Just came back from my first trip to Hawaii/Maui. The Mana Kai was exactly what I wanted. Both my friend and I had really felt no need to stay at one of the island's big resorts that boast huge grounds with lavish swimming pool areas. Our reason for this was: if we're on a beautiful island (such as Maui) with natural, beautiful beaches, we wanted to be somewhere right on the beach with a personal, almost private feel, with easy access to walk right out to that.
The Mana Kai was exactly that. We had (and I DEFINITELY recommend having) a deluxe oceanfront room, and the view was simply phenomenal. (I will gladly e-mail anyone interested a pic of our view from the lanai.)
While the beach has suffered some errosion due to previous storms, there is still ample space to sit on the sand. The water/swimming was still really nice, and the lawn directly in front of the beach that the Mana Kai provides is completely comfortable and makes you feel like you're right on it. You really feel like you're at your own personal beach.
Our room was clean, and the kitchen was very functionable. The hotel's location, in addition to the beach, was also great: close to Wailea (shops/restaurants, etc) and in the heart of Kihei's best food, activities, etc.
I will, without a doubt, go abck to the Mana Kai.

I have been going to the Mana Kai Maui ever since I was two years old. My grandfather was one of the first people to buy a Condo there. I'm 21 now and am going to be going back with my family in June/July. The Mana Kai Maui is an unbelievable place for a great price. The beach has warm white sand and is absolutely gorgeous. There is coral reef to your right as you enter the crystal blue ocean. The reef is swarming with life. If you go during the winter you will see dozens of humpback whales right off the coast. There are also hundreds of sea turtles that pop up out of the water. If you swim out far enough you are likely to see families of sea turtles eating seaweed under broccoli shaped coral. There are TONS of activities. I would recommend taking an Eco-Kayak tour of one of Maui's many nature preserves. That is definetly worth the money. Make sure to ask for a renovated room (some owners of the other condominiums do not want to pay for the renovation). The newly renovated rooms are absolutely immaculate and provide you with brilliant views of the ocean, sunsets, and islands in the distance. If you go to Mana Kai Maui you will never want to come home. That is the only drawback I can think of.

After 3 stays at the next door Surfside we decided to "upgrade" to the Mana Kai. For an extra $40-50 a night you get daily maid service and are closer to the beach. The room layouts are very different. At the Mana Kai their one bedroom is really a very large studio apartment. The sleeping area can be separated from the living area by a sliding door but then the "living" area is tiny. The advantage to this layout is that the bed is right next to the ocean. The disadvantage is that the room can feel a little cramped particularly if you have 4 people sharing the common space (their 2 bedroom includes a separate room in back with bath room). The surfside has a more traditional layout with the bedroom in the back and a large living area in front. The only disappointment with the stay (besides a few days or torrential rain) was that the beach in front is seriously eroded from several winter storms. At least 60% of the beach is gone and all of the beach directly infront of the resort is gone. This was my favorite beach in the world- huge, sandy bottom and almost deserted. Now it is quite small and consequently feels crowded. Locals say it should come back. Its still a nice place to say but just don't go thinking that the beach will look like the pictures anymore. For a current picture of the beach check out the web cam.

We just finished a great week at the Mana Kai, which we very much enjoyed. We got a terrific deal through Suntrips on a one bedroom hotel room. That means that it's on the parking lot side; the condos are on the ocean side. In our case, we had a low numbered room, meaning that it was at the ocean end of the building, so we could see the ocean, and hear it every night. The room was clean, and nicely (if somewhat boringly) furnished. It came with a small fridge and a coffee maker, so every morning we had coffee, and muffins and fruit from the local grocery store. One of the nicest beaches in the area is immediately to the south of the hotel, and there is a great snorkeling spot right in front of it (we saw turtles there two afternoons in a row). We loved hearing residents blow the conch shells every evening to celebrate sunset.

If you're looking for a great meal, the Sarento right next door is one of the nicest restaurants on the island. We walked in at 7 pm on Saturday night, and were seated on the lanai 5 minutes later. Bring a BIG appetite, though!