Grand Wailea, A Waldorf Astoria Resort {US-HI}
May 17, 2021, 1:23 pm
#451
Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: MSP
Posts: 475
The GW is a massive resort, too! And I do agree with the banking scot about the Waikoloa, we're discussing it right now on it's own thread. If you ignore the Ocean Tower which is all condos, it cuts the size of it in half practically. We only took the boat down to the Ocean Tower once just to see it.
Sounds like you have kids, since you mentioned Spring Break? (or not). The Marriott Wailea is great for adults and families, they have the main pool but also the adults only infinity pool.
And tons of Bonvoy properties up in Kaanapali area.
Sounds like you have kids, since you mentioned Spring Break? (or not). The Marriott Wailea is great for adults and families, they have the main pool but also the adults only infinity pool.
And tons of Bonvoy properties up in Kaanapali area.
May 17, 2021, 3:24 pm
#452
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: ORD
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, IHG Platinum, Bonvoy Platinum, Hilton Gold - cheapass economy flyer!
Posts: 241
May 17, 2021, 3:47 pm
#453
Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: MSP
Posts: 475
May 17, 2021, 4:01 pm
#454
Join Date: May 2009
Location: EUG
Programs: AS MVP, AA MM, HH Diamond, MR Gold
Posts: 8,220
Fairmont Kea Lani also has an adults only pool, beautiful grounds, and great rooms (all suites). However, not a Hilton or Bonvoy.
The Sheraton is too spread out, I think, and they just have the one huge pool that meanders around, and also would have too many kids.
The GW also has an adults only pool, we stopped by one day and it just seemed so boring to us, we had so much fun at the big pool (but we also went on a non-school-holiday time, so very few kids).
Those are the places I have personally stayed on Maui, some more than once, and I usually don't like to recommend places we have not.
That being said, the gorgeous and secluded Hotel Wailea up on the hill looks great for a couple. I also don't know much about the Andaz, but it also seems to be more adult friendly.
I think you'll be dictated by budget. If you have enough Hilton points that 95K/nt was not going to be a problem, perhaps a Hilton on a different island?
May 17, 2021, 4:02 pm
#455
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: ORD
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, IHG Platinum, Bonvoy Platinum, Hilton Gold - cheapass economy flyer!
Posts: 241
(If you're really looking for quiet and isolation, there's a Hyatt in Hana... sounds like a Trappist monastery to me, but you do you!)
May 17, 2021, 4:57 pm
#456
Join Date: May 2009
Location: EUG
Programs: AS MVP, AA MM, HH Diamond, MR Gold
Posts: 8,220
Others on this site are far more competent to give that sort of advice. I'm distractedly on this site because we'll be going for a couple weeks this summer. Also, in interests of full disclosure, I'm a cheapskate. I think that cat 4 Hyatt in Lahaina looks nice, esp with a full kitchen. It seems like a place you could relax. It seems hard to book for short stays, I think it's 4 or 5 days minimum. Or you might go on flyertalk for a timeshare referral, they're usually 5-6 nights, and see if they have the dates you need (you'd have to pay more, but it would be worth it for us). The HGI in Kauai seems like a good location, especially if you're into hiking and scenery. The Hilton Oahu north shore also looked interesting when I last looked (which was a year or two ago). You'd need to say more about what you like... are you looking just to veg by the pool, are you looking for scenery, are you looking to save money?
(If you're really looking for quiet and isolation, there's a Hyatt in Hana... sounds like a Trappist monastery to me, but you do you!)
(If you're really looking for quiet and isolation, there's a Hyatt in Hana... sounds like a Trappist monastery to me, but you do you!)
I would NOT recommend the Marriott on Waikiki, just really junky (to us). But see what the points are at the Pink Palace or the westin.
The poster does not give his location in his profile...maybe he does not have to go to Hawaii at all for his vacation?? Tons of nice Hiltons all over the US>
May 17, 2021, 6:37 pm
#457
Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: MSP
Posts: 475
Most resorts are kid friendly. I'd find one that carved out space for adults only, I mentioned the Marriott Wailea, we spent all our time at the adult pool. Although our room overlooked the main pool and the crashing waves on the beach, so it was fun to watch the kids playing. YMMV.
Fairmont Kea Lani also has an adults only pool, beautiful grounds, and great rooms (all suites). However, not a Hilton or Bonvoy.
The Sheraton is too spread out, I think, and they just have the one huge pool that meanders around, and also would have too many kids.
The GW also has an adults only pool, we stopped by one day and it just seemed so boring to us, we had so much fun at the big pool (but we also went on a non-school-holiday time, so very few kids).
