Tuesday, March 15, 2016

Maui Bites: Eats and Treats on the Valley Isle

The Rewards Canada family had a great Family Day vacation in one of our favourite go to locations for any time of the year, Maui. A lot of the trip was paid for with points & miles (flights and the car rental) but those details are reserved for other posts. This post is a quick highlight of some the places we ate at this trip (good and bad), and many for us are places we return to trip after trip! Hope you enjoy this highlight of places we like to eat at and hope that you have or will enjoy these places too!

Lahaina Cooler's
One of our go to spots for breakfast (we've only ever eaten breakfast here), Lahaina Cooler's on Dickenson St. in Lahaina isn't as well know as the famous breakfast places like The Gazebo but the food has always been good. This trip we made it their twice and the breakfast's (Omelettes, benedicts and complete breakfast) were always good. The only complaint is the service is slow. It always has been however our last visit on this trip it was especially slow. There were two larger party tables seated but in reality even with those larger groups it wasn't that busy and it shouldn't have affected the service as much as it did. www.lahainacoolers.com


Leilani's on the Beach
Located in Whaler's Village on Ka'anapali Beach, Leilani's has two parts to the restaurant. The 'Beachside Grill' section with more of pub style menu and an upstairs dining room with a fancier dining menu. Depending on the time of day and how busy they are you can sit in the 'On the beach' section but still order from the higher end dining room menu. When we were here the place was packed but it was before 6pm so after asking our server they said they would let us order from the dining room menu. My wife was glad that she was able to. The dish she ordered was her favourite of the whole trip, a fish dish that (GASP!) was better than Mama's Fish House. She had the pan seared catch of the day that came with amazing sides of braised root vegetables and parsnip puree. She was in heaven with the dish. The rest of the crew got a mix of dining room and beachside grill items that were all great as well. www.leilanis.com



Leoda's
Another Sheldon Simeon past effort (see Star Noodle below), we had eaten here for lunch back in 2013 and the food was great then so we though we'd give breakfast a try! Leoda's didn't disappoint for breakfast either as the food was good but in reality not much different than other breakfast spots on the island. I would stick more to their lunch/dinner menu and all their wonderful pies! www.leodas.com







Mama's Fish House

A timeless classic on the outskirts of Paia and a bit of longer drive from the Northwest side of the island, Mama's Fish House is famous for its locally caught fish dishes of course. They even tell you who caught the fish you are going to eat! Our visit this time was a birthday dinner for three people in our party so each one got a personalized birthday card and a small dessert to celebrate the occasion.  The food here is always great, no complaints at all. Pricey? yes. Reservations required? Yes. But worth it. www.mamasfishhouse.com






Ono Gelato
Located right in the middle of the action on Lahaina's Front Street, Ono Gelato is our favourite gelatio spot on Maui. We tried several of the other Lahaina gelatos over the years and have found none match Ono. They attempt use as many fresh and local ingredients as they can in creating their gelatos and you can taste it. Our family favourites are the Mint Stracciatella, Stracciatella, and Gianduia. www.onogelatocompany.com

Pailolo Bar & Grill
This is the poolside restaurant at the Westin Ka'anapali Ocean Resort Villas where we stayed. Our go to place for drinks (smoothies, lava flows etc.) was also utilized for food on those days when we didn't feel like leaving the resort or minimizing our time away from the beach. Most of the food was good but one dish multiple members in our family kept getting over and over was "The Marley", a pulled pork jerk sandwich with a chili lime slaw that was simply addictive. www.westinkaanapali.com/dining/pailolo


Star Noodle
We ate here only once during our trip as the previous trip we ate here a few times! This Asian-fusion restaurant became famous after one of the founders, Sheldon Simeon was on Bravo TV's Top Chef. When we ate here in 2013 the food was amazing, the Steamed Pork Buns, Pad Thai and Lahaina Fried Soup being our favourites. This time we ordered all those and more since there were 6 of us and we got to try more dishes. We had heard the food wasn't the same as before and tend to agree. Don't get me wrong, the food was still great but not as amazing before. Not sure if it is because of Sheldon's departure but no matter what I would still recommend this place.
I also recommend getting reservations as we noticed diners waiting outside for quite sometime before they could get a walk up table. www.starnoodle.com

