The luxurious Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua sprawls across 54 hilly oceanside acres in Kapalua, a resort area on the breezy northwest coast of West Maui.
The meticulously manicured grounds include a multi-story U-shaped building that surrounds a palm tree-bedecked complex of three pools, two hot tubs, and a separate children's pool.
Just beyond the property lie the dark waves of the Pacific Ocean, with the neighboring island of Molokai a jewel of a centerpiece.
Originally built in 1992, the Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua underwent a $180 million renovation and reopened in January 2008.
The spacious open-air lobby sets the tone, saying a warm "aloha" with a friendly staff and bouquets of tropical flowers.
The 463 guestrooms are spacious and attractively furnished with natural wood furnishings, Hawaiian-style artwork and carpets, and luxurious marble bathrooms.
In addition to the pool complex, facilities include a golden sand beach, 36 holes of golf on two championship courses plus the Kapalua Golf Academy for golf instruction, six tennis courts, six restaurants, a spa with 15 treatment rooms, a yoga studio, and a fitness center that never closes.
Special programs include Hawaiian cultural events with local residents, craft tables at which artisans sells baskets and leis, and the Jean-Michel Cousteau Ambassadors of the Environment program, which offers nature-oriented programs such as rain forest hikes and underwater photography sessions.
