Dec 23, 2017, 4:40 pm
Last edit by: windhund
Has an Arrival/Departure Lounge, where travelers can unwind after a long flight. Personal showers and lockers in the lounge also are available to those who need to check out of their rooms before leaving the resort.
Has an amazing view from the Adult Only Infinity Pool
Daily resort fee USD 30 plus tax will be added to rate. As of 2018, the resort fee benefits were as listed below. However, this list came from a card labeled "Resort Fees & Amenities: Elite", and it's not clear which ones are different for or apply only to elites. There's also a disclaimer: "The Resort Fee includes a variety of amenities for our guests. Please note some amenities are subject to availability."
Has an amazing view from the Adult Only Infinity Pool
Daily resort fee USD 30 plus tax will be added to rate. As of 2018, the resort fee benefits were as listed below. However, this list came from a card labeled "Resort Fees & Amenities: Elite", and it's not clear which ones are different for or apply only to elites. There's also a disclaimer: "The Resort Fee includes a variety of amenities for our guests. Please note some amenities are subject to availability."
- Complimentary daily internet
- Unlimited US Domestic, long distance & local phone calls
- Outgoing domestic US fax service (up to 20 pages)
- 15% on Laundry and Dry Cleaning Services
- 30-minute personal photo session and package upgrade
- Daily Fitness Classes
- Daily Hawaiian Cultural Activities
- 1 hour bicycle rental (2 bicycles per stay)
- Bottled Water (2 per day)
- Welcome shell lei greeting upon arrival
- Courtesy rides within the Wailea Resort (upon availability)
- Beach Chair Rental (2 per day)
- Cabana Rentals: 10% discount on full-day cabana rentals at 'Ohi pools, Maluhia pools & NALU adventure pool. Dial 'At Your Service' for reservations
- Mandara Spa: 10% discount on 50-minute service (excludes special promotions and events)
- Ocean Concierge & Activities: 20% discount on weekly paddle board rental; complimentary fish identification card; complimentary introductory morning scuba lesson. Visit the 'Ohio Pools for reservations.
- The Movie House: complimentary movie screenings. View the weekly schedule for showtimes.
- GameSpace: complimentary access to GameSapce, featuring foosball, billiards, shuffleboard, vintage arcade and Xbox games [for those who haven't been back since the renovation, this is an indoor gaming area they added as part of the renovations. It's at the far end of the lobby opposite the Starbucks.]
- Akamai Business Center: 20% discount on FedEx & UPS Shipping
Wailea Beach Marriott Resort & Spa, Maui, Hawaii [Master Thread]
Jan 15, 2019, 6:43 pm
#1426
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: TUL
Programs: AA EXP 2MM; Marriott Titanium; Hilton Diamond; Hyatt Explorist; Vistana 5* Elite; Nat'l Exec Elite
Posts: 6,177
. . .
More generally:
- Should we rent a car? Have never been to Maui before and certainly want to get out and explore. If we do rent one, should we do so for a couple days and then stay on- or near to the property the other few days? If we don't rent the whole time, what's the best strategy for getting to and from the airport? Is it easy to get a rental car on the property or in the Wailea area?
. . .
More generally:
- Should we rent a car? Have never been to Maui before and certainly want to get out and explore. If we do rent one, should we do so for a couple days and then stay on- or near to the property the other few days? If we don't rent the whole time, what's the best strategy for getting to and from the airport? Is it easy to get a rental car on the property or in the Wailea area?
. . .
Enjoy your stay. We love Maui.
Jan 15, 2019, 7:13 pm
#1427
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Mountain Time Zone
Programs: AS Million Miler/Marriott Lifetime Titanium/ IGH Ambassador
Posts: 5,987
Booked on a discounted cash rate of ~$390/night for six nights in mid-Feb. Just me and my wife, I'm Plat and she's Gold. A few questions for the experts on the forum:
Hotel related:
- Best strategy for securing an upgrade, to the extent possible? I sometimes have good luck with calling the front desk and asking nicely a few days before check in. Any thoughts or suggestions on particular room type/location to request would be ideal.
- Sounds like the Plat breakfast is what it is - aka not great. Will probably take the Starbucks offer and do the upgrade to the full buffet on those days where we're hungry, or walk over to Wailea shops occasionally for a bite. What restaurant over there is best for a casual breakfast - is Gourmet Market (noted above) the only option or are there others?
- The gym looks like a good one... any idea how the fitness classes are? Looks like some may be included in the resort fee.
- Also, I saw mention of access to tennis courts but wasn't sure which ones as there don't seem to be any on the property. Anyone have experience with this - are they close, easy to get courts, what are the prices?
More generally:
- Should we rent a car? Have never been to Maui before and certainly want to get out and explore. If we do rent one, should we do so for a couple days and then stay on- or near to the property the other few days? If we don't rent the whole time, what's the best strategy for getting to and from the airport? Is it easy to get a rental car on the property or in the Wailea area?
- What are the best/"must do" items off property? We certainly like outdoor activities and beautiful sightseeing type opportunities.
- Any recs for nearby restaurants for dinners off property?
Many thanks in advance! I will post a review w/ some pictures after our stay.
Hotel related:
- Best strategy for securing an upgrade, to the extent possible? I sometimes have good luck with calling the front desk and asking nicely a few days before check in. Any thoughts or suggestions on particular room type/location to request would be ideal.
- Sounds like the Plat breakfast is what it is - aka not great. Will probably take the Starbucks offer and do the upgrade to the full buffet on those days where we're hungry, or walk over to Wailea shops occasionally for a bite. What restaurant over there is best for a casual breakfast - is Gourmet Market (noted above) the only option or are there others?
- The gym looks like a good one... any idea how the fitness classes are? Looks like some may be included in the resort fee.
- Also, I saw mention of access to tennis courts but wasn't sure which ones as there don't seem to be any on the property. Anyone have experience with this - are they close, easy to get courts, what are the prices?
