Where luxury and wellness meet: A review of Grand Wailea Maui, A Waldorf Astoria Resort

The paradisical island of Maui is no stranger to luxury beachfront resorts offering family-friendly accommodations, prime ocean access and rejuvenating wellness opportunities. Grand Wailea Maui, A Waldorf Astoria Resort sits in the heart of Wailea Beach in southern Maui, with breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean. The property combines that sought-after family-friendly vibe with Waldorf Astoria's signature luxury experience — and, following a major renovation, it happens to boast Hawaii's biggest spa.

I first stayed at the resort back in 2008, but the property's recent $350 million renovation warranted my return this year to experience the hotel's exciting updates.

While residents of Lahaina in West Maui (north of this hotel) are still rebuilding after devastating fires tore through the historic town last year, tourism to other parts of the island is especially important, now more than ever. Those hoping to unwind in style should consider booking a trip to Grand Wailea Maui — here's why the property remains a TPG favorite.

What is Grand Wailea Maui? 

Grand Wailea Maui, or "the Grand" as it's called by locals, sits on 40 acres of manicured land stretching from Wailea Beach up toward the slope of Haleakala. With nine pools, nine distinct dining options, and over 800 guest rooms, suites and villas, there is quite a bit of variety for different types of travelers.

The resort has been a part of Hilton's Waldorf Astoria collection since 2007. Originally built by Japanese developer Takeshi Sekiguchi, the resort opened in 1991 as the Grand Hyatt Wailea and included one of the largest art collections in Hawaii — now standing at 80 pieces by local Hawaiian artists such Herb Kawainui Kane, and artists Fernando Botero of Colombia and Fernand Leger of France. The resort has grown and evolved over the years with the addition of the Hoolei villas in 2008 and, most recently, with this massive renovation.

How to book Grand Wailea Maui

There are a handful of ways to book Grand Wailea Maui, starting directly on the Hilton website. Room rates start around $900 per night, including taxes and fees, though Hilton Honors members might be able to find special program rates on the website. If you want to redeem Hilton Honors points for your stay, standard award redemptions are available starting at 110,000 points per night.

The resort is also bookable via American Express Travel. Cardholders can earn 5 points per dollar if booking with The Platinum Card® from American Express. The property is a Fine Hotels + Resorts member, so the complimentary breakfast benefit, 4 p.m. late checkout and other FHR amenities will apply. Remember, you can also get up to a $200 statement credit when booking an Amex FHR or Hotel Collection property via Amex Travel. A quick check of September dates shows there is currently an Amex FHR promotion for a fourth night free, which is included in the average nightly rate of $729 or 72,925 Amex Membership Rewards points per night.

Capital One cardholders can book in the Capital One Travel portal to earn miles, but the resort is not in the Premier or Lifestyle collections.

When booking Grand Wailea Maui, you'll want to use one of the credit cards that earn the most points for Hilton stays, or possibly one that offers automatic Hilton Honors elite status for value-added benefits. These include:

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• Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card: Earn 12 points per dollar spent on eligible purchases at Hilton hotels, automatic Gold elite status and the ability to upgrade to Diamond status through the end of the next calendar year by spending $40,000 on eligible purchases in a calendar year.
• Hilton Honors American Express Business Card: Earn 12 points per dollar spent on eligible purchases at Hilton hotels, automatic Gold elite status and the ability to upgrade to Diamond status through the end of the next calendar year by spending $40,000 on eligible purchases in a calendar year.
• Hilton Honors American Express Card: Earn 7 points per dollar spent on eligible purchases at Hilton hotels and automatic Silver elite status (with an upgrade to Gold through the end of the next calendar year when you spend $20,000 on eligible purchases in a calendar year).
• Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card: Earn 14 points per dollar spent on eligible purchases at Hilton hotels and automatic Diamond elite status.

