[ARCHIVE to 2019] Grand Wailea, A Waldorf Astoria Resort {US-HI}
Mar 27, 2017, 2:35 pm
#1981
Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 91
I think the GW is now off of our list. We use to stay once every year or so on points, but not anymore. The hotel is going downhill, but the points are going through the roof. With the Points & Money option now, I think they are trying to generate revenue through this avenue.
Mar 27, 2017, 5:23 pm
#1982
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Chicagoland/ORD
Programs: UA Million Miler (Gold), Hilton Diamond, Marriott Gold
Posts: 3,458
Mar 28, 2017, 12:48 pm
#1983
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: CMH
Programs: US. HH Diamond but chasing Hyatt
Posts: 108
Mar 28, 2017, 9:59 pm
#1984
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: OGG
Programs: AA Plat, A List Pref, Marriott Ambassador
Posts: 356
We stayed over the 4th of July last summer at the 70k point level...it may have been luck but we booked it at 9 months out...
Mar 29, 2017, 1:19 pm
#1985
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Palo Alto, CA, USA
Posts: 3,222
We have booked a week over 4th of July in a Napua Club King room and a Napua suite (deliberately not connected). Taking our godchild, his wife, two kids (8 and 11). The cost is, of course, hefty ... and never seems to end. $600 a day for a cabana (we've booked for five days), $30 a day parking, resort fee on top of room charge, $100 a day per kid for children's program (half days available at reduced charge). With kids in tow, I am happy to pay the higher rates for the Napua Tower ensuring we can all get breakfast plus snacks and drinks all day long.
I am not very price sensitive but I begin to feel discouraged and, well, gouged. Yes, I know Wailea is exorbitant and I knew that going into the booking. Nevertheless, I begin to feel like a cash cow. The room charge alone for the six of us in a Napua suite and room is $18K for seven nights.
Any tips to maximize our stay? Not talking about savings (hah!) rather upgrades, added amenities/benefits and the like.
I am not very price sensitive but I begin to feel discouraged and, well, gouged. Yes, I know Wailea is exorbitant and I knew that going into the booking. Nevertheless, I begin to feel like a cash cow. The room charge alone for the six of us in a Napua suite and room is $18K for seven nights.
Any tips to maximize our stay? Not talking about savings (hah!) rather upgrades, added amenities/benefits and the like.
Mar 29, 2017, 1:46 pm
#1986
Join Date: May 2009
Location: EUG
Programs: AS MVP, AA MM, HH Diamond, MR Gold
Posts: 8,220
I think you can buy a heck of a lot of snacks and drinks to store in your room for whatever difference standard and Napua at $18K is at an ABC store. That seems to be your choice. And you can negotiate the cabanas down if they are not busy.
If your kids are going to be gone most of the time at the kids programs at $200/day when will they eat all those snacks, anyway?
If your kids are going to be gone most of the time at the kids programs at $200/day when will they eat all those snacks, anyway?
Mar 29, 2017, 2:08 pm
#1987
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: PHL/EWR
Programs: AA, US, WN, HHonors Diamond, Hyatt Plat
Posts: 1,528
We have booked a week over 4th of July in a Napua Club King room and a Napua suite (deliberately not connected). Taking our godchild, his wife, two kids (8 and 11). The cost is, of course, hefty ... and never seems to end. $600 a day for a cabana (we've booked for five days), $30 a day parking, resort fee on top of room charge, $100 a day per kid for children's program (half days available at reduced charge). With kids in tow, I am happy to pay the higher rates for the Napua Tower ensuring we can all get breakfast plus snacks and drinks all day long.
I am not very price sensitive but I begin to feel discouraged and, well, gouged. Yes, I know Wailea is exorbitant and I knew that going into the booking. Nevertheless, I begin to feel like a cash cow. The room charge alone for the six of us in a Napua suite and room is $18K for seven nights.
Any tips to maximize our stay? Not talking about savings (hah!) rather upgrades, added amenities/benefits and the like.
I am not very price sensitive but I begin to feel discouraged and, well, gouged. Yes, I know Wailea is exorbitant and I knew that going into the booking. Nevertheless, I begin to feel like a cash cow. The room charge alone for the six of us in a Napua suite and room is $18K for seven nights.
