The Mahana was a great value in Maui, and we were very pleased with the property. After reading so many reviews of so many condo properties before booking, I was nervous about what to expect. We were pleasantly surprised. The room was a large one bedroom, fully equipped kitchen, lots of space and well kept. While it did have seafoam green carpet and some dated looking florals for decor, all was in great condition. The appliances were newer, we had everything we needed right there.
The other thing you cannot beat is that all rooms are ocean front. You can sit on your patio every morning, have a cup of coffee, and enjoy the ocean. Since there is a coral reef directly in front of the hotel, you have to go down the beach a little to play in the ocean (not very far). This keeps it very quiet outside your patio door.
I would stay here again, without a doubt.
The pool is small (as mentioned), BUT, we never got crowded out. We always found a patio chair and there was always room to swim and play in the pool. We noticed at the large resorts (Hyatt, etc) that the pools were very crowded with people and that the patio chairs were three deep around the pool. That was not a problem here.
The trade winds are nice right in this area of the beach as well, as soon as you go south to Lahaina they are almost non-existent. The breeze keeps things very nice.
The location is good, it's only about ten minutes to the main beach activities near The Whaler and a bit further to Lahaina. There is a market, an ABC Market (this is your best value for anything) and some small eating establishments right at the hotel driveway entrance. Eat at Java Jazz, the food is wonderful, and very reasonable. The service is questionable, but that seems to be consistent in Maui unless you are in a chain restaurant. The pizza place is also good (Pizza Paradiso I think), you can buy a slice or a whole pizza.
Loved the Mahana though. Don't expect luxary and high end amenities, but well worth the money. Also, the Embassy Suites is right up the beach, you can eat there, get sodas, etc there for your time on the beach, and also rent boogie boards, etc.
One comment, the tourists are not too friendly, at least not when we were there. The hotel staff was very friendly though, so just ignore the not so nice tourists!!!:)
Enjoy!

We just got back from our vacation today (08-24-04). Awesome place to stay. We read all the reviews on the surrounding hotels in the Kanaapali area. We saw that Napili Bay had a better rating and tried to book that but Pleasant Holidays doesn't offer Napili Bay. So we stayed with Mahana and we were not disappointed. Beautiful views and nice room, with kitchen! We checked out Napili Bay and it's not what it's cracked up to be. The Mahana blew it away with accomidations, views and the beach area. Definitely a great time, we will stay here in Maui on all our future trips. There is no restaurant in the hotel but you can walk over to Embassy suites or Kanaapali shores next store.

Just came back from Maui and 5 great nights at the Mahana. Had a superb time. Rented the condo from a private party and saved a little bit rather than going through Aston. Condo was beautiful- one bedroom, great kitchen, and a lovely lanai- covered patio, with a ceiling fan and a shade that goes down to block out the afternoon sun. The views from the condo was unbelievable- saw a huge rainbow the first morning we were there. The beach in front was not great, but we didn't mind and we drove about 10 minutes up the road to a great beach with hardly any people. Best part of the Mahana- it was very private- hardly saw anyone else, even though the place was full. Look forward to staying here again in the future.

Our stay at the Mahana (aug 9-17) was absolutely fabulous. The Mahana has a great location near Kaanapali but not on it. It is just north of all the crowded (and expensive) Kaanapali beach resorts, in an area called Honokowai. Being from San Diego, we wanted to get away from it all yet still be within reach of some activity. At the Mahana you are closer to Lahaina than Kahana, Kapalua or Napili. A grocery store is conveniently located nearby along with a strip mall including a video rental. The Mahana was the place for us. Peaceful, quiet, smack dab RIGHT ON THE BEACH, amazing views and ocean waves to lull you off into dreamland. We stayed in unit 1015 which was tastefully decorated and comfortable. The bedroom has a decent king size bed and the living room has a sofa/sleeper. There are two full baths and the master bath has a tiled tub. We (my boyfriend, myself and his 10 year old daughter) appreciated having 2 bathrooms All the appliances work, the AC works, the washer/dryer are great, and there is a CD player, a DVD and VCR along with a few books. The view is outstanding! We closed our drapes whenever we left for the day (the unit gets hot in the afternoon sun) and kept the doors shut with the AC on and always came back to a cool place. We used the safe every day so we didn't have to worry about hiding money or jewelry. They even have maid service!

A few notes about the island and whatnot:
Get the book Maui Revealed. It will become your bible while driving around and will assist you in your plans for the time you are there. We went snorkeling every day and went in the ocean 2-5 times a day. We went to all the recommended snorkeling places but right in front of the Mahana ended up being our favorite place because it wasn't crowded with tourists and you could just cruise around, looking up every now and then to keep track of where you were. Getting out there could be a problem for some, but we just walked a few yards south to airport beach (where the sand begins) and got in the water there. When we wanted to come in, we usually swam in on the north side of the Mahana because the current tends to pull you north. You just have to be careful, look where you are going and head for the Embassy (the big pink resort just north of the Mahana). They have a sandy beach also. We liked snorkeling at Black Rock in front of the Sheraton because we saw a turtle there, but it was crowded with alot of tourists. The snorkeling at Honolua Bay is good but conditional, depending upon what the wind is doing and how the weather is. The rental car is not a good place for anything valuable. We talked to people who had a vehicle break-in while they were at the beach. We were careful not to carry anything we couldn't part with and left everything else in the safe worth stealing. Going to Lahaina is a must because there are the local botiques, shave ice and the banyan tree. We went to Whaler's Village to park when we went to the Sheraton (where Black Rock is). We didn't like the shops in there - too expensive with high end shops like Tommy Bahamas which is on the mainland anyway. We liked Paia which has some of the local flavor of Maui. Kind of a trippy artsy place in a hippie kind of way. We liked the beach south of the Mahana called Kahekili Park (sp ?) with it's sandy shore, showers and grass area for a picnic. We packed lunches and cool beverages in our colapsing coolers we brought from SD. Good idea if you want to save money. We also brought our beach towels - you can dry them in the dryer at the condo. The drive through Kapalua is beautiful - check out the course if you want to play some golf. Worth the price! Windy and challenging. Go to the Nakalele blowhole up north on your way to Honolua Bay for snorkeling/sightseeing. Good day trip. The park called DT Fleming isn't worth swimming at but has a fair picnic area. Another must is the drive to Hana. Read the book Maui Revealed. You could get car sick. Just stop alot.

I sure have blabbed away. Hope the info helped. We have no regrets whatsoever with this place. Yes, the other people who wrote those good reviews are really telling the truth.