The information for the Hilton Aspire Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Grand Wailea Maui's location

The resort is about 20 minutes south of Maui's Kahului Airport (OGG). Since my last visit to the island was in 2017, I was excited to discover a new rental car center connected to the terminal via a tram. A rental car is a must if you decide to venture off the resort grounds and experience Maui's Upcountry or many other beaches and local restaurants. According to the resort's website, valet parking is available for $65 per day, per car and is not included in the daily resort fee. Self-parking is not available at the resort. Another option would be to rent a car for the day from the resort's on-site Enterprise Rent-A-Car desk, which has an outpost in the lobby.

The Wailea area is undeniably beautiful — here, you'll find an abundance of championship golf courses and luxury resorts. In fact, there's a beach path that connects the Fairmont Kea Lani, Four Seasons Resort Maui, Grand Wailea Maui, Marriott's Wailea Beach Resort and Andaz Maui. It's common to see people walking in the mornings to exercise or in the evenings heading to nearby resorts for dinner. The Shops at Wailea is an upscale shopping center that is about a quarter-mile from Grand Wailea Maui and is also easily walkable on a sidewalk.

If you'd rather not drive yourself but still want to explore the island, the resort concierge can help organize excursions with local tour operators.

A warm welcome

When driving up to the property, guests shouldn't let the resort's expansive size — or the regal bronze statue of King Kamehameha I, the founder and first ruler of the kingdom of Hawaii — intimidate them. From a warm welcome at the valet stand to the smiling faces behind the front desk, we could feel the Hawaiian spirit of aloha immediately upon arrival.

As my family walked through the open-air lobby, we stopped to admire the sculptures located throughout. Male and female hula dancer statues graced both sides of the entrance and led directly to the "lucky mermaid" statue and water feature in front of the Botero lobby bar — a favorite spot for arrival and departure photos.

While we checked in, we were given welcome leis made of kukui nuts and a shark's tooth necklace for my daughter, along with a kids passport book of stickers that could be turned in later for a surprise.

Updated rooms and suites are light, bright and relaxing

During the hotel's most recent renovations, rooms and suites were given a light and airy update (a departure from the previous coral-forward color scheme), featuring fresh and modern neutral hues, with contemporary artwork depicting island themes hung throughout the spaces.

Fortunately, the majority of rooms at this resort open out to spacious exterior walkways that look over the property's grounds, allowing guests to have quick access to the beautiful breezy weather as they walk to and from their rooms. Additionally, many rooms and suites feature water-facing balconies (called lanais in Hawaii), too, so the great outdoors feel very accessible even when you're tucked inside.

In addition to standard updates made across the board to existing accommodations, the hotel debuted 11 new luxurious wellness-focused guest rooms in June, which are now available for booking.

Each room includes amenities that allow guests to focus on health and wellness — from accessories like Therabody compression boots, a massage gun and meditation goggles to an air purifier, premium eucalyptus bedding and a white-noise sound machine. Guests in these rooms will have a lanai that opens onto a green space to allow for outside garden access and movement, plus access to the new Kilolani Spa's Hydrothermal Gardens. Wellness room rates start at $1,262 per night.

The suite life

Suites at Grand Wailea Maui start at around $2,770 per night (with nonrefundable rates from $2,085 per night) and range in size from a generous 1,280 square feet (the Honuaula Suite) to 5,500 square feet (the Napua Grand Suite, which is the largest on the property) — and include multiple lanais.

Guests looking for villa-style accommodations with more space and full kitchens can book one of the Hoolei Villas, which sleep six to eight guests and range in size from 3,400 to 4,000 square feet.

We stayed in a Molokini Suite (1,950 square feet), which included one king bed and one sleeper sofa — ideal for a family of three, as everyone had enough space. Plenty of windows meant that natural light streamed in from multiple directions, giving the spaces a fresh feel.

The suite, which featured modern neutral-hued wooden and glass furnishings with pops of royal blue, was composed of an entryway (which had its own half bath), a living room with a comfy couch and 65-inch television, a dining room with a large wooden table and six blue upholstered chairs, the bedroom, and a kitchen. The kitchen had a full-size refrigerator and a microwave, as well as plenty of counter space for entertaining (and a separate entrance for service staff if one was hosting an event).

