Diamond Resorts Ka’anapali Beach Club

Diamond Resorts Ka’anapali Beach Club. Few things in life are as impactful as a trip to Hawaii. This is my 6^th trip. I have now been more than anyone in my family other than a distant relative who lived on the islands years ago.

Hawaii is a special place and even if I never get to go again, it holds a place in my heart.

Video by Living in Paradise

Day One Travel & Arrival at Diamond Resorts Ka’anapali Beach Club

The one thing I do not like about Hawaii is the flight time from the East Coast to get there. 15 hours in the air is long. It is not a trip to some countries in Europe long, but it is one of the farthest locations I travel to.

I have been blessed to make the trip now for my 6^th time. When I told people about my 5^th time, they thought I was pulling their leg. I mean, who gets to go to Hawaii 5 times in their life? To be going back again, I felt like I had won the lotto.

I was going back this time not only to visit a new resort and to write about that experience but also for myself to see some places I thought I might not see again. Kind of like seeing an old friend you had not seen in years.

Now I do not know if this is the best resort that Diamond Resorts has, but it is the nicest I have been to so far let me say that. After my flight landed and I arrived, I drove to the resort and was a bit shocked by the location.

The resort is right on the beach. The spot is amazing and the design of the resort captures the eye in the best way. I love everything about this resort from the start.

I will talk about my accommodations in a minute. But oh wow, I have to go into the details here first. Call me old school if you want, but I love the elevators that allow you to see the outside of the building while you are onboard. Yeah, even with my slight fear of heights (better now than in my youth) because if you look out, not down, the views are amazing.

I do not remember them coming here on the TV show Undercover Boss the former owner appeared 3 times or so. But if I had realized how nice this was, I would have already come and stayed.

Now to put this in some reasonable perspective. I love all things Polynesian, Tiki bars, Tiki culture, and the Hulu and Luau atmosphere all strike a chord in me. I do not know why. Maybe it was seeing classic Blue Hawaii replayed on TV when I was young, or something else inside my head, but I love it.

This entire resort to me has that fun feeling. I had booked a 1 bedroom ocean view, and I was glad I did, but the scenic views here have to be a close second to that.

One of the things about Hawaii that you have to be here to see and understand is how lush everything is. Even on the dry side of an island where you see such amazing plants and flowers. They also do not like the flowers and plants at home. If you could make them live elsewhere as well, I would go on a personal crusade to populate the world with Hawaiian flowers. But they just do not do as well anywhere else.

OK, let’s talk about my room. Here my ocean view was perfect from my balcony. I made you want to jump out into the water when you looked. Do not worry, reality once you got close stops you, but wow, what a view.

Villa Amenities

Then the resort itself offers all of these options.

Resort Amenities

Maui is the second largest island in Hawaii and I think my absolute favorite because of what you can do and see during your stay, all without leaving the island.

Let’s hear from a few recent guests with reviews.

Recent Reviews

This resort is so friendly and laid back and has everything you need for a good price. Rooms are spacious with gorgeous bathrooms. The pool area is amazing! Never a fight for a chair since there are so many. Daytime bartenders Theresa and Dave were so professional, friendly, and on top of their jobs. I’m someone that usually prefers sit-down dining and poolside service which they don’t currently have, but I was 100% satisfied with the bar and food options. There are many places to walk to for food and there is a fabulous paved trail that goes 1-1.5 ish miles down toward other resorts for more dining options, beach access, and exercise. The concierge was great also. They hook you up with a waterproof bracelet that is a key so you don’t have to carry it around and can set you up with fun excursions. I found fabulous surf lessons through them. The other guests are also very friendly! I travel alone to Hawaii often and this was my best trip because of how friendly everyone was. Highly recommended it unless you are snooty about modern decor, etc., which I don’t understand. This place was wonderful.

Had a great experience staying here. The staff was friendly and always ready to assist. The rooms were clean and spacious. A few things in the building were a little dated, but there have been a few updates done to the place to modernize it. There are plenty of dining and shopping options within walking distance. Overall, it was a great experience and a great vacation. I highly recommend staying here!