Any tips to maximize our stay? Not talking about savings (hah!) rather upgrades, added amenities/benefits and the like.
Napua Tower isn't that big a deal - it is typical hotel lounge food. I was upgraded my first time at GW and turned down an offer to upgrade for $100/night second time.
Mar 29, 2017, 2:12 pm
#1988
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Palo Alto, CA, USA
Posts: 3,222
Gee, thanks everybody.
Mar 29, 2017, 2:30 pm
#1989
Join Date: May 2009
Location: EUG
Programs: AS MVP, AA MM, HH Diamond, MR Gold
Posts: 8,220
Mar 29, 2017, 2:43 pm
#1990
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: CVG
Programs: Hyatt Giraffe
Posts: 1,664
Not to pile on, but $18K a week is a very nice VRBO/AirBnb rental, possibly beachfront, and lots of food regardless.
I'm hard pressed to see how this property is worth that.
I'm hard pressed to see how this property is worth that.
Mar 29, 2017, 3:10 pm
#1991
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: SEA
Programs: DL DM, HH diamond
Posts: 330
Agree 100%. You could do much much better for that amount of cash. Have you looked into renting a house in your favorite part of the island?
Mar 29, 2017, 3:23 pm
#1992
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 4,872
We have booked a week over 4th of July in a Napua Club King room and a Napua suite (deliberately not connected). Taking our godchild, his wife, two kids (8 and 11). The cost is, of course, hefty ... and never seems to end. $600 a day for a cabana (we've booked for five days), $30 a day parking, resort fee on top of room charge, $100 a day per kid for children's program (half days available at reduced charge). With kids in tow, I am happy to pay the higher rates for the Napua Tower ensuring we can all get breakfast plus snacks and drinks all day long.
I am not very price sensitive but I begin to feel discouraged and, well, gouged. Yes, I know Wailea is exorbitant and I knew that going into the booking. Nevertheless, I begin to feel like a cash cow. The room charge alone for the six of us in a Napua suite and room is $18K for seven nights.
Any tips to maximize our stay? Not talking about savings (hah!) rather upgrades, added amenities/benefits and the like.
I am not very price sensitive but I begin to feel discouraged and, well, gouged. Yes, I know Wailea is exorbitant and I knew that going into the booking. Nevertheless, I begin to feel like a cash cow. The room charge alone for the six of us in a Napua suite and room is $18K for seven nights.
Any tips to maximize our stay? Not talking about savings (hah!) rather upgrades, added amenities/benefits and the like.
Mar 29, 2017, 4:03 pm
#1993
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Palo Alto, CA, USA
Posts: 3,222
Allow me to walk you through my thinking.
First, this choice was prompted by wanting to give the kids a memorable experience. They don't travel much. Live in Brooklyn, parents in high-stress jobs. Thus these attributes are important:
-- pools (GW has nine, water slides, lazy river, etc.)
-- other kids, check
-- excellent beach ON SITE so no driving around, check
-- lots of room to run around, check
-- family friendly, check
-- Hawaiian activities/experiences, check
-- kids program, check
-- easy access to drinks, snacks, check
-- lavish (by kid notion) resort experience, check
For the adults, four of us:
-- adult pool, check
-- gardens and flowers, check
-- the usual grown-up stuff (libations, quality service, good food, entertainment, etc.), check
-- a suite for the family so the parents have their open bedroom, check
-- a separate room for the two of us, check
-- easy access to breakfast, drinks, snacks, concierge, check
-- a modestly upscale resort, check
-- opportunities for the parents to have time, even dinner, on their own, check
-- resort experience (room service, no cooking, no cleaning, no bed-making), check
-- no shopping!, check
Many attributes listed above are available at most mid-level to upscale venues. But, the beach and the elaborate pools complex make the GW choice inevitable. Another candidate was FS Hualalai on the big island but there really isn't a beach and it's even more expensive. I confess straight off the bat I'd stay at GW when hell freezes over were this respite for me and Jim. Condo and house rentals don't tick much of the lists above.
Other thoughts:
My husband Jim, 74, has dementia and I need to look after him all the time, not available to also keep tabs on kids. We have found that the more upscale the property, the better Jim and I both manage. Cuts stress way way down. My health is up and down, never know when I'll have a lupus flare so important to have access to concierge and management assistance; cabana also important although sun exposure, if well managed, is not an issue (SLE).