More generally:
- Should we rent a car? Have never been to Maui before and certainly want to get out and explore. If we do rent one, should we do so for a couple days and then stay on- or near to the property the other few days? If we don't rent the whole time, what's the best strategy for getting to and from the airport? Is it easy to get a rental car on the property or in the Wailea area?
- What are the best/"must do" items off property? We certainly like outdoor activities and beautiful sightseeing type opportunities.
- Any recs for nearby restaurants for dinners off property?
Many thanks in advance! I will post a review w/ some pictures after our stay.
I have stayed here with no care rental and some without. The issue is where do you want to go while you're here, it's a long drive to get over to the other resorts in Lahaina and beyond. You can walk between the Wailea resorts and save the money. Just saying
Jan 16, 2019, 11:06 am
#1428
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: SF Bay Area
Programs: IHG Ambassador , Marriott platinum, United, Delta
Posts: 64
I booked a car yesterday for the last week of Feb for six days. National Emerald Executive area and it was $216. There were cheaper options. We have had great weather in Feb and not so good weather and like to be able to get out and around. Since you have never been before I would defiantly suggest at least a couple days of rental so you can see the Island.
Jan 17, 2019, 6:24 pm
#1430
Join Date: Aug 2018
Location: NC
Programs: AA, Marriott/SPG, AMEX
Posts: 272
Booked on a discounted cash rate of ~$390/night for six nights in mid-Feb. Just me and my wife, I'm Plat and she's Gold. A few questions for the experts on the forum:
Hotel related:
- Best strategy for securing an upgrade, to the extent possible? I sometimes have good luck with calling the front desk and asking nicely a few days before check in. Any thoughts or suggestions on particular room type/location to request would be ideal.
- Sounds like the Plat breakfast is what it is - aka not great. Will probably take the Starbucks offer and do the upgrade to the full buffet on those days where we're hungry, or walk over to Wailea shops occasionally for a bite. What restaurant over there is best for a casual breakfast - is Gourmet Market (noted above) the only option or are there others?
- The gym looks like a good one... any idea how the fitness classes are? Looks like some may be included in the resort fee.
- Also, I saw mention of access to tennis courts but wasn't sure which ones as there don't seem to be any on the property. Anyone have experience with this - are they close, easy to get courts, what are the prices?
More generally:
- Should we rent a car? Have never been to Maui before and certainly want to get out and explore. If we do rent one, should we do so for a couple days and then stay on- or near to the property the other few days? If we don't rent the whole time, what's the best strategy for getting to and from the airport? Is it easy to get a rental car on the property or in the Wailea area?
- What are the best/"must do" items off property? We certainly like outdoor activities and beautiful sightseeing type opportunities.
- Any recs for nearby restaurants for dinners off property?
Many thanks in advance! I will post a review w/ some pictures after our stay.
Hotel related:
- Best strategy for securing an upgrade, to the extent possible? I sometimes have good luck with calling the front desk and asking nicely a few days before check in. Any thoughts or suggestions on particular room type/location to request would be ideal.
- Sounds like the Plat breakfast is what it is - aka not great. Will probably take the Starbucks offer and do the upgrade to the full buffet on those days where we're hungry, or walk over to Wailea shops occasionally for a bite. What restaurant over there is best for a casual breakfast - is Gourmet Market (noted above) the only option or are there others?
- The gym looks like a good one... any idea how the fitness classes are? Looks like some may be included in the resort fee.
- Also, I saw mention of access to tennis courts but wasn't sure which ones as there don't seem to be any on the property. Anyone have experience with this - are they close, easy to get courts, what are the prices?
More generally:
- Should we rent a car? Have never been to Maui before and certainly want to get out and explore. If we do rent one, should we do so for a couple days and then stay on- or near to the property the other few days? If we don't rent the whole time, what's the best strategy for getting to and from the airport? Is it easy to get a rental car on the property or in the Wailea area?
- What are the best/"must do" items off property? We certainly like outdoor activities and beautiful sightseeing type opportunities.
- Any recs for nearby restaurants for dinners off property?
Many thanks in advance! I will post a review w/ some pictures after our stay.
Car rental, it was far less expensive to rent a car at the airport, for a week, and pay the hotel parking charge than it was for us to do an onsite (hotel) rental for 2 days and pay for transport to/from the airport. If you like to drive and are comfortable with very narrow roads I HIGHLY recommend that you do the whole figure 8, we broke it down into 2 days. Our rental agreement did not exclude us from going to certain parts of the island but some do.
If you like bloodsports go to Costco and watch people get in fights over parking spots, lol, but we did see that happen when we stopped to pick up some inexpensive souvenirs for friends and family.
We were there late April/early May 2018. Hopefully your weather will be better than ours-cloudy and chilly for most of our stay. If you can give me some of your likes I would be happy to recommend some specific activities to look into (we've been to Maui a few times). Have fun!
Jan 17, 2019, 9:04 pm
#1431
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Bay Area, CA
Posts: 731
first time at Wailea Marriott
We have stayed at Westin Maui many times over the years (and Kapalua Bay when it existed) but have a reservation for 5 nights over NYE for the Wailea Marriott and were wondering if anyone can fill us in on the pros/cons of each area for this time of year. Westin treated us very nicely and upgraded us over Christmas with an oceanview upper floor room, so I don't know what anyone has experienced during holidays at this property. We had 102 nights last year, and I'm not sure what we'll have this year if that makes a difference for upgrades. Thanks for your thoughts!
Feb 19, 2019, 2:02 pm
#1432
Join Date: Aug 2007
Programs: Marriott Lifetime Gold and Current Platinum, Hilton Gold
Posts: 280
Wailea Beach Resort by Marriott Review – February 2019
I’ll structure this review a little differently and provide overall impressions, pluses and minuses, and some tips. There are also a few photos at the end.