Those are the places I have personally stayed on Maui, some more than once, and I usually don't like to recommend places we have not.
That being said, the gorgeous and secluded Hotel Wailea up on the hill looks great for a couple. I also don't know much about the Andaz, but it also seems to be more adult friendly.
I think you'll be dictated by budget. If you have enough Hilton points that 95K/nt was not going to be a problem, perhaps a Hilton on a different island?
Fairmont Kea Lani also has an adults only pool, beautiful grounds, and great rooms (all suites). However, not a Hilton or Bonvoy.
The Sheraton is too spread out, I think, and they just have the one huge pool that meanders around, and also would have too many kids.
The GW also has an adults only pool, we stopped by one day and it just seemed so boring to us, we had so much fun at the big pool (but we also went on a non-school-holiday time, so very few kids).
Those are the places I have personally stayed on Maui, some more than once, and I usually don't like to recommend places we have not.
That being said, the gorgeous and secluded Hotel Wailea up on the hill looks great for a couple. I also don't know much about the Andaz, but it also seems to be more adult friendly.
I think you'll be dictated by budget. If you have enough Hilton points that 95K/nt was not going to be a problem, perhaps a Hilton on a different island?
Others on this site are far more competent to give that sort of advice. I'm distractedly on this site because we'll be going for a couple weeks this summer. Also, in interests of full disclosure, I'm a cheapskate. I think that cat 4 Hyatt in Lahaina looks nice, esp with a full kitchen. It seems like a place you could relax. It seems hard to book for short stays, I think it's 4 or 5 days minimum. Or you might go on flyertalk for a timeshare referral, they're usually 5-6 nights, and see if they have the dates you need (you'd have to pay more, but it would be worth it for us). The HGI in Kauai seems like a good location, especially if you're into hiking and scenery. The Hilton Oahu north shore also looked interesting when I last looked (which was a year or two ago). You'd need to say more about what you like... are you looking just to veg by the pool, are you looking for scenery, are you looking to save money?
(If you're really looking for quiet and isolation, there's a Hyatt in Hana... sounds like a Trappist monastery to me, but you do you!)
(If you're really looking for quiet and isolation, there's a Hyatt in Hana... sounds like a Trappist monastery to me, but you do you!)
A few people have asked what we want to do. I think ideally, we want a mix of quiet, relaxing poolside reading with a bit of hiking/exploring sprinkled in. We'll spend 5 nights and might hike 1-2 days.
Chuck, is the Hilton on the north shore the old Turtle Bay Hilton? We stayed there eons ago and it might fit the bill for him for seclusion. We like being in the thick of things and always stay at the Alii Tower at the HHV because we love the private pool and separate tower, but the points might be too much. Any other part of the HHV will be too busy and overrun with kids.
I would NOT recommend the Marriott on Waikiki, just really junky (to us). But see what the points are at the Pink Palace or the westin.
The poster does not give his location in his profile...maybe he does not have to go to Hawaii at all for his vacation?? Tons of nice Hiltons all over the US>
I would NOT recommend the Marriott on Waikiki, just really junky (to us). But see what the points are at the Pink Palace or the westin.
The poster does not give his location in his profile...maybe he does not have to go to Hawaii at all for his vacation?? Tons of nice Hiltons all over the US>
Westin looks like 240K bonvoy points for 5 nights and Royal Hawaiian is the same. Both look nice, but appear to have pretty crowded beach areas, which would be a bummer.
And sorry for the vagueness. We are in ATL. My wife and I have an event in Waikiki in April and it is forcing us to go to Hawaii. To be honest, we aren't thrilled about going. She would MUCH rather take a 3 hour flight to Cancun and spend a week there instead, but we have no choice. We are trying to just make the best of it and stay in HI for a bit. If we're going all that way, we won't be staying for a weekend. Refer to the reply above yours if you're curious to know what we're after, experience wise.
And I'm sorry to semi-hijack this thread but maybe it will be helpful for people weighing this property against what else is out there.
Last edited by jbandy10; May 17, 2021 at 6:46 pm
May 17, 2021, 10:37 pm
#458
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: ORD
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, IHG Platinum, Bonvoy Platinum, Hilton Gold - cheapass economy flyer!
Posts: 241
I just can't feel ok with the way Marriott prices have gone up in the last 2-3 years. Maybe you'd be ok paying 35 or 40k per night at the Sheraton Kona... it feels high to me, esp since you'd be on the hook for resort fees on points stays. Or the Courtyard in Oahu, I think it was a cat 4, now a cat 6. Even HGI in Kauai is 50K per night - that doesn't seem crazy to me, it's across the street from a swimmable beach, and is centrally located for the island. But you would need a car if you stay there, and of course it's just an HGI, not super fancy. But that's 200K for 5 nights... geesh. It seems like Kauai or Big Island might be more your style, and might better match what you're looking for.
