Ha ha So, "hike" may have been a misnomer. It wasn't that bad.

"--We used canyonleo's "kihei option" for parking."

What post was that?

Try reading up-thread, or use the search ("Kihei" might do it).

#391

Amazing what people will do to save a few $ on vacation...

All options should be on the table for people to choose.
Then some of us will save a few $ and decide to spend more on other services.

It's up to each individual how they want to spend their money.

I'm not debating that.

On vacation, our goal is to relax and enjoy every moment. Personally, I value $30 a day in parking for valet worth that.

To each their own.

No charge, and they are aware that you're saving money on parking? As long as its crystal clear, I may even use this option. But, I want to be above board.

I love walking, grabbing the vehicle and driving up to the entrance to pick up my family.. I do that everywhere.

Question: About the complimentary kids club/baby sitting.. Is there are 3 hour limit, or can the kids stay there all day?

Another question... How does the weather in the Andaz's subclimate compare with forecasts you can get on weather.com, etc?

A bit nervous about an upcoming reservation when checking the forecast for Kihei and seeing highs in the upper 70s, with 15mph winds -- that type of weather doesn't make for a fun ocean experience, no matter how nice the hotel is.

I've found weather.com very inaccurate when it comes to predicting Hawaii weather, particularly when it comes to rain. I think weather.com is getting their data closer to the airport or somewhere else which has a different micro climate than Wailea (or Kaanapali). In general, Wailea has some of the driest, nicest weather on the island, but that said, they do get storms, rain, winds, etc. too.

There is a site by a local weather guy that has some more localized info I've used in the past that seemed to be slightly better than weather.com:
http://www.hawaiiweathertoday.com/

where you can get a forecast by part of the island:
http://www.hawaiiweathertoday.com/maui.php?zone=HIZ021

Is does look like they're expecting some winds the next week.

Unclear as to what you are envisioning/expecting for an "ocean experience" but what you describe above sounds like the normal trade wind forecast. I'd be more concerned with light/variable winds, which will mean muggy and hazy conditions. Wailea is in the wind shadow of Haleakala where Kihei is a little more exposed.

We were at the Andaz for a week in January/February. The weather at the Andaz and Wailea in general seemed to be a bit less rainy than in Kihei, and definitely better than Kaanapali. The winds were regularly higher than 15 mph, but definitely weren't a problem. We stayed in Kaanapali for a week after leaving the Andaz, and the wind is definitely more noticeable in that part of the island.

Whose on vacation? I was in Maui a month, working most mornings.
And, to me, $250 isn't "a few $". Saving $250 (taking thrifty vacations) is what allows me to take 5-10 vacations a year instead of one or two.

But, really, a 10 minute walk on a beach in "paradise" is really a negative? :rolleyes:

Anyway, I don't consider giving up control of my car to some hotel staff a luxury, quite the contrary, I dislike having staff bring my bags or park my car.

You should come to SYD. No 5 star hotel charges less than $50 a day for valet, in fact some charge $70.

I for one would like to thank you for posting hints to help fellow travelers. Some travelers are price-conscious. (Translation: not all of us are on expense account.)

If we measure people's worth by how much they like to spend on valet parking, go ahead and mark me "worthless". :) IMO, paying someone so that you can wait while they go fetch your car, when you could just as well go get it yourself (and probably need the exercise anyway) is the height of arrogance. Opinions will certainly vary. :)

But I digress. Thanks for posting so as to benefit your fellow travel enthusiasts.

I'm reading GREAT stuff about Ka'ana kitchen. So it's free every morning for breakfast for Diamond members? Is it worth eating lunch or dinner hear? I assume it's very expensive...

Yes, free daily for diamonds. I also found dinner quite good.

just booked four nights here after I couldn't get four nights for early May at the Grand Wailea. Was interested in the bigger pool, slides, etc., but alas, one night was completly booked, rooms were not available for the other two using hilton reserve certs...hve a bunch more stays in may, so will probably do the diamond challenege and get diamond for the year and maybe hit 25 for next year, too.

I've got six nights booked the first week of May at the GW. I'll trade you! :D

There must be a conference or something going on at the GW so the place will probably be a zoo. I think you're better off at the Andaz.

Not to pile on (and to distract from the property reviews) but I agree 100%.

These bogus "parking" charges at resorts add up and many of us are happy to walk a little farther to save significant $$ over the course of a few nights. Particularly if we aren't using the car. I just spent 5 nights at Vail and really only used my car to go to/from DIA. I am sure many people do this for OGG as well. So these money-savings tips are one of the many things that make FT great IMO.

