The swimming pools are divine, the food excellent. and the sunsets amazing. But as I sit at home writing a story about my two-day visit to the Wailea Beach Resort, I keep thinking about a pair of trees.
As you walk along the paved foot path that stretches across the resort (and, indeed, most of Wailea) you’ll pass massive, finely manicured lawns on small, undulating hills, with grass so green it would make the Irish envious. Near one of the buildings at the south end of the resort are two towering Kamani trees that rise gracefully into the Maui sky.
I captured a nice sunset one day with the trees as foreground. On our last morning, I walked past early in the day and saw a woman in a vivid orange/red dress under the tree’s deep green canopy of leaves with a pale blue sky behind her. The carpeting of grass and the branches of the tree framed a nice view of the ocean and the island of Kahoolawe, topped by hovering, puffy grey/white clouds.
It’s not a remarkable image, but I like the feeling it captures. Which is a big reason why I so enjoyed our brief stay at the resort.
FIRST VISIT TO WAILEA BEACH RESORT
I’ve probably been to Maui three dozen times, but somehow this was the first time I’d set foot on the grounds of the Wailea Beach Resort.
We had an excellent waterfront room in Hale (house) 2, a ground-floor unit that was maybe five steps from the public walking path and 30 yards from the ocean. We had a great shower and a good-sized bathroom, a big-screen TV that was never touched, a king-size bed, a sofa bed, and an espresso machine for our morning pick-me-up. The best part was the expansive lanai/patio, which had a couple of loungers and a table with chairs so we could have a drink and enjoy the sunset, along with five views of West Maui, as well as the islands of Lana’i and Kahoolawe.
Kamani trees at Wailea Beach Resort. Jim Byers photo.
During a tour, we also got to see one of the new Sundeck Garden Oasis rooms in the Haleakala building, which have a large outdoor space with a soaker tub, fireplace and tropical plants all around. There’s plenty of privacy, so you can truly relax and enjoy the space.
The grounds at the 22-acre, 547-room resort are spectacular, with perfect palm trees, flowering bougainvillea and vibrant croton in shades of bright green, yellow and red.
AN ABUNDANCE OF BEAUTIFUL POOLS
There are six swimming pools, including two infinity pools and an adults-only enclave called Olakino (more on that in a minute). Several of the pools are on higher ground and offer marvelous ocean views.
The NALU Adventure Pool has matching water slides that are said to be the longest on the island. The uncovered slide is fast; the covered one is much REALLY fast.
There are also powerful waterfalls (free neck massage if you stand under one!) and smaller slides and a water spray area for smaller kids, plus family-size cabanas.
The shoreline at Wailea Beach Resort on Maui. JIM BYERS PHOTO
People were well-dressed at the resort, but it’s casual enough that you can wear a bathing suit and flip flops just about anywhere.
It’s not remotely pretentious. But Wailea is sometimes known as the Rodeo Drive of Maui, and the hotel offers a number of luxury experiences.
LUXURY FOR SURE, BUT ALSO FREE ACTIVITIES
They can set you up with a luxury cabana, or you can do a private waterfront dinner on a point of land overlooking the Pacific with a five-course chef’s menu and a personal butler. The Olakino adults-only pool (reservations required) has recliners built into the water, wonderful food and a nightly Champagne sabering event.
On the other hand, hotel guests can take in a free outrigger ride in a Hawaiian canoe. We had an hour-long ride with Hawaiian Ocean Sports and lead guide Terence Tilbrook. He started with simple instructions about paddling (we helped, but I suspect our guides did most of the work) and passed along interesting information about how people migrated to Hawai’i from the Marquesas Islands (5th century) and Tahiti (10th century) with larger outrigger canoes.
An outrigger canoe ride off Wailea Beach, Maui, Hawaii. Terence Tilbrook Photo
Out in the water we briefly spotted a couple turtles on a warm, bright Maui morning, with clouds swirling around the deep green flanks of Haleakala crater. Tilbrook told us turtles can hold their breath underwater for a couple hours. When we passed over a reef I spotted a colourful humuhumunukunukuapua’a (triggerfish) in the shallow water.
