ROYAL MAUIAN, #601 condo

Hotel Description

Look, I’ll be honest – when I first heard “Royal Mauian,” I was expecting something a bit more… royal. But you know what? This sixth-floor condo actually surprised me in all the right ways. The building itself has that classic Maui vibe from the ’70s (which means solid construction but don’t expect modern luxury finishes), and being up on the sixth floor means you’re getting legitimate ocean views without the crazy resort prices.

The thing about this place is its location – and I mean the real location, not just “beachfront” nonsense. You’re literally steps from Kamaole Beach Park III, which honestly might be my favorite beach on the south side. Less crowded than the main Wailea beaches, but you still get that perfect white sand and the snorkeling around the rocky point is actually decent. Plus there’s real parking here, not like some places where you’re circling for twenty minutes. The grocery store (Safeway) is maybe a five-minute drive up South Kihei Road, and if you want to grab lunch without cooking, there’s a solid poke spot called Eskimo Candy that locals actually go to – it’s in this random strip mall but trust me on this one.

What I really appreciated was how quiet it gets at night. Yeah, you’ll hear the ocean (which is perfect), but you’re not dealing with pool parties or tiki torch ceremonies echoing through the walls until midnight. The unit itself feels lived-in rather than sterile – the kitchen actually has everything you need to make real meals, not just reheat leftovers. The lanai is where you’ll spend most of your time anyway, and from the sixth floor you get this nice elevated view of the water without feeling like you’re in a high-rise. Morning coffee out there with the whales (if you’re visiting winter through spring) is honestly hard to beat. I mean, the furniture isn’t Instagram-perfect, and the bathroom could use some updating, but everything works and it’s clean. Sometimes that’s exactly what you want – a place that feels like home rather than a hotel room where you’re afraid to touch anything.

Rooms

• Two-Bedroom Apartment with 2 × 1 extra-large double bed, 2 × 2 single beds, sofa bed and 1 sofa bed for 6 adults

SURROUNDINGS

Facilities