Overall, we really enjoyed our stay at the Wailea Beach Resort and would absolutely return to the property. This hotel is a little unusual in that it’s technically a Marriott (Wailea Beach Resort – Marriott, or Wailea Beach Resort by Marriott, were the two most common ways it seemed to be styled) but if you didn’t look too closely you’d probably never identify it as a Marriott property. Much of the branding never mentions Marriott at all. Quite frankly, it would probably be better suited as a JW Marriott or Le Meridien resort. It’s just nicer than your typical Marriott and definitely has much more style to it.
To provide general context, the property is smack in the middle of the Wailea resort. This is in the best part of the island in my opinion. It’s the driest area, which matters if you’re going during the winter (wet) season and is also closer to the airport than Kapalua or Ka’anapaali. Wailea seems to be the nicest resort on the island overall. From north to south you have: Andaz, a condo complex, Wailea Beach Resort, a condo complex, the Grand Wailea (Waldorf Astoria), Four Seasons, a large condo complex, and the Fairmont. So our subject property is right in the middle of the action. It’s perfectly suited because you can walk anywhere along the beach part if you’re wanting to visit the other resorts for dinner or a drink, you can walk to the adjacent mall if you need to shop or stop at the market, and you’re close to the other dining/shopping options in Wailea (could walk or drive depending on your tolerance for long walks). The resort was formerly the Intercontinental and I am told it was the first resort in Wailea. As such its buildings are much closer to the water than at the other properties. Some rooms are legitimately 25 feet or so from the rocks at the water’s edge – not possible at any other hotel in Wailea.
Even though it is the oldest property in Wailea, you largely wouldn’t know it due to a truly top-to-bottom reno in 2016ish. As mentioned above the property feels less like a Marriott and more like a Le Meridien or a sleek new JW Marriott. Frankly, it doesn’t feel very Hawaiian, though this didn’t really bother me. However if you are truly looking for a Hawaiian feel you probably won’t like their design choices. If you took the art off the walls, the rooms could be anywhere. We were booked in a Garden View room which I believe to be the lowest category. No upgrade as a platinum – we were told the property was not only 100% occupied but oversold. As we were staying over Valentines/President’s Day not surprising. The room was large, tiled floor, shower only with nice fixtures, great lighting in bathroom, large balcony – no complaints but also nothing that wows you. The gym was also a highlight, lots of machines, several Peloton bikes, new equipment – really enjoyed working out there.
One of my biggest complaints about the property’s physical plant would be the lack of a lobby bar. Not sure how you design a hotel of this size and stature without a lobby lounge. To be clear – the lobby is beautiful (see pic below), open air, very pleasant. But no way to get a drink or a snack. To do that you have to go into the separate restaurant areas. Speaking of, there are two restaurants (Humble Market Kitchen and Kapa). The former is off the lobby, totally enclosed, and is a celebrity chef, 3-meal-per-day affair. The latter serves lunch and dinner, open air and next to the all ages pool, until 8pm. Like all of Wailea the prices at these restaurants are heart-attack expensive – was recently at the Ritz in Miami and the prices were lower. A standard pool burger is $24 to give you an idea. There’s also a Starbucks in the lobby, a great waterside drinks and quick bites shack called Whales Tale, and a pool bar and food truck next to the adventure (read: kids) pool.
Some quick thoughts: The great thing about this resort is it works equally well for couples and families, which is hard to do. This is achieved by having a totally separated adventure pool with waterslides, water features, etc on the property’s south end. This is a kid heaven and has lots of nice shady spots next to the bar for the onlooking adults. The adult pool is one of the best I’ve experienced… multi-tiered seating, large very nice umbrellas, and a very big infinity pool with cabanas. Excellent drink and food service – Terri at this pool may be the best employee at the resort, and you get the feeling she’s been serving generations of people at this pool (she told me she’d worked there 25 years). The “all ages” pool is next to the Kapa grill closest to the lobby and is a nice mix of ages with an infinity pool and good overall setup/vibe. One nitpick would be the adult pool has no hot tub… while the all ages area has two.
There are a few total cheapout moves this resort tries to pull which seriously hurt the experience. Don’t call me twice during the stay to sell me on a timeshare… come on. The resort fee is beyond outrageous at $35/day and providing close to zero value. I’ll post a pic of the “benefits” card below but it’s laughable. 15% discount on laundry, unlimited phone calls, etc. Again, come on… throw in the self park ($30/day separate charge providing what literally must be the world’s narrowest parking spaces) and I’d stop complaining. The “platinum breakfast” causes more problems than it solves by giving you a small coffee, pre-ordained pastry, and small fruit cup at Starbucks. You can sort of use it as a credit, but only on other items of the same type – i.e. you can get a bigger coffee or a different pastry and use it as a credit, but trying to get a different drink type or hot sandwich wouldn’t allow the credit. They should make it more straightforward and make it a specific dollar amount credit at Starbucks or Whale’s Tale and leave it at that. As structured it just angers guests and slows down the Starbucks line.
There were also some service nitpicks – forgot our laundry, got a call about a leak in our room but couldn’t talk to anyone about it so had to rush back to the hotel hoping our stuff wasn’t soaked… but then there wasn’t actually a leak in the room, just in the hallway wall into rooms below us. A massive pile of dirty towels and no water in the coolers in the gym. Stuff that wouldn’t bother you as much at a lower-end resort but when a garden view room goes for $500 plus resort fee it’s just not acceptable.
Overall, even with the above small issues I’d go back here in a heartbeat. The views and location can’t be beat and the hotel is very nice. We went to the Ritz for drinks one day and that property is in much worse shape (and I’d argue a worse location) than this one… no way I’d choose it over the Wailea Beach Resort. A great place for families and couples alike and perfect spot for a short or long trip to Maui.
