HotelChatter

Edward (Eddie) Mahoney is the Director of Astronomy at the resort, and three times a night, he leads groups of up to 15 stargazers up onto the roof of the hotel’s Lahaina Tower for his quirky Tour of the Stars.

The “star tours” we’re used to seeing involve celebrity foibles in the Hollywood Hills, but Eddie’s include tutorials on taking nighttime photos of the moon and skies using one of two massive digital telescopes (including a new digital 14-inch Celestron aplanic telescope), looking at the sun’s light refracted on the moon through rainbow glasses, and talking about the titillating myths behind both well known and obscure constellations.

Our favorite part? At the end, there are astronomy-themed treats like Milky Ways and Starbursts. You can get us to do anything with some sugary motivation like that.

And if you’re trying to do some starlit wooing, Eddie also offers a couples-only Romance Tour of the Stars at 11:00pm on Fridays and Saturdays that includes champagne, and chocolate-dipped strawberries. We’ve heard it’s inspired quite a few proposals.

Eddie’s programs last an hour, and start at 8;00, 9:00 and 10:00 nightly. They’re open both to hotel guests and non-guests (so if you’re on Maui at a different hotel, you can still make a reservation), costing $25 for guests plus an additional $5 for non-guests.