Grand Wailea, A Waldorf Astoria Resort {US-HI}
Oct 1, 2021, 6:32 am
#616
Join Date: May 2018
Posts: 23
Oct 1, 2021, 7:43 am
#617
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Michigan, USA
Programs: Hilton Diamond; Delta Platinum
Posts: 552
I recently came back from a 3-night stay at the Grand Wailea, which was not only my first trip to this resort but my first trip to Hawaii in general.
Here’s my overall review:
Stay Summary
I stayed there a week ago (Thursday – Sunday), after the 9/15 enhanced Covid restrictions (in Maui) went into place
(Note we stayed 2 extra nights at a different hotel, off beach making this a 5 night stay in Maui)
I stayed at the Wailea for 3 nights with certificates
Booked a standard room and was upgraded to an Ocean view
Stayed in the Wailea wing, which was right next to the Napua wing which I believe was closed
Front desk near our room was closed, (by self park) but you could still exit and walk out of this exit towards the market/mall area.
We also just took an Uber from OGG to the hotel for around $40 to the hotel from the airport, no issues whatsoever.
Crowds
Overall I felt like the hotel was a ghost town…
Hard to believe people posting about reserving chairs? I’d see no one in the hallways, and chairs at the pool were mostly empty
There was some construction, but it didn’t bother me at all
I have no idea why it was so empty, but factoring in kids going back to school, the governor’s message, and the covid restrictions that went into place, maybe the demand is way down?
My impressions of the hotel
3 nights would have cost $3,800
Hotel was very clean, but as other stated it sure feels dated. Absolutely nothing wrong with it, but for that price point, I agree I would have expected more.
Grounds were absolutely beautiful
Size - It was SO large, perhaps due to my room being at the far end of the furthest wing, the walk from the room to the pool was pretty crazy long.
Pools and Beach
The baseline to my beach experience is going to Miami Beach and a few islands in the Caribbean, (white sand, clear blue water)
I was actually a little disappointed that the sand was slightly darker than expected and the water wasn’t super clear. I don’t know what I was expecting but it felt not as pretty as my usual spot I go to in Miami, (but of course the views of the surrounding areas, mountains, etc. are amazing)
The pool and waterslides were a ton of fun, but it seems like a waste to me to travel 13 hours and pay those prices to use the pool facilities
Restaurant Credit
I think I’m in the minority but the new rules worked out great to me.
I don’t have a need to a giant breakfast before the pool/beach, so the $50 credit was cumulative and was applied as $150 off my bill at the end
I had a $250 dinner at one of the on property restaurants and to simply get $150 off the top, I really enjoy and appreciate how the credit works
Island Market
The walk to the grocery store was pretty short.
We picked up some water, fresh fruit, premade deli sandwiches, white claws, snacks, etc. They even had some cool souvenirs
Maybe I’m a little cheap, but I thought it was nice to have some of those things in the room to avoid some of the prices at the pool / restaurants
Covid Restrictions
In Maui as of mid-September, you have to require a vaccine card + ID to enter restaurants, even outside it seemed.
Highlight of the frustration was they said the 3 members of my family could not get beach chairs on the beach due to social distancing and required us to have two groups of 2 chairs. Seriously.
I guess this is a personal preference type subject but it just kind of got under my skin and by the end of the trip I was anxious to get home where apparently life is normal.
Off-Resort Activities
We relocated to a different hotel by the airport, rented a car (actually got it for $120 for 2 days, the prices dropped drastically)
We did the crater national park and the road to hana. The black sand beach was by far the highlight of the entire trip.
Conclusion
It was a nice place to visit, and if you were west coast based (shorter flights), it could be a fun 3-day weekend
It’s hard for me to say for the 26 hour round trip of flights + cost of meals and drinks in Maui , that it’s worth going over an all-inclusive in the Caribbean.
I’m glad I did it and it’s off my bucket list
This place seems to get such high reviews, I’m curious to any feedback to what I was missing out on to say think place was a 10/10 for a destination.