A couple other tips: If you’re Maui for anything longer than a couple days, definitely rent a car. You’ll wish you had one. We went to the luau down the beach at the Grand Wailea called Honua'lua - it was excellent and worthwhile. Also, you gotta eat at Mama’s Fish House on the north side of the island. It was the best meal we had the whole trip.
Below, note the pool image is of the adult pool.
Overall, we really enjoyed our stay at the Wailea Beach Resort and would absolutely return to the property. This hotel is a little unusual in that it’s technically a Marriott (Wailea Beach Resort – Marriott, or Wailea Beach Resort by Marriott, were the two most common ways it seemed to be styled) but if you didn’t look too closely you’d probably never identify it as a Marriott property. Much of the branding never mentions Marriott at all. Quite frankly, it would probably be better suited as a JW Marriott or Le Meridien resort. It’s just nicer than your typical Marriott and definitely has much more style to it.
To provide general context, the property is smack in the middle of the Wailea resort. This is in the best part of the island in my opinion. It’s the driest area, which matters if you’re going during the winter (wet) season and is also closer to the airport than Kapalua or Ka’anapaali. Wailea seems to be the nicest resort on the island overall. From north to south you have: Andaz, a condo complex, Wailea Beach Resort, a condo complex, the Grand Wailea (Waldorf Astoria), Four Seasons, a large condo complex, and the Fairmont. So our subject property is right in the middle of the action. It’s perfectly suited because you can walk anywhere along the beach part if you’re wanting to visit the other resorts for dinner or a drink, you can walk to the adjacent mall if you need to shop or stop at the market, and you’re close to the other dining/shopping options in Wailea (could walk or drive depending on your tolerance for long walks). The resort was formerly the Intercontinental and I am told it was the first resort in Wailea. As such its buildings are much closer to the water than at the other properties. Some rooms are legitimately 25 feet or so from the rocks at the water’s edge – not possible at any other hotel in Wailea.
Even though it is the oldest property in Wailea, you largely wouldn’t know it due to a truly top-to-bottom reno in 2016ish. As mentioned above the property feels less like a Marriott and more like a Le Meridien or a sleek new JW Marriott. Frankly, it doesn’t feel very Hawaiian, though this didn’t really bother me. However if you are truly looking for a Hawaiian feel you probably won’t like their design choices. If you took the art off the walls, the rooms could be anywhere. We were booked in a Garden View room which I believe to be the lowest category. No upgrade as a platinum – we were told the property was not only 100% occupied but oversold. As we were staying over Valentines/President’s Day not surprising. The room was large, tiled floor, shower only with nice fixtures, great lighting in bathroom, large balcony – no complaints but also nothing that wows you. The gym was also a highlight, lots of machines, several Peloton bikes, new equipment – really enjoyed working out there.
One of my biggest complaints about the property’s physical plant would be the lack of a lobby bar. Not sure how you design a hotel of this size and stature without a lobby lounge. To be clear – the lobby is beautiful (see pic below), open air, very pleasant. But no way to get a drink or a snack. To do that you have to go into the separate restaurant areas. Speaking of, there are two restaurants (Humble Market Kitchen and Kapa). The former is off the lobby, totally enclosed, and is a celebrity chef, 3-meal-per-day affair. The latter serves lunch and dinner, open air and next to the all ages pool, until 8pm. Like all of Wailea the prices at these restaurants are heart-attack expensive – was recently at the Ritz in Miami and the prices were lower. A standard pool burger is $24 to give you an idea. There’s also a Starbucks in the lobby, a great waterside drinks and quick bites shack called Whales Tale, and a pool bar and food truck next to the adventure (read: kids) pool.
Some quick thoughts: The great thing about this resort is it works equally well for couples and families, which is hard to do. This is achieved by having a totally separated adventure pool with waterslides, water features, etc on the property’s south end. This is a kid heaven and has lots of nice shady spots next to the bar for the onlooking adults. The adult pool is one of the best I’ve experienced… multi-tiered seating, large very nice umbrellas, and a very big infinity pool with cabanas. Excellent drink and food service – Terri at this pool may be the best employee at the resort, and you get the feeling she’s been serving generations of people at this pool (she told me she’d worked there 25 years). The “all ages” pool is next to the Kapa grill closest to the lobby and is a nice mix of ages with an infinity pool and good overall setup/vibe. One nitpick would be the adult pool has no hot tub… while the all ages area has two.
There are a few total cheapout moves this resort tries to pull which seriously hurt the experience. Don’t call me twice during the stay to sell me on a timeshare… come on. The resort fee is beyond outrageous at $35/day and providing close to zero value. I’ll post a pic of the “benefits” card below but it’s laughable. 15% discount on laundry, unlimited phone calls, etc. Again, come on… throw in the self park ($30/day separate charge providing what literally must be the world’s narrowest parking spaces) and I’d stop complaining. The “platinum breakfast” causes more problems than it solves by giving you a small coffee, pre-ordained pastry, and small fruit cup at Starbucks. You can sort of use it as a credit, but only on other items of the same type – i.e. you can get a bigger coffee or a different pastry and use it as a credit, but trying to get a different drink type or hot sandwich wouldn’t allow the credit. They should make it more straightforward and make it a specific dollar amount credit at Starbucks or Whale’s Tale and leave it at that. As structured it just angers guests and slows down the Starbucks line.
There were also some service nitpicks – forgot our laundry, got a call about a leak in our room but couldn’t talk to anyone about it so had to rush back to the hotel hoping our stuff wasn’t soaked… but then there wasn’t actually a leak in the room, just in the hallway wall into rooms below us. A massive pile of dirty towels and no water in the coolers in the gym. Stuff that wouldn’t bother you as much at a lower-end resort but when a garden view room goes for $500 plus resort fee it’s just not acceptable.
