bhrubin

Hello fellow FTers!

My UNC Tar Heels will be playing in the Maui Invitational Basketball Tournament over the week of Thanksgiving 2016 at the Lahaina Civic Center.

I've already made a speculative AAA booking at the Andaz Maui in an ocean view suite. Garden view rooms were available on points, but I wanted to have some space. The Andaz is the only property that allowed me to book so far in advance, so I figured I'd hold the Andaz reservation while I see what becomes available at the Montage or FS. I'm SPG Plat, but I can't stomach the Westin or Sheraton on Maui.

I know Montage Kapalua is most convenient to Lahaina for the games, but I don't want to pick a hotel entirely based on that--since my husband likely won't even go with me to the games. I'd been to the Kapalua Bay Hotels over a decade ago when they were part of the Luxury Collection, and we loved Kapalua--but that hotel no longer exists. We weren't as impressed with the RC at the time, which since has been turned into the Montage. But many people seem very impressed with the Montage.

I also know that many people really love the FS Maui, including some very good friends of ours who stay there every Thanksgiving. If the FS Maui is anything like the FS Hualalai, though, it's possible I won't even be able to make a booking over the many returning guests over such a holiday week. At least the Andaz is super close if our friends stay at the FS as usual.

Can frequent guests or those who know these 3 properties give me the pros and cons for these properties? Price isn't a problem, but we do tend to think with cost/benefit in mind. Just because we can afford something doesn't mean we think it's worth it. Location is secondary, since I don't mind using a rental car to go to Lahaina for the games. We've never before been to the Wailea area of Maui, but we loved the Kapalua area the last time we visited.

Thanks!

scented

I think you would be very happy with FS Maui. It's a classic hotel. I've been to both Andaz and FS and it's sort of comparing a Fiat 500 in this awful Gucci plastic version to a vintage Rolls-Royce Corniche IV convertible. Don't go for Andaz, this hotel has an identity crisis and you should read a couple of posts over in the Hyatt forum to get an idea. Certainly not what you are after.

Valveking

The Montage Kapalua was converted from the Ritz Carlton Eesidences, not the RC hotel. We are booked threre for a week this coming summer. From my research, it looks like the class of the island.

bhrubin

Actually, I hadn't realized that--so thanks for correcting me!

obscure2k

Actually the Montage Kapalua was not born of the Ritz Carlton residences. It was the Kapalua Bay Hotel. The residences were the the Bay Villas (owned one) and Ironwood Villas. Those villas were very spacious and offered great views. The Ritz Carlton was built in the early 1990's on a property just up the road. The beach at the Ritz Carlton is nice but cannot compare to the beach at the Montage. Pros of staying at Montage is beautiful beach, few crowds, gorgeous golf course. Cons is more chance of wind and rain during the winter months.
Andaz Maui is fine, if you are confirmed in ocean view suite. Beach is just okay but pools are beautiful. Good location for dining off site.
Have not stayed at FS Maui, but have stayed at Hualali. The knock on the 4S is the competition for lounge chairs. Otherwise, friends who have stayed there have enjoyed the location and service.

Valveking

Pretty sure the Kapalua Bay Hotel was torn down to make way for the Ritz Carlton Residences and fractionals Then, RC lost the management contract and It is now the Montage. Anyway, have a great trip.

bhrubin

This makes more sense now. We had stayed at the Kapalua Bay Hotel when it was a SPG Luxury Collection property--our last visit was in 2006 before it was then torn down for condo construction. We absolutely loved that hotel and its beach/location. Those condos ultimately must have been what became the RC Residences and now the Montage.

I agree--the Montage in that location will be far superior to the RC hotel nearby. We didn't like the RC hotel even when compared with the Kapalua Bay Hotel.

If we can book the Montage, we will; if not, it will be either the Andaz where we're already booked in a suite or the FS. Either way, I'll get to go see my Tar Heels play ball. For this trip, that's priority #1.

Thanks for the info, everyone!

bhrubin

We've had terrible stays at the FS Hualalai and FS Manele Bay/FS Koele Lodge with service fails so bad that they all refunded half of our nights--on 3 separate trips! We have never returned to any. The FS Maui is the only one in Hawaii we've not yet visited...but I can't say our past FS experiences in Hawaii make us yearn for it.

Valveking

By the way, you might want to check on the air conditioning at the Montage. I think I read somewhere that the AC doesn't cool below 72. I think I remember that you like your room quite cool.

bhrubin

YOU ARE MY NEW HERO. ^^^

Thanks for that warning. That would be a deal-killer for us to stay at Montage, indeed! The Andaz reviews actually consistently refer to the air con being so powerful that people often complain about rooms getting too cold--which is what I call a beautiful slice of heaven. I definitely will look into this!

This was one of the (many) issues for us at the FS Hualalai, as well. Their air con is very green and doesn't get much better than 70-71 F when it's quite hot--which doesn't work for me.

Kagehitokiri

was RC residences, built after tearing down kapalua bay hotel
mauiland.com/pdf/news/MN01.13.05.pdf
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/luxur...ly-2014-a.html

re AC >

FS maui is normal hotel building, unlike hualalai

montage has some condos in hotel inventory now. condos may have ok AC. the hotel uses the former fractionals, which may have had lesser AC/etc because they were not full ownership condos. no idea though, or re guaranteeing condo unit, other than booking 4BR or doing private rental in condo buildings.

edit - FS "Lowest rates of the year" >
http://www.fourseasons.com/maui/serv...ouples_season/
interesting no mention of couples floors like FS couples 'offers'

Cardboard55

We stayed at both the Montage and FS on our last trip to Maui and vastly preferred the Montage. It is a completely different scene and really depends on what you're looking for. The FS always feels to me like a place you go to see and be seen. The Montage feels like a place you go to not be seen. Private entrances to each residence, lots of private feeling areas around the pools, etc. The Montage is on a lot of land but to us feels far more intimate than the FS. They're both great properties, but so different I think it's hard to make a direct comparison.

