Papakea Resort in Maui Hawaii was just like being home even though we were thousands of miles away. My family and I knew several years ago, we would be celebrating our birthdays in the tropical paradise of Maui, Hawaii. However, what we did not know is where we would be staying while in Maui.
I utilized a popular site that lists vacation rentals available for rent by owner, Vacation Rentals By Owner (VRBO). I love the ability of searching my desired price, destination and nights that work for me and my family.
When selecting a more popular destination, such as Maui, Hawaii; I was overwhelmed with all my options. That feeling quickly faded when I filtered my search specific to my needs. When booking a hotel room, there are no variables other than availability; however with VRBO, there are many options; such as price, nights renting, sleeping accommodations, cooking/kitchen and laundry facilities to name a few.
About six months prior to our departure, I began narrowing down my choices for West Maui using this search feature. Once I had a handful of possible rental units that fit my search, I began contacting the owners about booking. I went through about the first five or six condo/units with no luck; seemed for one reason or another each unit was no longer available. I then landed on a unit at Papakea Resort, located on the 2nd floor with view of the ocean that sleeps four. After speaking with the owner, Jerry, I was mailing him my deposit that day.
It was getting real!! I just booked our accommodations for our Maui birthday vacation.
Fast forward six months and now we were walking into unit L204 at Papakea Resort I so eagerly booked months before. Holy Maui vacations … Jerry was not kidding when he said ocean front view.
When we walked in the unit, we could see as far as the eye could travel as we headed straight for the lanai.
The room/unit amenities included:
- Ocean front view
- Non smoking
- Air Conditioning
- Fully equipped kitchen
- Washer and dryer (with iron and ironing board) in the unit
- Hi speed Internet Access and WiFi
- One king bed and one sofa bed (slept 4)
- Walk-in shower as clean
- Cozy with a family feel
The unit was a one bedroom with a hideaway sleeper sofa in the living room. We loved the recently updated bathroom as well.
Vacationing in Maui, we didn’t need a lot of room in the unit, after all, we were not planning on spending a lot of time in the condo so the small space was not an issue. When we did decided to relax inside, we opened the screen doors to the lanai for still of the outdoors feel. At that moment, life couldn’t get any better.
Once we settled into our home away from home, we decided to explore the grounds of the resort. Some of the many resort amenities included:
- Activities Desk With Expedia Local Expert (Concierge)
- Beach Access
- Outdoor Barbeque Grills
- Parking
- Putting Green
- Tennis Court
- Shuffleboard
- Two Swimming Pools with Hot Tubs
- Koi Pond
- Lounge Chairs in the grassy knoll.
The day following our check in, the resort’s Expedia Local Expert, Sarah Whittemore held a complimentary continental breakfast for an Island Orientation. She provided detailed maps of the island, had several giveaways, provided special discounts and reserved seating on selected activities.
Sharing her knowledge was priceless. We felt this was a wonderful introduction to the beginning of our vacation. Overall, we were impressed with the resort, the location, all the amenities and our experience at Papakea Resort in West Maui.
While vacation on the Island, Maui and the Papakea Resort served as wonderful hosts for celebrating our birthday.