Overall, even with the above small issues I’d go back here in a heartbeat. The views and location can’t be beat and the hotel is very nice. We went to the Ritz for drinks one day and that property is in much worse shape (and I’d argue a worse location) than this one… no way I’d choose it over the Wailea Beach Resort. A great place for families and couples alike and perfect spot for a short or long trip to Maui.
A couple other tips: If you’re Maui for anything longer than a couple days, definitely rent a car. You’ll wish you had one. We went to the luau down the beach at the Grand Wailea called Honua'lua - it was excellent and worthwhile. Also, you gotta eat at Mama’s Fish House on the north side of the island. It was the best meal we had the whole trip.
Below, note the pool image is of the adult pool.
Feb 19, 2019, 3:12 pm
#1433
Suspended
Join Date: Jun 2005
Programs: Delta Diamond, Marriott Ambassador & Lifetime Titanium, Hertz President's Circle, United Silver
Posts: 6,334
I’ll structure this review a little differently and provide overall impressions, pluses and minuses, and some tips. There are also a few photos at the end.
Overall, we really enjoyed our stay at the Wailea Beach Resort and would absolutely return to the property. This hotel is a little unusual in that it’s technically a Marriott (Wailea Beach Resort – Marriott, or Wailea Beach Resort by Marriott, were the two most common ways it seemed to be styled) but if you didn’t look too closely you’d probably never identify it as a Marriott property. Much of the branding never mentions Marriott at all. Quite frankly, it would probably be better suited as a JW Marriott or Le Meridien resort. It’s just nicer than your typical Marriott and definitely has much more style to it.
To provide general context, the property is smack in the middle of the Wailea resort. This is in the best part of the island in my opinion. It’s the driest area, which matters if you’re going during the winter (wet) season and is also closer to the airport than Kapalua or Ka’anapaali. Wailea seems to be the nicest resort on the island overall. From north to south you have: Andaz, a condo complex, Wailea Beach Resort, a condo complex, the Grand Wailea (Waldorf Astoria), Four Seasons, a large condo complex, and the Fairmont. So our subject property is right in the middle of the action. It’s perfectly suited because you can walk anywhere along the beach part if you’re wanting to visit the other resorts for dinner or a drink, you can walk to the adjacent mall if you need to shop or stop at the market, and you’re close to the other dining/shopping options in Wailea (could walk or drive depending on your tolerance for long walks). The resort was formerly the Intercontinental and I am told it was the first resort in Wailea. As such its buildings are much closer to the water than at the other properties. Some rooms are legitimately 25 feet or so from the rocks at the water’s edge – not possible at any other hotel in Wailea.
Even though it is the oldest property in Wailea, you largely wouldn’t know it due to a truly top-to-bottom reno in 2016ish. As mentioned above the property feels less like a Marriott and more like a Le Meridien or a sleek new JW Marriott. Frankly, it doesn’t feel very Hawaiian, though this didn’t really bother me. However if you are truly looking for a Hawaiian feel you probably won’t like their design choices. If you took the art off the walls, the rooms could be anywhere. We were booked in a Garden View room which I believe to be the lowest category. No upgrade as a platinum – we were told the property was not only 100% occupied but oversold. As we were staying over Valentines/President’s Day not surprising. The room was large, tiled floor, shower only with nice fixtures, great lighting in bathroom, large balcony – no complaints but also nothing that wows you. The gym was also a highlight, lots of machines, several Peloton bikes, new equipment – really enjoyed working out there.
One of my biggest complaints about the property’s physical plant would be the lack of a lobby bar. Not sure how you design a hotel of this size and stature without a lobby lounge. To be clear – the lobby is beautiful (see pic below), open air, very pleasant. But no way to get a drink or a snack. To do that you have to go into the separate restaurant areas. Speaking of, there are two restaurants (Humble Market Kitchen and Kapa). The former is off the lobby, totally enclosed, and is a celebrity chef, 3-meal-per-day affair. The latter serves lunch and dinner, open air and next to the all ages pool, until 8pm. Like all of Wailea the prices at these restaurants are heart-attack expensive – was recently at the Ritz in Miami and the prices were lower. A standard pool burger is $24 to give you an idea. There’s also a Starbucks in the lobby, a great waterside drinks and quick bites shack called Whales Tale, and a pool bar and food truck next to the adventure (read: kids) pool.
Some quick thoughts: The great thing about this resort is it works equally well for couples and families, which is hard to do. This is achieved by having a totally separated adventure pool with waterslides, water features, etc on the property’s south end. This is a kid heaven and has lots of nice shady spots next to the bar for the onlooking adults. The adult pool is one of the best I’ve experienced… multi-tiered seating, large very nice umbrellas, and a very big infinity pool with cabanas. Excellent drink and food service – Terri at this pool may be the best employee at the resort, and you get the feeling she’s been serving generations of people at this pool (she told me she’d worked there 25 years). The “all ages” pool is next to the Kapa grill closest to the lobby and is a nice mix of ages with an infinity pool and good overall setup/vibe. One nitpick would be the adult pool has no hot tub… while the all ages area has two.
There are a few total cheapout moves this resort tries to pull which seriously hurt the experience. Don’t call me twice during the stay to sell me on a timeshare… come on. The resort fee is beyond outrageous at $35/day and providing close to zero value. I’ll post a pic of the “benefits” card below but it’s laughable. 15% discount on laundry, unlimited phone calls, etc. Again, come on… throw in the self park ($30/day separate charge providing what literally must be the world’s narrowest parking spaces) and I’d stop complaining. The “platinum breakfast” causes more problems than it solves by giving you a small coffee, pre-ordained pastry, and small fruit cup at Starbucks. You can sort of use it as a credit, but only on other items of the same type – i.e. you can get a bigger coffee or a different pastry and use it as a credit, but trying to get a different drink type or hot sandwich wouldn’t allow the credit. They should make it more straightforward and make it a specific dollar amount credit at Starbucks or Whale’s Tale and leave it at that. As structured it just angers guests and slows down the Starbucks line.
