Aston At The Whaler On Kaanapali Beach in Lahaina, HI

Centrally located on Kaanapali beach. Perfect for those that do not want the whole tourist resort…just a beautiful room and amazing staff. Quiet with full amenities! Rooms are studio, one or two bedrooms depending upon your needs. Recommend booking direct.

We stayed in Tower 2 on the 7th floor facing the courtyard. It was quiet and had a great view of the ocean even at night. The condo was clean and roomy. A table and chairs were on the balcony for our one bedroom condo so we ate breakfast out there. The bonus was the in-room washer and dryer with detergent. The location of this property is ideal because it is next door to Whalers Village. The ABC store on the second floor of Whalers Village allowed us to buy groceries and ready made wraps, sandwiches, etc. if we didn't feel like going out. The courtyard dining offered to-go options. Very close to Leilani's, Hula Grill and other popular restaurants. The beach was wide (as opposed to further south on Kaapanali Beach) and the sitting beach chairs were sturdy. Note: Since we drove in at night, it was confusing to drive into The Whaler entrance as you see three buildings. I didn't realize Aston was a management company. There is nothing to indicate Aston on the signage so check-in at The Whaler front desk which is manned 24 hours. Parking is underground and can be busy. We always found a spot though. There is an outdoor backup lot if it is full. 45 minutes drive to the airport. We turned in our rental car earlier in the stay so got a taxi back to the airport - $86 for two on Thanksgiving afternoon. I feel beach umbrellas should be part of the resort fee to provide shade on the beach. If you want shade, the pool is the only place without paying for it. Not all chairs at the pool are under shade either as the pool area is smaller and fenced in.

Our room was booked thru the best travel agency on the planet - Costco. I'm currently at this property...and something is just not right. This is our third visit. The last visits were in 2022. We came twice that year because we had such a wonderful time. Fast forward to October 2024. In our booking request I'd specifically stated 'Do NOT put us in a room facing Whalers Villiage. We are early to bed kind of people and do not want the noise, the constant drone of the A/C from the Villiage nor the omnipresent smell of BBQ wafting upwards. Please put us in a room facing the center of the property. Go to check in at the front desk - Lo and behold we were given a room on level 3 right over Whalers Villiage. I informed the checkin desk that this would not work and we specifically requested to not be in that location. And then the fun started. I was informed by the front desk 'this is not our room, we do not manage it - call this number'. Huh>..okay...called. Spoke with an 'Aston' Representative. Told they would call me back in 5 minutes and they were unaware of the special request. Aston calls the front desk and I'm given a room on the 11th floor facing Black Rock. It's an improvement but now your main room view is over the rooftops (and A/C) of the neighboring property. Ocean view only from lanai and part of the living room. Oh well, it's Maui, let it go and enjoy. Decided I needed another blanket...went back to the front desk and was told - housekeeping is gone no blankets available..look in your room there should be some additional bedding. I did located that bundle. The next day two blankets arrive an hour apart. I call 'Aston' to set up the daily housekeeping timeframe and am told...oh..no...we don't do that - it's every 3 days (which in their math turns out to be every 4 - don't ask). I had specifically checked with Costco Travel on this particular service right before we left and was assured, yes...daily service. Okay, I call Costco - they get involved. And magically, housekeeping arrives daily. I also inform Costco there is construction going on at this property. This really peaked their interest...There is work on the lanais'. An entire stack of rooms will have the lanais' wrapped in protective plastic and workers start early in the morning doing the repairs. A sign is put on the deck doors - facing inward - saying 'Danger, do not use'. I am told that yes...these rooms do get rented out WHATTTT...Imagine your partial ocean view - only really available from the lanai - which is now wrapped in plastic with the chairs stacked in a corner...and workers can appear on the deck at any time. eh. not cool. What I have figured out is there has been a management change since 2022. The front desk is apparently not happy and it comes across loud and clear. Aston, which still 'owns' a number of rooms no longer has a representative on property. They are also not honest about what they are offering. They only agreed to daily housekeeping after being contacted by Costco. Okay..now for the good part. The property is well located. The beach right off the front is nice and has easy access. The staff at the beach hut is great. The grounds are well maintained, clean and soothing. Amazing Koi in the ponds. If you get an upgraded room - it is nice. Bottom line...it can be a fantastic stay...or it can be a bit frustrating. Make sure whomever you use to book a room will stand up for you if needed. And, unless you rent thru the 'right' room...do not try to avail yourself of any assistance from the front desk.

I had an excellent experience with this hotel! I stayed here in September 2024 during my first trip to Maui and nothing but compliments for all of the staff we interacted with, especially the front desk. The hotel is right on the beach, which is perfect, and it has a nice heated pool and hot tub. And the location is stellar! You are barely a 2 minute walk from Whalers Village, which has awesome dining, shopping, and an ABC Store. We rented a car but barely used it (note: lots of parking is available and its free). I really liked our room too-our bed was super comfy with soft linens, and it felt like a studio apartment with a full kitchen and dining room table. We also had a nice patio to enjoy the view. Other hotels may have more amenities and you don't get daily housekeeping here, but I would definitely stay here again! The location is second to none and the staff were great. Thanks!

Discontinuation of daily housekeeping was disappointing. Arriving to a clean room and a maid bed when you are paying top dollar is a nice amenity. For the cost, they should be providing daily housekeeping.