giesen5

Thank you, appreciate the response. Will be on that website every day going forward.

KatW

Hiya, here's my review:

We were a week in July at Grand Wailea with our godson, his wife, their two kids (girl 11, boy 8). We booked two one-bedroom suites on a club level in Napua Tower which is as central as it gets. They loved it, we thought it passable but never would have booked here were it not a kid-centric holiday, not our cup of tea, we are five-star sorts, or seek outstanding boutique venues.

As others have noted this is an enormous, sprawling property. Lots of walking and stair climbing so be fit or be slow. Despite admonitions, we never got lost. The gardens are lovely, I enjoyed some of the art, mostly the Boteros.

Service here, for such a behemoth venue, is good. The downside mostly has to do with management and their corporate overlords. The main bar doesn't open until 2pm. There are insufficient restaurants for a hotel of this size. Pools close early and are crowded. There is pressure to rent cabanas to ensure poolside loungers, especially if there are more than two you. We succumbed to this pressure.

Our biggest disappointment (there were several) was the crowding in and around the extensive kids pool complex. It was cheek by jowl, noisy, rambunctious -- well, too many families crammed into available space, etc. Our kids loved it. I did not, harrumph.

When we booked our Napua club suites, I had in mind the Ritz Carlton club program which is open 7am to 11pm, continuously. Not the way it works at Grand Wailea. The lounges are only furnished with food and drinks during four short (other than breakfast) interludes. Keeping track of when the lounges are open for which service where -- confusing, discourages use. Breakfast service is better than decent, also very crowded. The happy hour is quite good. Afternoon tea is a joke (potato chips???).

The special Napua concierge service is iffy. One concierge offered a credit for a missed service opportunity but it never materialized.

I did not visit the spa but some of our party did and were utterly enchanted.

Because there are limited dining options most of our dinners were via room service. I never have experienced better room service, from ordering to delivery to setup to retrieval. In fact it may be deliberately arranged to encourage room service, an expensive option.

We know as repeat tourists that Hawaii is ghastly expensive in general and Grand Wailea certainly leverages this expectation to the max. We knew that going in so this is not a complaint so much as a warning to those who come after us.

Difficult to sum up. Our guests had a great time. We did not but this trip never was intended to be for us, rather a blowout for the kids and that was accomplished for them.

The disconnect I see here is the incredible amount of money spent for, at best, a 3.5- star vacation. I am accustomed to spending a great deal on holidays. Likewise, I am accustomed to enjoying a great experience. Which did not happen. But, I know, Hawaii.

Bottom line: kids love this place. We never will return.

Eujeanie

Thank you for your response.

As I recall you went over July 4? World of difference off season - we went in September last year and it wasn't crowded at all. Pools not crowded, restaurants not crowded. And very few kids.

If you are talking about the "main bar" the one being at the foot of the Napua Tower, I guess they feel most people are out drinking by the pool that time of day, which we were.

We got a cabana one day and I'm glad we did - it's a luxury we really can't justify every day, but it would be nice.

And it sounds like you did spring for the suites in the Napua Tower? How were the rooms themselves? We just had a basic room which suited the 2 of us just fine.

4 CL presentations not including breakfast to me a day sounds like a lot - I don't recall the Ritz Kapalua Club Level having more than that...breakfast, lunch, (edit: afternoon sweets, too), hors d'oeuvres then dessert. I don't recall going during other hours, but I appreciate that sometimes people like to pop in for some beverages to take back to the room, etc.

And I completely appreciate sometimes having a vacation for others - we're taking our kids and grandkids to a water-park type place...think that would be our choice??

KatW

Napua Club one-bedroom suites were comfortable, lovely bathroom, living room a bit cluttered but ok. Great ocean views.

I must not have been clear. The Napua Club lounge CLOSES between each offering so you can't help yourself to soft drinks or wine or munchies. Not so the Ritz Club which remains open continuously from early a.m. to late p.m. with drinks, wine, sparkling wines, lemonade, cookies, other munchies and comfortable seating. The ability to pop is a great value.

The breakfast offering is fine but obviated if one books through a virtuoso agent since that includes gratis daily breakfast buffet for two and that buffet is wonderful.

Cabanas are wonderful and start at $600 per day; that adds up.