There were also some service nitpicks – forgot our laundry, got a call about a leak in our room but couldn’t talk to anyone about it so had to rush back to the hotel hoping our stuff wasn’t soaked… but then there wasn’t actually a leak in the room, just in the hallway wall into rooms below us. A massive pile of dirty towels and no water in the coolers in the gym. Stuff that wouldn’t bother you as much at a lower-end resort but when a garden view room goes for $500 plus resort fee it’s just not acceptable.
Overall, even with the above small issues I’d go back here in a heartbeat. The views and location can’t be beat and the hotel is very nice. We went to the Ritz for drinks one day and that property is in much worse shape (and I’d argue a worse location) than this one… no way I’d choose it over the Wailea Beach Resort. A great place for families and couples alike and perfect spot for a short or long trip to Maui.
A couple other tips: If you’re Maui for anything longer than a couple days, definitely rent a car. You’ll wish you had one. We went to the luau down the beach at the Grand Wailea called Honua'lua - it was excellent and worthwhile. Also, you gotta eat at Mama’s Fish House on the north side of the island. It was the best meal we had the whole trip.
Below, note the pool image is of the adult pool.
[pictures removed for readability since they are easily seeable in the original quoted post]
Overall, we really enjoyed our stay at the Wailea Beach Resort and would absolutely return to the property. This hotel is a little unusual in that it’s technically a Marriott (Wailea Beach Resort – Marriott, or Wailea Beach Resort by Marriott, were the two most common ways it seemed to be styled) but if you didn’t look too closely you’d probably never identify it as a Marriott property. Much of the branding never mentions Marriott at all. Quite frankly, it would probably be better suited as a JW Marriott or Le Meridien resort. It’s just nicer than your typical Marriott and definitely has much more style to it.
To provide general context, the property is smack in the middle of the Wailea resort. This is in the best part of the island in my opinion. It’s the driest area, which matters if you’re going during the winter (wet) season and is also closer to the airport than Kapalua or Ka’anapaali. Wailea seems to be the nicest resort on the island overall. From north to south you have: Andaz, a condo complex, Wailea Beach Resort, a condo complex, the Grand Wailea (Waldorf Astoria), Four Seasons, a large condo complex, and the Fairmont. So our subject property is right in the middle of the action. It’s perfectly suited because you can walk anywhere along the beach part if you’re wanting to visit the other resorts for dinner or a drink, you can walk to the adjacent mall if you need to shop or stop at the market, and you’re close to the other dining/shopping options in Wailea (could walk or drive depending on your tolerance for long walks). The resort was formerly the Intercontinental and I am told it was the first resort in Wailea. As such its buildings are much closer to the water than at the other properties. Some rooms are legitimately 25 feet or so from the rocks at the water’s edge – not possible at any other hotel in Wailea.
Even though it is the oldest property in Wailea, you largely wouldn’t know it due to a truly top-to-bottom reno in 2016ish. As mentioned above the property feels less like a Marriott and more like a Le Meridien or a sleek new JW Marriott. Frankly, it doesn’t feel very Hawaiian, though this didn’t really bother me. However if you are truly looking for a Hawaiian feel you probably won’t like their design choices. If you took the art off the walls, the rooms could be anywhere. We were booked in a Garden View room which I believe to be the lowest category. No upgrade as a platinum – we were told the property was not only 100% occupied but oversold. As we were staying over Valentines/President’s Day not surprising. The room was large, tiled floor, shower only with nice fixtures, great lighting in bathroom, large balcony – no complaints but also nothing that wows you. The gym was also a highlight, lots of machines, several Peloton bikes, new equipment – really enjoyed working out there.
One of my biggest complaints about the property’s physical plant would be the lack of a lobby bar. Not sure how you design a hotel of this size and stature without a lobby lounge. To be clear – the lobby is beautiful (see pic below), open air, very pleasant. But no way to get a drink or a snack. To do that you have to go into the separate restaurant areas. Speaking of, there are two restaurants (Humble Market Kitchen and Kapa). The former is off the lobby, totally enclosed, and is a celebrity chef, 3-meal-per-day affair. The latter serves lunch and dinner, open air and next to the all ages pool, until 8pm. Like all of Wailea the prices at these restaurants are heart-attack expensive – was recently at the Ritz in Miami and the prices were lower. A standard pool burger is $24 to give you an idea. There’s also a Starbucks in the lobby, a great waterside drinks and quick bites shack called Whales Tale, and a pool bar and food truck next to the adventure (read: kids) pool.
Some quick thoughts: The great thing about this resort is it works equally well for couples and families, which is hard to do. This is achieved by having a totally separated adventure pool with waterslides, water features, etc on the property’s south end. This is a kid heaven and has lots of nice shady spots next to the bar for the onlooking adults. The adult pool is one of the best I’ve experienced… multi-tiered seating, large very nice umbrellas, and a very big infinity pool with cabanas. Excellent drink and food service – Terri at this pool may be the best employee at the resort, and you get the feeling she’s been serving generations of people at this pool (she told me she’d worked there 25 years). The “all ages” pool is next to the Kapa grill closest to the lobby and is a nice mix of ages with an infinity pool and good overall setup/vibe. One nitpick would be the adult pool has no hot tub… while the all ages area has two.
There are a few total cheapout moves this resort tries to pull which seriously hurt the experience. Don’t call me twice during the stay to sell me on a timeshare… come on. The resort fee is beyond outrageous at $35/day and providing close to zero value. I’ll post a pic of the “benefits” card below but it’s laughable. 15% discount on laundry, unlimited phone calls, etc. Again, come on… throw in the self park ($30/day separate charge providing what literally must be the world’s narrowest parking spaces) and I’d stop complaining. The “platinum breakfast” causes more problems than it solves by giving you a small coffee, pre-ordained pastry, and small fruit cup at Starbucks. You can sort of use it as a credit, but only on other items of the same type – i.e. you can get a bigger coffee or a different pastry and use it as a credit, but trying to get a different drink type or hot sandwich wouldn’t allow the credit. They should make it more straightforward and make it a specific dollar amount credit at Starbucks or Whale’s Tale and leave it at that. As structured it just angers guests and slows down the Starbucks line.
