The promary selling point of this facility was the view and beach, both of which are outstanding in all aspects. From there, unit #809 goes down hill fast.

To begin with as many as 8 of the light fixtures had burned out bulbs. The main telephone wall plug was so worn that the plug constintly fell out of the wall, disconnecting the phone and what was said to be a wireless internet link. Actuall the DSL never did work making one wonder it that bill might not be paid.

The main furniture was well worn and quite cheeply done. The TVs were old and performed OK after one mastered the "taped-together" remotes. All of the floors were dirty and since the owners provide NO cleaning or housekeeping services while there (no marrer how long the stay) is easy to see why.

The kitchen had dishes and utinsels that were likely from a very cheap discount or charity store. The bedding was not clean and had long age seen it's better days, being well worn. The bath rooms were dirty and showerswere very slow to drain with very low flow heads, from being filled with crud.

In summary, that facility looks great and there are likely many wll don condos in the building but avoid this one.

My wife and I and 7 year old son stayed at the Mana Kai for 5 nights and the Hyatt on Kannapali for 4 nights. We have been to Mauia a couple of times but never stayed in the Kihei area (South side of island) where the Mana Kai is located. Although we still love the Kannapali area, the South side is really nice too and especially the Mana Kai. We reviewed almost every condo from Kihei to Wailea before picking the Mana Kai and we were very happy with our choice. In general, Mana Kai is probably the nicest condos on the South side before you get to Wailea where you can add $100- $200 more per night for virtually the same thing. The beach right out the doorstep of the Mana Kai is one of the nicest beaches in the area complete with snorkeling, swimming, playing and lounging as it is has a quite wide, sandy beach compared to others on the island. The water color was beautiful and the other islands visible from the beach made it really picturesque. The Mana Kai was really nice, especially for a condo. The lobby was nice, the pool not real big but clean, uncrowded and very tasteful with slate decking all around it. The grounds are well kept and there is a bar, restaurant and store on site. The look of the Mana Kai is upscale but the pricing is much better than the Wailea area. We were happy with our spacious condo, its furnishings and relatively large lanai. We did not have the adjoining hotel room and no one was in it during our stay. We were also near the elevator which some said would be noisy but we didn't hear a thing. The staff was courteous and housekeeping was performed every day. The Mana Kai is a good combo of the space of a condo with some (lobby, restaurant, store, bar, housekeeping) of the amenities of a hotel such as the Hyatt. In addition, the South side of the island has some really good snorkeling and we were close to it. We were also very close to Wailea for upscale shopping and in fact walked down the beach for about 45 minutes to see the resorts of Wailea. Our only disappointment and somewhat stange thing was you couldn't take a drink from the open bar about 10 feet from the pool area to the pool. However, you could buy beer, wine and alcohol at the onsite store and take it to the pool so no big deal. We loved it here and will definitely be back!!!

My new husband and I stayed at the Mana Kai Maui for four days of our honeymoon. We needed a slightly more affordable hotel following our wedding retreat and the Mana Kai was a comfortable setting in which to relax and explore.
We should first mention that we learned that the resort itself now books the rooms. When we originally booked, it was done from an outside vendor, so not sure how that will affect rates and accomodations. What we can tell you is that our room was spacious and the kitchenette was helpful-food is expensive on Maui and you can save a few dollars buy buying things at the supermarket instead of going to restaurants for some meals.
The view outside our room was simply stunning and the beach had quite possibly the softest sand I've ever felt. Not really that crowded either, even on the weekend. The room has daily maid service and their is a convenience store downstairs. We were NOT impressed with the on-site restaurant, Five Palms. Extremely overpriced and food was mediocre at best.
Be forewarned that many of the rooms DO NOT have air-conditioning. The breeze keeps everything cool so it wasn't a problem, but you are almost on top of the water, so you will hear the waves crashing with the windows open. If you MUST have A/C, ask specifically in advance.
From the Mana Kai Maui, it's pretty easy to get to daytime activities if you have a rental car. This hotel/condo is truly a clean, affordable location with such amazing beauty outside your window!

This was our second stay at the Mana Kai Maui. We will be back, hopefully many more times. If you want fancy, go somewhere else. If you want a great, relaxing vacation with wonderful service from the staff, then this is a place you will want to book. The beach is practically out your front door and the snorkeling can be fantastic (weather is a key factor). The rooms have everything you need, fully equiped kitchen, living area, bedroom, and a great view of the ocean (unless you stay in the smaller "hotel" type room). It may not be one of the fancy condos in Maui, but you won't be disappointed in your visit. And by the way, don't miss the Kihie Cafe for breakfast. If Bunnie is there, say hello and she'll stop at your table and talk to you as if you're part of her family. And also try Matteo's for lunch or dinner, just down the road in Wailea. These are definately not chain restaurants.