Where to Stay in Maui on a Budget | Royal Lahaina Resort Review

Looking for a holiday destination that has perfect weather for most of the year? Where beaches and sea turtles are just steps away? And to top it all, a place where you get to wear sundresses, bikinis, beach shorts, and flip flops all you want. Then Maui is the place you’ve been looking for!

Maui is full of beautiful locations such as Kihei, Wailea, Lahaina, and Kaanapali, where you’ll find all kinds of accommodation options, including fancy high-end resorts, trendy boutique hotels, and the cutest B&Bs. We loved staying in Lahaina, a cute little town on the far western edge of Maui.

We stayed at the Royal Lahaina Resort, located on the uncrowded, sandy shore in North Kaanapali. A perfect place if you’re looking for some peace and quiet. It is sure to please families and budget travelers as well as luxury seekers since it offers a variety of lodging styles.

Location

Address: 2780 Kekaa Dr, Lahaina, HI 96761, United States

Royal Lahaina Resort is located on the very best stretch of Kaanapali Beach, towards the north of Black Rock. Since most other Kaanapali hotels and resorts are located south of the Black Rock, you’ll find the beach in front of this resort all to yourself and away from the crowds. It’s the perfect place to relax and catch some sunshine.

Another plus side of staying in Lahaina is that here you’ll find plenty of dining and shopping options close by, such as Whalers’ Village. And if you get tired of Kaanapali beach then this side of the island also boasts some of the most beautiful beaches (don’t forget to check out Napili Bay)!

Arrival and Check-in Process

Check-in: 4 PM | Check-out: 11 AM

Since the Kahului airport is centrally located on the island and this resort is located on the western end, it will take quite some time to reach the resort – almost 40 minutes to an hour. During our visit to Maui, Uber service was discontinued for pickups from the airport and we hadn’t booked any shuttles in advance, so we had to take a taxi. Be very aware of what the taxi drivers charge you and get the price quote upfront, otherwise they try to overcharge the tourists.

Even though I completely agree that their check-in time is a bit later than the usual 3 PM check-in offered at other places, but they do hold your luggage and let you explore the resort facilities or chill by the pool, so that definitely makes up for it a little.

Once it’s finally time to check-in, the entire process is pretty smooth and you will even be escorted to your hotel room.

Oh by the way, if you were expecting that once you arrive at your resort, the hotel staff would greet you with a lei (a garland made up of traditional Hawaiian flowers, usually purple in color), then no, nothing like that will happen. If you want to be greeted with a lei during your check-in, then you’ll have to call the hotel in advance and tell them that (so funny)!

The Rooms at Royal Lahaina Resort

The resort has 441 guest rooms in various categories such as oceanfront suites, deluxe cottages, ocean view rooms and more. So, you’ll have plenty of options to choose from. Of course, each room type has different pricing!

We chose the Ocean View tower room and absolutely loved what we got for the price we paid. Since, its a beachfront resort, you’ll get expansive views of the emerald-blue ocean and sandy beaches.

Our room was nicely furnished with teak wood finishing, a king bed, mini-fridge, private lanai with two chairs, a flat-screen television, coffeemaker and complimentary Wi-Fi. The bathroom was a decent sized one, although it didn’t have a bathtub and had a shower instead.

Amenities at the Resort

• Swimming Pool
• 2 Spa Tubs
• Tennis Courts
• Beach Rentals
• Daily Classes like Lei Making, Ukelele Class etc.
• On-Site Luau – The Old Lahaina Luau
• Free Wifi
• Friendly Staff
• Proximity to Kaanapali Beach

There are plenty of things to do at the resort and that will definitely keep you occupied. It has a big relaxing pool, overlooking the ocean, and we loved spending most of our time there! It also has two full spas, one of which is right by the beach (definitely the best part of the resort, for us!), while the other one is located near the tennis courts.

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Apart from relaxing by the water, the resort also has a variety of activities daily. During our stay we got to attend a complimentary morning yoga class and a lei making class (for an additional $5 per person). Both of the classes were really fun!

Dining at the Resort

There is one restaurant at the resort called the Royal Ocean Terrace Restaurant & Lounge, which is definitely the property’s focal point as it offers amazing views of the pool and the ocean. We enjoyed having our big buffet breakfast at the patio seating offered by the restaurant while enjoying the view and the sunlight.

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In addition to the restaurant, there is a beach bar that is especially popular around happy hour and an ice cream parlor called Royal Scoop, that is the perfect place for ice cream cone for kids and adults alike.

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Final Thoughts

We definitely loved our stay at the Royal Lahaina Resort and it surely made our trip to Maui memorable. If we ever went back to Maui, we’d love to stay there again, since it offers all the amenities that we look for in a resort and that too in a budget!

However, if you normally stay at 5 star resorts, and are looking for a 5-star level of quality, then you will not be happy at the Royal Lahaina Resort. Well, that’s because it’s not what they’re targeting for anyway. It’s a 3-star Hawaiian resort that targets to give you a taste of Hawaii without hitting hard on your pocket.

All in all, we felt that the grounds were extremely well-kept, the beach out front was fabulous, our room was lovely, we enjoyed having breakfast at the Royal Ocean Terrace Restaurant & Lounge, and it had all of the amenities that we could ask for!

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Now that you have your accommodation for Maui all sorted, it’s time to start planning your vacation. Check out our Maui Travel Planning Guide – Ultimate Travel Guide to Maui, Hawaii.

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