The Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua

When The Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua opened in 1992 on Maui, visitors proclaimed the meeting of Hawaiian hospitality and Ritz-Carlton service a match made in heaven. Sixteen years later, a $180 million renovation simply underscored the union's perfection while deepening the connection and commitment to Maui and its culture.

The hotel's 54 oceanfront acres center the 23,000 acres of Kapalua Resort, where the West Maui Mountains frame three bays and two championship golf courses that double as wildlife sanctuaries. With refined but low-key architecture honoring the local culture, the hotel rests lightly on the land and invites guests to explore nature's gifts through the produce of two new organically managed gardens, a world-class spa inspired by Hawaiian healing, and Jean-Michel Cousteau's Ambassadors of the Environment program. Guests can also join cultural programs such as the Sense of Place tours and Talk Story sessions.

For meetings, the renovation swept through more than 150,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor venues. New lighting, carpeting, and wall coverings polished everything from the ten smaller meeting rooms to the two ballrooms. The accommodations now brim with earth-tone materials and local imagery along with five-diamond appointments and amenities. And the six redesigned restaurants include the signature Banyan Tree, focused on the local harvest along with views of the ocean and Moloka‘i on the horizon.