Any questions on the recent situations at the hotel, I’d be happy to answer
Here’s my overall review:
Stay Summary
I stayed there a week ago (Thursday – Sunday), after the 9/15 enhanced Covid restrictions (in Maui) went into place
(Note we stayed 2 extra nights at a different hotel, off beach making this a 5 night stay in Maui)
I stayed at the Wailea for 3 nights with certificates
Booked a standard room and was upgraded to an Ocean view
Stayed in the Wailea wing, which was right next to the Napua wing which I believe was closed
Front desk near our room was closed, (by self park) but you could still exit and walk out of this exit towards the market/mall area.
We also just took an Uber from OGG to the hotel for around $40 to the hotel from the airport, no issues whatsoever.
Crowds
Overall I felt like the hotel was a ghost town…
Hard to believe people posting about reserving chairs? I’d see no one in the hallways, and chairs at the pool were mostly empty
There was some construction, but it didn’t bother me at all
I have no idea why it was so empty, but factoring in kids going back to school, the governor’s message, and the covid restrictions that went into place, maybe the demand is way down?
My impressions of the hotel
3 nights would have cost $3,800
Hotel was very clean, but as other stated it sure feels dated. Absolutely nothing wrong with it, but for that price point, I agree I would have expected more.
Grounds were absolutely beautiful
Size - It was SO large, perhaps due to my room being at the far end of the furthest wing, the walk from the room to the pool was pretty crazy long.
Pools and Beach
The baseline to my beach experience is going to Miami Beach and a few islands in the Caribbean, (white sand, clear blue water)
I was actually a little disappointed that the sand was slightly darker than expected and the water wasn’t super clear. I don’t know what I was expecting but it felt not as pretty as my usual spot I go to in Miami, (but of course the views of the surrounding areas, mountains, etc. are amazing)
The pool and waterslides were a ton of fun, but it seems like a waste to me to travel 13 hours and pay those prices to use the pool facilities
Restaurant Credit
I think I’m in the minority but the new rules worked out great to me.
I don’t have a need to a giant breakfast before the pool/beach, so the $50 credit was cumulative and was applied as $150 off my bill at the end
I had a $250 dinner at one of the on property restaurants and to simply get $150 off the top, I really enjoy and appreciate how the credit works
Island Market
The walk to the grocery store was pretty short.
We picked up some water, fresh fruit, premade deli sandwiches, white claws, snacks, etc. They even had some cool souvenirs
Maybe I’m a little cheap, but I thought it was nice to have some of those things in the room to avoid some of the prices at the pool / restaurants
Covid Restrictions
In Maui as of mid-September, you have to require a vaccine card + ID to enter restaurants, even outside it seemed.
Highlight of the frustration was they said the 3 members of my family could not get beach chairs on the beach due to social distancing and required us to have two groups of 2 chairs. Seriously.
I guess this is a personal preference type subject but it just kind of got under my skin and by the end of the trip I was anxious to get home where apparently life is normal.
Off-Resort Activities
We relocated to a different hotel by the airport, rented a car (actually got it for $120 for 2 days, the prices dropped drastically)
We did the crater national park and the road to hana. The black sand beach was by far the highlight of the entire trip.
Conclusion
It was a nice place to visit, and if you were west coast based (shorter flights), it could be a fun 3-day weekend
It’s hard for me to say for the 26 hour round trip of flights + cost of meals and drinks in Maui , that it’s worth going over an all-inclusive in the Caribbean.
I’m glad I did it and it’s off my bucket list
This place seems to get such high reviews, I’m curious to any feedback to what I was missing out on to say think place was a 10/10 for a destination.
Any questions on the recent situations at the hotel, I’d be happy to answer
Oct 4, 2021, 4:59 am
#618
Join Date: May 2018
Posts: 23
I recently came back from a 3-night stay at the Grand Wailea, which was not only my first trip to this resort but my first trip to Hawaii in general.
Here’s my overall review:
Stay Summary
I stayed there a week ago (Thursday – Sunday), after the 9/15 enhanced Covid restrictions (in Maui) went into place
(Note we stayed 2 extra nights at a different hotel, off beach making this a 5 night stay in Maui)
I stayed at the Wailea for 3 nights with certificates
Booked a standard room and was upgraded to an Ocean view
Stayed in the Wailea wing, which was right next to the Napua wing which I believe was closed
Front desk near our room was closed, (by self park) but you could still exit and walk out of this exit towards the market/mall area.