We just checked in yesterday and right out of the gates Lorna started our experience with 5 stars!! Friendly and accommodating with a smile. Too bad we have to wear masked and I couldn’t see her face. We have a week to go and we are starting on the right foot with Lorna’s help.

We have finished the week here and as it started, it finished strong. All the staff was very friendly and very accommodating. My only issue was the lack of pool space, but I know social distancing is part of the factor as most of the restaurants and shops were impacted as well. We have been coming here for over 15 years and I have never been disappointed yet!!

This is a beautiful resort! We came here at the beginning of March. The weather was about the mid to high 70s, perfect! There are a lot of shopping areas and other resorts close by with beach access. The hotel itself is great. Friendly staff, nice amenities, and great for all ages. I have two kids, 4 and 10, who loved the pool and mini golf. They also offered crafts if you plan it out. The sunsets are beautiful, and being able to hear the beach when you sleep is amazing! I love everything about it. The only reason I gave the location a 4 is because the beach just off the hotel has a strong current, so it’s harder for my kids to swim in. We drove to the Kihei said where the beaches are calmer. You can drive up the road for 20 minutes and there are other nice beaches.

We got upgraded to a deluxe beachfront room during our first stay which was purely magical. It was lively & energetic, always being able to see the action at the pool and beach. We had a kitchenette so we were able to cook! The parking was easy. We were on the 11th floor so we had incredible views. The staff was really friendly & professional. We will for sure be staying here again.

We are having such a good time here! It’s right on the beach. Beautiful warm big pool, big jacuzzi, and nice rooms with a kitchen and laundry facilities. Restaurant, bar, and everything you’ll need is here. A little further away from the road to Hana and Haleakalā National park. But worth the drive.

Everyone here is so nice and accommodating! Clean room, clean kitchen, everything stocked. I wish there was just a hot plate. Besides that, I’m very happy here. Beautiful clean pool, the gym could use a slight update besides that very nice stay!

2nd the time we’ve stayed here, and will again! Spacious bathrooms, gorgeous views, welcoming staff. There is a beach on site, can have paddle boards delivered, or rent snorkels on site. Follow the advice at the beach and you’ll see some fish, be able to paddle board out with whales and turtles (depending on the season), and enjoy amazing sunsets each night. People flock there during sunset, for on a clear evening, it’s amazing. Has good food trucks down the street, in case you don’t want to eat in ( don’t eat in). Covid times (March 2022) food is horrendous, and not worth it. The food trucks are amazing, can bank on those every evening. All in all, great place. Despite the food being “meh” the bar will work well for you, and a homie behind the bar also blows the conch during some sunsets. Looks like he does all four directions. Stay here, the trip is amazing.

Beautiful views, and beautiful weather. The staff is awesome and the rooms are clean and big!! First time in Hawaii and we loved it!!! Want to come back and stay longer? One week isn’t enough. Such a great trip.

This is the most beautiful place! The room service was amazing. They were there within 15 minutes of asking for something! The kindest staff and the view were priceless.

This was our 3rd trip to Maui but first, stay at Kaanapali Beach Club. We loved it here. Front desk staff was very friendly. Tony mixed up a mean Mai Tai at thel bar, and the pool was plenty spacious enough to not feel crowded. Rooms were very spacious with good decor and most importantly CLEAN. We stayed in a Scenic View our first few nights and transferred to a Deluxe Ocean View our last two nights. When you are ready to book an excursion, go see Tessa at the Concierge. She will take great care of you. We will 100% be back again. Thanks, KBC for making our last-minute stay awesome.

Those were some amazing reviews you can go read their Google reviews yourself. The overall rating is up there at 4.3 after thousands of reviews, and that is hard to get as a score.

After I checked into to my room, it was time for some dinner and I wanted to walk to something close by. So I went to the Honoapiilani Food Truck Park. My thought was it would be easy and fast, and not as pricy as a sit-down meal that I might forget because I was tired from my flight. I ended up with some tacos, and Fish Tacos, and I was a happy camper.

One long distance to Hawaii tip does not go to sleep early. I have done that and then threw off my sleep for a day or two. At most, if you feel out of it, take a nap but set an alarm. It will help you with the rest of your trip.