I provide this level of detail to elucidate my choice of GW. Not to prompt a debate. Useful tips on how to leverage our GW experience welcome. Actually, any kindly thoughts welcome. Despite how much you disagree with my choice, please understand I don't require your validation yet if you can supply useful tips for kids and adults, too, I'd tickled.
First, this choice was prompted by wanting to give the kids a memorable experience. They don't travel much. Live in Brooklyn, parents in high-stress jobs. Thus these attributes are important:
-- pools (GW has nine, water slides, lazy river, etc.)
-- other kids, check
-- excellent beach ON SITE so no driving around, check
-- lots of room to run around, check
-- family friendly, check
-- Hawaiian activities/experiences, check
-- kids program, check
-- easy access to drinks, snacks, check
-- lavish (by kid notion) resort experience, check
For the adults, four of us:
-- adult pool, check
-- gardens and flowers, check
-- the usual grown-up stuff (libations, quality service, good food, entertainment, etc.), check
-- a suite for the family so the parents have their open bedroom, check
-- a separate room for the two of us, check
-- easy access to breakfast, drinks, snacks, concierge, check
-- a modestly upscale resort, check
-- opportunities for the parents to have time, even dinner, on their own, check
-- resort experience (room service, no cooking, no cleaning, no bed-making), check
-- no shopping!, check
Many attributes listed above are available at most mid-level to upscale venues. But, the beach and the elaborate pools complex make the GW choice inevitable. Another candidate was FS Hualalai on the big island but there really isn't a beach and it's even more expensive. I confess straight off the bat I'd stay at GW when hell freezes over were this respite for me and Jim. Condo and house rentals don't tick much of the lists above.
Other thoughts:
My husband Jim, 74, has dementia and I need to look after him all the time, not available to also keep tabs on kids. We have found that the more upscale the property, the better Jim and I both manage. Cuts stress way way down. My health is up and down, never know when I'll have a lupus flare so important to have access to concierge and management assistance; cabana also important although sun exposure, if well managed, is not an issue (SLE).
I provide this level of detail to elucidate my choice of GW. Not to prompt a debate. Useful tips on how to leverage our GW experience welcome. Actually, any kindly thoughts welcome. Despite how much you disagree with my choice, please understand I don't require your validation yet if you can supply useful tips for kids and adults, too, I'd tickled.
Last edited by KatW; Mar 29, 2017 at 4:45 pm
Mar 29, 2017, 5:04 pm
#1994
Join Date: May 2009
Location: EUG
Programs: AS MVP, AA MM, HH Diamond, MR Gold
Posts: 8,220
Allow me to walk you through my thinking.
First, this choice was prompted by wanting to give the kids a memorable experience. They don't travel much. Live in Brooklyn, parents in high-stress jobs. Thus these attributes are important:
-- pools (GW has nine, water slides, lazy river, etc.)
-- other kids, check
-- excellent beach ON SITE so no driving around, check
-- lots of room to run around, check
-- family friendly, check
-- Hawaiian activities/experiences, check
-- kids program, check
-- easy access to drinks, snacks, check
-- lavish (by kid notion) resort experience, check
For the adults, four of us:
-- adult pool, check
-- gardens and flowers, check
-- the usual grown-up stuff (libations, quality service, good food, entertainment, etc.), check
-- a suite for the family so the parents have their open bedroom, check
-- a separate room for the two of us, check
-- easy access to breakfast, drinks, snacks, concierge, check
-- a modestly upscale resort, check
-- opportunities for the parents to have time, even dinner, on their own, check
-- resort experience (room service, no cooking, no cleaning, no bed-making), check
-- no shopping!, check
Many attributes listed above are available at most mid-level to upscale venues. But, the beach and the elaborate pools complex make the GW choice inevitable. Another candidate was FS Hualalai on the big island but there really isn't a beach and it's even more expensive. I confess straight off the bat I'd stay at GW when hell freezes over were this respite for me and Jim. Condo and house rentals don't tick much of the lists above.
Other thoughts:
My husband Jim, 74, has dementia and I need to look after him all the time, not available to also keep tabs on kids. We have found that the more upscale the property, the better Jim and I both manage. Cuts stress way way down. My health is up and down, never know when I'll have a lupus flare so important to have access to concierge and management assistance; cabana also important although sun exposure, if well managed, is not an issue (SLE).
