Ritz-Carlton Redux

The buttoned-up hotel group lets its hair down with a new and very much improved Kapalua resort and spa

To be honest, it has always seemed a little odd. Why did one of the world's most beautifully-sited resorts, overlooking the untrammelled beaches of northwest Maui, feel more like a Connecticut hunting lodge? I'm happy to report that the 17-year-old Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua, has finally embraced its tropical environment. That's thanks to a US$180 million renovation and a company-wide mandate to update and build new Ritz-Carlton hotels that reflect their location, says Kapalua's general manager, Tom Donovan. (Already riding the wave of this sea change are the Ritz-Carlton Palm Beach and South Beach resorts in Florida and Laguna Niguel in California.)

Getting in sync with its surroundings meant that the Kapalua resort's overhaul wasn't just a redo but an undo. Gone are the European oil paintings, the tufted sofas in burgundy brocade and the roaring fireplace in the Library lounge (now a light, bright and dynamite sushi restaurant called Kai). Gone are the tights on the female staffers, who may bare their legs as long as they wear close-toed shoes. (This is still a Ritz-Carlton, after all.)

Also gone is the cut-to-a-pattern spa. The new one has a subtle rainforest theme; lots of places to lounge and soak, and a handful of open-air massage rooms with outdoor showers--a simple yet glorious amenity. And it has more soul than you'd expect for a 463-room resort (even for one that admits spa-goers as young as 5). That's because local healers contributed to the spa concept and design, trained the massage staff, and continue to serve as its cultural and spiritual stewards. That's an ideology that fits for the 23,300-acre Kapalua area, known for its ancestral Hawaiian spiritualism, as well as its tourist draws: a gorgeous secluded beach and golf courses.