Maui with Kids: Best Family Hotels and Where to Stay
Traveled in May 2023 and May 2025
Dreaming of a Hawaiian escape to Maui with your kids? Finding the perfect place to stay is key to making it a vacation and not a trip. We are in the season of life with our kiddo where getting out the door in the morning can take an eternity. It feels like I have lived many lives and fought many battles before leaving the house. Sadly, this does not change during vacation in paradise. That is why location is so important for us when deciding where to stay in Maui with kids. Our solution? Staying right next to a baby beach. This is clutch for those “no” days, so we don’t have to stress about carseat battles and finding a parking spot at the beach. These areas in Maui are all next to amazing baby beaches, so they are our top choices for where to stay in Maui with kids.
A side note about visiting Maui after the devastating Lahaina fire: Like many others, we were not sure whether it would be helpful for the economy, or hurtful to the locals who were still recovering, to vacation in Maui. We decided that the best compromise to stay respectful was to support local businesses as much as possible during our trip. This meant booking activities directly with local companies, eating at local restaurants, and renting housing from locals if possible.
Where to Stay in Maui with Kids – Hotel or Condo?
We opted to stay in a condo when deciding where to stay in Maui with kids just because it’s so much more convenient to have a kitchenette. Maui is also expensive. So having a kitchenette where we can prepare some meals helps to cut down on costs. I’ve included both hotel and condo options below, because we considered both when we were researching where to stay. We ultimately decided to go with condos, but some of the hotel options were tempting because of their beachfront locations and amenities. Just imagine yourself relaxing on a beachfront lanai while waiting for your kiddo to finish napping! Whether you decide to go with a hotel or condo, you’ll have amazing views and amenities with these picks.
Where to Stay in Maui with Kids for Beachfront Resorts with Calm Beaches: Wailea
There’s a reason why all the high-end resorts are in Wailea – the beaches are beautiful and calm here. And you’ll be able to enjoy the beaches because the weather is mostly sunny. If you’re looking for luxury beachfront resorts with amazing pools and direct access to stunning beaches then you’ll find them in Wailea. We’re still not used to hotel resort life because it feels a little too crowded for us. As a compromise, we found a smaller condo resort in north Wailea that we loved. We had the space and privacy of a home, but the pools and direct beach access of a resort.
Wailea Ekahi Village
We loved our condo in the Wailea Ekahi Village resort. The beachfront pool and direct beach access to our favorite calm beach in the south side, Keawakapu II Beach Park, were perfect for a stress-free day out with our toddler. It’s definitely worth it to stay in the lower village closer to the beachfront pool. The resort is situated on a hill, so there are amazing views of the ocean but a somewhat steep climb back to some of the buildings. We did not mind it, but it can get heavy if carrying kids and gear. The pools are definitely not fancy, but for a toddler who just wants to splash around it was perfect and never too busy. Staying here feels like we found our hidden gem for where to stay in Maui with kids.
We also loved the location. This resort was just a quick drive to the beaches and restaurants of Kihei, the Shops in Wailea, and Wailea Village. Getting groceries and food, or getting to other activities and the airport, were all just a short drive away (which makes a difference when you have a wriggly toddler in the car).
We stayed in this family-friendly ground floor condo in building 17. We loved watching the ocean views from the private lanai every morning and evening. Unlike the lanais in other buildings that face the street or grassy area, the lanais in this condo were surrounded by a hedge of hibiscus so it was truly private. The condo was a bit older, but really well equipped with kids items like sand toys, floaties, boogie boards, pack and play, and kids utensils. When visiting again, we would try to book this family-friendly condo in building 1 or this condo in building 31. These condos are at a similar price point with comparable ocean views but slightly closer walk to the beach.
Being on the ground floor of the building was a must for us because we didn’t want to worry about our toddler causing too much noise running and jumping. But if you don’t mind being on the top floor, then this condo in building 14 has unobstructed views of the ocean and a shorter walk to the kids pool. These condos in building 22 and building 8 are right next to the kid-friendly beachfront pool, but you’ll pay a higher price for that prime location.
If you’d prefer staying in a resort with more amenities, then we considered these resorts in Wailea with kids:
Grand Wailea
The Grand Wailea is right on Wailea beach. If your kids are into pools, then this resort will be a paradise for them. It has amazing pools with waterfalls, swings, and all the bells and whistles. The rooms are hotel rooms without kitchenettes, but as a trade off you will have all the resort amenities.
Wailea Beach Resort
The Wailea Beach Resort is a slightly longer walk to Wailea beach. It claims the longest waterslide on the island. Another perk for families is that the resort fee includes a lot of cultural activities, which may help justify the cost of the room. We considered this mostly for the cultural activities (since obviously our toddler isn’t going to be going down any waterslides, much less the longest one on the island). Most of the rooms are hotel rooms without kitchenettes, although they do have more expensive villas with kitchenettes.
Where to Stay in Maui with Kids for a More Private Calm Beach: Napili Bay
The biggest benefit of staying in Napili Bay is not having to look for parking to visit Napili Bay beach and Kapalua Bay beach. These two crescent shaped beaches are beautiful calm beaches with gentle waves, but the parking situation is seriously limited. We really enjoyed staying right across the street from Napili Bay beach and having the beach just a walk away.
One tricky part of staying in Napili Bay is that it is pretty far north on the west side of the island. So getting there from the airport or getting to other parts of the island takes much longer. When we stayed here, we did not venture too far past Lahaina most days. If you’re planning on just staying in the beaches in the area every day then it’s not a big deal. But if you are planning on exploring the rest of the island, then I would stay in a more central location.