Ululani's Shave Ice
Voted the best shave ice on Maui time after time, Ululani's doesn't disappoint. Granted it is mostly our kids getting the shave ice (mom & dad prefer gelato) but it is great! We typically only frequent their Front St. locations in Lahaina. Ululani's uses the best shave ice machines and create all their own syrups for the shave ice using carefully selected ingredients. They even have a loyalty program! Buy 10 shave ice get 1 free! Here's a tip, you can buy all 'micro' sizes then redeem for a large! www.ululanishawaiianshaveice.com


Cinnamon Roll Place (aka Cinnamon Roll Fair)
On the recommendation of someone we decided to hit this place up one morning as they apparently have the best cinnamon rolls. After making our way down to Kihei to try it out (and a bit of detour as the Whale Day Parade closed off the main street for several blocks) we found the place and got to it just before a huge line up formed. Everyone in our party ordered the cinnamon rolls and while the first few seemed alright, we all unanimously decided they weren't all they were cracked up to be! I'm sure some sweet tooth's out there will love them but they just didn't sit well and in fact most of our group felt sick afterwards with crazy headaches. Too much sugar? Too much corn syrup? Who knows! But all I know is that we will not return here on future trips. Too bad as we were really looking forward to some kick ass cinnamon rolls! (Getting ready to be flamed as they get a lot of great reviews online....)

Of course we at some other places, Kimo's on Front St. in Lahaina is always good and we visited it once. Yogurtland in Whaler's Village is another treat place we always frequent since we don't have one in Calgary and we do tend to enjoy Yogurtland more than the chains that are in YYC although Menchies is pretty darn good too. We avoided places like Cheeseburger in Paradise and Hula Grill as the last few trips those places really disappointed us, as much as we love sticking our feet in the sand at the Hula Grill. We also ate some heart attack worthy burgers at the Cool Cat Cafe in Lahaina and made our way for dinner one night at Duke's which is at the Honua Kai resort. Duke's isn't anything to write home about in my opinion. One places we missed this time that is always great is Aloha Mixed Plate.

If you are planning a trip to Maui I hope my little roundup of places to eat at will help you out! Have you tried any of these places? What are your thoughts? Also let us know what some of your favourite locations are on the island!


March 15 Update: Cash Back Credit Card Comparison Chart Updated, Aeroplan transfer bonus and Marriott bonuses in Canada

News, Tips & Tricks
We completed a much overdue update on one part of Rewards Canada today! The Cash Back Credit Card comparison chart has been updated with all the latest offerings for Cash Back cards in Canada. At the request of our readers we have added more cards including the Rogers Platinum MasterCard and President's Choice Financial MasterCards. Find the updated chart here! (If you notice any mistakes please let us know and we'll correct them promptly)


As of today you will no longer be able to apply for Scotiabank student cards online. The L’earn VISA card as well as the student SCENE VISA applications will have to be completed by phone or in person at a Scotiabank branch.

On the bonus offer side, the coveted Aeroplan partner transfer bonus has returned with new low end and high end categories! See below for details


Posts since our last update:


Travel Deals
Air Canad
a is offering 25% off select flights in Eastern Canada when you book today with promo code EASTCAN25. Find out more here

 

Bonus Offers
Air Canada / Aeroplan
- Earn up to 55,000 Bonus Aeroplan Miles when you convert points from a wide selection of Aeroplan partner loyalty programs (hotel, car rental, and points.com). More... Until Apr 18, 16

Air France KLM Flying Blue
- Earn up to Quadruple Flying Blue Miles for stays at over 2,800 Accor Hotels Worldwide. More... Until May 15, 16

American AAdvantage
- American Save up to 30% when you share AAdvantage Miles with another member. More... Until Mar 31, 16

British Airways Executive Club
- 1,000 Bonus Avios with a minimum spend of €/£500 at Chic Outlet Shopping Villages in Europe. More... Until Mar 31, 16

China Southern Sky Pearl
- Up to a 50% Sky Pearl Kilometers Discount when you redeem for select Sky Pearl Award Tickets for travel on China Southern within China and on select International routes. More... Until Jun 30, 16

