We just spent a week of our honeymoon there, and really enjoyed it. Granted, this was a timeshare trade as a gift from my parents, so we were only paying for incidentals, therefore, I don't know what the rates were or anything like that and if we would have been paying too much for our room if we were paying.

We stayed in a 1 bedroom villa with efficiency kitchen, which was quite nice. The room was very clean, and the only issue we had was a cracked glass, which was replaced immediately by housekeeping once we reported it. The furniture was comfortable and nothing looked shabby to me. We were in a room that was at the end of the Molokai Tower, facing the mountains, but also had a view of the ocean. We could see both Lanai and Molokai from our balcony.

Sure the lobby is a little blah compared to others, well, it's open to the elements, so they can't put too much stuff in there that could be destroyed by rain. There were some fountains and sculptures that were nice. The section of lobby that was in our tower was absolutely stunning, but I don't stay at hotels based on the appearance of a lobby. We did check in the evening and the lobby area did not look as impressive until we went down the next morning and saw everything in daylight.

We were there about a week after the previous poster and only noticed a few kids, and they stayed mostly by the waterslide and by the lower pools, so that wasn't an issue. Marriott's are family resorts, esp. when you factor in that it is a timeshare, you're going to get a lot of guests with children. Stay somewhere else if you're going to be bothered by children in the slightest bit.

Another bonus for us, the laundry facilities were very nice and clean, and perfect for us since we had been travelling for a week prior to arriving in Maui.

Also, Whaler's Village being within walking distance was great.

something is very wrong here, i CANT BELIEVE people liked this place- i just cant believe it!!

positive:
none really

negative:
old resort, rooms are just old and nappy (eg-dead flies on the window sills)
no good shops/restaurants
pool is filled with little kids

we checked in, hated the lobby/room/pool. walked to the westin (next door) within 15 mins and couldnt believe our eyes! the place was beautiful...and only $10 more per night. so, we walked back, checked out and went to the westin.

id feel really bad if anyone stayed here. odnt get me wrong, the marriott kaui was GEORGEOUS, so its not like i hate marriott or work for westin or anything. its just that this place really ----!!

First off I was a little nervous after reading some of the bad reviews, but all my worries were laid to rest when I walked into the hotel! It is fabulous! Everyone was so friendly and helpful! The grounds are beautiful and well kept. Our room was in the Lanai tower and we were on the 8th floor. We had an ocean front view and it was amazing. I just couldn't get enough of that view. The room itself was very nice. I think it was recently upgraded because everything seemed very modern. They were doing construction on the lower floors, but unless you were out in the common area you could not hear it at all. They did a great job of keeping the noise and dust to a minimum. Marriot's pool has got to be the best one in Kaanapali! We were a few minutes walk from the Whalers Village, which was nice when we didn't want to get in the car and drive to go out to dinner. It was also walking distance to the jet ski rentals and Parasailing. It was by far the best resort I have ever stayed in. We didn't eat at the resturants on site, but we did get some sandwiches from the Beach Walk cafe. It was a little pricey but it was good food. The prices were not out of line though, in comparsion to other eateries.

It was truly a wonderful experience and I can't wait to go back!

Keep in mind that EVERYPLACE in the Kaanapali region is way out of sight for pricing...the Marriott Ocean Club was still a great value! Why you ask?:
1) Best oceanfront location...WOW, simply unbelievable!!
2) World-class tennis facility at 3rd world pricing
3) Covered parking (yes, there is a charge...but all USA hotels in big cities charge TWICE as much) and how great it is to get into your car when it's not oven-like
4) Walking distance to McDonalds, booze and sport-friendly Rusty Harpoon and the super-cheap ABC Store #54 to get all your supplies at a fraction of the cost to the hotel offerings. (All at the Whaler's Village, just minutes walking distance north)
5) EXCELLENT sushi restaurant on site (expensive as all sushi spots are...but you can't get any fresher!!)
6) Free ice and a great fridge/micro/toaster offering in your room to keep most of the breakfast and snack costs to a bare minimum.
7) BEST of all (for me at least) was the totally free high speed DSL internet service....and what makes this so great is that it offers both wireless OR connected service at NO cost to you!
If you play their "timeshare game", you can get up to $150 in cash credits, but be advised you must sit in an "ownership overview", and I don't wish that on anyone!!
Best of all: 100% sunshine, palm trees galore, limitless bikini babes, perfect surfing conditions, excellent seafood...and last: The number 3 rated nude beach in the world at Makena's "Little Beach". Only 30+ minutes away from your Marriott Ocean Club's sun-protected car!
Sure hope you enjoy as much as we did!!!