We spent 5 nights at the Grand Wailea, A Waldorf Astoria Resort in Maui this summer, and here’s our open and honest impression of this famous property.
✨ The Positives
The Grand Wailea is without a doubt one of the most stunning oceanfront resorts on Maui. Set directly on the wide Wailea Beach, the property features beautifully maintained terraced gardens, lush landscaping, and a true Hawaiian resort feeling.
The beachfront location is ideal, not only for swimming in the ocean but also for long walks on the Wailea Beach Path, a well-maintained seaside trail with breathtaking ocean views. Morning or sunset walks here are magical.
We loved the variety of pools, perfect for both relaxation and fun, and the large golden-sand beach makes this resort a paradise for sunseekers.
Our Chapel Wing room turned out to be a highlight. Before arrival, we saw in the Hilton Honors app that we were upgraded from a standard terrace view to an Ocean View Room – 1 King Bed, which we truly appreciated. We selected our room in advance through the app, choosing a ground-floor location close to the ocean and beach. That choice was perfect. The Chapel Wing was very quiet, with easy beach access, and the ocean was just steps away.
The room itself was spacious, decorated in calming natural shades, with a bathroom that looked newly renovated. From what we had seen in older videos, the renovation has definitely improved the rooms a lot, and we were glad our stay was after the updates.
Another small but thoughtful touch: the resort provides reusable water bottles and refill stations throughout the property, a sustainable idea that we really liked.
The breakfast buffet closed early at 10 a.m. and was priced at $62 per person. Since we were still dealing with jet lag, we preferred dining at Loulu, the resort’s wellness-focused market, which is open all day and offers a wide selection of warm meals, sandwiches, salads, fruits, and desserts. We especially enjoyed the pizza there.
⚠️ The Negatives
While the setting is undeniably spectacular, what was missing was the true Waldorf Astoria service we have experienced in other properties. There was no warm welcome, no lei, and no personal approach upon check-in, it felt like the staff was stretched thin.
Beach loungers came with a steep surprise: $150 for two chairs and an umbrella per day 😬. Pool loungers are included, but there simply aren’t enough of them, so finding one can be a challenge. The alternative is booking a private cabana, which can cost as much as $1,500 per day in high season, a price that feels excessive for most guests.
In terms of value, we redeemed 400,000 Hilton Honors points for 5 nights. Today, the same stay would cost around 160,000 points per night or over $1,000 in cash rates. For that level of pricing, we definitely expected more in terms of service and overall experience.
Another letdown was the lack of staff interaction. During our entire stay, we had very little engagement with the team. Instead of feeling encouraged to enjoy more of the resort’s restaurants or amenities, we mostly used our Diamond discount and dined at the Shops at Wailea nearby, which offer plenty of restaurants at better prices.
Conclusion
The Grand Wailea is without question a spectacular property, the beachfront location, terraced gardens, pools, and renovated rooms all deliver a “wow” factor that makes it one of Maui’s most famous resorts.
That said, at today’s cash and points rates, expectations for a Waldorf Astoria are very high, and in terms of service and overall experience, the resort fell short. The lack of personal touches, limited pool loungers, and extremely high add-on costs like beach chairs and $1,500 cabanas left us with the feeling of being nickel-and-dimed rather than pampered.
We’re glad we experienced it once, but if we return to Maui in the future, we would probably choose a different resort that offers more consistent luxury service and better overall value.
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