The Spread:
Located on 40 acres of oceanfront property on Mauis famously family-friendly Kaanapali Beach, this luxury resort is a fantasyland of waterfalls, lagoons, and tropical plantings populated by exotic animals and birds. The setting also includes six tennis courts and a half-acre pool as well as an upscale spa and 5,000-square-foot athletic club. Down at the beach, an activity center provides everything guests need for beach fun, including kayaks (and kayak tours), boogie boards, and surfing lessons.
Why Families Love It:
What does paradise look like? For kids, maybe a lot like the 3,000-square-foot Keiki Lagoon, complete with a 25-foot water slide, sandy shore, lava rocks, fountains that spout ten feet high, and a sand-covered island with simulated tidepools. At Camp Hyatt Maui, kids ages five to 12 learn the hula, ride the sugarcane train to Old Lahaina, play soccer, tennis, and lawn games, and visit the Maui Ocean Center to learn about native sea turtles, sharks, and other local wildlife (daily 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., half- and full-day options, $35 to $80; evenings 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., $12 per hour). Families have plenty of chances to learn and play together, too. Try lei making, Hawaiian crafts, sandcastle building, and hula lessons, or hop aboard the Hyatts own 55-foot catamaran for snorkeling, whale-watching, and sailing off into the sunset. Spa Moana offers keiki and teen treatments, too.
Special Events & Activities:
Each night you can venture to a remote part of the hotels roof and gaze at Hawaiis magnificent star-filled sky through a six-inch reflector telescope under the guidance of the hotels Director of Astronomy (adults $20, ages six to 12 $10, five and under free). On Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday at 10 a.m., take a tour of the hotels exotic menageriepenguins, cranes, swans, flamingos, and parrots.