We also just took an Uber from OGG to the hotel for around $40 to the hotel from the airport, no issues whatsoever.
Crowds
Overall I felt like the hotel was a ghost town…
Hard to believe people posting about reserving chairs? I’d see no one in the hallways, and chairs at the pool were mostly empty
There was some construction, but it didn’t bother me at all
I have no idea why it was so empty, but factoring in kids going back to school, the governor’s message, and the covid restrictions that went into place, maybe the demand is way down?
My impressions of the hotel
3 nights would have cost $3,800
Hotel was very clean, but as other stated it sure feels dated. Absolutely nothing wrong with it, but for that price point, I agree I would have expected more.
Grounds were absolutely beautiful
Size - It was SO large, perhaps due to my room being at the far end of the furthest wing, the walk from the room to the pool was pretty crazy long.
Pools and Beach
The baseline to my beach experience is going to Miami Beach and a few islands in the Caribbean, (white sand, clear blue water)
I was actually a little disappointed that the sand was slightly darker than expected and the water wasn’t super clear. I don’t know what I was expecting but it felt not as pretty as my usual spot I go to in Miami, (but of course the views of the surrounding areas, mountains, etc. are amazing)
The pool and waterslides were a ton of fun, but it seems like a waste to me to travel 13 hours and pay those prices to use the pool facilities
Restaurant Credit
I think I’m in the minority but the new rules worked out great to me.
I don’t have a need to a giant breakfast before the pool/beach, so the $50 credit was cumulative and was applied as $150 off my bill at the end
I had a $250 dinner at one of the on property restaurants and to simply get $150 off the top, I really enjoy and appreciate how the credit works
Island Market
The walk to the grocery store was pretty short.
We picked up some water, fresh fruit, premade deli sandwiches, white claws, snacks, etc. They even had some cool souvenirs
Maybe I’m a little cheap, but I thought it was nice to have some of those things in the room to avoid some of the prices at the pool / restaurants
Covid Restrictions
In Maui as of mid-September, you have to require a vaccine card + ID to enter restaurants, even outside it seemed.
Highlight of the frustration was they said the 3 members of my family could not get beach chairs on the beach due to social distancing and required us to have two groups of 2 chairs. Seriously.
I guess this is a personal preference type subject but it just kind of got under my skin and by the end of the trip I was anxious to get home where apparently life is normal.
Off-Resort Activities
We relocated to a different hotel by the airport, rented a car (actually got it for $120 for 2 days, the prices dropped drastically)
We did the crater national park and the road to hana. The black sand beach was by far the highlight of the entire trip.
Conclusion
It was a nice place to visit, and if you were west coast based (shorter flights), it could be a fun 3-day weekend
It’s hard for me to say for the 26 hour round trip of flights + cost of meals and drinks in Maui , that it’s worth going over an all-inclusive in the Caribbean.
I’m glad I did it and it’s off my bucket list
This place seems to get such high reviews, I’m curious to any feedback to what I was missing out on to say think place was a 10/10 for a destination.
Any questions on the recent situations at the hotel, I’d be happy to answer
Here’s my overall review:
Stay Summary
I stayed there a week ago (Thursday – Sunday), after the 9/15 enhanced Covid restrictions (in Maui) went into place
(Note we stayed 2 extra nights at a different hotel, off beach making this a 5 night stay in Maui)
I stayed at the Wailea for 3 nights with certificates
Booked a standard room and was upgraded to an Ocean view
Stayed in the Wailea wing, which was right next to the Napua wing which I believe was closed
Front desk near our room was closed, (by self park) but you could still exit and walk out of this exit towards the market/mall area.
We also just took an Uber from OGG to the hotel for around $40 to the hotel from the airport, no issues whatsoever.
Crowds
Overall I felt like the hotel was a ghost town…
Hard to believe people posting about reserving chairs? I’d see no one in the hallways, and chairs at the pool were mostly empty
There was some construction, but it didn’t bother me at all
I have no idea why it was so empty, but factoring in kids going back to school, the governor’s message, and the covid restrictions that went into place, maybe the demand is way down?
My impressions of the hotel
3 nights would have cost $3,800
Hotel was very clean, but as other stated it sure feels dated. Absolutely nothing wrong with it, but for that price point, I agree I would have expected more.
