5 reasons to stay at the Grand Wailea in Maui, Hawaii

Grand Wailea, a Waldorf Astoria Resort is ideally located on Maui’s Wailea Beach, surrounded by 40 acres of lush tropical gardens. This luxurious resort offers beautiful views, Hawaiian spirit (the laid-back aloha atmosphere the islands are famous for) and loads of amenities.

The rooms

There are 776 rooms, all with private verandas. Rooms are spacious (starting at 640 square feet) and are steps away from resort activities, restaurants, and shops. Views vary – be sure to ask for an ocean or partial ocean, it’s a great view if you’re on your porch. You can also upgrade to a luxury suite for extra space, including a separate living area and sleek bedroom. For the ultimate in luxury, go further and book a Ho’olei Villa. These huge three-bedroom villas start at 3,200 square feet and feature a gourmet kitchen, on-site concierge, and private pool for villa guests.

The spa

Grand Wailea offers a new spa concept called Mōhalu by Spa Grande. There are 19 treatment suites, all with views of the garden or the sea. Services include the signature Pala’au Journey, a traditional Hawaiian-style massage, and the Honey Macadamia Nut Indulgence, a full-body treatment that includes a bee propolis mask to soften the skin, followed by a luxurious whipped massage Honey and macadamia nut oil. The Hawaiian Lomilomi is also a fan favorite.

The restaurants

Humuhumunukunukuapua’a is the resort’s signature restaurant and is very popular with both locals and hotel guests. The restaurant is named after Hawaii‘s state fish. Humuhumu (short) focuses on fresh, local Hawaiian cuisine like the Mac Nut Crusted Mahi and the Humuhumu Surf and Turf, a premium beef tenderloin and lobster tail served with a red wine sauce. The restaurant hovers over a lagoon by the sea and has a round bar that doubles as an aquarium and allows guests to dine alongside colorful fish and corals.

For a more casual meal, head to Bistro Molokini – an outdoor restaurant that serves a variety of signature cocktails, beers, and wines. Favorites on the menu include mussels with charred green onions; chicken fried in the oven; and the watermelon feta cheese salad.

Café Kula is a great option when you’re in a hurry and need something to take away. For breakfast there are smoothies, various fresh juices, croissants, oatmeal, fruit and breakfast bowls. Poke bowls, sandwiches, burgers and paninis are available for lunch and dinner. They also serve Honolulu coffee and Hawaiian style pizza.

The Activities

One of the most popular activities (booked months in advance) is the weekly luaus, where guests can enjoy a three-course meal of traditional local cuisine while experiencing authentic Hawaiian music and culture. The performance offers artistic representation through various forms of dance art such as aerial acrobatics hula, hula in a 12 meter long parachute, a mermaid stage performance and first-class choreographies and costumes.

The basins

Make sure to rent a poolside cabana. Not only is it super relaxing, but the supervisors come by regularly to bring snacks and take food and drink orders. In addition, a private space with plenty of shade ensures a relaxing holiday. There are cabanas by both the adult and activity pools, and they also have casabellas for rent (these are semi-shaded loungers that seat two people).

If you’re traveling with kids, they’ll love the lava tube slide. It’s a three-story slide that can travel up to 22 miles per hour (it takes 14 seconds from start to finish). The popular Wailea Canyon activity pool is 2,000 feet long, 25,700 square feet, and 770,000 gallons of water. The pool area consists of nine individual pools on six different levels, which are connected by a river that leads swimmers along whitewater rapids and gentle currents. It also has a rope swing Tarzan pool, sandy beach, six waterfalls, caves, three hot tubs, the world’s first water elevator, and a swim-up bar.

If you’re looking for something just for adults, check out the hibiscus pool, named for the giant hibiscus flower that is inlaid with over 630,000 mosaic tiles at the bottom of the pool. The entire pool contains over 2.2 million individual tiles and has two whirlpools.