beccad71

Hi!
I am getting married in Wailea this june. My fiancee and I plan to stay in the Renaissance Wailea Beach Resort for the first 5 days of our trip, then move to the Four Seasons. Most of our guests are booking at the Renaissance since we are staying there. I originally chose the Renaissance because, with the Entertainment book, the price is right for Wailea. Also, I had read some nice reviews.
Now, I am starting to read various (recent) reviews about some of the rooms smelling like mold! Has anyone been there recently? We are not planning to stay in the Mokupu section (the one right on the beach). I am freaking out because I don't want our guests vacation to be ruined if this place has turned into a dump. I also realize that some people write negative reviews no matter WHERE they go..so i am hoping this is the case!
If you don't recommend the Renaissance, where would you recommend for the Wailea area that is not in the Four Seasons/Fairmont/Grand W price range! I want my guests to be happy..they are traveling so far to celebrate with me!
Help!
thank you,
becca

Tiff

Hi Becca, My husband and I were in Maui at the Renassaince Wailea two months ago (Jan 04) and we found it to be lovely. I (we) have had the good fortune to travel to some wonderful destinations and stay at some lovely resorts. After doing our research we chose the Renassaince mainly because of the views from the room. This resort had for us what the others didn't, when normally we would have just booked with a Four Seasons or the Ritz. But because I always do my research as to not be disapppointed, we are very pleased that we chose the Renassaince. We did stay in the Mokopu Beach rooms and while some have said it wasn't worth the extra money, we found that it was, we just love the proximity it gave us to the ocean. And in the end, although this wasn't a deciding factor for us, it was about half of what we would have paid at FS. We enjoyed it greatly, no mold scents at all. Maybe someone else has been more recently than us, that could comment, but we had a delightful time, and can't wait to go back.
Hope it all works out for you! Congrats on your upcoming nuptials. Maui is enchanting and very romantic. T.

travleis

Becca: while I don't doubt that someone has written about mold odor in the rooms at the Renaissance, that kind of thing will vary a lot from time to time in hotels in places like Maui. A water accident in a room (guest induced, or water leak, or rain backup etc) followed by improper drying will definitely draw mold. Could be just one room, could be a whole bottom floor of rooms, whatever.
This is a fixable problem, especially if it's just floorcoverings. Mold in the walls/fixtures is trickier but fixable too.
A hotel of this type will not ignore any significant number of complaints and will fix any such problem(s).

To make SURE you and your guests are protected do the following: call the hotel and ask to speak with a day shift manager. Voice your concerns about this rumor. You will almost certainly receive words of reassurance. Get the full name of the person you speak with, and write this down along with date and time called.
In the unlikely event that there's a real problem when you get to Wailea, you'll have a very nice bit of leverage in that you can truthfully state that you were assured by management that no such problems were in existence.

I doubt you'll run into problems in the first place. But you'll have some added clout with a wedding party and documented advance assurance from management that your stay will be 'right'. Hope you have a great time.

ms_go

Becca, I spent some time in Wailea a few weeks ago and walked through most of the resorts. I didn't see any rooms at the Renaissance, but I can tell you from the public areas that it is in no way a dump.

We stayed at the Marriott/Outrigger Wailea, which is a comparable property -- I think both are Marriott properties. We were perfectly happy.

The one thing I'd suggest is to make sure you get rooms with decent views. It will make your stay so much nicer. We reserved a garden view room at the Marriott, and while we could see a bit of everything (including ocean)

ms_go

Oops -- hit that post button by mistake. As I was saying...

I booked the lowest rate I could find -- a Marriott Rewards special for garden view. While we could see a bit of ocean and up Haleakala, it wasn't the kind of view that made me want to spend time on the lanai. Instead, I found myself wishing I'd spent just a bit more for a room with a real ocean view.

Have a great time!

kimjoy

Becca,
My family and I stayed at this resort for 3 weeks last summer and all we have our wonderful memories. We had no problems with the rooms and the grounds of this resort are so beautiful. The beach is also wonderful here with easy acess. I believe your family and friends will be very happy here.

beccad71

All of you are so nice. Thank you. I feel much better now.
take care!
becca

vacationdreamer

Can I inquire as to what the entertainment book rate is for the renaissance wailea? Just curious to see if/by how much it beats the website rates. Thanks.

lukesaunt

I have stayed twice in the past 2 years at the Renaissance Wailea (both with the entertainment rate), and once at the Fairmont Kea Lani. My husband and I love the Renaissance. It is a beautifully landscaped property, and while the pool is smaller, we found the entire experience to be more intimate and relaxing than other resorts on the island. While we loved the Fairmont for its luxurious suites, the Renaissance was just as relaxing, and just as beautiful, but in different ways. I would highly recommend it, especially for your guests. As for the 4S, I personally think you get more luxury for your money at the Fairmont next door (all rooms are very large suites), but that's a hotly debated topic around here. Outside of the Fairmont/4S price range, the Renaissance is the next nicest property in my opinion, and for the record, is much nicer and more private/beautiful/relaxing than the Hyatt/Sheraton/Westin's up in Kanaapali, which are more expensive!

bonniebroad

beccad71, I have visited Hawaii several times, stayed on Oahu, Maui, Kauai, and Big Islands in several hotels.... The Renaissance Wailea is my hands-down favorite, we have had three vacations there, and that resort is one of the main reasons I go to Hawaii! The poster before me has expressed my thoughts beautifully so I won't go on and on. But I would absolutely call and ask about the mold (you really can have this at any hotel, near the water, I think), just to reassure myself. But the RW has the most beautiful gardens on Maui, in my opinion, a very good beach, and the walkway that goes behind and along the length of the resort is a real pleasure. YOU WILL LOVE IT, I'm betting!