The Gardens at West Maui

Roosters,Roosters,and more Roosters between 50 and 100. Fighting cocks I might add. Hours of crowing 4am to 1am. Oh by the way I know its illegal to have cock fights in Hawaii but dont tell the locals. I was told the police turn a blind eye. One evening I heard screaming and yelling next door like the locals were having a party and I couldn't hear the roosters so I looked out my top floor window. What I saw was 10 or so cars and trucks parked in the dirt yard and the people standing around a pen about waist high one person was taking the wagers. The noise continued until 1am when I decided that was enough so I called the after hours number they gave us at the Sands of Kahana, they were sorry,explained there was a law on the island about no loud noises after 10.30pm. Five minutes after the call the gambling stopped and people started leaving. We were in Bldg.1 but I was told it didn't matter. Anyway it doesn't matter to us as well we won't be staying there again even though the room was 3 star. Maui was beautiful as usual and we were celebrating our 4th we were married barefooted on Ironwood Beach walking distance from timeshare. Lots of people enjoying walking all around this area the property borders Kapula golf course that has to popular restaurants plantation house and pineapple grill (my fav). Sea House restaurant across street A+, the gazebo b-(14 tables) long wait not much of a selection and food average, but ocean view. But the sea house restaurant is also ocean view our average dinner bill at these restaurants $80.00 a couple including 1 drink. If you decide to go to Chez Paul restaurant located just south of Lahaina expect to pay $130+ but worth it,well maybe. If you go to Lahana eat at Whalers yum,yum great views. If you go to kannapali eat at the hula grill you can put your feet in the sand listen to your wife tell you what a wonderful time shes having while your sipping on a umbella drink and looking at the to closest islands. The rusty harpoon next door is second choice. After a tough day on the beach, or shopping or whale watching you'll need to stop in at the Maui Brewing Co. they brew there own, lots of choices so enjoy, plus it's close by the timeshare Oh, don't forget Mama's Fish House great view, great food, sometimes slow service because it's so popular and it's fairly pricey. Don't forget to make reservations at these places otherwise you won't get in and you'll have to eat the food you bought at costco 1 mile from airport. Take my advice bring plenty of money,or plastic, visit musems,aquariums(maui has a beautiful one) and there's a great restaurant next door also parks there is a lot of history there, defintely take the road to Hana. Don't forget Maui has 4 sides East, West North, and South just stay away from the roosters, exchange at Sands of Kahana, Kahana Beach, Marriot,Kaanapali Beach instead. Enyoy the beaches,sand and surf and take that special person on a dinner cruise. Mahalo

The studio with a murphy bed, yet a full kitchen was just perfect since all we did was sleep here. Our key was waiting for us in a hide-away since we arrived very late at night. The garden walk to the room was lovely in daylight, right past the pool and hottub, which we only used once. Our unit had an owner that loved it, cuz they left beach chairs, boogie boards and coolers for our use. This is not a 'RESORT', it is a delightful garden hide- away within walking distance to beautiful beaches. Remember while you are here, you need to be on ISLAND TIME, enjoy the rest and plan your daily excursions accordingly.

This was our 2nd time that we stay at Gardens at West Maui. The complex is in a wonderful spot and accross the street from one of the most beautiful beaches in the USA. The staff was exceptional. Our request were granted immediately. Yes, there were roosters next to our condo. Not a problem because the air conditioners tuned out the noise. The condos are well taken care of. We thoroughly love this complex and are very proud owner of this timeshare.

Just got back from a vacation in Maui. This resort is an old apartment complex that was converted to a timeshare property. It does not have a full-time staff available to address your issues. You check in by calling a phone on the side of the building which directs you to someone at the Sands of Kahana. They give you a combination to a mini box on the side of the building, and your key and room information are located inside. The morning after you arrive, you are asked to go to the office to register where you are seen by an activities director who convince you to attend a timeshare presentation at the Sands of Kahana in order to receive reduced fees on activities. A little homework and shopping around will allow you to purchase these same activities at the reduced price without the timeshare presentation.

The room was pleasantly decorated and well stocked. Unfortunately we read about the roosters after we booked and we were not able to move after being assigned to Building 1. Believe me, you will not want to stay in this building unless you like roosters! The roosters woke me up at 4AM and never stopped crowing. I hoped that going into the main living area would decrease the noise, but it was only louder there.

