Thank you to our West Coast writer Kathy Chin Leong for this great piece on the Napili Kai Beach Resort
Outside Room 234 lies the turquoise Pacific with an elbow of land to the left. A silhouette of palm trees juts out of the sand like drinking straws. A beach flecked with tiny, tiny people completes the montage. Napili Kai Beach Resort shares this scene with many hotels on the west side of Maui. But unlike the towering, mega hotels rooted next to one another in Ka’anapali and Wailea areas, this one sits farther north, representing that quiet and quintessential “world unto its own.”
The resort recently celebrated its sixtieth birthday. Over the decades, it has entertained generations of families who have become friends and return the same week year after year. Many guests are retired Canadians who’ve come through personal recommendations.
This Shangri-La of sorts is the vision of Canadian investor Jack Millar and his wife Margaret who launched this venture in 1960. Together with business contacts and friends, they started with one two-story building. Management gradually built other structures on the property and is now spread across 11 buildings, no more than two stories high. Units are owned individually by stakeholders; at the same time, the hotel manages and rents out the rooms to the public.
The simplicity of Napili Kai brings you what the hotel calls “the unhurried way of life.” Beneath the open-air A-framed entry, Hawaiian-shirted clerks at the registration counter greet you upon check-in. Steps away, the knowledgeable sage of a concierge assists travelers. Nearby, a table is topped with a half-finished clownfish jigsaw puzzle.
Napili Kai prides itself as a place that won’t nickel and dime you to death. There is no fee for parking or resort amenities. Complimentary is the popular Early Bird coffee and tea in the lobby at 5 a.m. By 10-a.m. sojourners gather at the beach cabana tent for free coffee, tea, lemonade, and the daily cultural demonstration. A staffer or local expert will discuss fish identification, horticulture, and ti leaf history.
Turns out that Joe the resort landscaper and horticulturalist is wild about the 50 types of hibiscus on the property and can grow anything. See the orchid growing on the side of the palm tree? Yep, that’s Joseph’s grafting handiwork. His latest project is collecting driftwood to make a whale for the hotel. By late afternoon, guests who are hanging around the resort are itching for the 3:30 p.m. free coffee and tea, asking “Is it time yet?”
Unlike other hotels, guests know each other probably because most of them have owned units, and it’s common for travelers to strike up conversations with folks they don’t know. To assist visitors in the way of the aloha spirit, the resort hosts mixers Monday through Friday. Patrons are treated to a mai-tai party one day, and on another, a putting contest with 50-cent drinks. Guests sign up to watch the weekly hula dance presented by the employees’ children. The $10 show donation goes into a college scholarship fund for the kiddos.
Retirees Barb and Doug are in the lobby this morning stirring their coffee. “Where are you from?” they inquire. “We’re from New York. Coming since 1994. We know everyone here.” As they tell their story about how excited they were to buy one of the units that came up for sale, Barb says she treated Doug long ago to the Four Seasons Maui. “We couldn’t wait to get out of there. People were all over the place. It’s not like here.”
Indeed. This is a place that does not feel crowded. There is a tacit understanding that people should keep their voices low and sedate. The welcome packet includes a list of “Simple Considerations” that includes observing the quiet time from 10 p.m. to 8 a.m. and talking on cell phones only in the rooms. Lawns are not places for horseplay, indicates the page, so roughhousing and aggressive games are discouraged.
The premises are spacious with gardens, a beachfront, and four pools. Don’t expect flamingos or rock waterfalls or water slides. One adult area is gated around the Hanki Panki hot tub, a hidden area on the second level surrounded by hedges.
The exterior of the buildings, after 60 years, well, does look dated with its cinder block siding and brown shingles. Metal doors to the rooms are heavy, and you use your keycard to enter. However, every unit has been kept up to date. Rooms come with flat-screen TVs, outlets for phone chargers, and free WIFI. In our upstairs king suite with an ocean view, our kitchen features a full-size refrigerator, cooktop, GE oven, and a Bosch dishwasher. Absolutely everything is ready for the home chef to whip up a gourmet meal. One level down is a small pool for this building, together with a barbecue set up next to an open multi-purpose room for dining or small gatherings
Meanwhile, retirees Barb and Doug ask, “How many days are you here at the resort? Only two?” They smile. “We’re here for three weeks,” she says with pride. “You’ll be back.”
- For more information & to book your next vacation, visit Napili Kai Beach Resort
