Site Visit of Two Wailea Hotels

I was lucky enough to spend four days in Maui at the beginning of May, which allowed me to get in depth looks at two different hotels.  We stayed at the Andaz Maui, and did a site visit and dinner at the Four Seasons Maui just down the road.  Make sure you read below for my recommendations for each, as these hotels will be attractive to different clients depending on preferences.

Andaz Maui

Beautiful entrace to the Andaz

View from the Ocean-view Room 

The Andaz has a beautiful entrance with water on both sides and views of the Pacific Ocean and palm trees in the distance through the lobby.  This hotel like most other Andaz’s are more minimalist in their design.  I definitely wouldn’t call the decorations warm and welcoming, but more functional and modern.  There are 3 levels of infinity pools all with seating and pool side service and I must say the views from these pools are spectacular!  You can swim up to the edge, look down on the pool below and the ocean in the distance.  The resort has slightly less than 300 rooms including the separate villas, which I didn’t get to see as they were fully booked.   You can definitely tell this is a smaller and more relaxed property compared to many on this stretch of coast and is great for people wanting to escape the crowds.

I was able to look at two rooms, an Ocean View King and, our room, the Deluxe Ocean View Suite.  Non-suite rooms are pretty small, approx. 380-400 SF. The ocean view from the room had a great vantage of the water, but I couldn’t help feeling a little cramped by the size of the room.  I would definitely recommend these rooms to people who planned on spending most of their time at the pool or out and about. The Deluxe Suite was the closest room possible to the ocean and had expansive views of the ocean and the west side of Maui.  The bathroom was very large and well done. Overall I would definitely recommend the suite level rooms for most clients, it has much more space and the bathroom and closet area was almost twice the size.

Bathroom of the Deluxe Suite

View from the Deluxe Suite

Recommend Andaz For: Younger couples and groups, Those who like modern design, Want a less busy property.

As a Hyatt preferred partner clients of Nick Running Travel get room upgrades, free breakfast for 2 daily, $100 property credit and more.

Four Seasons Maui

Adults only pool at the Four Seasons 

Living room of the Ocean View Suite 

The Four Seasons is Maui’s grand dame hotel. It’s strikingly bigger than the Andaz and also much more grand.  The décor is very warm, welcoming and a stark contrast from the minimalist and modern vibe of the Andaz.  The Four Seasons only has approximately 100 more rooms and suits than the Andaz but is much busier.  This hotel definitely brings in people who are not guests for drinks and dinner.  This is the place to be seen and people watch.  For those who prefer to escape but prefer the Four Seasons, I was able to take a look at the 8th floor club lounge which is exclusive to the rooms on that floor.  This was definitely quiet during my visit and a great place to have a complementary drink and read a book on the deck overlooking the ocean.  Another selling point for the Four Seasons is the amazing kids for all seasons program. This makes the Four Seasons perfect for families, and the best part is its all included in the room rate, no resort fees!

During my visit I inspected a Partial Ocean View room and a Prime Oceanview Suite. The non-suite rooms here are huge at over 600 SF, with large bathrooms and decks.  The Four Seasons recently went through a refurbishment and I have to say, I love the décor of the rooms.  The Four Seasons would definitely be my recommendation for those who plan on just staying in non-suite rooms. The Prime Ocean View Suite was spectacular with two full size separate rooms and balcony’s (including 2 different entrances).  The living area also has a pull out couch for those with kids so that parents have a separate sleeping space. Overall the two rooms I looked at were beautiful and definitely deserving of the higher price tag that the Four Seasons requires.

Deck off the garden view room

Bedroom of the Ocean View Suite

Recommend Four Seasons for: Families with children, Clients who want the best, People who enjoy being at the “hot” place.

As a Four Seasons Preferred Partner clients of Nick Running Travel get access to special perks that can’t be found anywhere else.  We aren’t allowed to share these publicly but reach out to us via email and we can share the specific amenities for this property.