waterfalls, a footbridge, and an area with whirlpool jets and hot tubs. At the bottom, there is a large sundeck with shallow kids' pools. There are padded lounge chairs scattered throughout, and the canopied daybeds must be rented for an extra fee. There’s an additional infinity pool and hot tub at the Beach Club, a semi-private area with a bar and lounge for members.

See More Pools

Spa

A fabulous spa with hydrotherapy areas, outdoor treatment huts, and a large fitness center

The Montage’s Spa is an impressive facility in its own right. Just the spa itself is set on five acres of land, with a stream that meanders through plush tropical gardens. It also has its own outdoor infinity pool. The 30,000-square-foot facility has indoor and outdoor treatment rooms, a huge fitness center with a studio for yoga and spin classes, luxurious locker rooms, a vintage-themed barber shop, and a salon. The outdoor treatment area is arranged like a little village, where each private open-air hut has an outdoor shower and a stone soaking tub. The hydrotherapy center connected to each locker room offers whirlpool hot tubs, rainfall waterfalls, a steam room, and a sauna. Outdoors, there are a pool and hot tub that can be used by both genders. In the lobby of the spa, there is a juice bar and boutique shop.

See More Spa

Best Rates

Amenities

  • Air Conditioner

  • Airport Transportation

  • Balcony / Terrace / Patio

  • Basic Television

  • Beach

  • Business Center

  • Cabanas

  • Cable

  • Concierge

  • Cribs

  • Dry Cleaning

  • Fitness Center

  • Full Kitchen

  • Golf Course

  • Internet

  • Jacuzzi

  • Kids Allowed

  • Kids Club

  • Laundry

  • Meeting / Conference Rooms

  • Pool

  • Poolside Drink Service

  • Room Service

  • Separate Bedroom / Living Room Space

  • Spa

  • Supervised Kids Activities

  • Swim-Up Bar

  • Tennis Court

Disclaimer: This content was accurate at the time the hotel was reviewed. Please check our partner sites when booking to verify that details are still correct.