Every evening at Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa, divers leap off Puʻu Kekaʻa into the Pacific as the sun goes down. Guests who watch that ritual now have a whole new lineup of food and drinks to enjoy along with it.
The oceanfront resort just finished a full makeover of its restaurants and bars. Three venues got a complete overhaul, and a fourth got a refresh, all built around one idea: let guests eat, drink and watch the sunset without ever leaving the property.
A Design Firm and an Award-Winning Bar Director Tie It Together
General manager Kaleo Kenui worked with executive chef Mitchell Cooper to shape the new lineup, aiming for something that feels “both elevated and authentic.” Honolulu-based architecture firm AHL designed the two new restaurants, and Ashley Castillo, who runs the resort’s restaurants and bars, built the new cocktail program at The Sandbar.
Castillo already holds Marriott’s global SABRE Award for beverage innovation, a credential that now backs one of the resort’s biggest menu changes. Sheraton Maui isn’t investing alone, either. Wailea’s Fairmont Kea Lani leaned into its own dining comeback this year, too, with a similar focus on local ingredients.
Isolana Brings Italian Dinner to the Waterfront
Isolana is the resort’s new dinner restaurant. Its name means “islander” in Italian, capturing someone who feels completely at home by the sea.
The open-air restaurant blends Italian cooking with Maui ingredients, drawing on produce from Waiheʻe Valley Plantation and Hua Momona Farms. Handmade pasta anchors the menu, including a lasagna with Maui Nui venison Bolognese and a lobster cacio e pepe.
‘Upena Turns Breakfast Into a Gathering
‘Upena replaces the resort’s old breakfast spot with something built around gathering. Its name means fishing net in Hawaiian, cast out and drawn back with care, a nod to how people once fished together in the nearby village of Kekaʻa.
The buffet includes a chef’s omelet station and a made-to-order waffle station, along with drinks like the Mac Nut Brew and the Maui Bloody Mary.
The Sandbar Adds Cocktails Built Around the Cliff Dive
The Sandbar, Kāʻanapali’s only lobby bar, just got a new cocktail menu built around its signature drink, Lele Kawa, named for the resort’s nightly cliff dive. It combines tequila, mezcal, limoncello, guava and passion fruit.
The menu also updates the classic Mai Tai and adds new pours like the Royal Mai Tai and the Beachcomber.
Teppan-yaki Dan Gets a New Look
Teppan-yaki Dan, the only traditional tableside teppanyaki restaurant on Maui, just got a design refresh. The entryway is new, and the tables are now semi-private for a closer view of the chefs at work.
Travelers headed to Kāʻanapali now have four new reasons to book a table: pasta at sunset, a drink named for the cliff dive or breakfast built around the idea of gathering. Either way, it’s worth making dinner reservations before that first cliff dive of the evening.