Most of the Maui luxury conversation happens in Wailea, where the resorts line up shoulder to shoulder along a single beach path. The Ritz-Carlton Maui, Kapalua is the argument for going the other way. Set on 54 acres at the northwestern tip of the island, above a beach that has been named the best in America, it is quieter, greener, and cooler than the south shore, and it rewards the one thing Wailea rarely allows: doing almost nothing, very well.
We spent a full day at the resort during our week on Maui — lunch on the beach, an afternoon under the umbrellas, and the pool until the light went. Here is how to do it.
The Setting
The Ritz-Carlton sits on a bluff above D.T. Fleming Beach, a wide crescent of golden sand with a gentle shore break, lifeguards, and the kind of green-mountain backdrop you don’t get in Wailea. Dr. Beach (Stephen Leatherman) named it America’s best beach in 2006, and nothing since has made the ranking look wrong. The resort’s 468 rooms and suites were recently redesigned, the Kapalua Coastal Trail runs right past the property to Kapalua Bay, and 36 holes of golf (the Plantation and Bay courses) sit next door. The resort is also one of only six Ritz-Carltons worldwide with an Ambassadors of the Environment program, created with Jean-Michel Cousteau’s Ocean Futures Society, which runs family excursions like tide-pool walks, shore whale watches, and coastal-trail hikes with naturalist guides.
Noon: Lunch at Burger Shack
Start at the bottom of the hill. Burger Shack is the resort’s open-air beach grill, set right on D.T. Fleming Beach with picnic-style tables, ocean views, and sand underfoot. It serves exactly what its name promises — thick signature burgers, fresh poke, cold beer, cocktails, and proper milkshakes — from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily, and it is the rare resort beach restaurant where the food is as good as the setting. Order the burger, split a poke bowl for the table, and get the kids a milkshake. You can also have lunch packed to go for a picnic on the sand.
- Hours: Daily, 11 a.m.–3 p.m.
- Dress: Casual — swimsuits and cover-ups are the norm
- Open to: Resort guests and the public; D.T. Fleming is a public beach with its own parking
Afternoon: Umbrellas on D.T. Fleming Beach
After lunch, walk 50 yards and settle in. The resort sets up loungers and umbrellas on the sand for guests, and for those who want more, there are private beachfront casabellas and oasis beds to reserve. The water here is a notch livelier than Wailea’s — it’s the northwest shore, so the shore break has some push, especially in winter — but in summer it’s an easy swim and the boogie boarding is the best of any resort beach on Maui. Lifeguards are on duty, which is a small thing that makes a big difference with kids.
If anyone in your party gets restless, the Kapalua Coastal Trail starts at the beach and runs south along the lava rock to Oneloa Beach and Kapalua Bay — about 1.75 miles one way, flat and stroller-tolerant for most of it. Kapalua Bay is the better snorkeling of the two, with turtles and calm water inside the reef.
Late Afternoon: The Pool Until Sunset
The Ritz-Carlton’s pool is a three-tiered, ocean-view pool stepping down the hillside with whirlpools, a children’s pool, and a row of cabanas along the top terrace. It is smaller and calmer than the mega-pools of Wailea — no slides, no lazy river — and that is rather the point. The resort runs a steady rhythm of poolside activities through the afternoon — the schedule changes daily and is posted at the pool — and recreation equipment is available at the pool and outside the Ambassadors Hale, so there’s always something for the kids to do between swims. Towels, water, and the pool are open around the clock for guests.
Dinner and drinks are easy from here. ʻOlu Poolside serves food and cocktails at the water’s edge, the Alaloa Lounge off the lobby has fire pits and a sunset view that competes with any in Kapalua, and The Banyan Tree is the resort’s signature restaurant for a proper dinner. If you’d rather leave the property, Merriman’s Kapalua is five minutes away and Sale Pepe in Lahaina is twenty.
Our Take
Wailea’s resorts compete on pool size and spectacle. The Ritz-Carlton Maui, Kapalua competes on beach, space, and quiet, and for families with kids old enough to boogie board — or couples who want a resort that doesn’t feel like a theme park — it wins that argument. Burger Shack at noon, the umbrellas until three, and the pool until the sun goes down behind Molokaʻi is as good a day as Maui offers.
- The Ritz-Carlton Maui, Kapalua — 1 Ritz-Carlton Drive, Kapalua, HI 96761 · (808) 669-6200 · ritzcarlton.com
- Burger Shack — Menu and hours
- Related: Ritz-Carlton vs. Four Seasons · The Best Luxury Hotels in Maui · Kapalua Golf
More Maui from LUXGetaway
- The Best Pools in Maui — how the Ritz-Carlton’s pool compares to Wailea’s
- The Best Restaurants in Maui — including Sale Pepe and Merriman’s, both minutes from Kapalua
- The Best Things to Do in Maui with Kids
Photos courtesy of The Ritz-Carlton Maui, Kapalua.
