2026 Hyatt Regency Maui Review
Welcome to the island of Maui. We're at the Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa in Kaanapali, one of my family's favorite resorts in the entire world. It sits right on the beach, and on this trip we scored an amazing oceanfront upgrade. Let me walk you through the whole property, what's new, and how to book it the smart way.
How to Book: Hyatt Privé and World of Hyatt Points
This is where a stay like this gets a lot more valuable. I booked the Hyatt Regency Maui through Hyatt Privé, which my agency can offer. Privé layers on daily breakfast for two, a property credit (ours was $150), a room upgrade when available, early check-in and late checkout when available, and a welcome amenity, all while you still earn World of Hyatt points and any elite benefits. It costs you nothing extra over booking yourself. Reach out for a free quote!
If you have World of Hyatt status, the perks here are great. Globalists get free valet parking on points reservations, which is a real money-saver in Hawaii, plus free breakfast, Regency Club access when it's open, suite upgrades when available, and a waived resort fee on award nights.
On the points side, the new World of Hyatt program rules are now in effect and redemptions have changed across the board. The good news for this resort: the Hyatt Regency Maui is only a Category 6 out of eight. I say "only" because almost every Hawaii property I want to book lands in Category 8. As a Category 6, award nights here can price as low as around 20,000 points and up to about 40,000 depending on the date. That is not the cheapest redemption, but against the cash rates in Kaanapali it can be a sweet spot. I broke down the full reshuffle in my World of Hyatt award chart changes post if you want the details.
Planning a trip to Maui? I'm a travel advisor and I can book the Hyatt Regency Maui (or any Hawaii resort) for you at no extra cost, with Hyatt Privé perks like free breakfast and a property credit on top. Get a free quote and grab my free travel and points tips on Substack: substack.com/@jacksonjetsetting.
The Lobby and the Animals
One of the defining features of the Hyatt Regency Maui is the open-air lobby full of animals. There are songbirds, macaws, and parakeets that come out in the early morning and hang around through the day depending on the weather, and koi in the lobby ponds. The most famous residents are the penguins, African penguins originally from South Africa. They live in the lobby pretty much 24/7, with their own little houses and a water slide down into their pool. They even have a new baby boy penguin who hadn't been named or put on public display yet during our visit, so look out for him if you're arriving soon.
Dining
There's a lot of food and drink on property. Japengo is the resort's Asian restaurant, and it recently expanded its patio, which makes for great sunset views. Swan Court serves the breakfast buffet in the morning and becomes Son'z Steakhouse in the evening. That buffet is where your breakfast lands if you qualify, whether through Privé, a Globalist benefit, or Regency Club. The Regency Club was actually closed for a short refresh during our visit, so we missed the evening happy hours, but it should be open again by the time you read this.
Down by the pools, Umalu is the poolside restaurant. We had dinner there on our first night and the food and the sunset views were excellent, with no reservation needed. That's a nice perk, because some of the popular Kaanapali spots like Monkeypod Kitchen book out far in advance. There's also Honolulu Coffee on the little shopping and dining street for a morning coffee and grab-and-go bites, plus a shave ice stand by the pool. If you've never had shave ice, get one while you're in Hawaii. Load it up with coconut cream and a bunch of flavors.
We also did the resort's luau, and Globalists and certain rates get a preferred price (you can charge it to your room in advance and earn points). It included an open bar with beer and mai tais, and honestly some of the best luau food I've had. The kalua pork was perfect, and the show was great, as luau shows in Hawaii usually are.
The Grounds and Pools
The grounds are a big reason I love this place. There's a meandering garden with a brook, more animal displays, ducks and swans, and a very thin suspension-style bridge over the water near the Swan Court. Most resorts don't build gardens like this anymore, so it's fun to explore.
The pools are the main event. There's a big main pool with hidden waterfalls, a true suspension bridge over the water, an oversized hidden hot tub a lot of guests don't know about, and the resort's signature water slide that drops you fast into a nine-foot pool. They don't build pools like that anymore either. The kids pool up front is netted in, about a foot and a half deep with a sandy bottom, a small slide, and floating dolphins and turtles that spit water. My two-and-a-half-year-old had a blast and did not want to leave for nap time. There's also an adults-only infinity pool with ocean views.
One honest gripe: the famous grotto pool and grotto bar are gone. Because of age and decay they covered it up and expanded the Japengo patio over it. I get it, but they didn't even make the covered area match the rest of the resort, and I know longtime fans are bummed. I am too.
A tip a lot of people miss: you can also use the pool at the neighboring Hyatt Vacation Club tower, a short walk away. It's way less busy, has fun multi-level pools, an activity lawn, and a tiki bar with a solid happy hour. We found loungers easily over there. Those villa rooms also have kitchens and in-room washer-dryers, and you can book them on Hyatt points if you need more space.
Activities, the Gym, the Spa, and Golf
There's a dive team on property, and I went scuba diving with them. You can dive right off the beach or head out on a boat for the day. I tried to dive the reef just outside the resort on my own, but it was too murky, partly from the weather. There's also a stand to rent paddleboards and kayaks, outrigger canoe excursions, a sizable gym, and the resort spa, which was recently rebranded.
For golfers, the resort has two championship courses, Royal Kaanapali and Kaanapali Kai. I played Royal Kaanapali using Troon points that were expiring, so my $350 round was free. Look into any discounts before you book a tee time. I don't think it's worth $350, but the ocean views are great and I played well.
And, for the tennis players, there’s a tennis and pickleball club that guests have access to.
The Beach (An Honest Take)
The beach is the one weak spot. It was undergoing revitalization on this visit, like it was last time, and I don't think this stretch is the best in Kaanapali. The good news is you can walk the public beach path a short distance to a much better spot. If sitting on the sand all day is your thing, this might not be your top resort pick, but it's a short walk and not a dealbreaker for me. The resort does rent cabanas with ocean views and easy pool access.
The Room
We had a two-queen room with an oceanfront view upgrade, and the room is the same size at any view level, so it really comes down to the view you book. It has an open-closet concept with an iron, a safe, a desk area, two refillable water bottles, a tea kettle, a coffee machine, and a mini fridge for leftovers. One small complaint: the bedside plugs are poorly designed, and if you don't plug things in just right it turns on the lights behind the bed. We also got a nice welcome amenity, which is included with Privé stays. The sink is not separated from the main room, so families will want to be a little quieter in the morning, but there's plenty of storage, and the bathroom has a toilet and a shower-tub combo. It was a very comfortable room and I'd happily stay in one again.
Final Thoughts
The Hyatt Regency Maui is just a fun resort to explore, with the animals, the gardens, the pools, and a great Kaanapali location where you can walk up and down to other hotels in the evening. The beach and the loss of the grotto are the knocks, but we'll absolutely be back. If you want that oceanfront view, book the room type directly. It's a long flight from the mainland and I don't want you to be disappointed.
More Hawaii reads: Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa · Ritz-Carlton Oʻahu Turtle Bay
Ready to book Maui? Get a free quote, it's free to work with me.
Stayed at the Hyatt Regency Maui back in the day? Tell me what's changed in the comments.