I provide this level of detail to elucidate my choice of GW. Not to prompt a debate. Useful tips on how to leverage our GW experience welcome. Actually, any kindly thoughts welcome. Despite how much you disagree with my choice, please understand I don't require your validation yet if you can supply useful tips for kids and adults, too, I'd tickled.
First, this choice was prompted by wanting to give the kids a memorable experience. They don't travel much. Live in Brooklyn, parents in high-stress jobs. Thus these attributes are important:
-- pools (GW has nine, water slides, lazy river, etc.)
-- other kids, check
-- excellent beach ON SITE so no driving around, check
-- lots of room to run around, check
-- family friendly, check
-- Hawaiian activities/experiences, check
-- kids program, check
-- easy access to drinks, snacks, check
-- lavish (by kid notion) resort experience, check
For the adults, four of us:
-- adult pool, check
-- gardens and flowers, check
-- the usual grown-up stuff (libations, quality service, good food, entertainment, etc.), check
-- a suite for the family so the parents have their open bedroom, check
-- a separate room for the two of us, check
-- easy access to breakfast, drinks, snacks, concierge, check
-- a modestly upscale resort, check
-- opportunities for the parents to have time, even dinner, on their own, check
-- resort experience (room service, no cooking, no cleaning, no bed-making), check
-- no shopping!, check
Many attributes listed above are available at most mid-level to upscale venues. But, the beach and the elaborate pools complex make the GW choice inevitable. Another candidate was FS Hualalai on the big island but there really isn't a beach and it's even more expensive. I confess straight off the bat I'd stay at GW when hell freezes over were this respite for me and Jim. Condo and house rentals don't tick much of the lists above.
Other thoughts:
My husband Jim, 74, has dementia and I need to look after him all the time, not available to also keep tabs on kids. We have found that the more upscale the property, the better Jim and I both manage. Cuts stress way way down. My health is up and down, never know when I'll have a lupus flare so important to have access to concierge and management assistance; cabana also important although sun exposure, if well managed, is not an issue (SLE).
I provide this level of detail to elucidate my choice of GW. Not to prompt a debate. Useful tips on how to leverage our GW experience welcome. Actually, any kindly thoughts welcome. Despite how much you disagree with my choice, please understand I don't require your validation yet if you can supply useful tips for kids and adults, too, I'd tickled.
And if you do plan on renting the cabana every day, by all means negotiate down from whatever the full price is. I asked costs, they told me, I said "no thanks", they said, well, how about this...(I don't want to say what it was since time of year, day of week, YMMV, but they made us an offer we couldn't refuse). If you're going during a very busy time well I guess it will be full price, but the other days we found lots of shade at regular chairs down at the main pool (the adult pool is pretty much full sun all the time).
Mar 29, 2017, 5:24 pm
#1995
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Palo Alto, CA, USA
Posts: 3,222
Honestly, we loved the property...but I just don't think you need to spend that upcharge for the Napua tower to have a wonderful time. What would a regular suite and a regular room cost? What would snacks and breakfast cost? I just can't see the value in the Napua, that's all. No one is saying not to stay at that property. You can just stay there for much, much less.
And if you do plan on renting the cabana every day, by all means negotiate down from whatever the full price is. I asked costs, they told me, I said "no thanks", they said, well, how about this...(I don't want to say what it was since time of year, day of week, YMMV, but they made us an offer we couldn't refuse). If you're going during a very busy time well I guess it will be full price, but the other days we found lots of shade at regular chairs down at the main pool (the adult pool is pretty much full sun all the time).
And if you do plan on renting the cabana every day, by all means negotiate down from whatever the full price is. I asked costs, they told me, I said "no thanks", they said, well, how about this...(I don't want to say what it was since time of year, day of week, YMMV, but they made us an offer we couldn't refuse). If you're going during a very busy time well I guess it will be full price, but the other days we found lots of shade at regular chairs down at the main pool (the adult pool is pretty much full sun all the time).
I have noted the several responses emphasizing ridiculous cost. Thus, our travel agent has been asked to negotiate with management, considering our overall spend. Discounted cabana and suite upgrade at the top of the list.
I'll let you know. And, thank you.