There were also some service nitpicks – forgot our laundry, got a call about a leak in our room but couldn’t talk to anyone about it so had to rush back to the hotel hoping our stuff wasn’t soaked… but then there wasn’t actually a leak in the room, just in the hallway wall into rooms below us. A massive pile of dirty towels and no water in the coolers in the gym. Stuff that wouldn’t bother you as much at a lower-end resort but when a garden view room goes for $500 plus resort fee it’s just not acceptable.
Overall, even with the above small issues I’d go back here in a heartbeat. The views and location can’t be beat and the hotel is very nice. We went to the Ritz for drinks one day and that property is in much worse shape (and I’d argue a worse location) than this one… no way I’d choose it over the Wailea Beach Resort. A great place for families and couples alike and perfect spot for a short or long trip to Maui.
A couple other tips: If you’re Maui for anything longer than a couple days, definitely rent a car. You’ll wish you had one. We went to the luau down the beach at the Grand Wailea called Honua'lua - it was excellent and worthwhile. Also, you gotta eat at Mama’s Fish House on the north side of the island. It was the best meal we had the whole trip.
Below, note the pool image is of the adult pool.
[pictures removed for readability since they are easily seeable in the original quoted post]
All of Hawaii is, however, expensive and not just because it's an island state. High taxes, high cost of labor and mercantile shipping restrictions that make it even more expensive to import food and other essentials. Yes, I'm sure this resort is expensive because it has a captive audience, but you'll find most of Hawaii to be as expensive or more expensive than expensive destinations on the mainland.
As for the breakfast, you should have escalated and complained. If you choose breakfast as a welcome amenity than you were entitled to "breakfast in restaurant," not a pastry and coffee at Starbucks. Starbucks is not the hotel restaurant. Moreover, the resort breakfast is not defined as a continental breakfast, which is what the lounge breakfast is defined as in the terms and conditions.
Maybe you should have offered to switch properties for compensation if they were oversold. It would have been interesting to know what they were offering.
Last edited by hhoope01; Feb 19, 2019 at 10:29 pm Reason: removed pictures for readability - look to the post just above this one to see those pictures
Feb 19, 2019, 4:28 pm
#1434
Join Date: Nov 1999
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Hockey, your pics have reminded me how likeable this hotel is but as much as I like the Beach Resort, we have given it a miss the last four or so times in Maui, and again this upcoming two-week trip where I have Grand Wailea reservations in lieu of the Marriott because of a couple of odd occurrences the last stay that left a bad impression on my wife.
The first issue I thought was funny: Mrs. Jailer called up the tennis center and the person on the other end enthused that there was a free clinic taught by the pro, and that they are happy to demo a racquet. Too good to be true, my wife bought some tennis shoes only to learn that this was crazy talk, no free pro-clinic (duh)…my guess is that some joker picked up the phone as they walked by and pranked her. Hey, that’s something I would have done given the opportunity. Lacking sympathy, I howled.
The second was a bit egregious: I gave the bartender our welcome drink chits and said that we wanted to order dinner. Got the drinks, pointed out to the barkeep where we were sitting outside not far from where the band sets up, but no waitstaff came to take an order, despite circling like a shark. (And, yes, I know that sometimes/often there is a hostess to seat you, but this time there was none. As a semi-regular that why I alerted the bartender our location/intent).
No biggie, back to the drink-slinger, who said without setups the waitress might be confused so he kindly came over and set us up and then we watched the server navigate around us, over and over and over. Yes, I could have tackled a waitress, but it became as if a game of chicken. We blinked, with my Asian-American wife uncharacteristically muttering, “what are they racist?” we walked over to Botero’s, where the service was characteristically AbFab, with even a better band. Maui: it’s all good.
I did gently complain to the front desk the next day, styling my concern that we aren’t overly sensitive, but this occurrence was darn strange and was still perplexing even after a day passed (I mean, Marriott is in the hospitality business and they gave us free drinks to be hospitable, right?). I recall mentioning that, “well, now I know what it was like to be African-American in the South in the 1950’s and being unable to get served at a diner, and so I accept this as a lesson on white privilege and that it’s good for my soul and my evolution as a human being.” I really wasn’t trying to be snarky, and wasn’t taken that way AFAIK. I don’t think that the desk clerk feigned horror and when the same person checked us out a day later she inquired if the GM contacted us. No, and I wish she/he had so that I could put this hotel back into rotation as we have had some very nice Plat Elite upgrades.
I know that this was a random one-off, so I’d like to rehabilitate the Beach Resort as I’ll run out of Hilton points before I do Marriott’s. Wife correctly points out that there are plenty of places to stay in Maui and, after all, it’s her job to spend points, mine to earn ‘em: a first world problem to be sure.
The first issue I thought was funny: Mrs. Jailer called up the tennis center and the person on the other end enthused that there was a free clinic taught by the pro, and that they are happy to demo a racquet. Too good to be true, my wife bought some tennis shoes only to learn that this was crazy talk, no free pro-clinic (duh)…my guess is that some joker picked up the phone as they walked by and pranked her. Hey, that’s something I would have done given the opportunity. Lacking sympathy, I howled.
The second was a bit egregious: I gave the bartender our welcome drink chits and said that we wanted to order dinner. Got the drinks, pointed out to the barkeep where we were sitting outside not far from where the band sets up, but no waitstaff came to take an order, despite circling like a shark. (And, yes, I know that sometimes/often there is a hostess to seat you, but this time there was none. As a semi-regular that why I alerted the bartender our location/intent).