Just to restate: if you have any Wyndham points, I was struck at how good a deal they are on Hawaii. They not only have their various condo-style resorts on several islands, but they have that vacation-rental option. Finally, I'm not a timeshare owner, but some people on this thread, Looking for Marriott Vacation Club owner referral, are willing to make referrals, which seems to set you up for a 5 or 6 night timeshare deal, where you pay a reduced amount but have to listen to their spiel. If the dates worked out, that tradeoff would seem worthwhile to me.
Good luck, I hope it works out for you!
Just to restate: if you have any Wyndham points, I was struck at how good a deal they are on Hawaii. They not only have their various condo-style resorts on several islands, but they have that vacation-rental option. Finally, I'm not a timeshare owner, but some people on this thread, Looking for Marriott Vacation Club owner referral, are willing to make referrals, which seems to set you up for a 5 or 6 night timeshare deal, where you pay a reduced amount but have to listen to their spiel. If the dates worked out, that tradeoff would seem worthwhile to me.
Good luck, I hope it works out for you!
May 19, 2021, 3:00 pm
#459
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: ORD
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, IHG Platinum, Bonvoy Platinum, Hilton Gold - cheapass economy flyer!
Posts: 241
PS- the Residence Inn in Wailea is 50K per night, plus free breakfast, no resort fee, and it has a kitchen. Calling it a suite is a bit of a stretch, but it does have a king + a sitting area. With 5th nt free, it'd only be 200K. The only drawback is that it's not right on the beach.
May 19, 2021, 3:54 pm
#460
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2008
Location: San Francisco
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Posts: 27,618
Yes, an adult pool would be nice, or just a quieter resort/property, in general. I wouldn't say that my wife hates kids, but she does hate noisy kids. Maybe that automatically discounts the GW completely? The Andaz definitely looks amazing, but for one, 30K a night is probably more WOH points than I'd like to burn, and the availability at Andaz for our dates looks poor. I value WOH very highly for 1-3 night stays and I value Bonvoy/Hilton for 5+ night stays.
…
…We are in ATL. My wife and I have an event in Waikiki in April and it is forcing us to go to Hawaii. To be honest, we aren't thrilled about going. She would MUCH rather take a 3 hour flight to Cancun and spend a week there instead, but we have no choice. We are trying to just make the best of it and stay in HI for a bit. If we're going all that way, we won't be staying for a weekend. Refer to the reply above yours if you're curious to know what we're after, experience wise…
…
…We are in ATL. My wife and I have an event in Waikiki in April and it is forcing us to go to Hawaii. To be honest, we aren't thrilled about going. She would MUCH rather take a 3 hour flight to Cancun and spend a week there instead, but we have no choice. We are trying to just make the best of it and stay in HI for a bit. If we're going all that way, we won't be staying for a weekend. Refer to the reply above yours if you're curious to know what we're after, experience wise…
so if you are going to OGG for work, then andaz
except you say Waikiki so I would really suggest that you just stay on that Oahu island and enjoy a property there. Zero need to go to Maui. Just find more to enjoy on Oahu. That’s my meta Hawaii opinion. That said, I only want mAui and I have zero desire to go elsewhere. I’ve never been to other places in that state and I don’t care. I had a 30 year gap between childhood Hawaii trips and recent Hawaii trips, and I’ve only gone to OGG since 2011. So I endorse just staying on the island with Waikiki and you can decide if my opinion works for your needs.
either way, from what you wrote, I say Zero GW for you and your wife. Hyatt Andaz had a much much much better breakfast buffet in 2019. Either way, they’re soooooo much more gorgeous compared to GW!
May 19, 2021, 5:59 pm
#461
Join Date: May 2009
Location: EUG
Programs: AS MVP, AA MM, HH Diamond, MR Gold
Posts: 8,220
if it’s OGG, then I would endorse Hyatt Andaz. GW is infested with families - it’s where people like me want to go because we are with our friends and kids and we are loud. GW is really not for people who are there without their own kids or niece/nephew type kids.
so if you are going to OGG for work, then andaz
except you say Waikiki so I would really suggest that you just stay on that Oahu island and enjoy a property there. Zero need to go to Maui. Just find more to enjoy on Oahu. That’s my meta Hawaii opinion. That said, I only want mAui and I have zero desire to go elsewhere. I’ve never been to other places in that state and I don’t care. I had a 30 year gap between childhood Hawaii trips and recent Hawaii trips, and I’ve only gone to OGG since 2011. So I endorse just staying on the island with Waikiki and you can decide if my opinion works for your needs.