Could not agree more. Twice I needed to retrieve items from parked car and was denied. The car was parked 100 feet away in plain view and valet wanted to drive it to me. I had to wait 10-12 minutes. Absurd. Told management they should have a self park option. I would pay more as I consider self parking more convenient.

"Denied"? I would simply tell them I was going to retrieve MY things from MY car, and dare them to physically stop me.

How would you do that if you had used the valet, the valet had the keys, and the car was locked? I like the concept of your reply, but have you thought it through? :)

I think the point made is that being forced to use valet isn't viewed as a luxury by some, in fact some would actually pay to avoid using valet and self-parking (if there was that option). Maybe a luxury hotel that caters to the customer's (near) every need should offer desired options (like self-park)?

I check in tomorrow. I am on the Diamond trial so should get free breakfast for me and my wife. However, we're going on a kayak excursion on one of the days from 7-10:30. By the time we're back at Andaz, it'll be close to 11. What are my options for the free breakfast then? I don't look forward to waking up 30 min earlier just for breakfast. Isn't room service an option for free breakfast for Diamonds?

One more thing-- do I need to make reservations for the breakfast buffet? Someone about a dozen pages up said the receptionist said walk-ins wait 30 minutes.

I was going to say with an extra set of keys, if its actually your vehicle and you're Kama'aina. I guess rental vehicles don't give out two sets of keys. At least I haven't asked for an additional set.

I've stayed there three times now and have always been seated immediately. I usually have breakfast at 7 (they open at 6:30). The one time I had breakfast at 9 I was also seated immediately.

That being said if you are more comfortable making a reservation, you should.

Thanks.

I'm going on a kayak adventure tomorrow am at 715 in Makena. Won't get back until 11. I see 2 options. First, I go to the breakfast buffet and grab as many items to go as I can. Second, I call for room service early morning before heading out. What do you think?

What are the hours at Ka'ana for breakfast? We like to do breakfast late after taking it easy in the morning. Plus with such a lavish breakfast, only a light snack is needed in the afternoon.

We've always kept breakfast and supper elaborate in Wailea for the last ten years we've vacationed in the area.

The staff is very accommodating. I would just ask what they suggest. This probably isn't the first time they've been asked.

Breakfast at Ka`ana Kitchen is 6:30-11:00.

Just checked in as a Diamond member on trial. I used my DSU, and was given Suite 140, which is supposed to be partial ocean view. It is dark right now, but as far as I can tell it is a zero ocean view. However, they said a lot of people are checking out tomorrow di they'll move me to a room with its own pool, also on the 1st floor.

Let me know how the rooms with its own pool is.

I imagine you can get seated right before 11 am and stay until finished? Or do they rush you out, and shut down the buffet by 11 am?

Kea Lani has us seated within the prescribed time, and serves buffet until finished.

Not that we do this everyday, plus when its warm at Kea Lani we usually don't like to stay into late morning. Ka'ana when we viewed their dining room was completely enclosed inside and well air conditioned. Or nowadays, does Ka'ana open their doors similar to HR Maui?

Rooms are great but no real ocean view and the pool never gets any sunlight any time of the day. Though the pools are always a nice temperature, much warmer than the GHK.

Ka'ana when we viewed their dining room was completely enclosed inside and well air conditioned. Or nowadays, does Ka'ana open their doors similar to HR Maui?[/QUOTE]


Yes they open the doors. You can opt to sit inside or outside on the balcony

I agree and no real privacy either as the pools are overlooked and it's possible to see into the rooms.

Agree with comments regarding the pool. And the pool doesn't belong to just one suite-- I believe 3 or 4 suites share the pool. It's larger than I thought it would be.

Also, I checked out the "Kihei option" for parking... it's a little farther than I thought it would be. A good 10-15 min walk, depending on how fast you walk. During the daytime, it's fine. But the beach gets dark at night. My suggestion is that if you arrive before dark and don't plan to drive off site after that, it's a good option. But if you come back after a later dinner,it might be worth the $35+tip to do valet.

Exceptional!
 

We are now off property. Our start with the property initially seemed to be good with a intro from a VIP services manager to the Andaz VIP services manager. Communication was good then it got really, really, really slow. To assure a suite for our event I used nearly 200k points with the intention of eventually using a DSU once the rooming list was submitted. In the end the Resort gave me the suite upgrade comp. Very nice.

