Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa published a food and beverage transformation on 16 September 2026. The release covers three outlets and a refresh of a fourth at the 1963 property on Kā’anapali Beach. Kaleo Kenui, general manager, and Mitchell Cooper, executive chef, speak for the resort in it. “This transformation is more than refreshed restaurants and bars,” Kenui said.
Three Outlets Change And A Fourth Is Refreshed
The programme overhauled Isolana, ‘Upena and The Sandbar, and refreshed Teppan-yaki Dan, which the release describes as the only traditional, tableside teppanyaki restaurant on Maui. The resort frames the work as one dining journey from morning through evening and names Pu’u Keka’a as the setting.
ehotelier republished the release on 18 September. Its copy carries the three-outlet summary, the Isolana section and the ‘Upena section.
Isolana Takes Its Name From The Islander
Isolana, the new signature dinner restaurant, takes its name from the word for the person at home by the sea. The release ties the open-air room to il dolce far niente, the Italian idea of the sweetness of doing nothing.
Waihe’e Valley Plantation and Hua Momona Farms supply produce. The menu splits into Shareables, Crudos and Salads, Pasta, From the Sea, From the Land and Sides, with handmade pasta anchoring the list. Two plates carry the signature weight: a lasagna built on Maui Nui venison Bolognese, garlic béchamel and Parmigiano Reggiano, and a cacio e pepe finished with lobster, chives and an umami crumble. From the sea, the kitchen serves pan-roasted kanpachi with Kamuela tomatoes from Kawamata Farms on Hawai’i Island.
Honolulu-based AHL designed the room around light and mid-tone blues, reflective accents and stone drawn from the reefs.
The opening date sits in two places. The Orange County Register travel report of 5 August 2026 records an early August debut and a June tasting ahead of it. Marriott’s dining page carries Isolana as the resort’s newest restaurant and sets no date. The page publishes the hours as Monday and Thursday to Sunday from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., closed Tuesday and Wednesday.
‘Upena Means Fishing Net
‘Upena runs breakfast under the Hawaiian idea of ‘aha’aina, a meal as a gathering. In Hawaiian the word means fishing net, and the release links that image to the fishing village of Keka’a. Service is a buffet with a chef’s omelet station and a made-to-order waffle station, smoked salmon and bagels, island fruit, and housemade pastries with guava jelly and lilikoi curd. Drinks run from fresh-pressed juices and Kona Coffee Single Origin French Press to a Mac Nut Brew and a Maui Bloody Mary.
AHL designed this room as well, and the release names its concept Lalo Kai, meaning undersea, built from marine life, currents and the deep blue of the sea. The AHL credit and the Lalo Kai name rest on the resort’s release alone on this run. Marriott’s page lists ‘Upena as the Kaanapali breakfast restaurant, open daily from 6:30 a.m. to 11 a.m., with a casual dress code.
The Sandbar Keeps The Lobby Position
The Sandbar keeps its position as the lobby bar and gains a new drinks list. The release calls it Kā’anapali’s only lobby bar, and Marriott’s dining page carries that line as the heading over its entry. Marriott describes craft cocktails and local bites served from a wraparound lanai with views of the Pacific and Kaanapali Beach.
Ashley Castillo, director of restaurants and bars, developed the programme, per the travel report of 5 August 2026. The same report describes Gallery Nights at the Sandbar, a series that runs Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 5 to 8 p.m. and brings curated art and featured artists into the lounge. The report ties its creation in part to local artists who lost exhibition space in the 2023 fire.
Teppan-yaki Dan Returns
The teppanyaki room returns with the release’s line about tableside cooking. Marriott’s page describes chefs preparing fresh lobster and steak at the table, with a sake and wine list. The page lists it closed Monday and Sunday and open Tuesday through Saturday from 5 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Flight 1963 And The Chartered Jet
The cocktail list includes Flight 1963, which the release ties to the resort’s opening year. The release describes the drink as a tribute to the first nonstop commercial flight from the mainland to OGG, and the travel report of 5 August 2026 describes it as a riff on the paper plane cocktail. Historic Hotels of America records the 1963 grand opening as a specially chartered United Airlines Mark IV DC-8 Jet Mainlander that brought the resort’s first guests to Maui.
The Venues Outside The Change
Marriott’s page lists nine on-property venues. Five of them sit outside the announced programme: Cliff Dive Grill, Mai Tai Bar, Black Rock Shave Ice, the Maui Nui Luau, and a coffee house serving Starbucks. Cliff Dive Grill carries the nightly torch lighting and cliff dive ceremony on its entry.
The resort opened in 1963 at 2605 Kaanapali Parkway and became a Historic Hotels of America member in 2026. Wimberly, Whisenand, Allison & Tong designed the original buildings.
Open Items Across The Four Outlets
The resort has not published cover counts, price points, reservation windows or the rate structure of any of the four outlets. It names Mālama Maui Kona Estate Coffee as the French press supplier. The remaining suppliers, the room material palette, a capital figure for the programme and staffing numbers stay unpublished.