Day Two Maui

Again I love Maui, the pace, beauty, and culture. I just love it all here. But there are some things I want to make sure I get to see again while I am on the island.

Before we get started if you have basic VR gear you can now download some virtual experiences before you travel from Go Hawaii. That is just a cool idea.

I would go back to Pearl Harbor again on this trip, but it is a heavy thing to visit and process. I feel it was important for me to do before, but this trip I want to stay all upbeat and centered on enjoying life. But if you have not been and love history, or have a family member who fought in WWII, then it is a trip to take for the day.

If you are a golfer, there are some courses in Hawaii that are great. I too will be skipping these on this trip only because it is just me and while I could find a foursome to join, I just wanted to do some things solo on this trip to visit things from my past vacations.

On this trip, I was solo again, mostly because of the last-minute air deal and deal on my oceanfront room. But also because I am not seeing anyone at this time. Even older, it feels weird to try to take someone halfway around the world for a date. You also do not know if you can get along with someone for that kind of time. I am sure at some point on this trip I will remember the last date I came to Maui with and ponder on different outcomes for a passing moment. It is human, right?

I wanted to retrace old tracks and drive on the road to Hana. If you do not mind a few tight turns and stops, this roughly 56-mile drive has some of the most stunning scenery, you will ever see. Along the way, you can stop and appreciate the sites, get a snack, see a waterfall or several, and really get a feel for the island. I have done this before, at least part of the way with a tour group. Driving it solo and stopping whenever and where ever I wanted was fun.

Waianapanapa State Park

Waianapanapa State Park was my next stop after my drive. This, like my drive, is free but gets you such a view of the beach and surrounding area that it is worth a trip. Also, for whatever reason, every time I have been here I have been alone for at least some part of my visit. It is amazing a site so beautiful is not always crowded.

As white and the sand is on 7-mile beach in Grand Cayman Islands, this sand it black. That just blows your mind when you see it and when you walk on it.

I think the tour groups hit this spot by afternoon time and I have been here earlier in the morning. Perhaps that is why I feel I have had somewhat solo access in the past.

Day Three Must-See Spots

I wanted to freelance my day today to see more of just what I wanted to see. Then I would join a group for a sunset tour tonight.

The beaches here are some of the very best on our blue planet. Today I wanted to see several more and just relax and take the sights in.

Ka’anapali Beach

The beach right at the resort is one of the best beaches in all of Hawaii. I have never been able to stay right on the beach here. So, today I woke in my Ocean View room, Ocean Front Balcony, and just was so happy to be here and be alive. It certainly does not hurt a trip to stay right in one of the best locations in the world.

Honolua Bay

Honolua Bay is located about a 20-minute drive North of the Historic Town of Lahaina. Not only is Honolua Bay a famous Maui surfing and snorkeling beach, but it is also one of the most beautiful, colorful, and vibrant beaches within all the Hawaiian Islands. So, I had to go back and see it again. I sat for a few precious hours and watched a set of surfers do their thing.

I tried to learn to surf casually when I was younger. I wish I had. They seemed so in their element.

Sunset View then the Stars

This sunset tour to Haleakala takes you on an adventure to explore the majestic, striking, panoramic views of Mount Haleakala as the sun sets when the weather is just right, and as the sky paints a colorful serene background. I went with a tour group for this leg of the journey, but my plan was to move to a site to see the incredible night sky afterward.

Now I love a Luau almost as much as I do breathing. But I did not go to one tonight because I wanted to see the sunset views and then the stars and I knew if I ate at a Luau the only thing I would see would be my eyelids.

Seeing the stars close up

 Yes, you are not any closer to the stars on the islands, but because of almost no light pollution, it feels like you are. If you want, you can climb up for a better view but anywhere away from immediate light sources and you will see stars on Maui that feel like you can reach out and touch them. The views do not even seem possible. You can go anywhere in the greater 48 and you will not see stars as vividly as when you are on the islands. It is like comparing an apple to a watermelon. They are both fruit but just entirely different scales of size to appreciate.

If you want to discover the best of Maui and Hawaii, this is the vacation spot for you. Book this one through Tzort before the accommodations are all booked.