I have to agree with others that this hotel has some less optimal options. You have to get past the resort and car fees and walking a very short distance to either of two beaches located at both ends of the property. But, once you have that out of your mind the property is a stunningly beautiful tropical paradise. Depending on the time of year (May/June for me) every flower was in bloom around the property. The Wailea Marriott is a very serene environment and was an awesome way to unwind for ten days. The beaches are somewhat smaller here but not crowded and are quite nice. I did not experience rough surf.

I was fortunate to be able to upgrade to an ocean front room. I stayed with points but paid for the upgrade. The room was elegant but had pretty basic amenities with only a mini-fridge and coffee maker. There is almost no air flow if you love to leave the window (door wall) open. The air conditioner is great but part of what I love about Hawaii are the breezes. The room is long so the breeze doesn't make it far into the room. Sitting on the balcony was one of the most peaceful views of any of the places I have traveled. Perfect breezes on the balcony.

As a base camp to head out to other places on Maui I felt Wailea was a great starting point. In other trips I have also stayed in Ka'anapali but the drive from there seems so long. This is a great resort for quality relaxation but the bang for the buck spreadsheet calculation is a little off.