Garuda Indonesia (on FrequentFlyerBonuses.com only)
- Earn up to Double GarudaMiles when you fly on Garuda Indonesia between Jakarta and London. More... Mar 31 - Apr 30, 16
- 25% GarudaMiles Discount when you book an award ticket for trave between Jakarta and London. More... Mar 31 - Apr 30, 16
- Triple Garuda Miles for stays at participating Aerowisata Hotels in Indonesia. More... Until Jun 30, 16
- Earn up to Triple Garuda Miles for stays at participating Hilton hotels and resorts Worldwide. More... Until Apr 30, 16

La Quinta Returns
- Earn up to Triple Returns Points for stays at participating La Quinta locations in the U.S.. More... Until Apr 7, 16

Marriott Rewards
- 2,000 Bonus Rewards Points per stay including any night Thursday-Sunday at the Courtyard Winnipeg Airport. More... Until Apr 30, 16
- 2,500 Bonus Rewards Points per stay at the Residence Inn Ottawa Downtown. More... Until Apr 30, 16
- 2,000 Bonus Rewards Points when you stay two nights Thursday-Sunday at the Courtyard Montreal Airport. More... Mar 3 - May 15, 16
- 2,000 Bonus Rewards Points per stay at the Hotel am Steinplatz, Autograph Collection. More... Mar 18 - Apr 17, 16
- 2,000 Bonus Rewards Points per stay at the Madrid Marriott Auditorium Hotel & Conference Center. More... Jun 1 - Aug 24, 16

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Staying with Marriott in Canada? Take advantage of these bonus offers to maximize the points or miles you earn!

We did an update on our Marriott Rewards Bonus Points page today and there were several new offers for stays at some Canadian locations so we thought it fitting to summarize the bonuses you can take advantage of for your Marriott family of hotel stays in Canada.

Of course, there is the main systemwide promotion that we have covered for months, Marriott's MegaBonus which you need to register for and then stays at any Marriott Hotel in Canada (or Worldwide) will count towards the bonus you receive:
Marriott MegaBonus: Earn free nights and/or bonus Rewards Points for stays at any participating Marriott Hotel Worldwide. Full Details, Online Registration and Booking ( Registration is required) Register by Apr 15 for stays Feb 1 - May 15, 16

Offer Variations (Source FlyerTalk):
Win #1: Earn a free night after two stays
Win #2: Unlock your new bonus points offer – and register when it appears in your online account
Win #3: Every stay counts at 4,000+ hotels worldwide

Win #1: Earn 10,000 bonus points after 15 paid nights plus 2,000 bonus points each additional night, up to 20,000 bonus points
Win #2: At the same time, earn a free night after two paid stays (register separately in your online account)
Win #3: Unlock a new bonus points offer in your online account after you win #1 and #2

Win #1: Earn 15,000 bonus points after 20 paid nights plus 3,000 bonus points each additional night, up to 30,000 bonus points
Win #2: At the same time, earn a free night after two paid stays (register separately in your online account)
Win #3: Unlock a new bonus points offer in your online account after you win #1 and #2
Now the issue with the MegaBonus promotion is that you have to complete multiple stays, at least 2 minimum depending on which offer you are selected for. Now if you know you may only have two stays and the MegaBonus offer that comes up for you isn't the free night after two stays you can always call Marriott Rewards and see if they'll change the offer for you.

Then you have these individual hotel stay offers at select hotels in Canada. The good news is these offers are awarded on your first stay (there may be a multiple day minimum) and they can be combined with the Marriott MegaBonus promotion!
Kingston
1,000 Bonus Rewards Points PER NIGHT when you stay at the Residence Inn Kingston Water's Edge. Full Details and Online Booking Until Mar 31, 16

Montreal
2,000 Bonus Rewards Points when you stay two nights Thursday-Sunday at the Courtyard Montreal Airport. Full Details and Online Booking Until May 15, 16

3,000 Bonus Rewards Points when you stay 3 nights or more at the SpringHill Suites Old Montreal. Full Details and Online Booking Until Apr 30, 16

2,000 Bonus Rewards Points when you stay two nights Thursday-Sunday at the Residence Inn Montreal Airport. Full Details and Online Booking Until May 15, 16

Ottawa
2,500 Bonus Rewards Points per stay at the Residence Inn Ottawa Downtown. Full Details and Online Booking Until Apr 30, 16

Winnipeg
2,000 Bonus Rewards Points per stay including any night Thursday-Sunday at the Courtyard Winnipeg Airport. Full Details and Online Booking Until Apr 30, 16

If you don't collect Marriott Rewards points then a really good option for you to earn some extra miles if you do have some Marriott stays coming up is this Aeroplan offer for bonus miles in Canada:

750 Bonus Aeroplan Miles per NIGHT for stays at 100+ participating hotels across Canada. Maximum of 3,000 Bonus Aeroplan Miles per stay. Full details and online booking Until Apr 18, 16


And finally if your travels take you out of Canada then be sure to check out our Marriott Rewards Bonus Points page for dozens of other individual hotel stay bonuses around the globe!

