I had a very pleasant and relaxing stay at the Royal Kahana.

Check-in was very organized and efficient. Couldn't of asked for a nicer and most pleasant front desk person. I was tired when I checked in and she somehow picked up on that and reminded me of certain things that she had said earlier, that I had somehow spaced on. That was nice of her.

There were no major problems with the room. Everything was clean and in excellent condition. The only thing that I really could not sort out was the air conditioning. It had a mind of its own. It came on and turned off when it wanted. Also, to make matters more confusing are the controls. You have the old controls, which are from the original A/C units that were installed when the hotel was built. All the knobs are taken off because that system no longer works. (check out the pictures by OCALAFLORIDATRAVELER) Then you have the new controls which are digital, but takes a bit of practice to get the hang of. What I did was to just shut it off, and fully open the bathroom windows, and the sliding glass door leading out the the lanai. This created great flow through ventilation, that worked much better than the A/C. I was surprised at how updated and modern my room was. The bathroom was spotless, no dirt, mold or mildew. The kitchen was amazing, everything you could ask for was provided.

The hotel provides a small amount of coffee & tea in your room to start you off with. They even provide a small box of detergent, all of which was greatly appreciated. Replenishing your food and other supplies is quite easy and convenient. The Kahana Gateway Shopping Center is maybe a 5 minute walk from the front door of the hotel. A General store is there. There's also a Safeways, and Star Market just a few miles away. I bought a bag of Kona Coffee at a nearby supermarket and made good use of the coffee pot and filters provided by the hotel in my room.

The pool is a nice and relaxing place to hang out, and just be lazy. Also the beach is great to walk along at sunset. Parking was never a problem. There was always an ample supply of spaces, but the spaces seemed to be a bit narrow. I normally drive a small car. All that was left to rent were mid size, family sedans, and SUVs. I guess I'm not use to maneuvering a mid size car.

I do have a few more things to say about the hotel in general, in order to give the place a fair assessment. Yes, it is an older property. I feel that it is well kept and its staff does a good job of making it a pleasant place to stay.

The rooms can be, how can I put it?.............."Hit & Miss" at times. Some rooms are old and in need of updating. Some rooms have been partially updated, while others are totally updated and refurbished. Please read some of the reviews and look at all the pictures provided by traveladvisor. Especially if you are in the planning stages of your next vacation to Maui. This is my second time staying at the Royal Kahana. Both times I have lucked out with really nice, well maintained updated and/or refurbished rooms. This last time, I met some real nice folks from Canada and was invited to their room for tea and cards. I was shocked at how different the room was compared to mine. Some of the appliances lets just say were well used and showed it, the furniture was dated, the carpet wasn't as clean and bright as the carpet in my room. But they did have a large flat screen TV, the one thing I didn't have in my room. Even the room next door to mine had a few differences worth noting. The furniture was quite different, (modern faux leather), the carpet was clean but older than mine. You could tell by the wear. The bathroom and kitchen was just as new as mine. It is also worth mentioning that the rooms on the higher floors are used much more than the ones on the lower floors. This time I was on the second floor and had a beautiful room. The last time I was on the 8th floor, and had a nice room too, but you could tell that the room on the 8th floor with it's wonderful view had endured a little more wear & tear than the room on the second floor with it's partial view of the water. Even the furniture on the lanai will differ from room to room. This is not one of those hotels where everything is uniform. It's not one of those places where the TVs are all the same; the furniture is exactly alike in every room, the appliances are the same. It is interesting however, to find out what you get. (that is, if you get something nice.) Lastly, the washer/dryer. Having just flown in from Oahu with a suitcase full of dirty clothes; It's great to have this right in your room. Furthermore these appliances were so quiet I fell asleep while doing my laundry. I wish my washer/dryer at home could be that quiet!!

My only disappointment was with the internet. I got about 1 day worth of free wifi. After that I could not access it any longer. I would sign on and it would automatically go to a pay site. Since I was on vacation, 24/7 internet access was not a pressing need. I do see where this may be a problem if you are doing a certain amount of work. Or if you are in constant communication with friends, family, or associates. I also believe that in a place like the Royal Kahana, free and easily accessible wifi should not be an issue.

I don't believe in nitpicking. Yes, you can find nicer places on Maui and you can do a lot worse. Go in with an open mind, and you will be pleasantly surprised. By no means am I saying to settle for something if it's not to your liking. If your room is not to your liking, go back to the front desk and sort it out. From my experience(s) they have always been willing to accommodate my wishes.