Grounds were absolutely beautiful
Size - It was SO large, perhaps due to my room being at the far end of the furthest wing, the walk from the room to the pool was pretty crazy long.
Pools and Beach
The baseline to my beach experience is going to Miami Beach and a few islands in the Caribbean, (white sand, clear blue water)
I was actually a little disappointed that the sand was slightly darker than expected and the water wasn’t super clear. I don’t know what I was expecting but it felt not as pretty as my usual spot I go to in Miami, (but of course the views of the surrounding areas, mountains, etc. are amazing)
The pool and waterslides were a ton of fun, but it seems like a waste to me to travel 13 hours and pay those prices to use the pool facilities
Restaurant Credit
I think I’m in the minority but the new rules worked out great to me.
I don’t have a need to a giant breakfast before the pool/beach, so the $50 credit was cumulative and was applied as $150 off my bill at the end
I had a $250 dinner at one of the on property restaurants and to simply get $150 off the top, I really enjoy and appreciate how the credit works
Island Market
The walk to the grocery store was pretty short.
We picked up some water, fresh fruit, premade deli sandwiches, white claws, snacks, etc. They even had some cool souvenirs
Maybe I’m a little cheap, but I thought it was nice to have some of those things in the room to avoid some of the prices at the pool / restaurants
Covid Restrictions
In Maui as of mid-September, you have to require a vaccine card + ID to enter restaurants, even outside it seemed.
Highlight of the frustration was they said the 3 members of my family could not get beach chairs on the beach due to social distancing and required us to have two groups of 2 chairs. Seriously.
I guess this is a personal preference type subject but it just kind of got under my skin and by the end of the trip I was anxious to get home where apparently life is normal.
Off-Resort Activities
We relocated to a different hotel by the airport, rented a car (actually got it for $120 for 2 days, the prices dropped drastically)
We did the crater national park and the road to hana. The black sand beach was by far the highlight of the entire trip.
Conclusion
It was a nice place to visit, and if you were west coast based (shorter flights), it could be a fun 3-day weekend
It’s hard for me to say for the 26 hour round trip of flights + cost of meals and drinks in Maui , that it’s worth going over an all-inclusive in the Caribbean.
I’m glad I did it and it’s off my bucket list
This place seems to get such high reviews, I’m curious to any feedback to what I was missing out on to say think place was a 10/10 for a destination.
Any questions on the recent situations at the hotel, I’d be happy to answer
Oct 4, 2021, 4:15 pm
#619
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Michigan, USA
Programs: Hilton Diamond; Delta Platinum
Posts: 552
Not really crowded. We went to a place that we enjoyed called The Pint and Cork that was in the mall area by market (they do a breakfast and 7AM NFL too) and had no issue getting a table. Same went at a local fish restaurant.
We tried to book Ruth’s Chris which was next door and they were full on the Open Table app but that was really my fault for not booking in advance.
Oct 4, 2021, 6:52 pm
#620
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: No. California
Programs: UA MP HH LTD
Posts: 2,040
On the Lahaina side right now (will be at GW in a couple of days). I would say crowds are 70 or 80% of normal, minus the cruise pax who obviously not here.
Oct 5, 2021, 12:26 am
#621
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2008
Location: San Francisco
Programs: GM on VX, UA, AA, HA, AS, SY; Budget Fastbreak
Posts: 27,612
I sense that the water elevator is still closed.
amazing about so many chaise lounges available.
and yes, GW really isn’t cheap. I love it as part of a OGG vacation. We used to go annually and had to cancel our 2020 visit.
enjoy your trip to GW!
Oct 5, 2021, 5:37 pm
#622
Join Date: May 2009
Location: EUG
Programs: AS MVP, AA MM, HH Diamond, MR Gold
Posts: 8,220
Wait...was I dreaming...wasn't there a new, first post poster who said something like "this is interesting"? Why was their post deleted? Maybe they were thinking of booking at the GW, and found our 89 pages "interesting"? We all made our first post and it might not have been Pulitzer worthy but maybe we could have helped them?
