Island first, resort second
The reader's real question is not which resort is best. It is which island is right for us, and then what is the best place to stay there. Ranking resorts across the whole state as though the islands were interchangeable produces a list that reads well and books badly, because a Kohala Coast lava landscape and a Kauai North Shore rainforest are not two versions of the same holiday.
Maui is the default first visit. Ka'anapali and Wailea offer walkable resort style stays with strong dining and calm beaches, whale watching peaks in March, and a rental car is recommended for anything beyond the resort strip.
The Big Island is the variety island. Kohala Coast resorts balance luxury with volcanoes, waterfalls and strong snorkelling, and the biodiversity across the island is the widest in the state. It is the island where the day trips justify the rental car.
Kauai is lusher, more rugged and more relaxed than the others, particularly on the North Shore, and it is at its best from May to September. A rental car is recommended. It is the island people fall for, and the one that punishes bad timing hardest.
Lanai is privacy and a small island escape, with effectively one luxury resort and no day tripper traffic. Oahu has the best flight access and the only real city, and is the weakest island for resort luxury.
The second argument is the one Americans are actually weighing. Hawaii is the accessible luxury beach option: no passport, five to six hours from most major US cities, and a typical honeymoon budget of 3,000 to 8,000 US dollars against 10,000 to 25,000 and 20 to 24 hours of flying for the Maldives. The comparison table below is built around exactly that decision.
West Maui and Lahaina. The August 2023 wildfire destroyed Lahaina town and killed a large number of people. Lahaina sits between Ka'anapali and Kapalua, so it is directly relevant to any West Maui booking. Reporting through 2026 describes a town still rebuilding: much of the historic Front Street core remains closed while surviving restaurants, shops and harbour operators trade and depend on visitors returning. Resorts in Ka'anapali and Kapalua are operating.
How to visit West Maui responsibly. Book the resorts, eat in the restaurants that are open, use local operators, and treat closed areas as closed rather than as sightseeing. Lahaina's destruction is not scenery and it is not colour for a travel guide. Tourism is a large part of how West Maui recovers, which is why the honest answer to "should we still go" is yes, carefully.
Timing. Avoid the winter holiday season, which is extremely crowded and measurably diminished for the money. The best windows are April to June and September to November, with fewer crowds and lower rates. Come in March for whales off Maui, and May to September for Kauai's North Shore.
Is Hawaii worth luxury money? Honestly, only on the right island and in the right month. At 1,500 US dollars a night in late December you are paying a premium for crowding. The same property in early May, with a rental car and a day trip plan, is one of the best value luxury beach holidays available to an American traveller, and it costs a fraction of the long haul alternatives.
