Sheraton Maui Resort and Spa

"Black Rock cliff dive ceremony at sunset, Hawaiian cultural family experience."

Why Sheraton Maui Resort and Spa for a family holiday

Sheraton Maui Resort and Spa anchors the north end of Ka'anapali Beach on Pu'u Keka'a, the volcanic promontory known as Black Rock and one of the most significant cultural sites on Maui's west coast. The resort holds 508 rooms and suites. Its centrepiece for families is the nightly torch-lighting and cliff-diving ceremony off Black Rock: at sunset a single diver lights the torches around the promontory, then leaps from the rock into the ocean, a tradition the resort has staged since it opened in 1963. The snorkelling here is the real family draw. The protected reef on the north face of Black Rock is among the most fish-rich entries on Ka'anapali, and you swim to it straight off the sand. Keiki Aloha runs the daily kids' programme; the Cliff Dive Grill and the Lagoon Pool with its children's waterfall round out the family day. The honest trade-off is scale: at 508 rooms this is a large resort, so the pools and beach fill up fast in high season, and families who want quiet should request a room away from the Lagoon Pool.

Best room to request

Black Rock Two-Bedroom Suite (the family-of-four flagship) or Lagoon View Room for the entry-level family option.

The wider context

Sheraton Maui Resort and Spa sits within our broader Top 20 Hotels in Maui for a Family Holiday list. It scored an aggregate 9.5/10 across the three editorial criteria, competitive against the field but, on a family holiday-specific factors, the angle above is what earned its rank. For the alternatives in the same Maui neighbourhood, see Ka'anapali, west coast and adjacent. For a different city entirely, see the related lists below.

Once your dates are fixed, aim to reserve the room about three months out. Expect the best-positioned suites to go early; in the busy season the lead time is months, not weeks. Suites with a private plunge pool or terrace, the very rooms behind this rank, usually vanish first.

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Further reading