We’ve always loved the spirit of Hawaii’s Kapalua Bay Hotel. Extremely low-key, with a spectacular nature preserve setting, a beach that has earned “best in America” ranking, and a location far from Maui’s T-shirt shops and tiki bars, it was a world-class resort and yet a slice of old Hawaii. Weddings were more like family reunions than island blow-outs, and the resort was a perfect spot for just-the-two-of-us elopements. Walking into its open-air lobby after a long flight felt like coming home—if your home happened to look out on a Pacific bay where snorkelers share the waves with sea turtles.
The original hotel was razed several years ago, replaced by a time-share compound, and Kapalua’s days as a wedding mecca came to an end. But all that’s about to change, as Montage Hotels & Resorts will be re-creating the site as a small hotel; plans are for an opening in early 2014. With just 50 suites, the Montage Kapalua Bay is poised to become one of—if not the—most luxurious resorts on Maui. It sounds like an excellent fit: Montage is known for resorts that are true to their surroundings, are authentically welcoming, and that pride themselves on some of the best food in their respective neighborhoods (and their neighborhoods are of the Beverly Hills variety).
Here’s what they promise you’ll find next year: a multi-tiered lagoon pool that’s flows through the middle of the property, massive suites outfitted with full kitchens and yawning lanais, and restaurants that rely heavily on local bounty. If you’re scouting for a Hawaiian location that has roots in the past, an appreciation of island culture, and the kind of genuine hospitality that will have you weeping on the flight home, we think this may be the spot.