The king bed displayed signature Waldorf Astoria-logo linens by Frette — a comfy 400-thread-count cotton sateen accompanied by feather and down pillows provided a very restful sleep.

The primary bathroom was decked out in gleaming marble and had both a whirlpool tub and a separate glass-enclosed shower. There was plenty of storage space and room to hang clothing in the closet.

In keeping with the airy, natural vibe of the rest of the suite, there were enormous windows over the tub, offering views of both the beach and the ocean. The bath amenities (hotel-branded) were in refillable pump bottles and featured a tropical honey-mango scent that has become synonymous with Maui for me since my first visit in 2008.

One of the best features of this suite was the balconies (there were three to choose from!), each with spectacular ocean views. From here, we enjoyed the sound of the waves in the morning with a cup of coffee or relaxed and watched the sunset in the evenings.

Useful resort fee inclusions

I'll also note that while daily resort charges can be controversial, the amenities that are included in Grand Wailea Maui's $55 daily charge are some of the most useful — particularly for families — that I have encountered at a luxury resort.

Think beach cruisers to ride around the area, daily scuba clinics and beach umbrellas. There are quite a few activities and classes included also — yoga, photography sessions, and hula and ukulele lessons, for example — as well as two water bottles per stay with refill stations throughout the resort.

Note that when you book your stay here with Hilton Honors points, the daily resort fee is waived.

Ocean-view dining

There's no shortage of restaurants at the resort — nine in total (and room service is available, too). Almost all of the locations offer ocean views, which is the cherry on top. From a casual poolside lunch to an upscale dinner at the resort's signature seafood restaurant, Humuhumunukunukuapuaa, guests will be able to find options for even particularly picky eaters.

Wailea Surf Haus

Wailea Surf Haus sits at the pool level, offering umbrella seating or takeout.

I enjoyed the lobster BLT ($34), served on lightly toasted Hawaiian bread with sweet lobster salad and freshly sliced tomatoes. The saltiness of the bacon and the crunch of the lettuce were a delicious combination, and this was definitely one of the best sandwiches I've ever had (and that includes New England lobster rolls!). There are kid-friendly options such as chicken tenders and fries, burgers, hot dogs, and wraps, as well.

Loulu

The resort's grab-and-go gourmet wellness cafe, Loulu, is on the walkway between the boutiques and features Erewhon products (Grand Wailea was the first hotel partnership for the trendy L.A. brand) and a menu of salads, sandwiches, poke bowls, wraps and flatbreads. Seating is available on the walkway that overlooks the gardens and ocean — it's a great spot for a quick meal or an after-dinner gelato for the kids (OK, and maybe the parents, too!).

Ikena

Just off the lower lobby area facing the ocean is Ikena — the indoor-outdoor breakfast buffet. Large umbrellas shade patio seating so guests can experience cool ocean breezes while enjoying a variety of classic American breakfast items and some international cuisine offerings, too.

In addition to fresh seasonal fruits, yogurt, salads and cereals, there are hot items such as pancakes, waffles and crepes, eggs, bacon or sausage and a made-to-order omelet station (lobster omelet, anyone?). Items like miso soup or congee are also available on the buffet, along with fresh meats, cheeses and a selection of homemade bakery items. The buffet costs $45 for kids (keiki) and $57 for adults.

Humuhumunukunukuapuaa

Named for the Hawaiian fish, the reimagined signature restaurant Humuhumu (as it's nicknamed) features fresh seafood as well as options like steak, pork chops and chicken. The entire restaurant is a series of thatched huts perched over a lagoon, creating a magical atmosphere in the evening as you watch the sunset from an ocean-view table.

There's an aquarium built directly into the bar, so you can sit and watch fish swimming underneath your drink. It made for quite the centerpiece during cocktail hour.

