A daycation at the Montage Kapalua

There are some days in life where the memories are just so bright & colorful, they get their own corner lot on memory lane.

Venus Yi of the Montage Kapalua contacted me to talk about a Yelp elite dinner event at her venue. We discussed the details and expectations, picked a date and got excited. Well… *I* got excited-I’m sure she didn’t hang up the phone and do a little dance in her office, like some other people I know. (raises hand!) It’s the MONTAGE, people!! … excitement was swirling everywhere!

Okay, moving on.

I rallied up a few of my Yelp elites + some social media savvy peeps and we counted down the days to our dinner. A few days before the event, Venus contacted me to get a head count and mentioned that since most of us were coming from the other side of the island, that we should take advantage of the pool area + the outdoor spa facilities.

“Um, what? Is it Montage Monday yet?!” is all I could think for the upcoming days.

The morning of, I had to drop my husband off early at the Lahaina ferry so I did some work at a local coffee shop while I waited for the clock to strike 12 and the party to start! True to Lahaina style, the weather was scorching hot and a day at the pool sounded just heavenly.

I really forgot how far north Kapalua is. It’s like “up north” for us Minnesotans. Truly–even the trees and the temperature are like a whole ‘nother world. It’s so so beautiful.

Upon arrival at the Spa Montage, it was just purely serene. A few of us were there right away. We checked in, the staff showed us around and we made our way to the women’s changing room to slip into suits and hit the pool. White fuzzy robes and “Jesus” sandals were waiting for us to put on as well. I wasn’t even in the water and I already felt pampered.

We scooted outside and found some lounge chairs in the sun. I threw my towel down, whipped off my robe and got my toes wet. I decided that for “selfies sake” I probably shouldn’t get completely soaked just yet. We snapped a few pictures, soaked in the glory and then ordered a few tropical smoothies for lunch.

I just…. This view. So stunning.

We swam like mermaids and then once the majority of the crew showed up, we decided to go check out the rest of the spa stuff.

Sauna.

Eucalyptus steam room.

Cool jacuzzi.

Refreshing rain shower.

All this surrounded by: beautiful Hawaiian plants, bright blue sky and super chill vibes. We were in heaven.

One of my favorite moments was: “I’m sitting in the steamer and realizing that I haven’t been in a sauna since I was a little kid. And now, I’m sitting in here with some of my really good friends. (Insert a grateful smile.)

A dream, right? It’s like not even fair at all. We enjoyed every last second by soaking it all in. The clock told us that it was time to get ready for our resort tour + dinner.

The changing areas cater to just about every thing you could ever need. Q-tips, shavers, superior shampoo + conditioner, lots of mirrors and, kind of most importantly, quality lighting. We’ve all had to get ready in places where it feels more like a dungeon. Not here. We got out of our mermaid outfits and slipped into our princess dresses. Again, what is this life?

We put our things away and walked over to The Montage to take a tour of this fabulous place. Venus was our guide and did she ever know her stuff. I was impressed not only how she didn’t get lost throughout the grounds of this massive beautiful place, but also, that she really knew the history and the roots of this establishment. The rooms, the pools, the walkways, the view … they are all summed up in this one sentence: Can I please live here and where do I sign?

When Venus told us that we were going to check out Cliff House, I’ll admit, I got a little (LOT) giddy. I was trying to be professional though so I kept it in check. Deep down though, this is what I was thinking: Cliff House!? CLIFF HOUSE!! Like, is she for real? This is only going to be one of the most awesome things ever. Does she know this is on my bucket list? Keep calm and cliff house on!” I literally felt VIP status.

The little building that sits on the cliff, across from where everyone jumps at in Kapalua … that little place that I had looked at so many times and thought, “Man! I would love to go check that place out.” That’s where we went. Insert happy dance.

The inside was kept neatly and prepared for the next upcoming dinner gathering. The windows that surrounded this table offered spectacular views. The sun was setting and the whole moment was just … lovely. We took lots of pictures and scooted back up to the property to get ready for dinner.

We walked back to Cane & Canoe and were seated at a beautiful table–fit for queens. I don’t think any of us were ready to experience the rest of the night. The day had already been such an incredible experience. But the night wasn’t over yet.

Let me start off by saying, the staff, the view, the vibe and the air, it was all so full of thick aloha. We ordered drinks (I got the Kapalua Butterfly: rum, orange, pineapple, coconut. Yum!) and appetizers while we looked at dinner choices. Drinks were delivered and the first round of #instaFood unleashed. Cameras and backgrounds and angles, oh my! It was quite comical to get some “behind the scenes” pictures. Watching people get creative is something that I’ve always enjoyed.

We ordered our meals and suddenly, the Maui sunset decided to put on a glorious show for us. The sky was filled with every tropical color imaginable. We stepped outside to pause… what a dream. One of my besties and I decided to get a closer view–we ran down by the pool to get a shot off the water. We laughed and took in the moment.. one I’ll never forget.

We hustled back to our group and the pupu’s were being delivered to our table. We passed around each selection so we could try them all. They were all delicious, but my favorites were: Crispy Suckling Pig and the Surfing Goat Cheese Tempura. So delish!

We ordered our meals and carried on with conversations. Venus told us some more history on Cane & Canoe, then Chef Vivano and his team came out to check on us. Dinner plates arrived and we all got up, walked around the round table while taking photos of everyone’s food. It’s kind of funny … I guess it’s how we roll.