July dive trip - need hotel recommendation.

[sandblind]

Anybody have recommendations on a dive friendly resort hotel - 3 or 4 star?
Me and a buddy will be there July 1 - 6; looking for daily 2-tank dives
and decent hotel with the usual resort "amenities" for the ladies.

Don't care what island, but Maui and/or Big Island are better for us (direct flights).

Please let me know...
-AC

 

[diversteve]

In south Maui The Grand Wailea is nice. Oustanding brunch. About 5-10mins. south of the Kihei boat ramp, Ed Robinsons, B&B Scuba and Mike Severns all leave from there. There's also shops nearby in Wailea and some good restaurants. Also there used to be a diveshack on-site and you could walk next door to do the Waimea Beach shore dive - not the best but it was entertaining enough that we did it twice. It might be 5* though - and priced accordingly.

In West Maui, the Sheraton Black Rock is similar - dive site just offshore, they have a diveop and it looked pretty nice (we just ate there) Maybe 10-15mins (it's been a few years) to Lahaina Divers or Extended Horizons from there.

What dives do you want to do? Anything around Molokini is more easily done from the Kihei area, anything around Lana'i (Cathedrals) is better from Lahaina. Also Lahaina Divers is now doing trips out to Molokai (think Hammerheads)

 

[DiveMaven]

If you want to be in a pure resort area on Maui, stay anywhere along Kaanapali Beach (Hyatt, Marriott, Westin, Sheraton, KBH). There are shore dives in the West Maui area a short drive from Kaanapali Beach, and you can either boat dive everywhere with Lahaina Divers, or drive down to Kihei and catch a boat there.

In the Kihei/Wailea area there are quite a few choices of resorts and condos. VRBO is a great resource if you're interested in a condo rental. Like Diversteve said, there are quite a few excellent operators (Ed Robinson's, Mike Severns, ProDiver, and B&B) out of the Kihei boat ramp for boat diving, and Shaka Doug is in the area for guided shore dives. But there are quite a few shore dives you could do on your own in S. Maui as well.

However, without a snapshot of your hotel budget and your diving desires, it's tough to know exactly where to point you.

 

[friscuba]

If you hit the Big Island, check out the Hilton Waikoloa and the Marriott for a variety of pricepoints. Lots of resort amenities up there, with plenty of shoping a walk across the street or down the road, lots of condo options as well. There is some diving right there with Ocean Sports and Blue Wilderness, the Kona operators are just 35 minutes or so down the road.

If your thinking Kona, the Sheraton is an option. It's a solid 3/4, not quite as many amenities as up north, but close to Kailua and all of it's shops, activities and dive operators.. Tons of condo options there as well.

 

[odblnt]

When I was on Maui a couple of months ago, we looked up a place to stay in Kihei at this website: airbnb.com

Here is a link to the place we rented. Beach right across the street and dive shop (Maui Dreams) on the first floor: Penthouse W Panoramic Views in Kihei

(I hope posting these links here is OK.)

Pete

 

[sandblind]

Thanks, everyone. I will check them out!

 

[hydroknot]

If you want to be in a pure resort area on Maui, stay anywhere along Kaanapali Beach

What's your opinion of The Lahaina Resort? Is it on the beach?

 

[DiveMaven]

Do you mean the Royal Lahaina Resort? Although they say they're on Kaanapali Beach, I'll have to admit that I'm one of the "old timers" who thinks of Kaanapali Beach as being between the Hyatt and the Sheraton, which the RLR is not. I've never been there, but I know it's ocean front.

 

[hydroknot]

Yes, I meant RLR. My first visit to Hawaiian Islands. Looks like the point of land to the west of the Sheraton is called Black Rock. Correct? RLR is to the north of Black Rock. RLR beaches look nice. Same as the stretch between Hyatt & Sheraton. By the way, our itinerary is 7 days Maui & 7 days Kona coast of Big Island. Leaving early August.