Monday, March 14, 2016

Aeroplan Conversion Bonus returns - Earn up to 55,000 Bonus Miles when you covert points from other programs


Aeroplan has once again brought back their partner transfer bonus that we now see at least twice per year Basically what it entails is transferring points out of other select loyalty programs into your Aeroplan account. Unlike the last couple of bonuses that maxed out on the 40,000 mile high end this time the bonus goes as high as 55,000 miles if you covert points worth 200,000 or more miles. As always now there are no financial partners involved again, for Canadians that is, Americans get Diners Club Club Rewards in that category. Basically you can transfer from partners like Starwood, Hertz and more (see the last graphic) and as long as the total Aeroplan miles deposited from all of them reaches one of the bonus target levels you will be awarded the respective bonus miles. They also have a lower end threshold now of 2,500 - 4,999 miles which will earn a 500 mile bonus.

And just like the last four versions of this offer, American Express Membership Rewards is unfortunately not included. so chances are I will not use the promo this time (again).

If you are a Starwood Preferred Guest collector you can really up the bonus by taking advantage of their 5,000 Mile bonus offer when you convert 20,000 Starpoints into Aeroplan. Which means in this promotion you can get 29,000 Aeroplan Miles for 20,000 Starpoints or if you transfer 20k four times, you'll get 125,000 Aeroplan Miles for 80,000 Starpoints. Of course I like to keep Starpoints for award nights or cash+points stays within the Starwood family but some of you may like this transfer option. You can get 20,000 Starpoints simply by getting the Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card from American Express


Offer Details:
Earn up to 55,000 Bonus Aeroplan Miles when you convert points from a wide selection of Aeroplan partner loyalty programs (hotel, car rental, and points.com). Bonuses are as follows and are awarded on a cumulative basis. Convert Points to
2,500 - 4,999 Aeroplan Miles to earn a 500 Mile bonus
5,000 - 9,999 Aeroplan Miles to earn a 1,000 Mile bonus

10,000 - 19,999 Aeroplan Miles to earn a 2,000 Mile bonus
20,000 - 49,999 Aeroplan Miles to earn 4,000 Mile bonus
50,000 - 99,999 Aeroplan Miles to earn a 10,000 Mile bonus
100,000 - 149,999 Aeroplan Miles to earn a 25,000 Mile bonus

150,000 - 199,999 Aeroplan Miles to earn a 40,000 Mile bonus  
200,000+  Aeroplan Miles to earn a 55,000 Mile bonus 
Full details Valid until Apr 18, 16



March 14 Update: New offer on the table for Starwood hotels, will Marriott lose out? New WestJet Routes and a couple of AIR MILES bonus

Potentially exciting news in the hotel world...

News, Tips & Tricks
Looks likes there may be a challenger in the Marriott takeover of Starwood Hotels. News has come out today that there is another offer on the table from a Chinese bidder for Starwood. It is too early to tell what will happen but if this new bid wins out we may not see the end of Starwood Preferred Guest in the next couple of years. Definitely news to watch over the next few months! (Source View from the Wing)

WestJet has announced new summer seasonal flights between Vancouver and Halfax as well as Winnipeg and Halifax. (Source WestJet)


Couple of AIR MILES bonus rewards miles coupons for ya: Rexall 40 bonus miles when you spend $30+ and Safeway/Sobeys 100 bonus miles when you spend $100+. Both are good to March 17.

