The 9 Best Wailea Hotels of 2020

Written by
Cathy Brown
Cathy Brown is an Argentina-based travel writer who covers hotels, destinations, and products. She also contributes to Lonely Planet, Fodor's, and Luxury Latin America.
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Cathy Brown

Updated 10/11/19

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The Rundown

01 of 09

Best Overall: Wailea Beach Resort

Wailea Beach Resort

Courtesy of Wailea Beach Resort

Sprawling over spacious lawns, gardens, and tropical trees, the Wailea Beach Resort is a relaxed, modern hotel with stylish accommodations, excellent restaurants, and beautiful ocean views. Guestrooms are contemporary, done up in stylish greys, blacks, and whites with modern amenities and garden or ocean views. Around the grounds, four pools offer different experiences, from the popular oceanfront pools with infinity-edge views and swim-up bars to the tranquil Maluhia Serenity pool which offers cushioned lounges, overwater cabanas, and ocean vistas. Families with children will appreciate the two-tiered Nalu Adventure pool, with jetted fountains, waterfalls, and two giant waterslides.

Set on a dramatic oceanfront, with waves crashing onto black basalt rocks along the shoreline, the closest stretch of sand is at nearby Wailea Beach, where lounge chairs and shade umbrellas are provided for guests. The signature Humble Market Kitchin creates gourmet meals that incorporate traditional Hawaiian flavors and cooking styles alongside spectacular sunset ocean views. KAPA Bar and Grill is a more casual alfresco eatery, with slick modern décor, contemporary cuisine, and views over the surrounding pool, ocean, and mountains.

02 of 09

Best Budget: Wailea Grand Champion Villas

Wailea Grand Champion Villas Golf Course

 Courtesy of Wailea Grand Champion Villas

Surrounded by the smooth rolling greens of the Wailea Blue Golf Course, this resort offers comfortable, low-rise, condo-style apartments. Accommodations are particularly suited to families and large groups, with one-, two-, and three-bedroom condos offering full kitchens with marble countertops and chrome appliances, modern bathrooms, and living rooms with soft couches, wooden coffee tables, and large-screen TVs. Décor varies condo to condo but follows a general theme with soft furnishings and convenient modern amenities. Furnished balconies look out over pools, gardens, and fairways. Two pools are lined with blue mosaic tiles and surrounded by sun lounges and umbrellas, with hot tubs and BBQ grill facilities also available.

Guests of Wailea Grand Champion Villas will enjoy easy access to the golf links and tennis courts, as well as plentiful shopping, restaurants, and family entertainment opportunities which can be found just a short drive from the resort. Complimentary amenities and services include Wi-Fi throughout the property and a shuttle service that drops guests off in town.

03 of 09

Best Boutique: Hotel Wailea

Hotel Wailea

Courtesy of Hotel Wailea

A member of the famed and prestigious Relais & Châteaux hotel group, Hotel Wailea offers a luxury boutique experience in a calm adult-only environment. Set in a scenic, elevated spot high on the mountain slopes, the serene property's 15 acres are full of exotic flower beds, rocky waterfalls and streams, and green expanses of manicured lawns. The boutique's natural ambiance is enhanced by its use of local materials — coral and limestone walls, bleached oak floors, and custom-crafted wooden furnishings. Suites come with marble-lined bathrooms with separate showers and bathtubs, kitchens with granite countertops and wood paneling, and furnished balconies with expansive views over the ocean, mountains, and islands

A gorgeous pool is lined with shaded and cushioned wooden cabanas, and for guests wanting to relax on the beach, there is a dedicated valet providing lounges, umbrellas, towels and other accessories on Wailea Beach. The hotel also arranges a variety of complimentary tailored experiences, from mixology classes and aerial yoga workshops to cocktail receptions and traditional outrigger canoe cruises.

04 of 09

Best for Families: Grand Wailea, A Waldorf Astoria Resort

Grand Wailea, A Waldorf Astoria Resort

Courtesy of Grand Wailea

Facing directly on to the sands of popular Wailea Beach, this luxe property occupies an enviable location that's used to its fullest potential. Though sun lounges, a full range of beach games, and water sports equipment are available down on the sand, many families choose to spend the day beside the incredible pool network which winds through the resort in a show of rope swings, rocky caves, tunnels, and waterfalls which cascade down rocky boulders. In the most popular areas, kids whiz down chutes, slip down slides, and play pool sports while parents sip cocktails at the grotto-like swim up bar. In other areas, a sandy-bottomed, zero-entry pool and secluded leafy enclaves make for more relaxed enjoyment.

There are both kids’ and teens’ clubs, stuffed full of games and entertainment to please all ages and with a packed schedule of daily activities. While the kids are occupied, adults can indulge in pampering treatments offered at the spa, which features Roman baths, Japanese furos, Swiss jet showers, and dozens of treatment rooms housed within an Italian Renaissance-style building. A variety of restaurants range from casual poolside grills to the signature Humuhumunukunukuapua’a restaurant, which serves authentic Hawaiian dishes and traditional meat cuts on a rustic, floating wooden terrace. 

Continue to 5 of 9 below.
05 of 09

Best for Romance: Fairmont Kea Lani

Fairmont Kea Lani

Courtesy of AccorHotels

Occupying a prime piece of realty on the sands of Polo Beach, the Fairmont Kea Lani is a laid-back luxury hotel full of elegant archways, polished marble floors, and graceful white domes. Large, modern guest suites come with comfy living rooms, full kitchens, and bathrooms with double vanity sinks and a deep soaking tub. Views over the ocean and of the surrounding gardens and mountains can be enjoyed from the attached balconies.

