Note: click all photographs for larger views.

It’s no grand secret that baby boomer travelers love the island of Maui.  In fact, it appears that not only baby boomers love the island as Maui has been voted the “best island” by readers of Condé Nast for the last 17 years running.

In 2012, over 4,000,000 travelers from the U.S. mainland made their way to the Hawaiian Islands with roughly 30% of them headed to Maui. And, it appears that 2013 might well turn out to be Hawaii’s highest visitor count ever! (via Hawaii Tourism)

With nearly 21,000 rooms available in Maui’s inventory, many baby boomer travelers opt to stay in a condo in the hopes of saving a little money on dining out.  However, many of the condo units available lack the desired luxury amenities found in the island’s best resorts.

To help our readers bridge the gap between a purely luxury resort hotel room, and a featureless condo, we’d like to introduce you to the AAA Four-Diamond Westin Ka’anapali Ocean Resort Villas.

Uniquely, the Westin Ka’anapali Ocean Resort Villas functions dually as Vacation Ownership property within the Starwood Hotels and Resorts collection, and also functions as a free-standing luxury resort available to travelers the world over.

What this means is that luxury travelers get the best of both worlds: a full-scale luxury resort with all of the desired amenities, coupled with condo-like rooms that feature full kitchens, washers/dryers, and the famous Westin Heavenly Beds and Heavenly Baths to boot!

The Westin Ka’anapali Ocean Resort Villas features over 1,000 rooms, three restaurants, three pools, a full-service “Heavenly Spa”, two grocery stores;  enough fun activities to keep you active for days, a free shuttle giving you access to the neighboring Westin Maui Resort and Spa, and it is beautifully situated on the world-famous Ka’anapali Beach.

Note: if you can’t see the video, click here.

Impressions of our Stay at the Westin Ka’anapali Ocean Resort Villas

• We stayed in a 460 sf ocean-view studio.  We greatly enjoyed the “Heavenly” bed and bath.   Further, because we had a washer/dryer in our unit, we were able to pack 50% less clothing on our trip.  Also, with a full refrigerator, microwave, stove, and everything we needed to cook a few meals, we were able to enjoy breakfast in our room each morning as we gazed out on the beautiful ocean.
• Carol was a picture of relaxation after her “Heavenly Massage” at the on-site Spa Helani, a Heavenly Spa by Westin.
• After spending a little time on the Ka’anapali Beach, it was immediately clear why this beach is consistently on every best beach list in the world.  The white sand, views of two neighboring islands, humpback whales playing in the ocean, a gentle breeze, waves crashing on the shore, lovers walking hand-in-hand, all combined to provide an unforgettable magical experience.
• 

  Humorous moment at the Wailele Polynesian Luau.

  We hopped aboard the free shuttle and greatly enjoyed the Wailele Polynesian Luau dinner show at the neighboring Westin Maui Resort and Spa.

• With two grocery stores on-property, we were able to buy everything we needed for our in-room breakfast each morning.
• I’ll say it again, we LOVED the Heavenly Bed!
• While we didn’t take advantage, the smell of barbecue wonderfully permeated the air each evening as fellow guests grilled on the many sunset gas grills located around the property.
• While we love kids, we enjoyed the peace and quiet at the adult-only pool.
• While this is a massive resort, it seemed spread out enough that we didn’t feel crowded.
• The boardwalk along Ka’anapali Beach is a wonderful place to get out for a nice evening stroll.

We enjoyed our stay at the Westin Ka’anapali Ocean Resort Villas.  If you’re looking for a unique blend of luxury resort and condo, this may the perfect place for your visit to Maui.

Link: The Westin Ka’anapali Ocean Resort Villas

Disclosure: our wonderful experience was provided by the kind folks at the Westin Ka’anapali Ocean Resort Villas, and our Maui press trip was provided by the Maui Convention and Visitors Bureau.  Thanks!

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