Napili Bay 3 Bedroom Condo
We loved this condo in Napili Bay. It is a rare 3 bedroom, so if you’re traveling with a larger family then it is perfect. We appreciated that there was a large living space on the first floor for spending time together, but separate rooms upstairs when we wanted alone time. And it had all the kids gear. From a high chair to a pack and play, and even a stroller and wagon! It was so nice that we didn’t need to rent or bring any toddler gear. We also loved the location, just across the street from Napili Bay beach. The owner is a local and she is so sweet and helpful!
If you would rather stay right on the beach, then these are the beachfront resorts that we considered:
Napili Sunset Beachfront Resort
The Napili Sunset Beachfront Resort is literally on Napili Beach, just steps away from the water. Imagine waking up to those beachfront views every morning and watching the sunset from the lanai every evening! There is a small pool in the resort, but it’s nothing fancy and there isn’t much else in terms of resort amenities. We usually prioritize having a clean place to stay in a good location over resort amenities. But if you prefer a more resort-y experience then this would probably not be a good match. They have one or two bedroom apartments.
Napili Kai Beach Resort
The Napili Kai Beach Resort is also right on Napili Beach. This is a bigger resort with more actual resort amenities. There are 4 pools, outdoor grill areas, cultural activities, and a putting green. For families, they also have a kids eat free program, where a kids meal is free with purchase of an adult meal at the on site restaurant. During high season, they also have a keiki (kid’s) club, with 2 hours of supervised kids activities (free babysitting?!). These family-friendly amenities were a big draw for us. Another plus is that they have a variety of room types, from studios to 3 room suites, so families of all sizes can find a room that fits. We walked through this resort to get to the beach and really liked the feel of it. The pools never seemed too crowded or loud, and the beach access was amazing.
Montage Kapalua Bay
The Montage Kapalua Bay is the beachfront resort in neighboring Kapalua Bay. But it’s close enough to Napili Bay that you could walk over to check out this neighboring beach if you wanted to leave Kapalua Bay. This is definitely a luxury resort with luxury prices, but you get an amazing beach and amenities for that price. We would probably save this for a special occasion, when we just want to stay and relax at the resort because it is pretty far north to explore the rest of the island.
Where to Stay in Maui for Affordable Beachfront Accommodations: Kihei
If you’re looking for a condo or hotel that is right on the beach but won’t blow the budget, then Kihei is where to stay in Maui with kids for some relatively reasonably priced options. I say “relatively” because we’re still talking Hawaii prices here. But for a beachfront property, the options in Kihei can be more reasonably priced than other areas of the island. Kihei is also very centrally located, so it’s a shorter drive to the airport and all areas of the island for sightseeing. There are miles of beautiful beach in Kihei and so many delicious local restaurants. Many of the restaurants we loved from other parts of the islands now have a location in Kihei. This area feels more low-key. So if you’re looking for beachfront without the posh resort vibes, then Kihei is ideal.
Maui Coast Hotel
The Maui Coast Hotel is located just across the street from Kam I beach so there are some rooms with amazing ocean views. The hotel has a couple pools, including a kids’ pool. It’s right in Kihei, which makes eating out very convenient. These are traditional hotel rooms, so won’t have kitchenettes like the other recommended condos below.
The Hale Pau Hana
The Hale Pau Hana condos are where I would stay to be right on the beach in Kihei. The condos are right on Kam II beach, so the beachfront views from the lanais are amazing. The condos have direct beachfront access, which is so helpful when traveling with little ones. They have one, two, and three bedroom units so enough variety for families of all sizes. There is a small beachfront pool, but not very many other resort-type amenities.
Kihei Sands Beachfront Condos
The Kihei Sands Beachfront Condos are located in the northern end of Kihei, near Sugar Beach. This is a smaller condo community, so it does not have a lot of amenities, though it does have a kid-friendly pool. Since it’s in north Kihei, the area is a little less busy than the other resorts right in Kihei. However, this is a very central location for exploring the rest of the island.
Where to Stay in Maui for Family-Friendly Beachfront Resorts: Ka’anapali
Sometimes the easiest trip with kids is one where everyone just stays in a resort so you don’t have to leave the hotel at all. If that’s what you’re looking for, then Ka’anapali is where to stay in Maui with kids with family-friendly resorts that have all the perks. Our kiddo isn’t big enough to safely enjoy the pools and slides by himself yet. But for older kids, the waterslides and kids’ pools in these resorts would be ideal for keeping everyone entertained (and giving parents a break). Honestly, we are not completely sold yet on the idea of resorts since our kiddo isn’t big enough to enjoy the amenities on his own. But friends who have older kids love that their kids can be a bit more independent in resorts. Especially when the resorts have kids clubs!
Outrigger Ka’anapali Beach Resort
The Outrigger Ka’anapali Beach Resort is a beachfront resort right on Ka’anapali beach. It is relatively more affordable for this area, but mostly because it does not have many of the extra resort amenities like kids clubs or waterslides. These are standard hotel rooms, so don’t have kitchenettes.
Westin Maui Resort & Spa Ka’anapali
The Westin Maui Resort & Spa Ka’anapali sits on the widest part of Ka’anapali beach, right next to Whalers Village. It has all the amenities you would expect from a big resort, including beach access, kids clubs, and pools with waterslides. The resort fee also includes many cultural activities, so you can get more bang for your buck. This resort definitely feels like a resort, so be mentally prepared for more crowds and excitement.
Honua Kai
The Honua Kai is a vacation rental complex with one, two, and three bedroom suites, so it’s popular with families. The resort also has waterslides and pools, so there are plenty of amenities for older kids. Each unit is privately owned, so the furnishings and quality are different. I would definitely read the reviews for the specific unit before booking.