The room also had a stale cooking smell and the TV did not get clear channel reception. After less than 24 hours, I knew either I or the roosters would not survive the entire week and my husband graciously removed me from the premises.

The location to Napili and Kapalua beaches was excellent -- walking distance to each. The snorkeling at these 2 beaches was wonderful and even though we left this "resort" we spent several days at these beaches. This area also gets a lot of rain. When we relocated 2 miles down the road to Kahana, we saw much more sun. Ka'anapali which is only a few more miles down the road rarely had any rain during our stay.

This timeshare is in one of the nicest and upscale areas of Maui, Napili and Kapalua, with nice restaurants nearby. Before I arrived I checked with these reviews here and was warned about Building 1 being closest to the rooster farm next door, so I put my request months in advance to be placed in any other building but that one. Unfortunately, they were unable to accommodate us in another building, so they say, because it was booked up but I don't think they tried too hard. Honestly, I think because we were an exchange through Interval International, they keep the exchange members in the undesirable building #1 and keep the owners happy in the other buildings which I can understand. Those roosters started around 4 am and really are quiet noisy also there is no view other than the parking lot. Other than that, the staff there are very helpful and the units are very nice and well maintained. There are a couple of wonderful restaurants across the street at Napili Shores Resort. Very nice resort by the way. My favorite for breakfast and lunch is The Gazebo which overlooks Napili Bay - a must to try. Also, a great restaurant there is the Sea House Restaurant known for the sunset views since it sits right on the beach and great food - fairly expensive but worth it. Up the road another good restaurant and expensive is the Pineapple Grill. Excellent. Kapalua Bay which is a 5 minute walk is beautiful as is Napili Bay. The Gardens are a little distance from Lahaina and Kaanapali Beach, but only 15 minutes so that very doable. If you go here, try to stay clear of the roosters in Building 1.

Lovely, small resort across the street from Napili Beach, the most beautiful beach on Maui. We spent several days in Lahaina, minutes from this resort, shopping, eating at fabulous restaurants and enjoying the Hawaiian culture and history.

The Hana Drive was just beautiful. We returned in the evening after driving Hana early and grilled steaks at the BBQ and lounged in the hot tub and pool area.

The unit itself has a king bed and was air conditioned, both amenities that we rarely see in Maui resorts, except the high-end ones that we could not afford. The furniture and interior is new and very nice. The kitchen was very complete, with plenty of dishes for all of us, for two meals. The lanai was great and provided a view of the golf course.

The roosters didn't wake us up because we were not in the front building. Owners stay in the buildings toward the back of the resort, not by the farmers next door.

There are two full bathrooms, which helped to get our kids going on time in the morning. This is a nice resort for adults with one teen or two smaller children. The sofabed is not big enough for older siblings, which was its only drawback. We own this week and are looking to buy something larger on Maui, as soon as we sell this week. ALOHA!

This is off the beaten path, but it is clean, quiet, and across the street from two of the best beaches in the world. My wife and I stayed with our two teen-age sons who wanted mainly to be in Lahaina or Kaanapali most of the time, where the action is. But it's a terrific value, and we would go back, if we had the chance.

We have stayed at the Gardens twice and were very satisfied on both ocassions. We were never in building one which is where all of the complaints seem to arise. We did hear the roosters but they didn't even bother us as we had the AC on. We also "heard about " the lovely neighbors but it did not seem to be a major problem to anyone and is not the fault of anyone involved with the resort.

The unit was very nice, clean and very well stocked; including many consumables not given at other resorts. NO NICKLE AND DIME ya to death. We were directly off the pool and used the BBQ and hot-tub almost every night. It was like having your own private area as nobody else was around except the securty gaurd (Chris) who showed up often and was a great guy. ( Security at all of Consolidated resorts in the area are patrolled by the same guys.) A great place to stay and no complaints at all on our part.

The only drawback we found was it is a little far from the other end of the island but that wasn't a problem after a little planning. (start early if doing the road to Hana which is a MUST DO!!!!)

Lots of stores and shops nearby and plenty of help at the sister resort Sands of Kahana. There is now also an in house front desk open most hours with Sands being open 24 hours.

Definately a great stay and we've stayed at many!!

