One night a few months back we were chatting with our friends and they mentioned that they were going to Maui. They said, “Wanna come?” By the end of the phone call, we had flights booked on Southwest and nights booked at the Hyatt Regency Maui. 

Getting To the Hyatt Regency Maui

We chose to fly Southwest to Maui, mostly because we have the Southwest Companion Pass. We booked my husbands flight for 32,350 points and $11.20 roundtrip, from Austin to Maui. I tagged along for 0 points and the cost of taxes and fees – $11.20. Other airlines with typically great points redemptions that are worth checking are Hawaiian Airlines, Alaska Airlines, Turkish Airlines, and British Airways.

Why the Hyatt Regency Maui? 

I’ll be honest – I 100% booked the Hyatt Regency Maui because it gets an excellent points redemption. Over the years, we’ve opened credit cards that earn flexible points. The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card family earn flexible rewards that can be transferred to Hyatt. I transferred 35,000 points for each night of our stay. In March 2025, it decreased in Hyatt Categories from a Category 7 to Category 6, so you can now book it for as low as 25,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points per night. The cash rate was well over $1,100 a night, making this an excellent points redemption. I don’t pay attention to the value of my points redemptions all the time – but this aligned perfectly. 

I also had a certificate for Club Access that was near its expiration. This made for free breakfast, snacks, and appetizers, which saved us a ton of money! 

How Do I Earn the Points?

My favorite way to earn credit card points is to open up credit cards with great welcome offers that also earn great rewards. Here are a few I would recommend:

Checking in at the Hyatt Regency Maui

After our flight landed, we drove straight to Coconuts where we ordered the fish tacos. We easily split the platter between the two of us for a light lunch to hold us over until dinner. They were AMAZING and are a popular spot. We then jumped onto the Honoapiilani Highway towards the resort. We glanced out to our left and noticed whale blowholes over and over. At the first viewing spot, we pulled over and watched for whales. Apparently, November to April (peak is January to March) is Hawaii’s busiest whale watching season and we couldn’t believe how many we saw. We jumped back into the car and continued our drive. 

We arrived to the Hyatt Regency Maui around 3pm. There are self-park and valet parking options. Valet is included with Globalist status. We don’t have bougie globalist status but right before we left, my friend asked if I wanted an honorary Guest of Honor Certificate – which was amazing. They gave us each wrist bands which doubled as our room keys. The wristbands gave us access our room, the lounge, and access beach towels. 

The Room:

The room was perfect. We booked a Standard 2 Queen Bed Room and were upgraded to a 2 Queen Bed Oceanfront Room. We paid 35,000 points per night (now bookable for 25,000 points per night). I sent an email using my room upgrade template before we went! 

There were 2 complimentary water bottles as well as a mini fridge, Kureig coffee maker, and there were also teas available. The room had a couch which we would have easily had a kid sleep on, had we brought them. 

Amenities:

The Hyatt Regency Maui has several restaurants and bars on sight, as well as offering room service and even a Starbucks. We didn’t have enough time to experience them all. But, we ate the Club Access Breakfast every morning which was our absolute favorite. We loved eating outdoors and watching the sunrise and the whales in the background. The view couldn’t be better. The coconut overnight oats were incredible and I am already planning on looking for a “dupe” recipe. For lunch we would often explore and eat off property. Our first day we walked over to Whalers Village and ate acai bowls at Island Coffee Company. We got the Waialua Moana Bowl and paid extra for the frozen haupia cream. So dang good!

Our Maui itinerary:

Olivine Pools (15 min hike down)

Nakalele Blowhole (15 min hike down)

Kayak Olowalu Whale Watching – this was an once in a life time experience. We did not want to go because – well, whales are big powerful creatures and we were nervous to be out on kayaks. I’m SO GLAD WE WENT. It was truly so cool. If you want to be on something bigger than a kayak – you can book a boat tour and watch from a distance.

Road to Hana (do the Shaka Guide – this is an app you download on your phone. It’s 100% worth the money, that’s what we did this on our last trip)

Snorkeling for Turtles at Honokeana Bay 

Boogie Boarding at Napili Beach (rent snorkel gear and boogie boards from Snorkel Bob’s)

Favorite Food:

Coconuts (Fish Tacos)

Leodas Pies (Key Lime and Chocolate Mac Nut were our winners)

Miss Arepa

The Gazebo Restaurant (white chocolate mac nut pancakes and fried rice)

Ululani’s Hawaiian Shave Ice

Walk to Whalers Village for Açaí bowls at Hawaiian Village Coffee

Food recommendations we didn’t get to (from a local):

Tasaka Guri Guri – (it’s like ice cream/sherbet, but better). You can find it in Kahului at the Maui Mall – they have only 2 flavors and take cash only.

Four Sisters Bakery in Wailuku for the absolute best bread. Order Malasadas, butter rolls, and cascaron. They sell out early in the morning so get there before 10AM! Cash only

Sam Satos in Wailuku for lunch!

Where We Stayed:

Hyatt Regency Maui (35,000 points a night and $0)

Napili Beach Resort (our friends chose this and we had to pay real money 😅👀)

In Summary

We absolutely loved our visit to Maui and plan to return with our kids. Considering the fact that you can get to Maui on award flights, stay at the Hyatt Regency Maui for literally $0, and explore all of the natural beauty that Hawaii has to offer, it truly is such a family freindly and AFFORDABLE bucket list trip. I can’t wait to hear where you explore!

Happy Travels! Xo – Amber

Questions? Reach out to me here!