Posts since our last update:

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Bonus Offers
airBaltic PINS (on FrequentFlyerBonuses.com only)
- Triple PINS at participating HERTZ locations worldwide. More... Book by Mar 21 for rentals until Apr 29, 16

American AAdvantage
- Quadruple AAdvantage Miles on rentals of compact or larger vehicles at participating Alamo locations in the United States and Canada. More... Until Dec 31, 16

Hawaiian Airlines HawaiianMiles (on FrequentFlyerBonuses.com only)
- 750 Bonus HawaiianMiles PER NIGHT for stays at the Fairmont Orchid Hawaii. More... Ongoing
- Earn up to 5,000 Bonus HawaiianMiles for stays at Prince Hotels & Resorts in Hawaii. More... Until Dec 17, 16
- 1,000 Bonus HawaiianMiles for weekend stays at participating Starwood Hotels Worldwide. More... Until Dec 31, 16
- 3,000 Bonus HawaiianMiles for stays of 3+ nights at the Turtle Bay Resort Oahu. More... Book by May 31 for stays until Dec 8, 16

Le Club accorhotels
- Triple Le Club Accorhotels Points for stays at participating Accor Resorts in Asia Pacific. More... Until Apr 30, 16

Norwegian Reward (on FrequentFlyerBonuses.com only)
- 400 Bonus CashPoints on your first Rocketmiles booking More... Book by Apr 15, 16

Oman Air Sindbad (on FrequentFlyerBonuses.com only)
- 3,000 Bonus Sindbad Miles on your first Rocketmiles booking More... Book by May 31, 16
- Double Sindbad Miles adn 4th night free for stays at participating Shangri-La Hotels Worldwide. More... Until Jun 30, 16

Preferred Hotel Group iPrefer
- Double iPrefer Points when you book the Bed & Breakfast offer at any participating Preferred Hotel Group hotels in Ireland. More... Until Dec 31, 16

Starwood Preferred Guest
- 3,000 Bonus Starpoints, free breakfast and up to 15% off for stays in Suites at participating hotels in the America's and French Polynesia. More... Book Mar 15 - 22 for stays until Sep 30, 16

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Today's Bonus Offer Highlight is brought to you by:

Friday, March 11, 2016

March 11 Update: Air Transat Toronto-Calgary service, bonus miles for flights and more

News, Tips & Tricks
Air Transat will be running a one time weekly service between Toronto and Calgary/Vancouver this summer (May 26 -  Oct 31). Air Transat doesn't have its own frequent flyer program but you could choose to use a proprietary credit card program to redeem points for these flights. Read more about proprietary programs here and why they are the best option for most Canadians.

Posts since our last update:




Bonus Offers
British Airways Executive Club
- 3,000 Bonus Avios on your first Rocketmiles booking More... Book by Mar 31, 16

IHG Rewards Club
- Earn up to 60% Bonus IHG Rewards Club Points when you buy points online. More... Until Apr 15, 16

Le Club accorhotels
- Earn up to 2,700 Bonus Le Club Accorhotels Points for stays at participating Accor Hotels in the Denmark, Finland, Norway or Sweden. More... Until Apr 30, 16

Southwest Rapid Rewards (on FrequentFlyerBonuses.com only)
- Triple Rapid Rewards Pointss for stays at participating Country Inns & Suites in the United States. More... Until May 31, 16
- Double Rapid Rewards Points for stays at La Quinta Inns and Suites in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. More... Until Jun 30, 16

TAP Portugal Victoria
- 1,000 FREE Victoria Miles when you join the TAP Portugal Victoria program. More... Until Mar 31, 16
- 50% Bonus Victora Miles for stays at Altis Hotels that includes a Sunday night. More... Until Mar 31, 16

Turkish Miles&Smiles
- Earn 25% Bonus Status Miles&Smiles Miles when you fly Turkish Airlines between Istanbul and Atlanta.More... May 16 - Oct 31, 16
- Receive a 25% Miles&Smiles discount when you redeem miles to fly Turkish Airlines between Turkey and Atlanta. More... May 16 - Oct 31, 16


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Current Bonus Mile Offers for flying within Canada or from Canada to the rest of the World

Another reminder for you about the one page on the main Rewards Canada site that sees a good amount of traffic but does get overlooked a good majority of our readers who aren't aware of it or forgot about it! That page is our Route Bonus Listing.  Be sure to bookmark it right now! This page lists all the current bonuses that Canadians can earn on flights around the globe. The list presents all the actual Canadian options first such as flights within Canada or flights originating in Canada to anywhere in the World. The remainder of the listing shows systemwide bonuses next (these are offers for all flights on an airline and may include those leaving Canada) followed by the remainder of flights bonuses from around the world that Canadian's can take advantage of. The big difference between the RC version of this listing and the listing on our Global site FrequentFlyerBonuses.com is that the RC version does not list bonuses that us Canucks cannot use which are primarily offers that are only for residents of certain countries other than Canada.

