FT

^^^ absolutely the way to go

josephstern

1 - I've never really been bothered by a kid at the beach here.

2 - I've several times been annoyed that adults are playing loud music at the pools here.

The problem isn't kids. It's people who have different ideas about how to share communal spaces. And, to me, adults who don't own ear pods.

jasonvr

Just picked up a new 128GB U3/V30/A1 card, so I'm good to go (in addition to the 64GB in the current UW camera)

kthpence

I was recently at a very nice hotel in Mexico and there was a couple walking around with one of all the time playing music. It was so bold I honestly didn't even complain to my partner. I just find it very interesting how inconsiderate some people can be with things like this.

jasonvr

Just checked in. Room not ready yet. Front desk says occupancy still at about 85%

Kacee

So here's my final takeaway on this place, for those who haven't been and are considering their vacation options.

We enjoyed the food. Breakfast was excellent, as were all three of our Morimoto meals (2 lunch, 1 takeout dinner). Staff are mostly very good. Front desk was exceptionally helpful. Breakfast service was hit and miss. We made use of the free snorkel gear and the beach was nice, especially once you walked down away from the crowd in front of the Andaz.

There is an unfortunate cheapness to the current offerings that should not be so evident at the rates they are charging. No fresh juices at breakfast (literally none). There are Nespresso machines in the rooms, but they stock with cheap aftermarket capsules. I had to call down for slippers. We didn't get a bathmat or any toiletries replaced until day 4, after I generously tipped the housekeeper.

The biggest problem here though is density - too many rooms in a tight space - and how the property is laid out. The main resort area, including the pools and restaurants, are contained in the U-shaped area between two six story towers. Any room fronting on this area (and this is where the best views are) will have considerable noise from the pools and restaurants. Even if you overlook the tranquility pool, one loud group down there will cause enough noise that you may want to close your sliders (which IMO is a shame in Hawaii, where I almost never use a/c).

And the room furnishings suck. There is nowhere comfortable to sit, either in the room or out on the balcony, which has about the most uncomfortable patio chairs imaginable.

We spent our last night in Maui at Hana Maui resort, which was amazing. Already planning our return. If I were to return to Wailea (which I feel much the same about as Poipu - yuck), I would stay next door at the Marriott, which is spread out over a considerably larger area, and consists mostly of low rise buildings and thus does not have the same density issue as Andaz.

kthpence

Good luck getting a pool or beach chair at the Marriott next door, particularly at the adult pool. I've stayed there 3 times, only once have gotten a pool chair at the adult pool. It's a joke of a situation, and is enough to put a big damper on your vacation.

Kacee

Could not care less. I don't go to Hawaii to sit by the pool. I can do that in my backyard in Scottsdale.

kthpence

Neither do we, but if one is spending $600+/night, it's nice to actually use the amenities of the place where you are staying. If you don't care about the amenities at the hotel, why not just rent an airbnb in Kihei or even a nicer area in Wailea for the prices you would pay at Marriott / Andaz / GW or 4S?

Even with free breakfast / loyalty perks, you'd get a much better value at an Airbnb in Wailea vs any of the hotels in Wailea IMO. Further, if you're looking to explore Maui, Wailea isn't really the best location for that.

josephstern

I get you on many of the issues with the Andaz, but that Marriott is just not in the same class. Much larger and less personal, not nearly as nice in many ways, and no beach, which I consider very problematic.

Kacee

I would miss the Andaz breakfast (must really have been spectacular pre-pandemic). The walk to Ulua beach, or down past the Andaz, or the drive to Makena, would not bother me.
No, I really don't care about being able to use the pools at either Andaz or Marriott. I don't golf, so it likewise doesn't bother me that neither property has its own golf course.
I've done many VRBO stays north shore of Oahu; unfortunately, the current cancel policies are very very harsh to the point that I'm not interested.

donzaur

Just finished a 4-night stay here so I'll add some commentary alongside the other recent reviews.

Check In - Arrived around 2:30PM and the room was ready by 3. The resort offered a welcome amenity from its market and as a globalist you could choose from a large box of chocolates, a bottle of sparkling (hula o maui brut), and something else that isn't coming to mind. If you didn't want wine you could instead get two six-packs, I think they were big swells.

Room - stayed on points and was able to apply a TSU to be put into the Andaz Suite. While they are on the first floor and don't offer a view, they are massive. When valet brought our luggage, they also brought the traditional snacks that are in the room (cookies, chips, drinks), as well as a beach bag. I saw some previous comments about slippers and amenity restocking, this was not the case for us. Robes and slippers and everything provided in the room (including things like the dental and hygiene kits), and everything resupplied daily as needed.

Off Property Dining - A reminder that all the resorts are operating at full capacity, yet all restaurants are limited to close to 30%. At some point in the near future Maui will change its guidelines, but until then this friction will remain. Enjoyed a dinner at Mama's but note they are currently taking reservations for dinner in JULY they are that far booked out.

On Property Dining - Went to the buffet every morning and never had to wait for a table, and never had to stand in a line or wait for more food to come out. This was in stark contrast to the HR Maui and a very nice reprieve from its chaos. Eggs (any preparation), specialty coffee drinks, and all juices can be ordered through the server and are included in the buffet cost. Tried Morimoto one night for dinner and it was great, had a nice view of the Luau going on. All lunches had by the pool, food quality as expected, the mochiko chicken bowl is fantastic but at $24 it is steep.

Pools - Given the occupancy, the towel game was real and people would start putting things out around 6:30-7. The cabanas are a nice option especially on the upper pools if that's within appetite for those here. The adult pool was not crowded at all (it doesn't really get sun until 10am anyways) so there were always tons of chairs available there. The pool service was really spotty. There were times where servers would be by all the time to bring drinks, water, etc., but also times where it was extremely slow and you wouldn't see anyone for what felt like an hour. Food was always quick to show up and the pool crew were always very helpful with umbrellas/towels/etc. They put out sunscreen in tiny containers for people to take and use (the same sunscreen costs $35 in the market onsite).

Beach - went out snorkeling a few times and the reef is a big plus for the resort. It was pretty windy throughout the stay especially in the afternoons so most people would be at the beach in the morning and transition up to the pools around midday. They were offering all the normal outrigger and canoe tours each morning with several sessions.

Spa - the spa is currently limited in its use of facilities to 30 minutes prior to your appointment time which isn't a lot of time but understandable in the current situation. We went the afternoon of checkout and it was a great way to spend a few hours and have a nice place to shower and get ready prior to flights.

Overall it was a great stay, especially considering the time of year and mass tourism to Hawaii given the restrictions on international travel. Several pages back on this thread there was some back and forth on HR vs. Andaz for Maui and based on staying at both in the past week the Andaz is the clear winner without question in current times.

Happy to answer any questions!

Kacee

We got none of this, nor did we ever get any snacks in the room. Our "welcome" to the resort consisted of valet checking our covid results and telling us they were out of leis. But I don't really expect PH or 4S service at an Andaz.

antonius66

For what that place charges, you should expect a lot, brand name be damned.

Kacee

It's an exceptionally poor value, but that is the market in Wailea right now. Lots of dollars chasing not enough rooms. The 3* are going for over $500/night.