either way, from what you wrote, I say Zero GW for you and your wife. Hyatt Andaz had a much much much better breakfast buffet in 2019. Either way, they’re soooooo much more gorgeous compared to GW!
so if you are going to OGG for work, then andaz
except you say Waikiki so I would really suggest that you just stay on that Oahu island and enjoy a property there. Zero need to go to Maui. Just find more to enjoy on Oahu. That’s my meta Hawaii opinion. That said, I only want mAui and I have zero desire to go elsewhere. I’ve never been to other places in that state and I don’t care. I had a 30 year gap between childhood Hawaii trips and recent Hawaii trips, and I’ve only gone to OGG since 2011. So I endorse just staying on the island with Waikiki and you can decide if my opinion works for your needs.
either way, from what you wrote, I say Zero GW for you and your wife. Hyatt Andaz had a much much much better breakfast buffet in 2019. Either way, they’re soooooo much more gorgeous compared to GW!
May 20, 2021, 5:29 am
#462
Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: MSP
Posts: 475
if it’s OGG, then I would endorse Hyatt Andaz. GW is infested with families - it’s where people like me want to go because we are with our friends and kids and we are loud. GW is really not for people who are there without their own kids or niece/nephew type kids.
so if you are going to OGG for work, then andaz
except you say Waikiki so I would really suggest that you just stay on that Oahu island and enjoy a property there. Zero need to go to Maui. Just find more to enjoy on Oahu. That’s my meta Hawaii opinion. That said, I only want mAui and I have zero desire to go elsewhere. I’ve never been to other places in that state and I don’t care. I had a 30 year gap between childhood Hawaii trips and recent Hawaii trips, and I’ve only gone to OGG since 2011. So I endorse just staying on the island with Waikiki and you can decide if my opinion works for your needs.
either way, from what you wrote, I say Zero GW for you and your wife. Hyatt Andaz had a much much much better breakfast buffet in 2019. Either way, they’re soooooo much more gorgeous compared to GW!
so if you are going to OGG for work, then andaz
except you say Waikiki so I would really suggest that you just stay on that Oahu island and enjoy a property there. Zero need to go to Maui. Just find more to enjoy on Oahu. That’s my meta Hawaii opinion. That said, I only want mAui and I have zero desire to go elsewhere. I’ve never been to other places in that state and I don’t care. I had a 30 year gap between childhood Hawaii trips and recent Hawaii trips, and I’ve only gone to OGG since 2011. So I endorse just staying on the island with Waikiki and you can decide if my opinion works for your needs.
either way, from what you wrote, I say Zero GW for you and your wife. Hyatt Andaz had a much much much better breakfast buffet in 2019. Either way, they’re soooooo much more gorgeous compared to GW!
May 20, 2021, 12:31 pm
#463
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2008
Location: San Francisco
Programs: GM on VX, UA, AA, HA, AS, SY; Budget Fastbreak
Posts: 27,618
Good advice. We've decided GW is clearly not for us. I think we'll be spending the entire week near Waikiki and exploring Oahu. Right now, I think the Ritz Carlton looks most appealing. The rooms are BY FAR the most modern looking, and the kitchen is a big deal for us. Anyway, thanks for everyone's advice. Hopefully my use case proves helpful for some considering GW.
enjoy your Oahu vacation. Maybe consider doing a TR
actually i still am satisfied with only going to Maui. My child can explore the rest of Hawaii after they grow up and earn their own money. Once things improve, I’ll definitely be returning to Maui and enjoying the GW.
May 21, 2021, 4:58 pm
#464
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: ORD
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, IHG Platinum, Bonvoy Platinum, Hilton Gold - cheapass economy flyer!
Posts: 241
It seems like maybe today's announcement about food & beverage credit will be a good thing at GW... $25 credit per person, if I understand correctly, and not limited to breakfast items. https://www.doctorofcredit.com/hilto...dining-credit/ I think it still sucks compared to a real free breakfast, but seems more flexible / useful than some weak croissant dish. But I haven't been there yet - what do others think?
May 21, 2021, 8:41 pm
#465
Join Date: Aug 2018
Location: Atlanta
Posts: 443
Have a standard room reward (king bed, 95,000/nt) august 1 thru 7 we will no longer be using. Will be cancelling in the coming weeks. If anyone is looking to pick up a standard room points reservation, private message me and we can coordinate.