Now that you have learned about the route bonus listing or have been reminded about it we thought it would be wise to post the Canadian flight portion of the list in a post on a regular basis here on the Rewards Canada blog to remind you of the bonuses that you may be able to earn on your flights! We encourage to consult this list before you book a flight anywhere in the world or even board a flight as some offers may come up after you have already booked but you can still be eligible for. If you don't check the list there is a good chance you may miss on some extra miles to be added to your account!

Here are the current bonuses for flying within or from Canada!You'll notice we got a bit lazy and didn't break out every single Air Canada route that has a bonus right now rather we left them generalized:

From/To (or Vice Versa)

Bonus Offer

Airline Program

Validity

Details

within Canada Up to 25,000 Bonus Miles Air Canada / Aeroplan Register and book by Mar 15 for travel until Apr 30, 16
Canada Australia Up to 90,000 Bonus Miles American AAdvantage Register by May 31 for travel Feb 1 - May 31, 16
Canada Caribbean Up to 25,000 Bonus Miles Air Canada / Aeroplan Register and book by Mar 15 for travel until Apr 30, 16
Canada Mexico Up to 25,000 Bonus Miles Air Canada / Aeroplan Register and book by Mar 15 for travel until Apr 30, 16
Canada U.S. Up to 25,000 Bonus Miles Air Canada / Aeroplan Register and book by Mar 15 for travel until Apr 30, 16
Calgary London Double Miles Air Canada / Aeroplan Register & book by Apr 15 for travel until Dec 31, 16
Calgary London Double dollars WestJet Rewards Register and book by Apr 15 for travel May 6 - Dec 31, 16
Calgary Palm Springs Up to 40 Bonus dollars WestJet Rewards Register and book by Mar 18 for travel Mar 5 - Apr 2, 16
Edmonton London Double dollars WestJet Rewards Register and book by Apr 15 for travel May 6 - Dec 31, 16
Halifax London Double Miles Air Canada / Aeroplan Register & book by Apr 15 for travel until Dec 31, 16
To/from Montreal Up to 150,000 Bonus Miles Copa Airlines ConnectMiles Oct 1 - Mar 31, 16
Montreal London Double Miles Air Canada / Aeroplan Register & book by Apr 15 for travel until Dec 31, 16






Ottawa London Double Miles Air Canada / Aeroplan Register & book by Apr 15 for travel until Dec 31, 16






St. John's London Double Miles Air Canada / Aeroplan Register & book by Apr 15 for travel until Dec 31, 16
St. John's London Double dollars WestJet Rewards Register and book by Apr 15 for travel May 6 - Dec 31, 16
Toronto Beijing Up to 20,000 Bonus Miles Hainan Fortune Wings Until Dec 31, 16
Toronto Delhi Up to Triple Miles Jet Airways JetPrivilege Until Mar 31, 16
Toronto Ft. Lauderdale Up to 50 Bonus dollars WestJet Rewards Register and book by Mar 28 for travel until Apr 30, 16
Toronto Ft. Myers Up to 50 Bonus dollars WestJet Rewards Register and book by Mar 28 for travel until Apr 30, 16
Toronto Kingston Double Miles Caribbean Airlines Caribbean Miles Until Apr 30, 16
Toronto London Double Miles Air Canada / Aeroplan Register & book by Apr 15 for travel until Dec 31, 16
Toronto London Double dollars WestJet Rewards Register and book by Apr 15 for travel May 6 - Dec 31, 16
Toronto Mexico City Double KMs AeroMexico Club Premier Until ?
Toronto Miami Up to 50 Bonus dollars WestJet Rewards Register and book by Mar 28 for travel until Apr 30, 16












Toronto Orlando Up to 50 Bonus dollars WestJet Rewards Register and book by Mar 28 for travel until Apr 30, 16