The service throughout the evening was attentive and not overly formal, striking the right balance for a relaxed family dinner. To start the meal service, we ordered fresh ube brioche rolls with sweet lilikoi (passion fruit) butter ($16).

A gin mule (instead of a traditional vodka mule) was also very good. The Wailea Beach Mule ($23) features locally made Fid Street gin, lychee syrup, fresh lemon and Q hibiscus ginger beer.

For dinner, we enjoyed abalone and clam chowder, garnished with bacon and chives ($30); Kona crabcake with a heart of palm salad and lime remoulade ($32); and 10-ounce filet mignon ($75). A kids menu is available with options starting at $24, including a sweet gelato treat at the end.

I consider this restaurant a must-try while visiting the resort. We found it to have an elevated (but not too fancy) atmosphere, excellent food and attentive service.

Botero

Located in the middle of the resort, within the open-air lobby, is a bar called Botero — named for the famous Colombian artist whose sculptures adorn the walkways surrounding the bar. Botero serves up sushi, light bites and cocktails, with seating available at tables or at the bar. It's a great alternative if you don't want to venture to Olivine or Humuhumu for dinner and maybe just want a lighter snack. Entertainment included live music most nights.

Pools and beaches

With nine different pool options, Grand Wailea really is like a water park in many ways, but surprisingly, the pools never felt overcrowded, and we never had difficulty finding lounge chairs near our preferred pool.

The pool complex sits between the ocean and the resort buildings. It includes the adults-only Hibiscus pool, a kiddie pool with a beach sand edge, a Tarzan swing, and multiple smaller pools connected by a series of small, open slides that eventually lead to a whitewater rapids slide and the lazy river.

There are two enclosed slide tubes as well, and even more fun is to be had while playing in the waterfalls, caves and on Wailea Beach. I may have stopped at the pool Grotto bar for a lava flow (a strawberry and pina colada, $20) a time or two on the way down to the lazy river.

Guests must check in each day at the pool concierge desk to receive the daily wristband and pick up pool towels. Next to the concierge, there's a pool shop that sells bathing suits, sunscreen and pool toys. Since we forgot to pack any toys, we were able to get a round inner tube for $8 and a pack of cloth water balls for $6.

Kilolani Spa

The recently renovated spa (formerly Spa Grande, now Kilolani Spa) was nothing short of stunning. The space was completely rebuilt from the ground up on the same footprint of 50,000 square feet spread over two levels — the largest spa in the Hawaiian Islands. The concept for Kilolani Spa is rooted in the Hawaiian culture and moon phases — the name Kilolani pays homage to the ancient Hawaiian stargazers and encourages guests to be in tune with the natural currents of the world.

Calming colors, such as blue hues and neutral tones, appear throughout the spa and full-service salon. Each of the 40 treatment rooms includes the latest in lighting and sound technology.

Upon entering the fully accessible spa, I was transported to a tranquil and healing space where the spa guide invited me to pause and set intentions, letting go of any negative thoughts before embarking on my relaxation journey.

I was given a silk-blend kimono robe, slippers and a spa bracelet that locked and unlocked my locker.

Booking a spa treatment entitles guests to all-day spa access, and spa guests are encouraged to utilize the open-air hydrotherapy gardens, which are beautifully landscaped with comfortable seating areas throughout. Offerings include steam and sauna rooms with eucalyptus aromatherapy, a hot and cold shower circuit, a cold plunge, a heated Jacuzzi, and heated stone benches.

Hydrotherapy gardens are available on both the women's and men's sides of the spa, and guests can meet in the middle of the spa at the co-ed saltwater vitality pool and hammam. Access is complimentary with a booked spa treatment and it's recommended to arrive an hour prior to treatment to enjoy the hydrotherapy. Without a booked treatment, a two-hour pass to the open-air hydrotherapy gardens can be purchased for $150.

Himalayan salt rooms and infrared halotherapy are available for booking in private 45-minute increments ($89).

