ALOHA!
For the Hawaii resort experience, the best part of Maui to stay in is either West Maui or South Maui.
These areas are where the best Maui beaches are located, and it’s where you’ll find the collection of oceanfront Maui resorts.
If you want an off-beat Maui resort experience, then you want to stay in the Hyatt resort in East Maui!
East Maui is all about the nature in a remote part of the island, and you’ll want to be sure to see if you’ll like the best things to do in Hana.
The most popular areas to stay on Maui are Kaanapali in West Maui and Wailea in South Maui.
West Maui and South Maui are the 2 main resort areas to stay on Maui.
And, it’s the 2 areas of West Maui and South Maui that the vast majority of hotels and resorts on Maui are located.
In both West Maui and South Maui, you will find oceanfront places to stay near some of the best beaches in Maui.
Also in both West Maui and South Maui, there is a coastal path that you can take from directly in front of many of the resorts.
Below is a list of hotels in both West Maui and South Maui, followed by more about each of these areas.
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There are many Maui beaches that have beachfront resorts (oceanfront resorts!), and some of these are on the list below.
Being public beaches, it means that you can go to them even if you’re not staying at a resort that’s right in front of that beach.
This also means that you won’t find any beachfront resorts with a private beach on Maui.
West Maui beaches near resorts
1. Kaanapali Beach
Kaanapali Beach is one of the most popular (if not THE most popular) beaches in West Maui.
Along here you will find many beachfront hotels and resorts, including:
- Sheraton Maui Resort and Spa
- Outrigger Kaanapali Beach Resort
- Aston at the Whaler on Kaanapali Beach
- Kaanapali Alii Resort
- Marriott’s Maui Ocean Club
- Hyatt Residence Club Maui, Kaanapali Beach
- Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa
2. Kapalua Bay
Kapalua is a smaller resort area in West Maui, and this is one of the beaches in the area. This is considered to be a good snorkeling spot on Maui.
Where to stay in West Maui to be right in front of Kapalua Bay
3. DT Fleming Beach
This is a pretty popular beach in Kapalua, and it’s known for being good for boogie boarding.
You can buy boogie boards when you get to Maui, for example at the ABC store (convenience store) in Kaanapali or at Walmart.
You can go for an oceanfront lunch or snack at the Burger Shack that’s located pretty much at the beach.
See more about this West Maui beach: DT Fleming Beach
Where to stay in West Maui to be right near DT Fleming Beach
South Maui beaches near resorts
1. Mokapu Beach
Where to stay in South Maui to be right in front of Mokapu Beach
- Andaz Maui at Wailea Resort (Hyatt)
2. Ulua Beach
Ulua Beach is also a top Maui snorkeling spot.
Where to stay in South Maui to be right in front of Ulua Beach
3. Wailea Beach
One of the famous beaches in Wailea, called Wailea Beach!
Where to stay in South Maui to be right in front of Wailea Beach
- Grand Wailea Maui (Waldorf Astoria)
- Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea
4. Polo Beach
Another great beach in South Maui.
Where to stay in South Maui to be right in front of Polo Beach
More places to stay if you want to be along the Wailea Beach Path
- Wailea Beach Resort (Marriott)
- Wailea Beach Villas
From your West Maui resort: The West Maui coastal beach walk
Kaanapali is the main area of West Maui that has the most accommodation options in West Maui.
And all along Kaanapali Beach, you can basically walk alongside the entire stretch of the beach on a paved trail, called the Kaanapali Beach Walk.
You can consider this a nice leisurely walk with ocean views!
There are also a number of bars and restaurants that line this coastal walk, which means there’s plenty of places you can eat and drink in an outdoor setting with beach views and ocean views!
Also alongside this paved trail on the other side are a bunch of beachfront resorts.
And then there is another coastal walk in West Maui, a little bit further north up the shoreline in Kapalua.
There is the Kapalua Coastal Trail, and this is generally a less crowded, quieter experience.
You can find some beaches and resorts along here too.
More for planning your West Maui stay:
From your South Maui resort: The South Maui coastal beach walk
There is also a paved coastal trail in South Maui.
The South Maui coastal walk is more like a “beach to beach” walk. You won’t be walking along the beach the whole time, but you’ll still get grand ocean views the whole time!
You can walk from beach to beach to beach following the great coastal sidewalk that is called the Wailea Beach Path!
Or just go for a walk for the sweeping ocean views.
Once again, alongside this paved trail are a number of oceanfront resorts. There are a few that have a beach out in front too.
Which is the most convenient area of Maui to stay?
Well… it depends. 😜
It depends on how you want to spend your time outside of your beach time!
You can find things to do in West Maui and things to do in South Maui to occupy your time.
If you want to venture out further…
Among the 2 most popular activities on Maui:
These are things most people do as a day trip.
The drive times listed below for West Maui are from Kaanapali. For Kapalua, add an extra 10 minutes.
The drive times listed for South Maui are from Wailea. For Kihei, take off 10-15 minutes.
And then drive time can be longer due to traffic. But this is just to give you an idea.
How far is the Haleakala summit?
Driving from West Maui to the Haleakala summit is around 1 hour 45 minutes.
Driving from South Maui to the Haleakala summit is around 1.5 hours.
How far is the Road to Hana?
The unofficial “start” of the Road to Hana can be generally be considered the town of Paia. So for comparison, we’ll use the drive time to Paia.
Driving from West Maui to Paia is around 45 minutes to an hour.
Driving from South Maui to Paia is around 30 minutes.
The drive time between West Maui and South Maui
And then of course, you can make a day trip to the other part of the island that you’re staying!
Driving from West Maui to the far south end of South Maui (La Perouse Bay) is maybe around 1 hour 15 minutes.
Driving from South Maui to far north of West Maui (Olivine Pools) is maybe around 1.5 hours.
Can you do Maui without a car?
Some of the top places to visit on Maui require a car. (Or you need to find a Maui tour to take you there.)
If you’re staying in Kaanapali or Wailea and want to spend an easy day or more there, then you can manage without a car.
There is a Maui bus, and there are some places you can go by bus from Kaanapali and by bus from Wailea.
Of course, the bus takes longer. So just think of it as the slow island life!
See more to decide whether or not you want to rent a car:
- Do you need a car on Maui?
- Maui itinerary: 3 days with a car
- Getting around Maui by bus
- Taking the Maui bus from Lahaina (West Maui)
And finally…
“Cheap” places to stay on Maui
If you’re looking for a cheap place to stay on Maui, and/or you’re traveling to Maui alone, then there are hostels on Maui.
Many Maui hostels offer free group tours.
While you will find people of all ages staying at hostels, it may be especially for you if you’re in your 20s.
Hostels do also offer private rooms as well as shared rooms.
There are hostels in West Maui. There are no hostels in South Maui.
And that is a bit about West Maui and South Maui!
More of West Maui and South Maui:
More for planning your Maui vacation:
- Best of hiking on Maui
- Best of the Road to Hana
- Best of Haleakala National Park
- The best of Maui in 3 days
- The big list of things to do in Maui
HAPPY STAYING IN WEST MAUI OR SOUTH MAUI!
There are partner websites included in this post. I may earn a commission.