We stayed in a 1 b/r :Ocean View" villa. The unit was set high on the hill overlooking Kapalua Bay and the Bay Course for the Ritz Carlton. The sunsets were magnificent from this vantage point (the few times we were actually in the villa during sunset). Yes, we looked over other villas and roofs but the view of the ocean and the flowers trumped it all. Because it was my best friends villa, we had all the privileges of staying at the Ritz (for a nominal fee). It was a short walk to the General Store, Ritz Carlton and the Kapalua Bay Beach. Can't wait to return.

We rented a 2-bedroom "Ocean View" Villa and discovered that our unit (Unit 11G4) was what most resorts/hotels would classify as "Partial Ocean View" at best (and even then, "Partial Ocean View" might be a generous characterization - I would call it "Mostly Other Houses View"). When I book a vacation rental, I'd rather than play this game of creative writing. That (by far) is my biggest complaint - if you're going to misrepresent the property to me, then we're already off to a bad start. This seems to be a common theme echoed by past reviewers - there is sometimes a huge difference between villas supposedly in the same category. Here are some other positives and negatives...

Positives: (1) great location - we've stayed in the Kapalua area before and we love the fact that the area is bit removed from Maui's "hotel zones"; Kapalua Bay also has, in our opinion, one of the best family beaches in Maui since the beach sits inside a protected bay (the beach is within stroller/walking distance from the villas); (2) kitchen/laundry - our unit had a full kitchen as well as washer/dryer units and since we were traveling with 2 toddlers, this was a major convenience; (3) Ritz-Carlton access and proximity - villa guests have access to the Ritz-Carlton Kapalua's pools and facilities (HOWEVER, access to the Ritz-Carlton pools ends after February 18, 2012 and access does not include the Ritz-Carlton Residences pool, a fact I was rudely informed of when I asked about it - "Sir, that is private property !!" (Like I'm an idiot for not already knowing the answer to my own question. See my spotty service comment below.)

Negatives: (1) spotty service - when we checked in, we were given maps, informational booklets (advertising), resort IDs, etc., what we weren't given were the keys to our villa (a fact we failed to note until we drove all the way to our villa a couple of miles from the villa check-in offices - shame on us for not checking but we assumed the keys would be a part of the "orientation" packet) - also, after a few requests/queries to the front desk, we basically stopped asking for anything since the answer was usually "no" (or totally unhelpful); (2) our unit was a bit dilapidated - water stains above the kitchen/living room area, leftover paint cans in the closet, loose screws lying by the windows; (3) noise - our unit was the lower unit and we could hear every footstep of the guests in the unit above us.

We stayed in a 2 bedroom Gold Golf Villa, 12P6 for a week. It was very nice and relaxing. The entire place was updated including the appliances. One other really nice service about the Kapalua Villas is that even though you have checked out, you can still avail of the showers at the Kapalua Spa for free if you want to freshen up prior to the long plane ride back to the mainland as most flights leave late at night.

This was our third stay in the Golf Villas, and the second in Unit 27T1. This unit has been newly redecorated and has top-of-the-line appliances, furniture and bathroom features.

Our check-in was quick and easy. Since this was our third stay at Kapalua, we knew our way around the property, and found it easy to drive over to our unit.

A word about Kapalua: yes, you can expect a little more rain and a little more rain in northwest Maui, but the natural beauty of the place more than offsets the slightly different weather.

One of the many reasons that we like Kapalua is the shuttle. You could literally arrive at the property, park your car, and never use it again for the next six or seven days. A simple phone call results in an air-conditioned minibus arriving in ten minutes or less, to take you to any restaurant, golf course or store within Kapalua. Although we didn't use the free telephone service, that is a big plus. We did use the free wi fi, which worked perfectly. In my opinion, these amenities make the $25 per day resort fee well worth it.

For first time visitors, there is a Safeway store right along Highway 30 in the north end of Lahaina. This is a good place to get groceries.