Awesome view of the ocean/beach with gorgeous palm trees. The sound of the wave breaks will be your constant, soothing companion day and night.
Location: Sugar Beach is centrally located on Maui's west shore, a stone's throw from Ma'alea, ~15 minutes from the shops and restaurants in Kihei, ~20 minutes from Wailea, and ~40 minutes from Lahaina/Ka'anapali area. It is *the* walking beach, so if you want to spill out of your condo first thing in the morning and walk for miles along the pillowy-soft sand, you can! It is windy, and when the wind kicks up - which is most of the time - the water can get a little rough/fast-moving. Not great for snorkeling, so be aware if that's your go-to aquatic activity you'll want to go somewhere else, like Kapalua Bay. The best reason to stay here is that it is quiet. Unlike some beaches that fill will crowds in the afternoon, we never saw more than a few people outside at any given time. That makes it an ideal getaway.
Interior: The condo itself is small, but it was more than adequate for our needs. It's incredibly well-stocked with silverware, pots and pans, laundry detergent, coffee filters, extra blankets/pillows/towels, etc. A lot of thoughtful touches in the place, even a tiny cooler, bug spray and sunscreen. Fridge makes ice but also has ice packs. We rarely needed anything we didn't already have. There is a washer and dryer in the unit which came in handy. They even have beach chairs on the lanai and some water gear, included a life jacket. The snorkel gear is old/not very good, so if you want to snorkel you'll need your own (we rented some). Comfortable king bed and the shower can fit two. TV in the main room and also in the bedroom.
Grounds: Shower coming back from beach. Nice pool with loungers and hot tub. Also some loungers in front of the pool that look out on the beach. This is an excellent feature because a) the wind can be a lot on the beach and pelt you with sand, and b) at high tide there's very little beach left! There is a rental place for gear as well as a sandwich shop on the premises.
Arrival: There are two entrances into Sugar Beach Resort. If you're coming from the airport, you'll want to use the first one, by the big red gear, not the second one that leads to the parking deck. This unit is even-numbered, meaning it's situated in the building to the left of the pool as you look toward the ocean. When visiting the office to check in, read the doors carefully. One is the office for Sugar Beach, and on the other side is an unrelated company. We arrived after hours, but were provided the code to the door. Simple. We received detailed and timely communications from the hosts.
I gave this a four rather than a five for value, because, let's face it, everything in Maui is ridiculously expensive and even moreso with all the fees and taxes. What can you do? This place was in line with the market so I can't really complain. All told this was a great place to anchor our Maui vacation, away from crowds but close to most of what we most wanted to do. The most popular stays may be in the Lahaina area, but tbh that's more touristy and I think we made the right choice.