The Royal Kahana is a good value for the price you pay. Being an airline employee, I am always on the lookout for a good bargain, and someplace that I can refer friends and family too. The Outrigger group has always been good to airline people and I can gladly recommend this place to all my airline & non airline friends.

I did alot of research on this condo/hotel and found it to be an ideal location for our 2nd trip to Hawaii in less than a year. We are not the type to complain, but this place is in dire need of some help. The grounds are nice and kept up well and the pool area was very nice.

However the main problems exists in the units themselves. Our unit specifically #312 Ocean Front 1 Br Condo was tastefully appointed with what you would expect to have in your own home. That was a nice touch and saves some $$$ on eating out or staying at a hotel with the high $$$ room service or restaurants.

The chief complaint was the AC. No matter what one did you couldn't get the air to get below 75-76 degrees. You could stand in maybe 2 spots in the entire condo and get a glimpse or feel of cool air. I called and complained and they sent up a housemen that said "I've been telling the owners for years to fix these AC units but they don't" Where does that leave me the guest? I asked. Well "out of luck" he responded. We've been here since the 23rd of April and are leaving on the 5th of May. And honestly the AC in my rental car is cooler than the air in this condo unit. It's so bad that as I type this review I'm sweating profusely. I've never written a review while still in the hotel I'm reviewing.

The problem is the jalecy(sp?) windows on the front side including the bathroom won't close leaving holes big enough you can fit your hand through them allowing whatever air is in the unit to escape. However it is noteworty that they have signs all over the windows and doors saying to be sure to close the windows on the lanai or bedroom windows while the AC is running.... But why since the other windows don't even have controls to close them allowing the AC to escape anyways. No response for that one either.

I have never in my travels ever stayed at a hotel/condo or otherwise where I've literally sweated while lying in the bed at night. I would get up occasionally and stick my head in the freezer to cool off or walk out on the lanai or get this actually stand on the bed in one certain spot to get a blast of cold air from the 1 of 2 vents in the entire place.

My recommendation is that until the Royal Kahana management and possibly the owners of the units actually fix these problems it will continue to be a mediocre place to stay. It's very far away from Kahului Maui Airport and the only positive I have to say was the grounds and the front desk staff on check in were very warm and personable. But the hotel err condo or whatever you want to call it is in dire need of a makeover in the HVAC system. I would recommend that you stay somewhere else or at the Outrigger property in Wailea.

Kanaapali Taxi (Loi and Ti) were superb in handling transportation to areas where we just didn't want to fight to find parking like our trip to Molokai. (Highly recommend that!!))) Rudy is the best tour guide on Molokai.

Check out Blue Hawaiian Helicopters http://www.bluehawaiian.com

For an aerial experience of Maui they are the best. My wife and I flew with them 4 times in the last year.

Mamas Fish House is also a must while visiting Maui.

We booked unit #909 through VRBO and enjoyed the stay. While the resort is outdated, our unit was simply decorated with modern wooden pieces and nice accents. It was very clean upon arrival. The view from the balcony & the bedroom were simply amazing. The lanai proved to be a great place to start and end the day by enjoying breakfast at the high wood table and the sunset on the lounge chair with a glass of wine.

We enjoyed the little features the owners provided like the iPod docking station and the coffee maker which brews into travel mugs- perfect for mornings on the go. The kitchen had everything we needed to make a few meals and while the blender didn't work the first time we tried to use it, the management company was very quick to deliver a brand new machine so we could enjoy fruity cocktails.

As I mentioned, the resort is dated. There was work being done at the pool but there were plenty of lounge chairs on the grass facing the ocean which provide a much better view anyway. There was a small work out facility which we had access to & used daily. The resort is centrally located and a short drive to many great restaurants: PacificO (great view & food), Sansei (excellent sushi!) and Mala (simply fun!)

Overall, I would recommend #909 if you don't mind taking ithe resort with a grain of salt.

We were very disappointed with our unit. The decor was "Grandma style" and the carpets were dirty and furniture was old. The maid staff was lazy- the first day we arrived the bathroom walls were dirty. The lobby was really sad and looked like it had never been updated since they built the place in the 80's. This place could be really nice if it was updated. We did have a beautiful ocean view. We had a great time in Maui but would not recommend this place.