HOTEL REVIEW: Four Seasons Resort at Wailea.

If you love to travel, chances are you’ve stayed at (or dreamed of staying at) a Four Seasons Resort. The latter had been the case for me. Up until Maui. It has been on my travel bucketlist to stay at a Four Seasons Resort for years, leave alone the one on Maui at Wailea. In other words: I was looking for an excuse to plan a trip there. As I mentioned in December, that opportunity arose back in Summer when Mike finished his MBA. As we both love to travel, trips are the most common gifts between the two of us. We were planning to spend NYE in Vancouver and I decided to extend the trip a bit and surprise him with a week in Maui for his birthday and graduation this year. Needless to say, the stay was nothing short of amazing and I simply had to share a few impressions and memories in today’s hotel review about the Four Seasons Resort at Wailea with you guys.

WHAT I LIKED ABOUT THE HOTEL:

• The arrival at the Four Seasons Resort at Wailea was the best start to an even better week. Greeted by a super friendly staff, homemade mint and ginger lemonade, beautiful leis and lavender scented hand towels, we couldn’t have asked for a warmer welcome.

• Breakfast! Without a doubt, the breakfast buffet was the best I’ve ever seen at a hotel. Anything and everything was there and I loved the fresh fruit, a bagel station and juice bar (delicious green juice!), eggs made to order, a super cute little kids buffet and much more. It came in at 41$ p.p., so I guess you can expect a lot of that amount of money.

• The beach was beautiful, kept very clean, it is a bit secluded and the service is great. Even though they don’t serve food down by the beach, the staff comes by with complimentary fresh fruit, iced water and other goodies every once in a while, which I thought was a very nice service and the first of it’s kind that I’ve seen at hotels.

• Obviously sun protection is much needed in Maui, and I thought it was a really nice and thoughtful touch that the hotel hat sunscreen dispensers located by the beach and all around the pool. All different kinds of SPF to make sure you don’t burn.

• A special compliment goes out to the valet parking staff. They were so helpful and nice, and the time we went up to the vulcano they even placed extra blankets to keep warm and water for the day trip in our car. I think it is those little, very attentive things that truly make a hotel special!

• Speaking of the staff: Brian at the Serenity Pool was also great. Mike mentioned that he liked to eat spicy at one point and from then on, Brian always brought out his special sauce for nachos, quesadillas and the likes.

• The hotel’s restaurants Ferraro’s and Spago (by Wolfgang Puck) are both highly recommendable. The lobster pasta at Ferraro’s rocked my world and Mike hat amazing sashimi as a starter there. Spago combined local ingredients with highest quality meats and fish – delicious!! Plus the wine recommendation we got was on point. Big thumbs up for the hotels culinary options.
• On the topic of food and beverages: You have to try the mojito cocktail by the pool if you ever stay at the Four Seasons Resort in Maui. The perfect companion for an afternoon in the sun.

• Last but not least, we also loved our room. A balcony with partial ocean view and direct view of the sunset, a huge marble bathroom with separate tub and shower as well as a huge TV made our home away from home perfect. The only thing I personally missed a bit was a desk. But I guess work is not the point of a vacation, so that’s ok.

WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE:

• • • Honestly, I can’t really think of anything. But then again, what did you expect? If I had to be super duper critical, the only two things I didn’t like were the amount of kids at the main pool and the early line-up for the serenity pool. I am fairly sure that the Four Seasons Resort in Maui is extra family friendly, because I have rarely seen that many families and kids at a hotel with similar price point. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind kids, but of course the noise level at the pool also changes in accordance with the amount of kids playing there. Luckily, the hotel offered a 21 and up pool as well. The only downside? Everyone loved the serenity pools, so the lineup for sunbeds started at 6:30am. In all though, I think it definitely speaks for the hotel that my only complaint is the amount of families that stay there, right?
    • Just keep in mind that Maui is expensive in general, and of course the prices at the Four Seasons go along with that. Here are a few examples to give you an idea: 17$ cocktails, 175$ for 50 minute massages, 22$ for nachos, 10$ for a green juice, 41$ for the breakfast buffet and an average of 18% gratuity (tip) added to everything.

Hotel Review Four Seasons Resort at Wailea