Oct 6, 2021, 7:53 pm
#623
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Houston
Programs: UA GS 2.6MM & Lifetime UC, Qantas Platinum, Hilton Lifetime Diamond, Bonvoy Platinum, HawaiianMiles
Posts: 8,698
Wait...was I dreaming...wasn't there a new, first post poster who said something like "this is interesting"? Why was their post deleted? Maybe they were thinking of booking at the GW, and found our 89 pages "interesting"? We all made our first post and it might not have been Pulitzer worthy but maybe we could have helped them?
Oct 6, 2021, 9:30 pm
#624
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Left Coast
Programs: UA 1K & 1MM, HH Diamond, Marriott/SPG Gold (UA comp)
Posts: 1,353
Same on other islands. At HHV, the staff were paranoid about getting caught placing parties (even immediate family) too close, and told us police have cited them for this.
Oct 8, 2021, 8:19 pm
#625
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: No. California
Programs: UA MP HH LTD
Posts: 2,040
Day 1 of our stay...
I would estimate occupancy is around 40% (50% is max under Covid). Pool area was moderately busy, but far from "normal". Two weddings and some sort of third group here, tho, and Luau tonight.
Humu is now open for breakfast. Haven't figured out a menu yet, it make be taking the place of the buffet, which I will comment on in a minute. Bistro Molokini has dropped to an extremely small menu. Not sure why. Food is good, but disappointed in menu choices.
Lastly, we are booked into the Napua Tower. However, the Napua Tower is closed due to the extensive remodeling of the Botero Bar and the Buffet breakfast restaurant. We were offered a very nice upgrade and access to the Omotenashi Lounge. We accepted. The night before we departed to Hawaii, we were informed the Omotenashi Lounge would be closed for October due to lack of demand. We were very disappointed, and expressed our feelings to administration here. While they have continued to be responsive and thoughtful, have to admit we remain disappointed. The all inclusive nature of the Napua Tower is a key draw for us...and assumed the Omotenashi Lounge would easily cover for Napua.
Have to say it is obvious why Napua Tower was closed, even though they don't appear to be working on the rooms or upper stories of the atrium. The noise from the construction reaches very easily to the Hibiscus Pool, and would absolutely drive anyone nuts in their rooms in Napua Tower. Very wise decision to empty the Napua Tower during the work. Just wish they had dealt with the Omotenashi Lounge a lot better.
I would estimate occupancy is around 40% (50% is max under Covid). Pool area was moderately busy, but far from "normal". Two weddings and some sort of third group here, tho, and Luau tonight.
Humu is now open for breakfast. Haven't figured out a menu yet, it make be taking the place of the buffet, which I will comment on in a minute. Bistro Molokini has dropped to an extremely small menu. Not sure why. Food is good, but disappointed in menu choices.
Lastly, we are booked into the Napua Tower. However, the Napua Tower is closed due to the extensive remodeling of the Botero Bar and the Buffet breakfast restaurant. We were offered a very nice upgrade and access to the Omotenashi Lounge. We accepted. The night before we departed to Hawaii, we were informed the Omotenashi Lounge would be closed for October due to lack of demand. We were very disappointed, and expressed our feelings to administration here. While they have continued to be responsive and thoughtful, have to admit we remain disappointed. The all inclusive nature of the Napua Tower is a key draw for us...and assumed the Omotenashi Lounge would easily cover for Napua.
Have to say it is obvious why Napua Tower was closed, even though they don't appear to be working on the rooms or upper stories of the atrium. The noise from the construction reaches very easily to the Hibiscus Pool, and would absolutely drive anyone nuts in their rooms in Napua Tower. Very wise decision to empty the Napua Tower during the work. Just wish they had dealt with the Omotenashi Lounge a lot better.
Oct 9, 2021, 6:25 pm
#626
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: No. California
Programs: UA MP HH LTD
Posts: 2,040
Day 2...
Humu breakfast menu is a comprehensive breakfast menu. Certainly on the pricey side, but the best breakfast choice on property.
Another wedding here today, and the convention is ramping up. I don't sense it's a large group.
Wifi is bit inconsistent. It was down all day at the pool yesterday. It drops out up here on the top floors...fine for awhile, then nothing.
