Hip Rental Apartments in Maui, Hawaii, You'll Want to Call Home

In the Ka’anapali area, the Westin Ka’anapali Ocean Resort Villas is an upscale condo complex with resort facilities (three pools, two fitness centers, a full day spa, hula shows and a kids’ club), so everyone in the family can choose how lazy, or active, they want to be. For couples, book a room away from the resort’s pools for a more peaceful stay. Rooms-wise, the light-filled spaces can accommodate up to four (including a comfortable sofa bed) and come with a cheeky peek-a-boo whirlpool tub that opens up via plantation shutters to the main bedroom, if so desired.

The one- and two-bedroom condos at this beachfront retreat are unfussy but fully equipped with cook-ready kitchens and sleeper sofas, set out for an extended stay. Located close to Sugar Beach and facing west Kihei (read: pretty sunsets from the balcony), its oceanfront location is an added plus. There are laundry facilities for sprucing up your beachwear, barbecue grills for use and, being next to the world-class Kihei Canoe Club, weekly paddling programs to seek out.

Don’t overlook a stay at the low-key Noelani Condo Resort. While not all condos are air-conditioned, it does have two ocean-facing pools, a hot tub and some barbecue grills, plus one unbeatable advantage: all 44 rooms enjoy uninterrupted ocean views from their lanai (porch). The beach it’s on is popular with friendly honu (green sea turtles), which have been known to visit regularly, and on a clear day (with a pair of binoculars during whale season), you can also spy gentle baleen giants drifting by offshore.

Travelers who relax best while out and about are the ideal guests for Aina Nalu Lahaina. Located two blocks from the action at Front Street in Lahaina Town and close to the jumping-off point for ferries to Lanai and Molokai, it makes day trips very convenient. Rooms range from studios to two-bedroom apartments, each equipped with a kitchen. There are two pools to relax by if driving for five minutes to the beach is way too much effort.

Be warned, book a stay here and there’s a good chance you won’t explore Maui at all. The beach is flawless (navigate to the Black Rock side for some awesome snorkeling), it’s next to Whalers Village, there are five pools – including one that’s adult-only and one with two water slides – ample lounge chairs and discreetly placed cabanas for privacy. For canoodling couples looking to sidestep family guests, book an ocean-inspired room in the Beach Tower with lots of calming aquamarine hues and direct access to the adult and infinity pools for sneaky midnight dips.

To ensure your family holiday is jam-packed with fond memories, pick your stay wisely. Make sure your location is right on a beach, have adequate space for all, and choose the place that offers as many at-home conveniences (kitchen, coffee machine, laundry) as possible. All of this can be found at Honua Kai Resort & Spa on Maui’s Ka’anapali North Beach, a spacious condo-style stay with plenty of on-property distractions (excellent snorkeling, multiple pools and waterslides, the Ho’ola Spa and its Himalayan salt room) and a Duke’s Beach House for a final crowd-pleasing taste of Hawaiian cuisine.

The Aston Kaanapali Shores does the trick for turnkey vacations. Three-mile (5km) Ka’anapali Beach is right on your doorstep, and there are ample grounds to stroll around (or to let the little ones loose). There are tennis courts, a fitness center, two pools shaded by palms and the occasional humpback-whale sighting. Standard rooms come without a balcony or kitchen, while suites have both and your own washer and dryer. There’s a pool bar and restaurant for all your food and drink needs, and both Lahaina Town and Whaler’s Village are a short drive away.