Wonderful condo with a million dollar view! Spoke directly with the owner of the condo and booked on his website. Very easy process and pleasant interaction. Condo is located on the beach with a view of Lanai and Molokai. Beautifully updated unit with plenty of room and just the right amount of privacy. Property is very clean and accomodating. No problems during our entire stay!

Enjoyable!

I would have rated this condo 5 star except for the underhanded booking. To be specific, because we booked during a busy time and (perhaps) for a decent discount, months ago via Expedia, they "downgraded" our room without notice (and probably because they overbooked the rooms). Needless to say, I was furious and discussed with the manager "Debbie" the next day who was able to accommodate us with the size room we had requested.

My advice: Call before-hand and make sure you get a proper room. Also I learned that they consider their rooms "gold" and "standard" which refers to their condition.

Moving on, we were assigned room #408 which was simply beautiful, updated, and clean. Kitchen was well equipped with all the common utensils needed to cook a meal and more.

Pool is rather on the small side, but kept clean and was adequate for us. You will literally be beach-front which is a few steps away. Keep in mind that there are no lifeguards on premises (or on the beach) and the water is rough.

Friendly staff.

Across the street from the hotel is the "Star Market" which is a large grocery that sells everything (including a huge selection of wine and liquor). Save some $$ and check them out. Safeway, another large grocer, is a 10 minute drive away.

Tip: Take or rent a car with GPS.

Before considering the Mahana, please note that the Mahana is a condo building with a basic pool. It is very nicely landscaped complete with tiki torches at night. It is not a full service resort.

Every room faces the ocean directly ( big + for us ), no partial views. If you are on a level lower than 7, you may have a palm tree between you and the ocean. Because the condo faces west, you will enjoy beautiful sunsets.

Before considering condos, we had considered the resorts... but after reading reviews about how tired most of them are, and the premium prices for a full ocean view, I started looking at condos. The other thing I didn't like about the resorts was all the gotcha fees - beach chairs, parking, 'resort fee' etc

After I found the Mahana, I started reading the reviews and noticed that there were a lot of hit and miss experiences. Then I noticed a trend... those people that rented from private owners seemed to always have a better experience. I followed the advice and found the vrbo website. ( Special thanks to fellow reviewers for the advice ). I emailed/called a few of the owners and finally decided on 708 after reviewing their pictures and talking to the owner on the phone. I could tell that this was one owner that took pride in the look of their condo ( they have two others at the Mahana ).

We were not disappointed. The condo looked exactly as it did in the pictures. Since I knew beforehand EXACTLY which room I was getting, I didn't have to worry about what kind of room the Resortquest mgmt would give me. The kitchen had all the utensils one could need and there was a new washer and dryer as well. Kitchen and bathrooms were all up to date. This unit also had beach towels/chairs stored in a closet. The fold out bed in the sofa also had a real mattress. Check-in was very smooth. Parking spaces are narrow ( this seems to be the norm in Maui ).

You can also take a nice stroll on the beach in either direction - going to the north you eventually get blocked by a rocky beach and a fence, going to the south you can walk all the way to the Black Rock. The beach immediately in front of the Mahana is very rocky and you are warned about this. To enter the water they recommend going north or south on the beach.

In conclusion, an owner-managed Mahana condo is a perfect place to stay if you want a awesome, nothing-but ocean view and if you are not interested in paying higher prices for a full resort plus the endless add on fees. You can also save on food costs ( and calories ) by making some of your own meals. Grills are provided on the ground level of the Mahana for all guests. It may not be a good choice for families with little kids if the pool/resort scene is important for them.

Side trips:

For the 'Road to Hana' experience, I would recommend taking a tour rather than driving. The driver won't get to enjoy it
as much. The roads are narrow and most bridges are one lane. We took a tour that included a lunch at the fancy resort in Hana.

America II: see my review www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g60634-d526240-r16370591-America_II-Lahaina_Maui_Hawaii.html

Reefdancer: see my forum comment: www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g29220-i86-k1525794-Reefdancer-Maui_Hawaii.html

We attended the Old Lahaina Luau and found it entertaining. The food was ok, not great. The drinks are watered down. The meat was dried out -- probably because it had been cooked many hours before. The restaurant next door, Aloha Mixed Plate, is so close that you can hear the entire luau from there. An interesting way to 're-live' it, if you have previously enjoyed it.

We went to the Kupahana Magic Show at the Kaanapali Beach Hotel. The food was decent for a banquet style dinner, drinks were limited to just a Mai Tai and/or soft drinks. The show itself was entertaining - it was a combination of magic + hawaii history. At times though the magician did seem to rush through his lines.

Also drove to Haleakala crater (not for sunrise) but it was fogged in that day. Even though we couldn't see very far, it was still a
surreal experience. Don't forget to bring a jacket. The Kula resort on the way has a restaurant, some neat views and a little botanical garden to walk through.

Just got back from a 5 night stay at suite #416 at the Mahana. Absolutely fantastic. Wake up in the morning with a great view of the ocean without even getting out of bed. Beautifully appointed suite, full kitchen, dinning room, living room with glass wall for fantastic view of the ocean, large bedroom, washer and dryer and plenty of closet space. Not to mention over 900 square feet of living space.
Close to all you need, from luau's to sunset dinner cruises to shopping, to just driving a beautiful coast line at I might add, a very comfortable 40 MPH speed limit which adds to the relaxed atmosphere.
Mahana is one of the finest establishments we have ever stayed at in our extensive travels. Would highly reccomend it to all.
Price through Travelocity was cheaper than all other competetors.