Returned from a week stay at The Gardens of West Maui on March 6,2004. The unit we stayed in was 404 which over looked the pool. The unit was equipped with all the comforts of home, in room washer/dryer, dishwasher, very well equipped kitchen. Comfortable kingsize bed and sofa bed. Within walking distance of some quiet beachs and restaurants. Kapalua Golf and Country Culb is next store. Short or long drive depending on what your goal for the day was, Winery, Hana, Upcountry or Whale watching. One bad thing though is that, like most of the Hawaiian Islands the State bird can be noise in the morning but by the third day we didn't care. This was our first stay at the Gardens, our seventh visit to Maui. Our stay at the Gardens was wonderful we will be back.

Just returned from several days at the Gardens at West Maui. I am sorry to report that this was not a good place to stay. We were at first in Building 1 which is closest to the street and directly overlooks the neighboring lot which I am told is Hawaiian Homestead land. There is a lot of tension between the folks who live there and the condo occupants who generally will not like the level of noise and the rooster population. I asked to move and we were given a unit in building 4. This was better but we could still hear the roosters (4am to approx 7pm) and then there was noise from the properties behind (trucks, chain saws, music). One evening I witnessed an unfortunate incident in which one of the neighbors screamed obscenities at a family using the barbecue next to the pool. The family left the area quickly. Buildings 2 and 3 face the golf course and are probably the most quiet.

My wife and I stayed here a couple of years ago over Christmas week. We had a studio unit. Got via excange with Interval International.

Positives: Charming resort, generally quiet and serene. Location is very nice. Across the street and then another one-block walk from a great beach (Napili), and a short drive/long walk to a couple of others (e.g. Kapalua). These beaches are not crowded at all. Mostly families with kids. Very relaxing environment. Pretty good service--our AC went out, and they got us into another unit right away. We overlooked the golf course, with lots of Hawaiian flowers in the back yard. My wife enjoyed doing tai- chi in the yard. The pool was not the nicest, but we were in Hawaii for the beach anyway, so we never went to the pool much. Great location for a relaxing visit to Hawaii, but a bit of a drive to some tourist sites, i.e. the dormant volcano, Hana, etc. Lahaina is close by though. A few good restaurants nearby. No crowds in this area, unlike Kihei, and even Kaanapali to a certain degree.

Negatives: There were chickens nearby, and the roosters woke us up a lot early in the mornings. We had a studio unit with a pull-down Murphy bed, which was awful. My wife slept on the floor it was so bad. Had to drive to Lahaina if you want to eat cheap.

What a breath of fresh air to find this boutique resort on Maui. There are 31 units total with 7 being studios and the other 24 1 bedroom 2 baths. The 1st big plus is the unit, nicely decorated with artwork and silk plants, pleasing colors and very comfortable furniture, large at around 850 sq ft, central air conditioned, best stocked with consumables i.e., towels, beach towels, cooler, shampoo, tp, tissue, etc of any unit we have ever occupied. Very well equipped kitchen with service for 8 and all the needed utensils and accoutrements. Washer and dryer with 2 boxes of laundry detergent,iron, board, broom, vacuum, etc. We were in suite 306, building 3 2nd floor with a marvelous view of the Kapalua Golf and County Clubs course from the large 2 sided lanai. The 2nd is a large parking area with plenty of spaces that are large enough to park a car, unlike so many of the resorts on Maui. The resort was is impeccable condition, inside and out. The grounds were mature and lush and very well maintained. The pool was superb, heated to about 85 degrees. The spa was very nice and the entire pool area was large for only 31 units. The resort is right on the boarder of Napili and Kapalua and within walking distance to several nice beaches and restaurants and a small mini market. It is about 10 minutes north of Kaanapali, 5 minutes north of the Kahana area. The normal TAT collected at checkin is included in the annual dues, so an exchanger or owner doesn't have to pay that at checkout. The phones were no charge for local calls, the TV cable service included Showtime, Starz, and HBO. Checkin was a breeze, since there in no onsite office, all you do is pick up a phone outside the concierge office and tell them who you are and the give you the code to the lock box, you take your keys and you are done. No parking passes, no nickel and dime fees, no being called to come to an " Island orientation", just go to you suite and start your vacation. We have stayed in many Gold Crown/5 Star resorts and we enjoyed this atleast as much if not more. A real winner.