Toronto Sarasota Up to 50 Bonus dollars WestJet Rewards Register and book by Mar 28 for travel until Apr 30, 16
Toronto Tampa Up to 50 Bonus dollars WestJet Rewards Register and book by Mar 28 for travel until Apr 30, 16
Toronto Warsaw Double Miles MIles & More (LOT) Until Mar 31, 16
Toronto West Palm Beach Up to 50 Bonus dollars WestJet Rewards Register and book by Mar 28 for travel until Apr 30, 16
Vancouver Brisbane Double Miles Air Canada / Aeroplan Register and book by Apr 30 for travel between Jun 1 - Dec 31
Vancouver London Double Miles Air Canada / Aeroplan Register & book by Apr 15 for travel until Dec 31, 16
Vancouver London Double dollars WestJet Rewards Register and book by Apr 15 for travel May 6 - Dec 31, 16
Vancouver Taipei 3,747 Bonus Miles China Airlines Dynasty Flyer Until May 31, 16
Winnipeg London Double dollars WestJet Rewards Register and book by Apr 15 for travel May 6 - Dec 31, 16

Hotel Review: Westin Ka'anapali Ocean Resort Villas - Maui

We've reviewed this hotel before here on Rewards Canada and it continues to be our go to place in Maui. We love the resort, we love the fact the rooms are actual condos with full kitchens and washer/dryer, so you get the best of both worlds! A nice higher end hotel resort with the amenities of a condo. Anyways, this won't be a very long review since we've covered the hotel before but have to say it still impresses us despite some hiccups at the start of the stay.

As with our 5 previous family stays at the Westin Ka'anapali Ocean Resort Villas we booked the hotel via Maui Hawaii Vacations (MVRBO). Why? Price and benefits! Sure the stay doesn't earn Starpoints on the actual hotel rates (it does earn on any additional charges like food) but when you compare pricing to what you would have to pay it is more than worth it. Naomi at Maui Hawaii Vacations has for many years secured amazing rates for stays at the Westin Ka'anapali Ocean Resort Villas. Her rates are usually about half of what you pay with Starwood and yes you may find similar rates on VRBO rentals from Starwood Vacations owners but those stays don't get the benefits that Naomi does. With the half off rate from Maui Hawaii Vacations comes daily housekeeping (Starwood bookings do as well, owner stays via VRBO etc. do not), parking is included (typically Starwood bookings do not include this) and the resort fee is waived. Now you can see why we book it via Naomi and choose not to earn Starpoints on the hotel rates.

On to the stay! Our YYC flight on Air Canada arrived late to Maui so we didn't get to the hotel until well after midnight. At that time it appears most rooms had been checked into and we were left with a ground floor unit right near the busiest part of the pools and pool service center. We booked an Ocean View and requested a higher floor with Naomi and while many years ago before everything grew in this room may have been an ocean view, it sure didn't have that anymore. This is the view now from that room. Do you see any ocean?

The family was not happy, with our general dislike of ground room floors and of course the view. We asked the front desk if anything else was available and the only room faced onto the construction side where the new Westin Nanea is being built. We were exhausted and just wanted to sleep so we stayed in the room but in the morning a quick email to Naomi and the manager of the hotel put a plan into action. The next night the Westin still had no true ocean views available but starting on the third night of our stay they did so for the last 6 nights this was our view. Much better!
Both of the rooms we had were in Building 7 and since our last stay in the Summer of 2013 you can tell the rooms have been updated. There appears to be new carpet, new furniture, definitely new and much larger TV's and updated shower heads. As always stays here are great, the beach is fun with great snorkeling (we swam with Sea Turtles a few times) and the service is always good. Food, again great at the Ocean Pool Bar & Grill and Pailolo Bar & Grill. We didn't hit the high end Pulehu this time round. Watch for another post on our Maui Eats and Treats coming soon.

A big thanks goes out to Naomi, Angela and Cynthia for looking after us and making sure our stay was to our liking and that we enjoyed it!! Well we sure did! Thanks ladies!

If you do want to book this resort via Naomi be sure you mention this post. We don't get any referral bonuses or anything but it is always nice to let them know how you found out about them!


The Westin Ka'anapali Ocean Resort Villas
SPG Category: 6
Points required for a free night: 20,000 - 25,000 Starpoints
Cash+Points Requirement: 10,000 Starpoints + $180 per night

Links:
The Westin Ka'anapali Ocean Resort Villas
Maui Hawaii Vacations