Another mystery...the valet service, at $65 per day, doesn't take phone in requests to have your car ready. You have to be standing there. Why? At 7am this morning, it wasn't a problem...at most a 5 minute wait, and they had 3 valets standing by. As I waited, more people arrived, and the line started building. We have a very early flight home this time, so hoping it will be a similar experience. But the typical check out crush around 10am could be interesting.
Text concierge service is very efficient. We have used it the last two visits...overall very effective. Last visit the collapse of the pool chair reservation system certainly tested it. And it handled a lot of complications.
Of course, the weather, pool, water, etc, are wonderful.
Humu breakfast menu is a comprehensive breakfast menu. Certainly on the pricey side, but the best breakfast choice on property.
Another wedding here today, and the convention is ramping up. I don't sense it's a large group.
Wifi is bit inconsistent. It was down all day at the pool yesterday. It drops out up here on the top floors...fine for awhile, then nothing.
Another mystery...the valet service, at $65 per day, doesn't take phone in requests to have your car ready. You have to be standing there. Why? At 7am this morning, it wasn't a problem...at most a 5 minute wait, and they had 3 valets standing by. As I waited, more people arrived, and the line started building. We have a very early flight home this time, so hoping it will be a similar experience. But the typical check out crush around 10am could be interesting.
Text concierge service is very efficient. We have used it the last two visits...overall very effective. Last visit the collapse of the pool chair reservation system certainly tested it. And it handled a lot of complications.
Of course, the weather, pool, water, etc, are wonderful.
Oct 9, 2021, 6:39 pm
#627
Join Date: May 2009
Location: EUG
Programs: AS MVP, AA MM, HH Diamond, MR Gold
Posts: 8,220
Day 2...
Humu breakfast menu is a comprehensive breakfast menu. Certainly on the pricey side, but the best breakfast choice on property.
Another wedding here today, and the convention is ramping up. I don't sense it's a large group.
Wifi is bit inconsistent. It was down all day at the pool yesterday. It drops out up here on the top floors...fine for awhile, then nothing.
Another mystery...the valet service, at $65 per day, doesn't take phone in requests to have your car ready. You have to be standing there. Why? At 7am this morning, it wasn't a problem...at most a 5 minute wait, and they had 3 valets standing by. As I waited, more people arrived, and the line started building. We have a very early flight home this time, so hoping it will be a similar experience. But the typical check out crush around 10am could be interesting.
Text concierge service is very efficient. We have used it the last two visits...overall very effective. Last visit the collapse of the pool chair reservation system certainly tested it. And it handled a lot of complications.
Of course, the weather, pool, water, etc, are wonderful.
Humu breakfast menu is a comprehensive breakfast menu. Certainly on the pricey side, but the best breakfast choice on property.
Another wedding here today, and the convention is ramping up. I don't sense it's a large group.
Wifi is bit inconsistent. It was down all day at the pool yesterday. It drops out up here on the top floors...fine for awhile, then nothing.
Another mystery...the valet service, at $65 per day, doesn't take phone in requests to have your car ready. You have to be standing there. Why? At 7am this morning, it wasn't a problem...at most a 5 minute wait, and they had 3 valets standing by. As I waited, more people arrived, and the line started building. We have a very early flight home this time, so hoping it will be a similar experience. But the typical check out crush around 10am could be interesting.
Text concierge service is very efficient. We have used it the last two visits...overall very effective. Last visit the collapse of the pool chair reservation system certainly tested it. And it handled a lot of complications.
Of course, the weather, pool, water, etc, are wonderful.
She also told me (and this is disappointing) but Ho'O used to have a shuttle service to cart you back and forth to the GW and also to restaurants,, etc. close by. She said because of Covid that has been discontinued and now we can rely on the valets (IF they are available) but...and this is a good alternative...we will get a dash card so we can valet for free every time we want to go over to the GW.
Oct 9, 2021, 7:10 pm
#628
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: No. California
Programs: UA MP HH LTD
Posts: 2,040
Blue Zebra, what is the wristband situation? We're staying at Ho'Olei and our concierge (who has been in close contact) told me that they are passing out wristbands that are good for the duration so we don't have to get new ones every day...not sure if that's for everyone or a Ho'Olei perk?
