This was our first trip to Maui and we did our research reading many, many reviews before finally booking. Let me just say upfront what you might have discovered as well, all of the Luaus have both great and terrible reviews. Frankly, it caused me to delay booking because I was so worried about picking the wrong one and spending so much money for a sub-par experience. But finally my fear of missing out caused me to make a decision.
This was our first Luau so we do not have others to compare against. I will say this one was more reasonable in cost @ $180 person versus others that were well over $200. A coworker of mine had attended the more expensive one and had told me it was very good, but not really worth the price. So the fact that this one was directly oceanfront where you could enjoy the beautiful Maui sunset was another big plus. You can also catch a view of the cliff divers @ approx. 6:30pm diving off the rocks at Black Rock Beach.
We were greeted by very friendly staff all throughout and after what I would say was an excellent buffet and a really nice show with talented performers and an impressive fire handling finale, this show gets 5 stars for quality and entertainment experience. I read some of the negative reviews from those who were seated in the back tables. I completely understand why they felt that way. Location, location, location! Fortunately, we booked early enough (6 weeks ahead) to be at table 12 of approx. 68 total.
They do start the buffet from the front so if you are in the back half of the table list, you will surely risk being disappointed having to wait longer for food with a distant view of the stage. Critical advice is BOOK EARLY no matter which one you decide on because all the Luaus seem to prioritize seating based upon time of booking. No, the drinks are not top shelf but don’t worry about drinking, stay sober and enjoy the delicious food and amazing show!