Grand Wailea, Maui
Written: Feb 07 '07
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Rooms, concierge, staff, pool
Cons: Large property, lots of walking. Family oriented, not for couples only.
The Bottom Line: This is a lovely hotel with a great staff. Be aware that this is a family hotel with lots of young children.
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| cpalma's Full Review: Grand Wailea Resort |
In Part II of my surprise 25th anniversary trip, my husband took us to the Grand Wailea in Maui. Having just spent 4 days in Honolulu, we expected to relax more in Maui. We didn't, but all in all it was a great experience.
We landed and headed to Thrifty Rental Car. The drive to the hotel was about 30 minutes from the rental car place.
We pulled up to the Grand Wailea and were greeted with lei. Mine was pink orchids and hubby's was beautiful interwoven leafs or what I lovingly referred to as a "man lei"(lei is not a typo. There is no plural to lei, I learned). I only mention the gift of lei because my husband had to pay for one when we arrived at the Honolulu airport and also for another one when we renewed our vows in Honolulu. These were free. And it's about the only thing free we for the rest of our stay.
Our room was not quite ready, so we were able to leave our bags with the bellman and also the receptionist allowed us to leave the laptop and more personal items behind the front desk. We were given a map and told where to go to get some lunch and to explore some more.
The "Grand" in the Grand Wailea is in the hotel lobby and grounds. The lobby is massive with a large bar in the center. Surrounding the area of the bar are many different seating arrangements where you could just sit and relax and enjoy the wonderful view. Towards the side of the hotel where it meets the ocean, is a massive glass wall to view said ocean. There is also a "grand" winding, gilded staircase that leads you down to the pool and spa area. [There also are elevators if you wish to take those.]
We went to the pool and were introduced to the 'wrist band' system. I've never been to a hotel where I needed to have a wrist band. It was strange to me.
Check-In
Our room was lovely. The hotel is 'U' shaped. There are large corridors that jut out towards the ocean. We were pretty far down one of the 'U's. The room was lovely with a large king-sized bed that faced the lanai. Why more hotels don't have their beds face the window is beyond me. There was a fruit tray waiting for us, with papaya and lime, strawberries and grapes. The bathroom was also very, very large with a 'water closet' (seperate toilet area, with door). Bathrobes were complimentary. Mini bar was also in room, but they asked that you didn't use it for personal items. Lanai had partial view of the ocean and view of the gardens below. There were two adirondak type chairs and table. Bedding was wonderful with feather bed included and there was also a ceiling fan.
Pool.
My first thought upon entering the pool area were all of the kids. This is a kid friendly hotel. If you are looking for a quiet vacation, this is not the place for you. Since we were on a 2nd honeymoon, it's not where I wanted to be, but there is an over 18 pool, where children are not allowed. Thank the Hawaiian gods!! It was quiet and peaceful there, but very crowded. It was crowded possibly because everyone else wanted to escape the screaming kids!!
Even though it wasn't my cup of tea, I have to say, for a family vacation, you couldn't find a better place. The pool had a lazy river, a tarzan swing, volleyball nets, and a water elevator. Since we almost 50 year olds are still young at heart, we tried the water elevator. In the pool, in the side of a rock, there was a metal door. It opened and you would get in this tube, with a bench around the center. Once everyone was seated, the door would be closed and sealed off. At that time the chamber would fill with water. As the water rose, so did the "elevator". Once you reached the top, everyone would climb off and the only way down was by way of water slide. Lots of fun. My kids are way past this stuff, but I thought of them as youngsters and how much fun they would have had at this pool.
The Beach.
It's Maui. What's not to like. There are chairs to utilize on the beach, but no one to help you get them. Or perhaps we weren't there in the morning and missed it. We decided to try boogie boarding one afternoon. They have a stand where you can rent boogie boards. I think it was something like $30 per board for 2 hours. Boogie bordering is hard work. I got tumbled pretty badly, lost my sunglasses and finally felt my almost 50 years. We had fun, but finally wanted to just relax.
The sunset.
We tried to catch a sunset for 3 nights and never really got a good one--too many clouds. Can't blame the hotel for that though--mother nature. We were able to grab some lounge chairs and relax on the beach while we tried in vain to catch a sunset. Sunset or no sunset, it was paradise.
Things to do in Wailea.
The concierge was very helpful and recommended a few things for us to do. There were multiple concierge personnel to help the guests--at least a half a dozen.
We did the Hana Highway. This is a 53 mile drive through the hills and valleys of Maui. This 53 mile drive will take you 2.5 hours EACH way. The roads are narrow and winding and sometimes you come to a single lane bridge that you have to wait for the car in the opposite direction to go before you can go. The Grand Wailea gave us a map and a printed sheet with points of interest to stop. It even told us how many miles between stops. Along the way there were vista's you will never see again, waterfalls, black sand beaches, a red sand beach, and fauna. Miles and miles of bamboo. You would stop to look out at the ocean and everytime a cloud would go by the sun would change to color of the water. Breathtaking. Worth your day to take the trip.
Snorkeling.
We decided to snorkel. First time. The hotel concierge offered us options. We opted for a 1/2 day cruise on the "Maui Magic" (approx. $80pp). We arrived and boarded the large 'catamaran' with the intention of snorkeling and possibly seeing dolphins along the way. We were given a continental breakfast and a barbeque lunch, all the snorkeling equipment needed, and a wonderful first experience, snorkeling Molokai.
Hotel dining.
We didn't partake of any of the restaurants at this hotel, except the main dining room for a buffet breakfast. The buffet was very varied and very good.
We walked next door to a small strip mall and found a restaurant called Lhongi's. The food was so good there that we decided to go there the next night as well! If you go, try the lobster cannoloni.
Summary.
The Grand Wailea is a beautiful, but extremely large hotel. You will do a lot of walking. Great for families, but not for couples who wish to get away from their own little ones. There were quite a few weddings on the property and the location couldn't have been nicer, so I'm sure there are tons of couples who enjoy this hotel, however, be aware it is a family resort. The only downside was the garden area. We were woken up before sunrise by birds chirping outside our room. When I say chirping, I mean LOUD! Our door was closed but we could hear them through it. Once the sun rose, the screeching ended and the birds moved on.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
cpalma
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Reviews written: 4
Trusted by: 0 members
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