She also told me (and this is disappointing) but Ho'O used to have a shuttle service to cart you back and forth to the GW and also to restaurants,, etc. close by. She said because of Covid that has been discontinued and now we can rely on the valets (IF they are available) but...and this is a good alternative...we will get a dash card so we can valet for free every time we want to go over to the GW.
She also told me (and this is disappointing) but Ho'O used to have a shuttle service to cart you back and forth to the GW and also to restaurants,, etc. close by. She said because of Covid that has been discontinued and now we can rely on the valets (IF they are available) but...and this is a good alternative...we will get a dash card so we can valet for free every time we want to go over to the GW.
Can't help you with the transport issue, but will ask if I see an opportunity.
Oct 9, 2021, 7:15 pm
#629
Join Date: May 2009
Location: EUG
Programs: AS MVP, AA MM, HH Diamond, MR Gold
Posts: 8,220
Fantastic that they have done the wristband thing!
There's no transport "issue", we were told that the shuttle/golf cart thing no longer exists, we can valet for free with our own car, or if we want a lift to an off-premise restaurant, etc., we will have to rely on the valets (if and when they are available). Since we have our own car this won't be an issue. I'm just glad they told us ahead of time. We won't know til we check in where our unit is, some are close enough that walking back and forth across the street is no big deal.
There's no transport "issue", we were told that the shuttle/golf cart thing no longer exists, we can valet for free with our own car, or if we want a lift to an off-premise restaurant, etc., we will have to rely on the valets (if and when they are available). Since we have our own car this won't be an issue. I'm just glad they told us ahead of time. We won't know til we check in where our unit is, some are close enough that walking back and forth across the street is no big deal.
Oct 10, 2021, 8:28 pm
#630
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: No. California
Programs: UA MP HH LTD
Posts: 2,040
Day 3 (and a little bit of Day 2)...
At 7pm last night, the fire alarm went off. A recorded male voice stated " An emergency has occurred. Please exit your room to the nearest staircase and continue out of the building". It repeated twice, in a broken manner, stopped, then repeated twice more in a very broken manner. I went outside and observed 3 groups of people on our floor in our wing. One went north to their closest staircase. One turned south, instead of north, where there was a staircase only 20 feet away. And the third wondered around looking for their closest staircase. Finally, they asked me where it was, and I pointed it out.
Meanwhile, I am looking for any sign of an emergency. None. Saw no hotel employees, no emergency responders. As a career emergency responder, this tells me no emergency in our area. I also note the evacuation signal was short and broken. Seemed like a false or accidental activation. After about 10 minutes, I returned to our room...about the same time the luau resumed their music. No word from the hotel, no more info.
This morning, about 11am local time, two 6+ on the Richter scale, earthquakes near the new sub ocean volcano off the south side of the Big Island. Didn't feel a thing. Heard about it on the news.
Seems more crowded today. The convention has had a hospitality family cabana at the Hibiscus Pool the past two days...drew maybe 50 people today. That made the Hibiscus Pool seem very close to pre Covid normal, and the Family pool was pretty busy.
At 7pm last night, the fire alarm went off. A recorded male voice stated " An emergency has occurred. Please exit your room to the nearest staircase and continue out of the building". It repeated twice, in a broken manner, stopped, then repeated twice more in a very broken manner. I went outside and observed 3 groups of people on our floor in our wing. One went north to their closest staircase. One turned south, instead of north, where there was a staircase only 20 feet away. And the third wondered around looking for their closest staircase. Finally, they asked me where it was, and I pointed it out.
Meanwhile, I am looking for any sign of an emergency. None. Saw no hotel employees, no emergency responders. As a career emergency responder, this tells me no emergency in our area. I also note the evacuation signal was short and broken. Seemed like a false or accidental activation. After about 10 minutes, I returned to our room...about the same time the luau resumed their music. No word from the hotel, no more info.
This morning, about 11am local time, two 6+ on the Richter scale, earthquakes near the new sub ocean volcano off the south side of the Big Island. Didn't feel a thing. Heard about it on the news.
Seems more crowded today. The convention has had a hospitality family cabana at the Hibiscus Pool the past two days...drew maybe 50 people today. That made the Hibiscus Pool seem very close to pre Covid normal, and the Family pool was pretty busy.