SHOSHOSHO

On both my stays at the Four Seasons Maui (April and July) I found the hotel to be busy and lacking the Four Seasons feel and attention to detail. Wait times at the restaurants were long, and tables not ready at reservations usually waited 30-45 minutes past reservation time. The only real upside is the club level which serves great food. Pool was mobbed as was the beach.

The Hotel Hana-Maui has definitely seen better days.

For tranquility with a Hawaii feel it has to be the St. Regis, Princeville. One of my world-wide favorites.

DJGMaster1

My preference would be either the Kea Lani or the FS is I was looking for a romantic getaway, and the Grand Wailea if I were traveling with kids.

petep

HAs anyone stayed at the FS or GW during late Sept.? We are heading there this year for our honeymoon and would like to get an idea of how packed it may.

OH, if anyone has any other suggestions feel free to pm me as I don't want to hijack this thread with alternatives

nnn

I think the FS is of a higher class and quality than the Grand Wailea.

I'd pick the GW over the FS only if you have kids who would enjoy the water park. Actually, even then, I'd stay at the FS and buy the kids day passes to the GW's pools.

aesla11

Has anyone tried this Hotel/Condo? It seems that they are closely related to GW. Seem pretty luxury.

KatW

We four adults and two children, ages 7 and 11 are considering the GW for a week in July. This hotel is on the short list primarily for the sake of the kids. Zoo comments, however give me pause. We are staying in the Napua Tower -- will that diminish the Zoo-like atmosphere? Also thinking of renting a cabana for two says although the price is gobsmacking.

CRAZ8

This is a busy hotel, mainly due to its size.

Last time I stayed here, the Adult Pool was closed for maintenance, and the temporary "Adult Pool" was at the top of the lazy river, so lots of kids came through there, so we never actually spent time at that pool, but there are many, many other places around the pool area.

Getting some sort of space at the pool was much, much easier at the GW than at the Four Seasons though, even when busy! (Who on earth wants to be at the pool at 7am to get seats? That really doesn't feel very 'Four Seasoney' to me - I never did get a seat at that pool!)

Since you'll be with kids, this is a great place for them. The breakfast was really good too!

Our last trip to the Big Island, we stayed at the Fairmont. We got Cabanas for multiple days at $250 per day. Mrs CRAZ8 pointed out we were still spending much, much less that the Four Seasons Hualalai and the guy serving us was the best service person at that hotel (by a long way - if I ran a service company I'd hire this guy in 2 minutes at double what Fairmont was paying and think I was getting sa bargain!). The cabana experience made that trip - Fairmont with Cabana was better than Four Seasons at a little over half the price of the FS

nnn

I've stayed at the FSM several times but have only walked through the GW pool area a few times. GW definitely feels like a zoo to me, but the kids would probably have a lot more fun in GW's pool area. GW has water slides etc., whereas the FS's pools are rather bland from a kid perspective. FS does, however, have a great game room for the kids; not sure about GW in that regard.

On the other hand, FS seems to us much nicer in terms of hard product. I mean, it's a glorified Hilton versus a Four Seasons Resort (IMO). That said, it is possible that paying for a cabana at the GW provides a better experience (like a Disney hotel); not sure.

FWIW, we have been to FSM several times at high season and never had a problem getting a cabana. At 7 AM, it's pretty much wide open IME. Maybe by 9 AM, it's full. FS Hualalai is much worse in this regard, since there the cabanas at the family pool are already starting to get full at 7 AM during high season IME.

KatW

In the ordinary course of events, Jim and I would book Grand Wailea when hell reaches sub-zero temps. Yet, this trip is for our godless children and that zoo-like ethos and the elaborate pools is right for them. And, they will owe me forever.

Truth to tell, I don't think any of the Hawaiian resorts have a proper luxury offering. Most are overcrowded most of the time, service often is mediocre and price/benefit ratio is outrageous. Years ago, Twenty years ago I liked Lodge at Koele and Manele Bay. Nowadays, luxury tropical to me means Fiji, Mexico or Caribbean. As far as I can say, Hawaii largely is a resort zoo with minimum Quid pro quo.

Also, I so loathe that entire exercise of parsing ocean view ...

obscure2k

Mauna Kea Beach Hotel will give you a real ocean view. Service not what it was 20 years ago, but I still maintain that it has the best beach in the islands and the views are gorgeous.

vuittonsofstyle

Completely agree with everything you say here. Hawaii is a zoo, no matter where you stay, although, like you, I have fond memories of the Lodge at Koele in its early days, pre-Four Seasons. Even then, though, I had a problem with the food in Hawaii. Awful everywhere, especially if you hate mahi mahi.