I knew I would love the Montage Kapalua bay — it’s Montage, that part’s a given — but I didn’t expect I’d love it as much as I did.

Maui can start to blur together after a while – a lot of resorts are lovely in similar ways. This one didn’t feel interchangeable.

From the moment we arrived, everything felt…calm. There was no chaos, no sense of millions of people sharing the resort with us. We fell into an easy rhythm almost immediately — slow mornings, long afternoons by the pool, evenings where we realized we hadn’t actually planned anything and didn’t feel like we needed to.

As a ultra luxury resort with only 70 units, this is a boutique experience that’s hard to find on Maui, and with units that each have a separate sitting area and a full kitchen, the value is amazing, too. Was it worth it? We thought so, and I can’t wait to go back.

The Best Way to Book

Booking Montage Kapalua Bay through a Virtuoso advisor like us doesn’t cost anything extra, at least in our case, and it comes with these benefits:

• Priority for a view upgrade on arrival, when available
• Daily breakfast credit for two per bedroom ($45 pp per day)
• A $150 resort or spa credit per stay
• Early check-in and/or late check-out, when available
• Your preferences actually communicated to the hotel ahead of arrival

Same rates you’d find on your own — just with a little more care and a better shot at the good stuff. Browse here or get in touch.

A pool that actually works for toddlers

The pool ended up being a much bigger part of our stay than I expected. Montage recently revamped it and added a waterslide, and for once it wasn’t one of those “this is technically kid-friendly but emotionally stressful” situations.

The slide is perfect for toddlers. It’s gentle, fun, and endlessly repeatable. I estimate my son did 75 rounds of it! We’d settle in and just… stay. There’s plenty of space, shallow areas that make it easy for little kids, and with how many different pools and levels and swim, throughs there were, there was none of that frantic energy you sometimes get at resort pools.

Kapalua Bay and the kind of snorkeling you don’t have to plan

One of the biggest reasons this property works so well is its location above Kapalua Bay. You walk down and you’re immediately at one of the best snorkeling spots on Maui, which is already one of the most famous islands in Hawaii for its beaches. It has calm water with baby waves my son loved, great visibility, and turtles that seem to treat the bay like their personal hangout.

It’s the kind of place where you can pop down to the beach without turning it into an expedition. We went back and forth between the pool and the ocean all day without ever feeling like we had to commit to one or the other.

Why the residences make such a difference

Every unit at Montage Kapalua Bay (browse room types here) is a full residence, and this is where the stay really shifted from “nice hotel” to “this feels livable.”

We were in a 3-bedroom prime oceanfront unit, and it became our favorite place for breakfast and sunset. Our unit had a full kitchen with a real oven, full-size fridge, and a wine fridge, plus an in-unit washer and dryer that we were beyond grateful for midway through our Maui trip. The bedrooms were huge, with walk-in closets, and the lanai was massive — right on a knoll above the beach with an open view, a grill, and enough seating that eating outside didn’t feel like a hassle.

There was also a separate sitting room with a pull-out couch and a closing door, which is great for families traveling with larger groups. Being able to create another sleeping space without sacrificing the living room made everything quieter and easier, especially with different sleep schedules.

Winter whales, without the boat tour

We were there during whale season, and it’s impossible not to notice them. Spouts everywhere, and breaches if you linger long enough. Montage offers a complimentary morning whale-watching program at their Cliff House, and it was a great way to learn more about the seasonal visitors.

Coffee in hand, standing quietly on the cliffs, watching whales pass by without boats or crowds didn’t feel like an activity so much as being allowed to witness something special.

Kids programming that doesn’t feel overdone

Paintbox is available for kids ages 5–12 with daily activities, but what really stood out to me was that Montage also offers weekend programming for babies and toddlers. That alone says a lot about who this resort is actually designed for.

There are also free activities for kids, like feeding the fish in the koi pond every morning at 9:30.

Hotel service, without the trade-offs

Even though these are residences, you still get full hotel service — and they don’t cut corners. Housekeeping came twice a day. More than once we came back from the beach to made beds, fresh towels, and a kitchen that had somehow reset itself — including dishes we’d left in the sink.

It felt like having the space of a vacation rental with the ease of a hotel, which is a combination that’s surprisingly hard to get right.

They also have a divine onsite spa – truly one of my favorites to date – with a steam room, sauna, individual treatment huts with the view shown above, its own pool, and gorgeous views. I had the Lomi lomi massage and would 100% recommend.

There are also plenty of food options onsite. In addition to a pool service and poolside restaurant, there’s also Cane and Canoe, which is perfect for an elevated breakfast or dinner, and in-room dining, which we opted for in the mornings on our Lanai (both come with the $45 Virtuoso breakfast benefit)

One of the easiest family stays in Maui

By the end of the trip, it was clear why Montage Kapalua Bay works so well for families, especially larger ones. The residences go up to four bedrooms, and nothing about the stay felt like a compromise — not on space, not on service, not on location.

Some hotels try to wow you. This one did that and made everything feel easier. And honestly, that’s what made it magical.

*Special thanks to the Montage for hosting our stay. All thoughts on this being one of our favorite hotels we can’t wait to return to are my own.

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