While waiting for my treatment, I was invited to relax in the open-air co-ed lounge on the second floor, which looked out over the Hibiscus adult pool and the ocean.

The lounge seating was comfortable, and there were healthy homemade snack bars, fruit and infused waters on the entry table.

During my visit, I was scheduled for the 120-minute Helu Po Ritual ($489 plus tax and gratuity). The staff suggested this treatment which included a 60-minute body scrub followed by a 60-minute hot stone massage drawing inspiration from the Hawaiian moon calendar to honor the interconnected relationship between the celestial and spiritual domains.

The scrub left my skin feeling soft and refreshed, and after a quick shower in the private treatment room, the therapist returned and began the hot stone massage. I will say it was so relaxing that I'm pretty positive I dozed off for a few minutes ... twice.

The spa experience overall was very relaxing and a good way to unwind and treat myself for a few hours.

Boutiques and local vendors

Shopping at the resort includes high-end jewelry and artwork, Tommy Bahama, Makana Gifts with Aloha, a men's and women's boutique, and Quiksilver. In addition, there is the Kilolani Spa retail shop and the pool activity shop.

Family-friendly activities, including the Grand Luau

To say this resort is family-friendly would be an understatement. There was no shortage of activities to keep kids entertained, from the pools to the beaches to the culturally focused activities, which were very family-friendly. Most of the activities take place in the Kilohana Resource and Cultural Center near the resort shops. The schedule includes ukulele lessons, lei-making classes, weaving and much more.

In addition to activities, a Hawaiian cultural ambassador provides weekly tours around the resort, allowing families to learn about Hawaiian history and culture through stories and artifacts on the property.

Keep in mind that parents are required to accompany their children to the activities. While there isn't currently a kids club, the resort is working on a plan for a kids club location on the property. For now, if parents want to retreat to the spa together, for instance, the resort can recommend child care services.

One very special activity to note is the Grand Luau, which is available on select dates — I recommend calling the resort ahead of time to book it — and takes place on one of two oceanfront lawns at the resort. It's an entertaining and enriching experience from start to finish. Local vendors set up before the show and display everything from wood carvings to handmade jewelry, woven grass purses and other handmade gifts and souvenirs.

Upon arrival, we were welcomed with leis for the adults and a necklace for our daughter, along with drinks (alcoholic and nonalcoholic options are available), before being escorted to our assigned table. Each family has its own private table, which I appreciated after having experienced other luaus that offer shared tables and buffet food.

The Grand Luau offered family-style dining at our own private table and multiple courses.

The food was plentiful and fantastic, but the real treat was the performances. The emcee shared Polynesian legends and the history of Hawaii, providing families with a chance to learn and appreciate more about the Hawaiian culture through dance and storytelling. Luau pricing starts at $275 per adult and $170 for kids.

Accessibility

It's easy to use Grand Wailea Maui's website to search for accessible room types. There, you'll find full lists of accessibility features.

Public-area accessibility features include wide hallways, ramps and elevators. The pathways around the resort are paved and offer access to the beach, pools and pool chair lifts.

The new Kilolani Spa was built with accessibility in mind — it features ramps, elevators and wide doorways for common spaces and treatment rooms.

Checking out

When it was time to leave, no one was ready to say goodbye to this slice of paradise. At checkout my daughter turned in her kids passport book after finding all of the locations on the property and was presented with her surprise — a hand-carved wooden sea turtle necklace. She was beyond thrilled.

It was another family vacation with wonderful memories made even better by a great staff. It wasn't until we returned home that we realized the resort has a webcam you can check out for a daily dose of paradise. I'll be tuning in until it's time to return.

Related reading:

• The award travelers guide to Hilton Honors
• How to choose the best Hilton credit card for you
• Get free breakfast, upgrades and more with the Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts program
• The best hotel rewards programs in the world
• Best hotel credit cards
• Why now is a great time to visit Maui