m0hamed

They would love it. The property is all about sun and swimming. I believe they even bought guests noodles (I didn't know what these were prior) simply because they asked.

There is a DJ station by the pool, but they had a live, and very good musician every night during sunset. You can open your balcony doors and listen, watch the sunset from the beach or pool, or shut your doors and you ain't hear it at all.

There is a kids club but I think the age range was 5-10? I'm not sure if the recreation attendants are trained lifesavers.

ma91pmh

thanks for the feedback... it sounds great and think it will "fit". kids want to go to hawaii but i've been put off by the big developed resorts, this could be a nice fit. my kids swim 2 hours per day so my guess is they are going to be stronger swimmers than 99% of the adults

m0hamed

Then go. There's cool activities for families like the Ocean Centre, zip lining, horse riding, yacht cruise on the Kai Kanani which leaves from a nearby resort.

Oh, and the hotel offers morning and twilight 22:30 Outrigger paddle rides for free. The night time one comes with the story of the islands.

ma91pmh

done. time for me to start pumping the manufactured spend on those ink cards!!!

suite2suite

Great review.
However the DJ station is closed. Probably it was too loud for some of the guests.

cmjaffe

we're "torn" between GH Kauai, HR Maui but will DEFINITELY stay for a while at Andaz. Anybody else planning to stay for Xmas?
Carolyn

Ancien Maestro

Just returned last month from GHK and HR Maui.. and its GHK hands down, although HR Maui is new and nicely renovated.

We found that GHK service and layout of the grounds to be impeccable. Will be returning next year.. I've currently have 21 nights at GHK booked.

Shall be in FL for Christmas Break.

tjbrooks

Awesome review. It sounds like they're being very receptive to feedback. I was one of the skeptical ones about their farm-table claims, but your pictures make it look amazing, there was just some bad info at first.
I highly recommend everyone try the apple bananas, (the browner the better), and the round yellow lilikoi (the wrinklier the better).

Has anyone noticed a kids menu?

calflygirl

One of the TripAdvisor reviews says that there are no kids menu, which is especially problematic considering the high caliber of food the hotel appears to offer. I'm hoping the hotel adds a kids menu before I go early next year. If not, it sounds like the staff is extremely accommodating and I'm sure they could come up with something. Or we find something in the Market, or my little one eats more "grown up" food. Regardless, I'm looking forward to a wonderful stay.

Keep up with the great reviews, gang!

jayer

The Good:

• Various pools with a view.
• A quieter tranquility pool (with no view).
• A real sand-bottom beach (Hawaii is usually full of rocks).
• Decent if not great snorkeling at either end of the beach (staff members tell me it's more of a spearfishing reef for the locals if they go out far enough, but "some" fish to see and heavy on the turtles, but requires a bit of experience (meaning you have to have a clue and can't just throw the kids in. A bit shallow and lots of rocks just below surface).
• Beach chairs are included.
• Overwhelmingly very young and extroverted staff (mostly new to the industry so not yet jaded), who are only too happy to converse and help. (Personally I'm old and introverted. I just act out on FlyerTalk).
• The breakfast experience (for $45 a person it should be an experience, but it really was). Not so much the best food you ever had as it really was a unique hour. (You can justify a few mattress runs just to be a Diamond for that price). I can't decide if I want to adopt the server or fly her in to meet our son.

The Bad

• Even for an Andaz in Hawaii at Wailea the food is high.
• I really don't like being forced to valet park. After having also visited the Maui Hyatt this trip, I am reminded space is tight and hotel guests are not always disciplined about taking a single spot, but it makes me feel like a dining captive (which may be their plan).
• The rooms are quirky and small. A maze to get out your lanai door and the bath is cramped. But you do get the mandatory large but strange Andaz shower complete with optional voyeurism window.

The Mystery

• The staff all seemed to know the place is at 38% occupancy. Another wing recently opened, but they are not expecting to be fully open, or much fuller, till a sold-out Christmas. Maybe they ratchet up staff a bit by then, but I doubt in the same proportions they are now. I really suspect the cute new kids don't realize what is coming (an opinion shared by one industry-veteran employee we spoke to). Guess we'll see if they can mantain the joy joy happy happy and nobody run out the door screaming when it is packed.
• There are several pools, but time will tell if its enough to absorb a full hotel with a few teenagers thrown in the mix. Throw the same question in on the dining room.
• As mentioned downthread and like I've seen in NYC, the average guest age in house was much older than the target market. So do they adjust to that or what? By the same token I'm not sure how many children the place can absorb before the vibe changes.

ma91pmh

Nice write up jayer.

Your last point is a real interesting one. Even in the cities like NYC you see this issue with Andaz. They seem to be trying to appeal to a young hip crowd, but end up getting an older-was-hip-ten-years-ago-and-not-to-un-hip-now one.

In fact I question the branding of all these resort hotels. Park Hyatt Maldives (my fave place in the world!) is another example. I think they may need a new brand like "Andaz Resorts" or something completely new that is high end upscale resorts targeted to a would-be-hipper crowd. Seems like this place fits the bill and places like this and PHM should be branded on their own and not next to what are essentially city hotel brands.

My 2 cents

m0hamed

During our week there were young couples, older retirees, families with teens, families with newborns and gays. Looked very diverse to us.

FD1971

Very good points, I commented on Hyatt´s huge problems regarding their Positioning also in post # 151.

It is not uncommon to have a demographic older than originally targeted, especially in the luxury segment and above, however the Andaz case is a special one.

It is very difficult to remember another brand desperately trying to be as hip & cool as Andaz, unfortunately for Hyatt the market was never willing to follow their lead into this Ian Schrager / W / independant design hotel dominated segment.

So six years after the first Andaz at LSS, the brand is lost somewhere between organic $ 12 onion rings and DJ´s by the pool and downscaled mini bars trying to explain to customers that an Orangina is hip, urban, if not organic.

Again, it seems to work in San Diego on weekends, in West Hollywood on a few more days, but under the bottom line, it is a disgrace for a brand that used to lead the industry in Innovation, Architecture and Design.

FD1971

I never experienced any Hyatt Resort that functioned well during 100% occupancy, even the ones with plenty of real estate like the Grand Bali, Grand Cypress or Lost Pines.

I always tried to avoid them and arrived a week after the huge crowds left.

With far less real estate available and an unexperienced staff at Wailea, I can only recommend to consider the Options.

You do not buy a car during the first months of production, even the ones from Germany, so you should also not expect too much from a hotel during the first months of operation, even from a Hyatt

FD1971

$ 12.35 is the price charged for onion rings at the Arizona Biltmore, a Waldorf Resort.

I have to admit they were delicious. The serving was about double the size you can see here.

BTW,

Mohamed, Thanks for the post. ^