No biggie, back to the drink-slinger, who said without setups the waitress might be confused so he kindly came over and set us up and then we watched the server navigate around us, over and over and over. Yes, I could have tackled a waitress, but it became as if a game of chicken. We blinked, with my Asian-American wife uncharacteristically muttering, “what are they racist?” we walked over to Botero’s, where the service was characteristically AbFab, with even a better band. Maui: it’s all good.
I did gently complain to the front desk the next day, styling my concern that we aren’t overly sensitive, but this occurrence was darn strange and was still perplexing even after a day passed (I mean, Marriott is in the hospitality business and they gave us free drinks to be hospitable, right?). I recall mentioning that, “well, now I know what it was like to be African-American in the South in the 1950’s and being unable to get served at a diner, and so I accept this as a lesson on white privilege and that it’s good for my soul and my evolution as a human being.” I really wasn’t trying to be snarky, and wasn’t taken that way AFAIK. I don’t think that the desk clerk feigned horror and when the same person checked us out a day later she inquired if the GM contacted us. No, and I wish she/he had so that I could put this hotel back into rotation as we have had some very nice Plat Elite upgrades.
I know that this was a random one-off, so I’d like to rehabilitate the Beach Resort as I’ll run out of Hilton points before I do Marriott’s. Wife correctly points out that there are plenty of places to stay in Maui and, after all, it’s her job to spend points, mine to earn ‘em: a first world problem to be sure.
Feb 19, 2019, 6:11 pm
#1435
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By the way, I presume the lack of a lobby bar is because all of the food-and-beverage outlets are contracted to a third-party that has either a no compete clause or a better labor contract than Marriott. This is certainly the case at the Marriott Waikiki Beach.
Last edited by hockeyinsider; Feb 20, 2019 at 7:01 am Reason: typo
Feb 19, 2019, 6:53 pm
#1436
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Wouldn't a third party be as capable of running a lobby bar as a pool bar?
Feb 19, 2019, 10:28 pm
#1437
Join Date: Dec 2003
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To be clear, there is a bar literally steps (like, maybe 20 steps) from the lobby.
But I thought everything else in Nash_Andrew's report was pretty spot-on. I, too, think it would be better positioned as a JW Marriott and wonder what the holdup is (as in, what brand standards other than 24-hour room service would they need to meet that they're not willing to in order to be reflagged). My last stay there I casually asked some of the staff if they were getting ready to leave Marriott completely, because all the branding really is "Wailea Beach Resort"--they minimize the Marriott aspect like crazy (and they didn't used to).
Finally, my wife and I have been staying there since our honeymoon when it was the Intercontinental. I've also stayed at each of the other Wailea properties at various times and stand by my assertion that the Marriott is not only the best value but actually the best resort there. It has no pretension but all the amenities.
But I thought everything else in Nash_Andrew's report was pretty spot-on. I, too, think it would be better positioned as a JW Marriott and wonder what the holdup is (as in, what brand standards other than 24-hour room service would they need to meet that they're not willing to in order to be reflagged). My last stay there I casually asked some of the staff if they were getting ready to leave Marriott completely, because all the branding really is "Wailea Beach Resort"--they minimize the Marriott aspect like crazy (and they didn't used to).
Finally, my wife and I have been staying there since our honeymoon when it was the Intercontinental. I've also stayed at each of the other Wailea properties at various times and stand by my assertion that the Marriott is not only the best value but actually the best resort there. It has no pretension but all the amenities.
Feb 20, 2019, 7:02 am
#1438
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Sure, but normally third-party outlets are on the edges of the property and not in the lobby itself. Maybe Marriott thinks a third party-run lobby bar would take business away from the pool bar. At the Marriott Waikiki, I believe Marriott runs the pool bar, which is pretty bad in terms of quality but decent for prices, while all of the other outlets are third-party contracted.
Feb 20, 2019, 7:08 am
#1439
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There are maybe a dozen legacy Marriott properties, plus a similar number of legacy Starwood properties, that don't adhere to the naming conventions or didn't until recently. For example, Grosvenor House, a J.W. Marriott was rebranded in late 2018 as the J.W. Marriott Grosvenor House. But the Moana Surfrider, a Westin Resort & Spa is still the Moana Surfrider, a Westin Resort & Spa. Another example are legacy Marriott's Marriott resort-designated properties in Mexico. Most or all of them were jointly branded "Casa Magna" until recently. Likewise, IHG's Intercontinental has or had properties in Mexico jointly branded as "Presidente."
Feb 20, 2019, 7:22 am
#1440
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 553
(...) The adult pool is one of the best I’ve experienced… multi-tiered seating, large very nice umbrellas, and a very big infinity pool with cabanas. Excellent drink and food service – Terri at this pool may be the best employee at the resort, and you get the feeling she’s been serving generations of people at this pool (she told me she’d worked there 25 years). (...)
A couple other tips: If you’re Maui for anything longer than a couple days, definitely rent a car. You’ll wish you had one. We went to the luau down the beach at the Grand Wailea called Honua'lua - it was excellent and worthwhile. Also, you gotta eat at Mama’s Fish House on the north side of the island. It was the best meal we had the whole trip.
A couple other tips: If you’re Maui for anything longer than a couple days, definitely rent a car. You’ll wish you had one. We went to the luau down the beach at the Grand Wailea called Honua'lua - it was excellent and worthwhile. Also, you gotta eat at Mama’s Fish House on the north side of the island. It was the best meal we had the whole trip.
All of Hawaii is, however, expensive and not just because it's an island state. High taxes, high cost of labor and mercantile shipping restrictions that make it even more expensive to import food and other essentials. Yes, I'm sure this resort is expensive because it has a captive audience, but you'll find most of Hawaii to be as expensive or more expensive than expensive destinations on the mainland.
Also, macadamia nuts are cheaper than on the mainland.
