We all have a few places in the world that have been consistently kind to our families—and we like to return to them as often as we can. For us, there’s a very special destination where we had our honeymoon, siblings got married, anniversaries and birthdays have been celebrated, extended families gathered—where we have always felt relaxed and whole.
That place for us is Kapalua, tucked on the western shores of Maui and bordered by mountains. It’s 22,000 acres of natural beauty, and the smart, sustainable development that has been undertaken there makes it a true pleasure to return.
Geographically, it’s far enough from the airport to feel like you are off the grid, but close enough to the towns of Napili and Lahaina to not feel isolated. Plus, there’s also a commuter airport, Kapalua/West Maui, that allows you to island hop with ease.
To break up the admittedly long 5000-plus-mile-flight there from NYC, my wife Marilou and our two boys (Liam, 5, and Quin, 2) recently stopped in San Francisco overnight. We picked up Marilou’s parents for some inter-generational fun, took a relatively easy 4.5 hour flight to Kahului Airport, then finally headed up the coast from the Valley Isle in a minivan.
Luxury abounds in Kapalua, with a large Ritz-Carlton resort, many villas and gated private homes, fine restaurants, spas, and golf courses. We stayed this April at the Residences at Kapalua, which is one of the 200-plus luxury vacation homes in Portico’s collection. This group has made customized family vacations its focus, ensuring a consistent quality and level of service for each and every trip.
When I say “customized” here, I really mean it: From the moment we booked, we were assigned a personal “Escapist” Sammy, who took time to get to know our family and our vision for the vacation, and then activated it by building an itinerary with many options, patiently discussing the pros and cons of each. Like the rest of the dedicated on-site staff Portico always provides, Sammy arranged everything seamlessly, even sending the boys animal-shaped backpacks full of stuff that would make the trip fun for them. She ordered groceries for us to have open arrival, arranged a babysitting service, made restaurant reservations, and, simply put, took the legwork out of preparing for a vacation.
Arrival at the Residences is especially breathtaking, thanks to architecture approximating a native canoe house (kauhale) and pointing directly to the sea. The open-air lobby, surrounded with koi ponds (daily feedings at 10AM for kids!), native flora/fauna, a fascinating collection of native art and artifacts made wandering the facility continuously interesting and authentic.
Thomas, who would be our personal contact and concierge throughout the week, quickly and gracefully checked into our three-bedroom condo. Its centerpiece was a large balcony/lanai, furnished with lounge chairs, a high end Weber grill and exhaust hood, a dining table, and other places to sit. A gourmet kitchen, washer and dryer, luxurious bathrooms with deep soaking tubs, and a full entertainment system completed the relaxing picture.
Within the rest of the Club, there’s a lounge with TV and couches, a kids’ center, two bar/grills, and a multilevel swimming pool and lagoon for every type of guest—think noodles and rafts for kids, caves galore to explore, hot tubs, sunbathing spots, and everything in-between. From there, a short walk leads you to the Beach Club, where snorkeling, paddle boarding, and soaking up the rays with head-on stunning views of neighboring islands Molokai and Lanai are all on offer.
Daily routines included yoga for Marilou, tennis for me, pool time for the kids, coffee on the lanai, and trips to the neighboring resort shopping centers for Marilou’s parents. We all got a turn at the on-site spa, with its private hales open air huts, for unique treatments like the lomi-lomi and the hot stone treatment. Marilou also enjoyed foraging for the abundant local fish, fruits, vegetables, and other island ingredients to indulge her love for cooking. Liam’s favorite and still-talked-about experience was the thrill of going on short golf cart rides, at the hands of the affable valets at the Residence Club.
For those seeking to get even closer to nature, hop over to the Ambassadors of the Environment at the Ritz Carlton Resort, designed by Jean-Michel Costeau. The program immerses all ages—Liam enjoyed it at the tender age of 5—in learning about Hawaii’s unique ecosystems and nurture exploration of alternatives for a sustainable future.
Memories are, arguably, the true rewards of a perfect vacation, and the Kapalua staff delivers these with great consistency and alacrity. The thrill of making new ones, from pool time with the kids to romantic dinners with Marilou to family time with the grandparents, to serene time on the lanai, is extraordinary and magnetic. We’re excited to know that Portico has over 200 vacation villas that span the world–we’re already thinking about our next customized experience, maybe Snowmass, Mykonos, or Cayman Islands. The options, like memories, are many!
