Grand Wailea, a Waldorf Astoria Resort has the ideal location sitting on Maui's Wailea Beach surrounded by 40 acres of lush, tropical gardens. This luxurious resort has beautiful views, Hawaiian spirit (the laid-back aloha vibe the islands are famous for) and plenty of amenities.
The Rooms
There are 776 rooms, all with private lanais. Rooms are spacious (starting at 640 square feet) and are steps from resort activities, restaurants, and shops. Views vary—be sure to request an ocean or partial ocean, it's a great view when you're on your lanai. You can also upgrade to a luxury suite for additional space including a separate living area and plush bedroom. For the ultimate in luxury, go even further and book a Ho'olei Villa. These enormous three-bedroom villas start at 3,200 square feet and come with a gourmet kitchen, on-site concierge and a private pool for villa guests.
The Spa
Grand Wailea features a new spa concept called Mōhalu by Spa Grande. There are 19 treatment suites all with views of the garden or ocean. Services include their signature Pala'au Journey, a traditional Hawaiian-style massage, and the Honey Macadamia Nut Indulgence, a full body treatment that includes a bee propolis mask to soften the skin followed by a luxurious whipped honey and macadamia nut oil massage. Hawaiian Lomilomi is also a fan favorite.
The Restaurants
Humuhumunukunukuapua'a is the resort's signature restaurant and is very popular for both locals and hotel guests. The restaurant is named after Hawaii's state fish. Humuhumu (for short) focuses on fresh, local Hawaiian cuisine like the Mac Nut Crusted Mahi and the Humuhumu Surf and Turf, a prime beef filet and lobster tail served with a red wine sauce. The restaurant floats above an oceanfront lagoon and features a circular bar that doubles as an aquarium, allowing guests to dine alongside colorful fish and coral.
For a more casual meal, head to the Bistro Molokini—an outdoor restaurant that serves up a variety of signature cocktails, beer and wine. Menu favorites include clams with charred green onion; oven-roasted chicken; and the watermelon and feta cheese salad.
Café Kula is a great option if you're in a hurry and need something to grab and go. For breakfast, they have smoothies, a variety of fresh juices, croissants, oatmeal, fruit and breakfast bowls. For lunch and dinner, they have poke bowls, sandwiches, burgers, and paninis. They also serve up Honolulu coffee and Hawaiian-style pizza.
The Activities
One of the most popular activities (it books months in advance) is the weekly luaus, where guests can enjoy a three-course menu featuring traditional local cuisine while experiencing authentic Hawaiian music and culture. The performance features artistic representation through various forms of dance art such as aerialist hula, hula in a 40-foot parachute, a mermaid stage performance and world-class choreography and costuming.
The Pools
Be sure to rent a cabana by the pool. It's not only super relaxing, but the attendants will come by regularly to bring snacks and take food and drink orders. Plus, having a private spot, with plenty of shade, makes for a relaxing vacation. There are cabanas by both the adult and activity pool and they also have Casabellas for rent (these are partial shade loungers that seat two).
If you're traveling with kids, they will love the lava tube slide. It's a three-story slide that can go up to 22 miles per hour (it takes 14 seconds from start to finish). The popular Wailea Canyon activity pool is 2,000-feet-long, 25,700 square feet and 770,000-gallons of water. The pool area consists of nine individual pools on six different levels, connected by a river that carries swimmers along whitewater rapids and gentle currents. It also has a Tarzan pool with a rope swing, a sand beach, six waterfalls, caves, three Jacuzzis, the world's first water elevator, and a swim-up bar.
If you're looking for something adults-only, head to the hibiscus pool, named for the giant hibiscus flower inlaid on the bottom of the pool made from over 630,000 pieces of mosaic tile. The entire pool contains over 2.2 million individual tiles and features two Jacuzzis.