Our suite was in the Makai tower on the top floor with picture windows looking out onto the ocean. Upon our arrival we could see whales in the distance. The suite had two balconies to the side with great views. Upon check-in we actually received very little information about Diamond benefits or any of the benefits within our huge corporate room block. We were told nothing about complimentary breakfast which is a HUGE benefit. As has been noted the Resort can be very expensive. Members of our group had resort "credit" to decide on dining options. This was not explained by the front desk. Everything was a learning curve. In my opinion the check-in process is a weak link. Thank goodness for FT. The "style" of their front desk is weak. Asking for bottled water was easy from some associates with others saying they had no idea where another associate could have gotten bottles of water. Some could easily give change while others had to go somewhere.

The suite was listed at 850 square feet. It seemed much larger. The suite was as pictured on the website but much nicer. The entry did have another half bathroom which was nice when people came up. In terms of comfort the seating areas were stiff and could have been more comfortable. The bedroom was a nice size but there were no drawers except the nightstand for clothes. We had stuff all over and had to tidy up when friends visited. Bath amenity is Malie which my wife buys on Oahu. That means it must be good and expensive since she was happy to see it. The closet was a good size. The weird thing is the shower which made little practical sense. Each side was open so water would splash to the wood rolling doors or out onto the tile. The tub was nice but most thought for decoration only.

I probably saw almost every different type of room including a villa which one of our people had. The suites on 1 with the shared pool were marginal with very little natural light. It is near the adult pool which seemed to be the only benefit. The regular rooms were of decent size but there was a ongoing complaint about "small" size. The villa was nice with of course lots of space. We had a large hosted party with the Andaz engineer never getting the music to work. Getting to the villa was hit and miss for people. Not easily accessed. Without doubt we had the nicest overall space of our group.

The place is pricey. We had multiple meals at every venue. Our most consistent best meals were in the Ka'ana Kitchen. We had a hosted tapas dinner one night which was exceptional. Without doubt the best meal of our six dinners. Morimoto was ok for dinner and better for lunch but not exceptional in anyway. The Mokapu Market was a great resource. We enjoyed endless lemonade from the front desk. There was a good supply of local papers, WSJ and NYT.

In terms of service that was initially a learning curve as stated. We had specific requests for changing linen and towels which was hit and miss to begin. After the Resort got it down was great. We came back into our suite and there was a box case of water refilled every day.

We found service very attentive but not consistent. You better be a pleasant person to work at the Andaz. A couple staff members seemed to think the blank looked face would do. You just wait and find someone else or a staff member you know.

Valet parking was very good and quick. I don't enjoy paying $30 per day for anything but well worth it.

The Resort does provide local transport which was well used by golfers in our group. Many of us had cars so it made transport also easy. We did dine off property which was marginal.

As stated the Resort can be expensive. On check-out one of our guys had a two page bill which he showed many of us. We just all started laughing. What the heck were you doing seemed to prevail. He got some serious points. My bill was not correct. I had it corrected before leaving but my final bill had a wrong charge. Called the property when I returned with the agent assuring me it would be corrected and e-mail corrected copy. Never got the e-mail. We will see what hits the card.

The property is beautiful and exceptional in every way. The most consistent Resort with the highest quality of touches. Easily rivals any place we have been. Some things could have been better but we were all pleased with the stay. Will return without doubt. ;)

Excellent review! I can only imagine myself looking out from the picture 'perfect' view windows and literally almost floating above the shores with panoramic ocean front views. Whales bouncing about in the distance.

That is why Wailea is considered the most beautiful place on earth. Especially when the sun is gleaming and whales are breaching, a perfect place for whales to mate.

It sounds perhaps you were upgraded to a nicer suite than the ASPO.

Heading back to mainland tomorrow. There was a whale breaching just off the property yesterday but I missed it. The staff tell me the last time whales were here before that was a week ago. It really is near the end of whale season here.

Also, we went to Grand Wailea's luau yesterday evening. GW is much larger and more luxurious in classical sense. Everybody kept on writing that the Andaz is "chic" and they weren't kidding. Definitely the hippest hotel I've been to. Like a Hotel Indigo but more high end. Good for younger couples.

Diamond breakfast
 

Apparently diamond members qualify for 4 free breakfast buffets, what is available for 2 additional children, 7 & 2?

Good question.

Even though we are a party of 4, we'll be having 2 Keikis ages 8 and 4 dine at each breakfast. Is there a kids section on the buffet? I suppose their kitchen could cook something made to order up.