Hotel Wailea Rating: 2.5 Pearls

Maui, Hawaii, United States

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Capische Italian restaurant

Made up of 72 one-bedroom suites, Hotel Wailea is far calmer and more intimate than the area's 300-plus-room resorts.

It's also much cheaper than the many luxury resorts Wailea is better known for. That's because it is not located directly on the beach, and its single pool, Italian restaurant, and modest Japanese-style spa don't compare to the stunning features at nearby resorts. But when you take into account the small, in-room kitchens and all of the great advantages of staying in Wailea -- consistenly dry weather, the beautiful Wailea Beach, some of Maui's best golf courses, and upscale dining and shopping nearby -- the Hotel Wailea is an excellent value.

Plus, the hotel offers a free 10-minute shuttle to the beach and restaurants at one of the most luxurious resorts in Hawaii, the Grand Wailea, and guests of Hotel Wailea can even bill their meals at the Grand Wailea directly to their room at Hotel Wailea.

The lobby

Requests are met quickly and with full attention, partially because there are just so few guests around -- even at full capacity, Hotel Wailea feels far emptier than many of Maui's resorts. But when it does get busy (and by busy, I mean more than one guest at the front desk), the staff can get a little bogged down. But unlike some condo-hotels, the level of service is more like a traditional hotel -- daily housekeeping; porters on-hand; even an evening turndown service.

• No concierge desk
• Typically, a single porter on staff
• Room service 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.
• Shuttle service to Grand Wailea resort
• Evening turndowns, but they simply pull out the corner of the bedcover -- no dimmed lights, no chocolates on the pillow

View on a Larger Map

Surrounded by more luxurious resorts, Hotel Wailea is located in Wailea, a manicured, planned resort development that lines two spectacular beach-dotted miles of Maui's southwestern shore. Besides the beaches and the almost perfect weather -- rain rarely falls in this arid microclimate, and the temperature hovers around 85 degrees year round -- golf and shopping are the area's big draws.

• 10-minute drive from the beach (the hotel also offers a free shuttle to the beach at the Grand Wailea resort)
• Short drive from the Shops at Wailea, an open-air mall with high-end shopping and dining options, as well as grocery stores
• Four highly regarded golf courses nearby
• Four-lane Wailea Alanui Drive is frequently crowded with slow-moving traffic.
• 35-minute drive from Kahului Airport
• Big Beach, La Perouse Bay, and other popular west Maui towns and beaches are anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour by car.
• Mount Haleakala, the island's dormant volcano, and Hana are at least two to three hours by car, along beautiful but challenging, narrow highways.

Unlike most hotels in Wailea, the Hotel Wailea does not front the beach.

• No direct beach access
• Free, 10-minute shuttle to Wailea Beach (available 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.)

Wailea Beach, one of the best swimming and snorkling beaches in Hawaii, has:

• Soft, fine-grain sand that's groomed every morning
• Small waves suitable for skimboarding, body-surfing, paddleboarding, and Hobie Cat sailing
• Good snorkeling on the southern edge of the bay, which has healthy reefs and occasional turtles
• Snorkel gear, paddleboards and other water-sports equipment available at the Maui Ocean Activity Desk (in front of the Grand Wailea resort)

Polo Beach is closer to the resort (in front of the Fairmont Kea Lani resort, about a five-minute drive away), but it's also much smaller and the public access is less convenient.

A one-bedroom ocean view suite

The hotel's 72 one-bedroom suites were built in 1992 as member-owned condos. Since this time, the hotel updated all of the units with new furniture and electronics in 2009. But the result still feels like a converted condo -- the kitchenettes, bathrooms, carpets, and walls are still the same. However, each room received fresh carpet in 2010.

All units have the same layout, and all but six have exactly the same decor and amenities within -- they're only differeniated by their view. Six luxury suites have minimized kitchenettes to give more space to the living area, and have nicer furnishings -- but are otherwise very similar to the resort's other one-bedroom suites.

• All huge, 900-square-foot one-bedroom suites
• Sofa bed in the living room of each suite
• Kitchen in every room: mini-fridge; coffeemaker; water boiler (for tea); two-burner electric stove (no oven)
• Huge bathrooms: separate standing-shower and soaking tubs; even bidet toilets in some rooms
• Flat-screen TV and iPod dock in each room
• Free Wi-Fi or hard-wired Internet (included in the resort fee)

The pool

While most Wailea resorts are packed with enormous pool complexes and elaborate spas, that's not the case here.

• Tiny, but clean, bean-shaped pool -- but no drink service or even a towel stand
• Fitness center, renovated in 2009, open 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.
• Free access to the spa's modest, Japanese-style whirlpools, saunas, and showers
• Business center with PC and color printer
• Free shuttle to beach at Grand Wailea, one of Maui's most prestigious (and most expensive) resorts

Wailea is home to some of Hawaii's best golf. Wailea Golf Club has three, 18-hole courses -- named among the top 15 golf courses in Hawaii for 2007-2008 by Golf Digest and the award-winning Makena Golf Course is less than five minutes drive south of Wailea, offering another high-level, ocean-view course.

• Three ocean-view courses at the Wailea Golf Club, including the par 72, 7,000-yard Gold Course designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr. (rounds on each course range from about $160 to $190 for Wailea hotel guests)
• Makena Golf Course, also designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr., is set between the mountains and the ocean (average round costs about $175).
• Golf carts are equipped with GPS as well as course tips and information.
• Club rentals available
• Golf lessons available (about $150 per class)

The kitchen

Families are welcome, but the hotel bills itself as an "adult-friendly" resort. The low-key, quiet atmosphere, romantic on-site restaurant, and minimal amenities and services aren't nearly as well-suited for kids as Wailea's beefier resorts. On the other hand, this is one of Wailea's most affordable options, and the rooms can sleep a small family.

• Every guest room is a large, one-bedroom suite with a king-size bed and pullout sleeper-sofa.
• Small kitchen in every unit
• No rollaway beds
• Small pool on premise doesn't have toys or kid-friendly features.
• No kids' club or activities -- unlike most of Maui's resorts
• Free cribs available upon request
• Romantic, adult-oriented on-site dining
• No direct beach access -- it's a 10-minute shuttle ride away

Hotel Wailea is spotless. And it's a good thing -- a dirty place that has a bidet in some of its guest rooms would seem a little incredulous. In addition, all rooms went under "soft renovations" of updated furniture and electronics in 2009.

A meal at Capische Italian restaurant

The resort offers a single on-site dinner restaurant and continental breakfast (breakfast is covered by the daily resort fee). But there are no lunch options on-site, so you'll have to either stock your in-room kitchen or eat outside of the hotel.

• Capische Italian restaurant, arguably one of the most romantic restaurants in Maui for its garden setting and ocean views, has earned Wine Spectator's Award of Excellence for four consecutive years. The bar area was renovated in 2009, accenting the decor with wooden countertop and more open space. (dinner only; entrees $40 to $50).
• Continental breakfast -- coffee, Passion Orange Guava Juice, tea, fruit, bagels, seaonal fruit breads -- served from 7 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. (included in the daily resort fee)
• Room service 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.
• Small, in-room kitchen equipped with two-burner stove and mini-fridge
• Nearby upscale dining and groceries at Shops at Wailea
• Free shuttle to restaurants at Grand Wailea (meals can be billed to your room at Hotel Wailea)