I can't speak to the air conditioning other than saying that we didn't notice any issues with it when we were there.

MTGKJ

Wow, what happened that caused you to get half of your nights refunded across 3 seperate trips? Also, out of curiosity, what are your top 3 favorite resorts in the world?

bhrubin

My favorite resorts/hotels in the world are probably (not necessarily in perfect order):

(1) Amanjiwo, Java, Indonesia
(2) Singita Boulders, South Africa
(3) La Residence, Franschhoek, South Africa
(4) Amangiri, Utah
(5) St. Regis, San Francisco
(6) The Upper House, Hong Kong
(7) Peninsula Shanghai
(8) Vatulele Island The Point, Fiji (now shuttered)

FS Haulalai stay was in July 2006 for nearby small wedding. Air con didn't cool room to below 72 F. Switched rooms 3 times to no avail. Finally moved to Presidential Villa, but that didn't cool below 73 F! So we downgraded to room over lava pool since it cooled to 70-71 F. At wedding reception dinner we threw for wedding party (8 people), took 1 hr to get Mai Tais--bar ran out of rum! Housekeeping fails on cleaning room for 3 consecutive days. It is a beautiful property that had massive problems during our stay. At checkout END RESULT: GM apologized in person and refunded 3 of our 5 nights, with reduced rate on our paid 2 nights to downgraded room, and comp'd all F&B. Haven't returned because they've not changed air con systems.

FS Manele Bay stay was in Sept 2008 for our anniversary--for diving. (Had canceled stay at Amangani, actually.) Website indicated dive days. Called to confirm dive days on booking. Called again to reconfirm 2 weeks before stay. Dive days had changed--giving us only 2 full days of diving instead of 4. I told concierge manager/front desk manager to solve the problem. 2 days before stay, FS offered that we could take ferry to Maui to dive instead. I declined and told them to resolve it by arrival. On arrival, they VIP'd us with private airport transfer and comp upgraded us to massive suite and offered 1 day shore diving and 3 days regular diving--more than satisfactory service recovery we thought. Then massive service issues began. Housekeeping didn't come when we had breakfast despite repeated calls/requests--4 days in a row. Maintenance (for broken bathtub faucet) didn't come until we returned from dinner at midnight despite being called that morning and knowing our dinner res was at 8 pm! Spoke to front desk & housekeeping managers about service issues, and nothing changed. At restaurants, every red wine bottle was warm--not properly stored despite the hotel mark-up. Switched to white wines. F&B issues galore--overcooked burgers, overcooked fish, long delays in being served. Was ridiculous. Finally told F&B manager/front desk manager to adjust our rate with no further conversation or that we would contact corporate and to not to bother us on checkout. They constantly tried to get me to come speak with them on check-out day and didn't adjust rate/charges at all. After returning home RESULT: I emailed entire corporate board directory about our issues. Next day received call from FS Manele Bay Assistant GM (very nice guy) who apologized again and confirmed that every issue I had mentioned had been confirmed--and knew of our issues at the FS Hualalai several years before. He offered to comp us suite stay with F&B free for 5 nights in future; we declined offer. END RESULT after phone call: Ended up refunding 3 of our 5 nights and half our F&B and charged us only 2 nights for original room booked. We haven't returned--too many service fails on every level.

KS Lodge at Koele stay was Sept 2010 for anniversary again. First return to any FS since Sept 2008 disaster at Manele Bay. Arrived to have room category mix-up; my email confirmation proved critical. Front desk manager argued with me for 2 hrs only to discover he was in error. Finally got correct room type (suite). Housekeeping issues again every day! Staff shared that they were understaffed, and it showed--problems with delays in service for everything we did. Mix-ups with transfers to Manele Bay for dinner. Disastrous special anniversary dinner at their "pavilion" up in the forest--cold food, cold soups, warm wines delivered, all sent back. Servers completely apologetic, admitted the kitchen was backed up even though our special dinner cost almost $1000. Was epic disaster. Insisted to speak to GM, finally got GM call admitting errors. END RESULT at checkout: comp'd 3 of 5 nights, comp'd half of F&B, comp'd the special anniversary dinner, with offer to return of comp'd 4 nights in suite. We still haven't returned.

You can see why I'm reluctant to ever return to any FS in Hawaii.

My personal opinion is that the illusory equity boom of the 2000s allowed people who normally couldn't afford to stay at FS suddenly made people think they could afford it--and these were guests who truly didn't understand the service expectation of a luxury 5 star property. As a result, service standards slipped at FS worldwide (and at many other luxury hotel chains, IME), partly due to dilution of service talent due to rapid FS expansion to take advantage of the boom, and partly due to the fact that those illusory equity guests simply didn't realize they weren't getting good or great service and never complained. Then FS got complacent. Until the boom ended with the Oct 2008 crash, and suddenly, guests were much harder to come by--and FS realized they had alienated some guests (like us) who always had been customers but who knew what good service really means.

MikeFromTokyo

I've never stayed, but I would be willing to give Andaz a try at suite level.

FS Maui is not as nice as FS Hualalai, so if you did not particularly like Hualalai, Maui is unlikely to impress.