An inspiring view of the blue Pacific and famed Black Rock greets guests as they enter the copper-trimmed, open-air lobby with vaulted ceiling. Hotel staff offer welcoming leis. Tropical gardens, lagoon pools, sunset bars, classic Hawaiian ambience, and a coveted oceanfront location along the Black Rock promontory draw vacationing families and couples. Golfers appreciate the proximity to Kaanapalis and Kapaluas championship courses.

Flagstone pathways meander through an open-air atrium with palm trees, bromeliads, orchids, and Asian art. Peaceful koi ponds, sparkling waterfalls, and swinging rope bridges dot the lush tropical grounds, and the ocean beckons at the edge of the resort. Families, celebrating couples, conference attendees, and leisure travelers are among the guests who return here year after year.

A majestic, open-air lobby with floor mosaics, vaulted ceilings, and a fountain courtyard leads to serene garden lawns with flowering trees and playful aquatic areas. Adjacent to Polo Beach, this 22-acre, Mediterranean-style resort attracts families, leisure travelers, and celebrating couples.

Built in the 1960s amid 27-acres of tropical gardens facing Kaanapali beach, the casual Royal Lahaina honors the past with a tiki-style Hawaiian ambience of wicker, rattan, a canoe on display, Polynesian (pitched) rooflines, and a Don the Beachcomber bar. Celebrating couples, golfers, families, and other leisure travelers come here for privacy and service combined with proximity to a prime beach and the amenities of the Kaanapali Resort.

In the chandeliered lobby that opens onto a verandah above the resorts gardens and pools, guests are greeted with fresh lei and tropical punch, then escorted to their island-style rooms. Golfers, leisure travelers, and celebrating couples come to the Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua for impeccable service, access to championship golf, and a strong sense of Hawaiian culture and history.

• Open-air design on Mauis sunny south shore with an extensive spa and grounds that roll down to one of Hawaiis best beaches.
• 380 spacious rooms and suites with marble baths. Private lanais offer views of gardens, ocean, or Mt. Haleakala.
• Guests dine alfresco at Ferraros or Spago, receive oceanfront massages, enjoy yoga on the beach, and golf at five nearby courses.

A grand, skylit lobby with an outrigger canoe on display leads to balustrades with views of an open-air restaurant, waterfall gardens surrounding a pool area, and the ocean beyond. Adjacent to a snorkeling beach, the Renaissance Wailea Beach Resort is across from the upscale Shops at Wailea and within two miles of the Wailea Golf Club.

A placid, well-maintained resort situated away from the resort-area bustle, Sugar Beach lives up to its sweet name. The resort's developer, struck by the soft, light-colored sand along the ocean, bestowed the name. (Hardly anyone uses the beach's Hawaiian name anymore.) Families and budget-minded travelers come here to rest, relax, swim, barbecue at sunset, and walk the beach.

Guests check in at a lobby with wicker and rattan couches before heading to condos housed in 10 four-story buildings. Located on the quieter end of busy South Kihei, across the street from Kamaole Beach Park III, the 15-acre Castle Kamaole Sands draws families and other leisure travelers with its tropical landscaping and recreation facilities.

What to expect:

Families and other leisure travelers are drawn to this condo-style West Maui resort set on 10 beachfront acres. The open-air lobby houses cushioned cane furnishings and metal sea-life sculptures, and the reception area opens onto gardens. A conch shell is blown at 10 AM each morning to announce complimentary coffee, tea, and lemonade.

Amenity highlights:

Napili Kai Beach Resort offers four outdoor pools, two 18-hole putting greens, and a large spa tub. Weekly classes include hula and lei-making, and a seasonal kids club is complimentary. Live Hawaiian entertainment is performed nightly in the open-air restaurant, and a weekly Polynesian dinner show (surcharge) showcases Hawaiian children performing traditional music and dance.