Maui Ranks in Top Lists for Beaches, Hotels, Destinations

By Wendy Osher

Maui received multiple accolades in the recently compiled 2019 Travelers’ Choice awards, released by TripAdvisor.  The lists included a #2 ranking of Maui Island as a Top US Destination, #2 spot for Kāʻanapali Beach as the Best Beach in the US; and a top 10 ranking for Hotel Wailea on the Top 25 Luxury Hotels in the US.

Kāʻanapali Beach. PC: Kalani Prince.

Kāʻanapali Beach Earns Ranking on US and World Lists

Maui’s Kāʻanapali Beach was ranked #2 on the Best Beaches in the Nation list; and also ranked #14 on the list of Best Beaches in the World on TripAdvisor’s 2019 Travelers’ Choice awards.  It was the only Hawaiʻi location to make it onto the world rankings list.

Kāʻanapali was among three Maui locations and seven locations across the state that were included in the Top 25 Beaches in the US list.

Wailea Beach panorama, vantage from Four Seasons Resort Wailea. Photo credit: Wendy Osher 2019.

Other Hawaii locations earning top 25 ranking were: (#7) Hāpuna Beach State Recreation Area in Puakō on Hawaiʻi Island; (#13) Poʻipū Beach Park on Hawaiʻi Island; (#17) Wailea Beach on Maui; (#20) Waikīkī Beach in Honolulu on Oʻahu; (#22) Maniniʻōwali Beach in Kailua-Kona on Hawaiʻi Island; and (#23) Nāpili Beach in West Maui.

Topping the list at #1 was Clearwater Beach in Florida.

Hotel Wailea Recognized for Luxury and Romance

Maui’s Hotel Wailea was recognized on two lists, with a #10 ranking for the Top 25 Luxury Hotels in the US; and #17 for the Top 25 Hotels for Romance in the US.  Maui’s Four Seasons Resort Lānaʻi in Lānaʻi City was ranked #12 on the luxury list; and Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa in Kapolei on Oʻahu was the lone Hawaiʻi resort on the Top 25 Hotels for Families in the US, listed at #17.

Maui Earns Top 2 Ranking for Destinations in the US

The Island of Maui earned a top 2 ranking, behind only New York City on TripAdvisors’ list of the Top 25 Destinations in the US.  Other Hawaiʻi locations on the list were: Oʻahu, ranked at #3; and the Big Island of Hawaiʻi, ranked at #10.

Southwest Airlines’ Boeing 737-800. PC: file by Stephen M. Keller, 2012

Southwest Airlines Named Best Low Cost Airline

In TripAdvisor’s 2019 list for Top 10 Airlines in the World, two familiar companies were included in the rankings: #5 Japan Airlines (JAL); and #6 Southwest Airlines (which was also named the top airline in the North America region and Best Low Cost Airline).

Southwest launched its inaugural commercial flight, for service to Hawaiʻi on March 17th between Oakland International Airport to Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu. Southwest will begin once daily Oakland to Kahului flights on April 7, 2019; and interisland service four times daily in each direction between Honolulu and Kahului starting April 28.  San Jose to Kahului service begins May 26, once daily in each direction.

TripAdvisor Best Mid-Size Airline for 2019 was Alaska Airlines, with Hawaiian Airlines and West Jet falling into the same category.  In the Specialty and Leisure category, three airlines were featured including: Mokulele Airlines, Air North (Canada) and Cayman Airways.

Mokulele Airlines recently partnered with Los Angeles startup Ampaire to retrofit of a Cessna 337 aircraft with hybrid electric power.  Test flights are planned between Kahului Airport and Hāna Airport later this year.