There’s no beach at the resort, but it’s a one-minute walk to Wailea Beach at the south end of the resort, and about the same distance to Ulua Beach on the north.
TOP-NOTCH FOOD AND DRINK
The main resort restaurant is Roy Yamaguchi’s Humble Market Kitchin. We didn’t go for dinner, but we did enjoy a fine buffet breakfast with eggs, pastries, bacon, Portuguese sausage (a Hawaiian staple at breakfast) and even an avocado toast station where you could add your own goodies, such as parmesan cheese, radishes and fried garlic. I didn’t see any tropical jams or jellies, which I found surprising.
In addition to Kitchin, we enjoyed a terrific lunch of ahi tuna poke and Korean-spiced chicken bites at KAPA Bar and Grill. For breakfast on our last day, we ventured over to Whale’s Tale near Wailea Beach and had avocado toast and splendid oatmeal with dried cranberries and toasted coconut.
On our first night we took in the hotel’s sunset luau, which featured wonderful, live music and beautiful, energetic dancing from across the South Pacific. Drinks are included, and the food was very good; roast Kalua pig, mahi mahi, Kalbi ribs, excellent ahi tuna poke, a nice salad and a sampling of fine desserts.
“We’re all about experience the culture and a connection to the land,” said Minh-Huyen Nguyen, the hotel’s media relations director.
The Wailea Beach Resort luau on Maui, Hawaii. JIM BYERS PHOTO
As well as free hula and lei-making lessons, there are free ukelele lessons, introduction to scuba lessons, free movies and Hawaiian quilting classes. The open-air lobby area has a pop-up bar at night and live entertainment.
GET A BEACH FUN PASS AND SAVE
If you want to be active, they have a nice Beach Fun Pass that includes unlimited use of kayaks, paddle boards, boogie boards and snorkel sets. It’s $129 for a four-day pass and $149 for seven days. You also can rent by the hour, but the pass is a much better deal if you want to use a paddle board or kayak.
Two great programs you can take part in (at a cost) are a guided kayak and snorkel tour ($119 for two hours) that allows you to swim in an area frequented by turtles (please don’t touch) and also a wildlife walk and tide pool exploration that’s led by a marine biologist ($89 for 90 minutes).
The resort underwent a $100 million renovation in 2016. All rooms are set for a refresh next year, I was told.
Mandara Spa is a sizable, 9,000+ square foot facility with a dozen treatment rooms, salon for makeup and nail services, four couples’ rooms, a relaxation area, steam room, lockers and showers.
The state-of-the-art fitness center is open 24 hours a day and includes two Peloton bikes, cardio equipment, resistance weight training, and studio space for on-demand workout classes. Free wellness classes include sunrise yoga, mat pilates, beach bootcamp, and pool aerobics.
Wailea Beach Resort waterslides. Wailea Beach Resort photo.
MORE GREAT FEATURES AND NEARBY ATTRACTIONS
Other great resort features include a convenience store, a Starbucks, an Arrival and Departures Lounge (great for people arriving at odd hours) and a kids’ play area with video games and a pool table. It’s also popular for conventions and events, with 30,000 square feet of indoor meeting space and 72,000 square feet of outdoor event space.
The hotel is a two-minute walk from the lovely Shops of Wailea, where they have free hula shows, jazz nights and other free events. The top-notch Wailea Golf Club and the Wailea Tennis Club are both close by, as well.
NOTE: Wailea Beach Resort on Nov. 18 will host the “Taste Our Love for Maui” event, which is a special edition of The Hawai’i Food and Wine Festival. Eight top Maui chefs will be whipping up special dishes, and 100% of ticket sales from this event will be donated to the Kokua Restaurant & Hospitality Fund, providing much-needed support to restaurant, bar, and hospitality workers who have faced the devastating impact of the fires.
MAUI FIRES: The wildfires that devastated parts of Maui were a considerable distance from Wailea. The Wailea area didn’t suffer any damage, and hotels and resorts have been operating normally. Island residents could use a boost in visitors to keep the economy going, so it’s a good time to visit. Just be respectful and aim for a low-key vacation. It’s not the time for “look at me on Maui” social media posts.