Of course crowding is to be expected during holiday weeks. Those weeks naturally being when families with school-age children are likely to travel. With two such kids in tow, our options were limited.

BlueZebra

Cabanas are $350 most of the year, $600 during certain peak seasons. We have only paid $600 around Thanksgiving, just paid $350 last week, and have cabanas booked for early March at $350.

A little planning and the fact you have a fridge in your room deals very well with the closed period in the food area of the lounge. We stockpiled cokes and waters with the food area was open.

Amelorn

KatW: Your experience (again) confirms my research that stayed my hand in booking (on points) a Maui weekend: mass luxury with an emphasis on mass compounded by lots of families (overwhelming as a gay singleton). Also, my experience of living in Hawaii left me with no illusions as to the quality of the local service culture.

I must gently express my bemusement of when visitors come to a top-$$$ resort, don't leave, and judge prices based on the menus on-property. I assure you it is a lot less expensive (and better bang for your buck) on the outside.

Further, if you want arguably one of the best experiences on the islands, the Kahala Hotel on Oahu is much more refined. Rates for a suite are roughly comparable to a Nepua suite at the GW.

The F&B is excellent, and once I found it, I visited for food on a weekly basis.

Baze

They already posted they refuse to go shopping for things to put in the fridge.

KatW

Each to his or her own. I travel as I like.

KatW

Amelorn, thanks for the Kahala recommendation. We tried the Halekulani and were tres underwhelmed. No beach!

Baze

I agree, was just pointing out your preference to the person I quoted that for you shopping wasn't a viable option. Neither condemning or agreeing with your choice as it is your choice.

As a side note, I think any resort you would have gone to that has things for kids at a time kids will be there would have been the same experience, but you made it sound like it really impeded on your enjoyment. So, was the vacation for you or for the kids? If for the kids I would have very much enjoyed seeing that the vacation you gave the kids made the kids very happy. Doing something nice for the kids and seeing they really enjoyed it would have made me not even notice the things that seemed to bother you. You kept stressing it was not the vacation for you and will never stay there again. What if you offer another great vacation for the kids and they want a repeat, would you refuse?You can't always have it both ways. I am going there in early December and all my friends that have been there said it is a wonderful place and as we are going off season, just before the Christmas crowds start arriving we should have a fantastic time, they all did. So judging a place during a time where it gears more towards a crowd you don't like vs going at a time when that kind of crowd wouldn't be there is not a fair judgment of a place. But as you say, to each their own. Maybe somewhere there is a resort that would be good for both you and the kids at the same time with totally different sections for each. Otherwise, be happy you made the kids happy.

KatW

Hiya, no beef with you.

Amelorn

No problem. I should advise that the Kahala is going to be much less kid-centric than the GW if you travel there with kids. The stuff that they do have looks pretty cool, but the clientele is much more heavily geared towards couples or families travelling with teenage or adult children. And the pool is much less resort-y and much more functional.

Not terrifically surprised to hear that about the Halekulani. Decent-ish F&B, but the madness of Waikiki the *second* you step outside would be a bit much.

BlueZebra

I am not talking about shopping. Just getting, for free, the soft drinks, waters etc, when the Napua Lounge food area is open. We didn't spend a penny for our drinks last week, we got them for free in the Lounge. It just takes a little planning.

I agree, by the way, that the Ritz and Four Seasons club levels are open most of the day. And their club level rooms run $3-500 more per night.

KatW

Matching dates at GW Napua and Ritz Maui Club Level shows a price differential of $105, and, yes the Ritz is more expensive.

Baze

Quick question:

Already booked, with points, Dec 13-19 and so looking forward to the stay. Of course now the wife and daughter want to stay longer. They were going to head to Japan for a mother daughter trip but hey changed their minds and now want to stay on Maui instead of going to Japan. So, looking at adding Dec 19-26th. Going on the web and talking to the hotel there are, of course, no standard room awards left for that time, only premium awards for 410,000 points a night or pay $1052 dollars a night.

So here is my question, has anyone ever seen standard award space or cheaper rates appear for the timeframe in question? I realize it is the beginning of peak season and over Christmas and fully expect to have to use points and money to extend but thought I would enquire to peoples experiences.