Hyatt Regency Maui: Is It Worth Your Points?
This was our first time staying at the Hyatt Regency Maui, and I’m already trying to figure out when we can go back. We spent 6 nights total on Maui in early July, with 4 of those nights at the Hyatt Regency Maui. Read here for the full breakdown of how we booked our entire Hawaii trip with points — but the short version is we used World of Hyatt points to book two rooms here for 29,000 points per night, plus a Suite Upgrade Award on one of them.
General Information About the Hyatt Regency Maui
The Hyatt Regency Maui Resort & Spa sits right on Kaanapali Beach, about 50 minutes from Kahului Airport (OGG). We rented a car for our full 6 nights on the island, which made the drive easy and gave us the flexibility to explore beyond the resort.
This is a Category 6 property in the World of Hyatt program. The resort is spread across multiple towers, and we stayed in the Lahaina Tower adjacent to the Hyatt Vacation Club at Ka’anapali Beach.
The Rooms at Hyatt Regency Maui
We booked two rooms so our family of five could spread out — a standard suite for me, Ross, and our youngest, and a double queen room a few doors down for our two older boys. I know plenty of families of 5 who have managed to sleep comfortably in a King room with a pull out couch and a rollaway bed (for a nightly fee). But our family has kind of reached the point where our big boys are just too big for that set up. So for us it was worth the extra points to book two rooms.
Our suite, room 733, was in the Lahaina Tower with a bit of a split view — one side faced the neighboring Hyatt Residence property, and the other looked out over the ocean. The suite had a separate living area with a pullout sofa bed, and a bedroom that closed off from the living room with its own door. The bathroom was accessed through the bedroom.
Our double queen room, number 730, faced the Hyatt Regency pool.
We received leis at check-in and wrist bands at check-in that serve as your room key and also open the towel bins in the buildings and near the pools.
Regency Club Lounge (and other Globalist Perks)
Ross has Hyatt Globalist status, which came with some serious perks during this stay. Access to the Regency Club lounge meant breakfast every morning and appetizers and dessert every evening — a huge money saver for a family of five. Globalist status also got us free parking, late checkout, and all-day happy hour access at Umalu, the resort’s oceanfront bar.
Quick tip, if you want a cocktail but don’t want to pay resort prices, you can purchase cocktails in the lounge for around $10. Ross took advantage of that perk on night one and enjoyed a mai-tai with our happy hour/dinner.
If you don’t have status, it’s worth knowing the lounge access is one of the bigger perks tied to it at this property — between breakfast and evening apps for five people, it adds up fast. If you don’t have Globalist status, a club access award can be gifted to you by another member, or you can book a club access room for more points or a higher cash rate.
Dining at the Hyatt Regency Maui
We ate breakfast in the Regency Club every morning and went back each evening for appetizers, which covered a good chunk of our meals for the week.
For lunch by the pool one day, we ordered from the neighboring Hyatt Residence property — Hyatt Regency guests have shared access there, so it’s worth knowing that’s an option if you want a change of scenery without leaving the resort. On our last day we grabbed lunch at Umalu instead.
We also got shave ice from the onsite stand twice — once was not enough for this family.
Free Classes: Lei Making and Palm Leaf Fish Weaving
This ended up being an unexpected highlight of the trip. I signed us up for the lei-making class and the coconut weaving class before we even left home, and both were complimentary. Each one ran about 45 minutes to an hour, and every one of us — including my teenagers — genuinely enjoyed them. If you’re on the fence about signing up, do it. I’d recommend booking ahead since spots can fill up.
Pools at the Hyatt Regency Maui
There are three main pool areas at the resort. One is geared toward kids, with a splash pad and waterslide. The Hyatt Residence property next door also has its own waterslide, which our kids made good use of thanks to the shared access between properties.
The Famous Hyatt Maui Penguins
The Hyatt Regency Maui is home to a resident colony of African Black-Footed Penguins, and they’re one of the resort’s signature features — this is the only resort in the Hawaiian Islands with an on-site penguin habitat. Daily penguin feedings take place at 9:30 a.m., and the penguins are part of a broader wildlife program that includes cranes, swans, flamingos, and parrots. If you want to go deeper, the resort also offers wildlife tours on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays at 10 a.m., which walk you through the gardens to see the rest of the birds up close.
Our kids (teenagers included) genuinely stopped to watch the penguins every time we walked through the lobby. It’s a small thing, but it’s part of what makes this resort feel different from a standard beach hotel.
Things to Do Near the Hyatt Regency Maui
While there’s plenty to do on property, we did venture out a few times:
- Surf lessons one morning: We booked via Viator and earned points via Rakuten for extra points!
- Dinner at Aloha Mixed Plate, followed by walking around the Lahaina Cannery, a former pineapple canning factory turned shopping and dining spot
- Whaler’s Village, twice — once for souvenir shopping and once for dinner at a burger place. It’s walkable from the resort, or you can take the trolley if you’d rather not walk after a long beach day.
Conclusion
Would we recommend the Hyatt Regency Maui? Absolutely, especially for families.
You will love the Hyatt Regency Maui if:
- You’re traveling with kids of any age — from the pools and penguins to the free classes, there’s a lot built in to keep everyone entertained.
- You have Hyatt Globalist status, since the Regency Club lounge access alone can save a family real money on breakfast and evening food.
- You want a resort where you don’t have to leave for entertainment, but still have walkable options nearby (Whaler’s Village, the trolley) if you want a change of scenery.
- You like the idea of free, well-run activities like the lei-making and fish-weaving classes — sign up before you arrive.
You might want to look elsewhere if:
- You’re hoping for a quiet, adults-only atmosphere. This resort is lively and very kid-friendly.
- Beach space matters a lot to you. The beach here is quite narrow — it looks like the resort is working to prevent further erosion, but it does mean less room to spread out compared to some other Maui properties.
How We Booked This Trip
We booked both rooms using World of Hyatt points at 29,000 points per night, plus a Suite Upgrade Award to bump one room up to a standard suite. Read the full breakdown of how we booked our entire Hawaii trip with points here, including which cards we used to earn the points in the first place.
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Current Bonus
Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Chase Sapphire Reserve®
Current Bonus
Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
The World of Hyatt Credit Card
Current Bonus
Earn up to 75,000 Bonus Points. Earn 45,000 Bonus Points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening. Plus, up to 30,000 more Bonus Points by earning 2 Bonus Points total per $1 spent in the first 6 months from account opening on purchases that normally earn 1 Bonus Point, on up to $15,000 spent.
