The grand Hawaiian plantation-style lobby, private beach, adults-only pool and family pool with a waterslide are impressive but what really sets the Fairmont Kea Lani apart are the food offerings. Lifetime Achievement Award-winning Chef Tylun Pung is an advocate for sourcing local produce and his Ko Restaurant menu is inspired by sugarcane plantation era workers' family recipes (Ko means sugar). Even the bar menu is farm-to-bartender, be sure to try their signature Kō Plantation cocktail with Maui-made rum, ginger, pineapple, lime, and pure sugarcane. There's also an exceptional gourmet deli and bakery on site. Also noteworthy is the Willow Stream Spa, which has a "Nalu suite" featuring a high-tech wave massage table that simulates the feeling of floating. Rinse off with a Vichy shower, complete with infrared lighting inspired by varieties of Maui rain. From $604. See www.fairmont.com/kealani

Paia Inn Hotel

First impressions can be deceiving. The exterior of the Paia Inn on Maui's North Shore may look like any of the early 20th-century buildings that line the streets of this town, but inside is a stylish boutique gem with 14 rooms and suites and one separate beach house. There's hardwood bamboo floors, local artworks on the walls, and crisp white linens to rest on. You'll also get private access to the beach. The ubiquitous longboards that act as fences are an indication that Paia is a surfing town, you can try it for yourself by making good use of the Paia Inn's bodyboards. Also on offer is stand-up paddling, windsurfing or you can simply watch the big wave surfers in action. Beachside yoga, breakfast, parking and Wi-Fi are included. From $266.  http://www.paiainn.com.



Westin Maui Resort and Spa

At the heart of this sprawling resort is a giant aquatic playground with five pools, numerous waterfalls, and ponds full of pink flamingoes. Not that all these lagoons are needed, as a few steps away is Ka'anapali Beach, perfect for paddling and snorkelling. Similar to the resorts that line the main drag in Waikiki, the two 11-storey towers look out to the ocean or, on the other side, the mountains. There are four restaurants, the best of which is Relish Oceanside, serving fresh ahi while the scent of frangipani wafts through the air. You can also lounge poolside for free at nearby sister property The Westin Ka'anapali Ocean Resort Villas and then feast at Pūlehu, where the Italian grill features a wine from Frances Mayes, the authorof Under the Tuscan Sun, who is now a vintner. From $535. See www.westinmaui.com

Andaz Maui, Wailea Resort & Spa

Stroll through the grand entryway bridge to the sandpit in the open-air lobby and immediately you'll know this is not your average luxury resort. Once a Renaissance Hotel, the Andaz was reimagined in 2013 by designer David Rockwell. Amid designer chairs and natural wood and stone, staff casually check you in on their tablet device, while excited guests – adults and children alike – rake the sand in the zen pit. Others take in the view, spectacular both day and night. Cascading cantilevered infinity pools leads down to a private patch of sand on Mokapu Beach, at night tiki torches light the way beachside to the Lehua Lounge bar. Andaz is the home of Iron Chef Morimoto's Maui outpost, you can also take your own of cooking class at Ka'ana Kitchen and learn how to prepare a modern luau. From $702. See http://maui.andaz.hyatt.com.

Pioneer Inn, Lahaina

Although it's true that nearby there are towering resorts offering all the facilities for a perfectly ensconced Hawaiian holiday, the plantation-style Pioneer Inn adds an extra element of historical significance to the stay, plus it's smack bang on the harbour in the middle of Lahaina, the former whaling capital of the Pacific. Built in 1901, it's Maui's oldest hotel and featured in the Frank Sinatra and Spencer Tracy film, The Devil at 4 O'Clock (there's a Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn suite here). The Inn also played a starring part in Hawaii Five-O and Baywatch. A short walk away is Mick Fleetwood's restaurant Fleetwood's on Front Street, the Maui Outlet Mall and a ferry to the island of Lanai. From $239.  http://www.pioneerinn-maui.com

Outrigger Maui Eldorado

Outrigger Maui Eldorado. Photo: Ric Noyle

We're cheating a bit here, while the Outrigger Maui Eldorado isn't directly on the water they do have a private oceanfront cabana for guests to enjoy just a short walk away, across the golf course. The beach is quieter up here on the northern end of Ka'anapali beach, so quiet that turtles leisurely laze under the sun. The lure here is that, being a condo – or apartment-style hotel – you'll get a full kitchen, washer and dryer thrown in. There are three swimming pools to loll about in, barbecues to cook on and free Wi-Fi. The condos are decorated with a tropical motif, think palm fronds on eiderdowns and cane plantation-style furniture. There's a two-night minimum stay. From US$135. See http://www.outriggermauieldoradocondo.com

Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa, Ka'anapali Beach

This is a good family pick, not only because of the themepark-like pool featuring an enclosed "lava tube" waterslide, swinging rope bridge and giant sandy-beached lagoon but also for the impressive Camp Hyatt kid's club. Here, children can learn about Hawaiian culture by making leis, hearing stories and taking hula lessons.

Those seeking to get away from it all can hire one of the 30 beachside cabanas or book in for a glamour treatment at the spa named after screen siren Marilyn Monroe. It's also worth making a reservation at the award-winning Japengo restaurant for locally-sourced Asian-inspired cuisine. Aussie coffee-lovers will be happy to note that there's a Honolulu Coffee stand in the lobby offering superior fresh brews made from Kona-grown coffee beans. From $311. See http://maui.hyatt.com/en/hotel/home.html

TRIP NOTES

For more

http://www.gohawaii.com/au/

GETTING THERE

Hawaiian Airlines fly daily to the Hawaiian Islands. See www.hawaiianairlines.com.au

The writer was a guest of Hawaii Tourism.

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