Breakfast at the Hyatt Regency Maui‘s Swan Court was always nice. While the lines got long on some mornings, they moved very quickly. Even though there were so many of us, we still managed to get a table without a long wait.
I’m not an omelette person, so I easily avoided the long lines at the station. There was plenty to choose from and if the buffet gets boring, you can also order a la carte.
I would like to take this time to call out the jerk in the Indianapolis Colts t-shirt who had breakfast with his family there one morning. I don’t know what kind of barn he was raised in, but he seriously deserves a tongue lashing. One morning I was getting scrambled eggs, next to a very long line for toast. My sister got in line behind me and the Colts guy thought she was cutting the line for toast. He turns to his son and says, “The line is moving slow. And then you have people from animalistic cultures who cut in front of the rest of us.”
I didn’t hear him say this. All I heard was my sister saying, “I’m in line for eggs. Would you like to go ahead?” Embarrassed that she heard him, he muttered no and continued to stand there like a big, dumb animal. My sister told me about this exchange when we sat down, otherwise, I would have set him straight right there and then. If there’s one thing I can’t stand, it’s an uncivilized bigot calling someone else uncivilized. Way to be a role model for your kid, buddy.
That being said, Swan Court is a beautiful place for breakfast and definitely worth the $30 price tag for at least a couple of days. Do watch out for the birds that have turned this place into their sanctuary and will attack your food if you leave it unattended. With all the animals wandering around, I was really surprised there weren’t any “droppings” at the restaurant or anywhere else on the property.
Umalu at the Hyatt Regency Maui
Umalu is a casual poolside restaurant and bar. It’s a bit loud, as there are always people at the bar watching ESPN and occasionally shouting in celebration of a goal/score. The service at Umalu could use improvement. One evening a group of us went there for dinner and two menus were abruptly dropped on the table as the waitress walked by. When I asked for additional menus, I was informed they had run out. The restaurant was not full. Another time we ordered poolside and one of the things we asked for was milk for my niece. The waitress brought a box of milk, which had expired a month before, then never came back when we requested another one.
I did enjoy the Ahi Poke Nachos and sliders at Umalu. Note, the nacho portions are actually larger – you’re looking at a half-empty plate here.
The indoor Umalu marketplace sells bottomless soda cups for $19.95. With soda costing about $4 a cup, it might make sense to pick one of these up for a longer stay. I don’t think the cup can be refilled (or brought into) any other restaurant at the resort, but if you plan on dining at Umalu quite a bit, it’s worth looking into.
Japengo at Hyatt Regency Maui
Japengo is a Japanese restaurant on site. It has hands down the best view of any restaurant on the property. We had dinner there one evening at the best table in the house, giving us beautiful views of the sunset.
Upon the waitress’ recommendation, I ordered the Blackened Ahi Roll. My brother-in-law ordered the same thing with another roll, while my sister went with some kind of coconut rice dish.
Everything was bland, but the atmosphere was nice. The service was good, though the waitress ended up charging us for refills, which we later found out she wasn’t supposed to do.
I can’t recommend Japango for the food, based on my own experience. However, if that’s not important to you then consider heading here for dinner before sunset.
Hyatt Regency Maui Club Lounge
The club lounge staff at this property were amazing. Noni and Wanette were so warm and friendly any time they saw us.
On our first day we headed to the lounge and discovered that our keys were not working. Noni opened the door for us, took down our information, and told us to enjoy the lounge while she got us new keys. This was very much appreciated, as the line at the front desk was quite long.
Every time we walked into the lounge, the staff greeted us warmly and seemed genuinely happy to see us. They brought coloring books and crayons for my niece, and always made an effort to check on us. On our last day, Wanette gave us boxes of chocolate and popcorn as parting gifts.
I’d heard the club lounge described as a bit of a “cattle call,” but found this not to be the case at all. There was rarely anybody there – probably due to the loud construction noise. The soft jazz was drowned out by the sound of drilling and hammering. As a result, many people simply walked in and out with their food.
Aside from the insanely loud drilling noise, the lounge was really nice and the food was great. The Beef Teriyaki and Chicken Curry skewers were some of the best I’ve ever had, and much better than anything I ate at the restaurants on site. I also enjoyed their Orange Guava juice much more than the POG juice offered at Swan court.
Overall, the club lounge is very nice, with a great selection of snacks, fruits, desserts, and appetizers.
Starbucks at the Hyatt Regency Maui
Some afternoons I’d grab a chair at the makeshift Starbucks and do my work. If you’re thrilled about the idea of having a Starbucks onsite, it’s really just a coffee cart serving Starbucks coffee (no frappuccinos or iced hazelnut macchiatos), with limited hours. It’s still a cheap option for breakfast, if you’re done splurging at Swan Court.
Every once in a while, one of the resident Japanese Koi Carp will jump out of the nearby pond and scare you half to death, but it’s still a very nice place to relax. You’d think it would be more crowded, but there was hardly anyone there.
The Hyatt Regency Maui has plenty of dining options, though they are not going to be cheap. My favorite of these places was probably the appetizers served at the club lounge, followed by Umalu.
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