Maui Vacations...
The Grand Wailea Maui might surprise you!
As I shared in my last post, my wife and I absolutely adore Hawaii and get a chance to visit every few years - not nearly enough! But with the distractions of running our business and managing two teenagers and a puppy, that's all we have seemed to manage in recent years. Having stayed at the Grand Hyatt Wailea in it's first year of existence 14 years earlier, we were looking forward to a "return engagement". It indeed was a little like coming home. Although it is longer affiliated with Hyatt we found it to be everything we remembered... and more. Among the "more" were some things that were not to our liking. Among the things we expected was the cordial service, the fabulous Spa and the gorgeous grounds. And in those areas we were not disappointed. But there were a few things that surprised us as well. Unbeknown to us, this resort has heavily marketed itself to families with young children. Because of the many water slides throughout the pool areas the place was crawling with kids! Along with that shift in focus, we discovered that fine dining was no longer a part of the Grand Wailea Resort. For instance, the main restaurant overlooking the grounds from just off the lobby area - one that we fondly remembered - no longer is open for dinner. Thankfully, the Four Seasons Resort just next door and the Fairmont Kea Lani just down the beach provided us numerous options for fine dining with an adult atmosphere!
Despite all this the Grand Wailea is still a wonderful place although it is definitely showing its age. I would recommend it heartily - to families with young children!!!