A highlight of this resort is the Willow Stream Spa, which has excellent facilities that include wave massage tables, sensory showers, and mud baths, and offers specialized couples’ services such as honey- and citrus-infused ‘honeymoon’ body scrubs and couples’ massages in oceanfront cabanas. Guests can dine on fresh seafood delicacies in the intimate atmosphere of Nick’s Fish Market or savor the award-winning Hawaiian-influenced dishes of Ko. Alternatively, guests can indulge in a romantic private dining experience, either in the privacy of their suite or on ocean view terraces, where personal servers set up a four-course meal paired with selected wines on candle-lit tables.

06 of 09

Best for Luxury: Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea

Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea

Courtesy of Four Seasons Resort Maui
4.2

Set on the south end of Wailea Beach, with calm ocean waters sheltered by rocky headlands, the Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea is one of the most prominent and eye-catching properties in Wailea. Three gorgeous pools include the centerpiece fountain pool, surrounded by sun lounges and cushioned cabanas and crowned by the elegant namesake fountain. A fun, two-tiered kids’ pool contains splashing waterfalls, a slide, and a paddling zone, while the adult-only serenity pool provides a tranquil oasis where guests can sip cocktails at the swim-up bar, laze in hot tubs, and take in sweeping ocean views from the infinity pool edge.

Contemporary rooms feature restrained and sophisticated décor, with top-end suites coming with wine selections, full bars, and panoramic ocean-view balconies or terraces. The spa immerses guests in the stunning natural surrounds, with soothing Hawaiian massages provided next to the pool and in beachside open-air treatment pavilions. Three restaurants include the celebrated Spago, a Forbes four-star restaurant specializing in Hawaiian/Californian fusion cuisine. As well as tennis, water sports, and golf, guests can also enjoy cultural activities such as outrigger canoe tours, lei-making classes, and traditional fire shows.

07 of 09

Best for Privacy: Wailea Elua Village

Wailea Elua Village

Courtesy of Wailea Elua Village

A collection of vacation condos set within spacious landscaped grounds that extend to the shores of Ulua Beach, this hotels delivers a relaxed, sedate beachfront atmosphere. Scattered throughout the verdant lawns and gardens, spacious, self-contained condos come with one to three bedrooms with living rooms and dining areas, as well as kitchens, bathrooms, and laundry facilities. Condos feature attached balconies and outdoor patios which contain furniture and BBQ grills for scenic alfresco dining.

There are two pools on the property: one in the center of the grounds with a hot tub, paddle tennis courts, and a putting green nearby, and the other overlooking the beach with pavilion sets, BBQ grills, and kitchen facilities for self-catering. Next door, a fitness room overlooking the pool contains free weights and aerobic, cardio, and weight machines. For guests wanting to make restaurant or spa reservations within Wailea, a concierge service is available to provide recommendations and booking assistance. Down on Ulua Beach, a trail allows guests to easily explore the coastline, and coral reefs with tropical fish and turtles offer some of the best snorkeling in the area.

08 of 09

Best Condos/ Villas: Wailea Beach Villas

Wailea Beach Villas

Courtesy of Wailea Beach Villas

Located on Wailea Beach, and surrounded by some of the most prestigious hotels in the area, Wailea Beach Villas offers a more relaxed, individual experience than many of its neighbors. Large and modern units come with two or three bedrooms and contain a full suite of comforts and amenities, including living rooms, dining rooms, bathrooms, and laundry facilities. Outdoor patios have tables, chairs, and a modern BBQ grill, as well as views over the ocean or the surrounding gardens. Higher-end units also feature extra amenities such as private plunge pools and outdoor showers. Villas and units are set within lush gardens filled with waterfalls splashing over rocky landscape features into lily-strewn ponds lined with vibrant tropical foliage.

Two pools cater to different crowds, one being a natural, rock-edged infinity pool, and the other a family pool with waterfalls and a shallow end for young children. Other facilities include a fitness center, a billiards room, and a small conference center. The resort has a private serviced section of sand located on popular Wailea Beach; there you'll find sun lounges, umbrellas, and other beach-going necessities.

Continue to 9 of 9 below.
09 of 09

Best Beachfront: Andaz Maui at Wailea Resort

Andaz Maui at Wailea Resort

Courtesy of Andaz Maui at Wailea Resort
4.2

On the southern end of Wailea Beach, Andaz Maui hugs golden sands, green lawns, the scenic overlooks of Mokapu Beach Park, and diverse coral reefs clustered around rocky headlands. The hotel takes full advantage of its enviable location, with many of its rooms, suites, and villas delivering sweeping panoramic views over the beach, ocean, and island. A stunning three-tired pool cascades down the hillside, providing three levels of unmatched infinity edge vistas.

A beautifully-designed contemporary hotel, straight lines and crisp blacks, whites, and grays contrast with organic design elements. A variety of restaurants include farm-to-table fare at Ka’ana Kitchen and American-Japanese fusion at excellent Morimoto Maui. Guests looking for an unrivaled cultural and culinary adventure will want to check out the Feast at Mokapu, held outdoors on the beachside lawns, which explores the history of the local people accompanied by an incredible ohana banquet. Evenings at the Lehua Lounge spells out snacks and libations as well as gorgeous sunsets and live music and shows which keep guests entertained into the night.

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