Our family had been deeply looking forward to this trip, celebrating our 18th wedding anniversary and our high school and middle school–aged children’s first visit to Hawaii. After spending time on Oahu, we traveled to Maui with great anticipation, eager to experience the beauty of God’s creation and to enjoy peaceful, meaningful family time together.
Unfortunately, our experience at Outrigger Kā‘anapali completely shattered those hopes.
From the moment we arrived, the disappointment began. The hotel lobby felt dark, outdated, and unwelcoming. The first host we encountered appeared visibly irritated and indifferent, as though assisting us was an inconvenience rather than a responsibility.
We had fully prepaid for an upgraded signature room with two beds, booked directly through the American Express Platinum/Gold member portal, not through Expedia or a third-party discount site. We were very intentional with our booking, as we were traveling with two teenagers (as tall as or taller than their parents) who require proper beds, not makeshift arrangements.
However, upon arrival, we were assigned a room that bore no resemblance to what we had reserved. The room was located in an old wooden building with no elevator, requiring us to go up and down stairs, despite the fact that my husband had recently undergone major surgery requiring general anesthesia. The building offered absolute no sound insulation; we could clearly hear noise from upstairs, next door, and below us at all hours.
The bedding situation was unacceptable. There was one king bed instead of two beds, and a twin rollaway bed was provided. The mattress was so worn that the sharp ends of the springs were clearly felt through the surface, pressing painfully into the shoulders and back. This is not a matter of preference, it was physically uncomfortable and unsuitable for rest.
I want to be clear: I write this without any personal animosity toward the hotel. I booked this stay after carefully reading positive and recent reviews on both Tripadvisor and Google. Precisely because of that, and because of the cost and significance of this trip, I feel a responsibility to share an honest, current account so future travelers can make informed decisions.
Throughout our stay, the staff appeared disengaged and apathetic. Additionally, the food at Maui Brewing Company, located at the center of the hotel, was extremely disappointing (Just so let you know, we are not picky-eater family, a simple In-n-Out burger gives a joy). We could not finish our meal, and when we ended up packing the leftover to go, my high school daughter gently said, “It feels too rude to throw the entire meal away in the room for the housekeeping staff, maybe we should use a public trash can instead.” That moment quietly captured the sadness of the experience.
We spent over $1,500 (2 nights of stay, resort fee and a nightly self parking fees) for two nights, anticipating a once-in-a-lifetime family memory. Who could have imagined it would end like this?
As I write this, I feel genuine sorrow. Our memories of Maui, a place of extraordinary natural beauty, are now inseparably tied to our experience at Outrigger Kā‘anapali. Can I honestly recommend Maui to friends and loved ones after this? My heart aches that this is how our journey concluded.
