Fairmont Kea Lani vs Renaissance Wailea
 

I almost had my mind made up to make reservations at the Renaissance Wailea using reward points when I found out I won't be able to use my Amex rewards on airfare so now I am considering splurging all my AMEX points on the Fairmont. This is a 25th wedding anniversary trip so we want it to be special. Has anyone stayed at both resorts to make a comparison? We would like a really nice room and the beach is important to us (more than the pool area)Any opinions?

As much as I love the Renaissance, I believe you will find the Kea Lani more luxurious overall, with a larger pool. I have not stayed at the Kea Lani, but heard lots of good things about it. Travel & Leisure magazine ranks Kea Lani as #6 best hotel in Hawaii, and the Renaissance at #19, for 2004. I'd take a vacation at either right now!:-)

Hi Bonnie!
I have read your posts about the Renaissance and you had me convinced that it's a great place. After jumping through hoops to use FF miles for 1st class and realizing it wasn't going to work I think I may splurge on the room! How is the beach at the Fairmont?

I haven't stayed at the Renaissance, but I have stayed at the Kea Lani. All of the rooms at the Kea Lani are suites, with a separate living room, entertainment system, refrigerator and microwave, BIG bathroom with separate tub and shower, and a lanai that is accessible from both the bedroom and living room. They are definitely nicer than any standard hotel room I've stayed in.

Polo Beach is nice; probably comparable to those by the Renaissance. I didn't take any pictures of it on my last trip there, but if you do a Google image search for 'polo beach maui' you will find some pictures.

Mary2go, here's a link to good descriptions of the Wailea beaches:

http://www.mauibeaches.com/Wailea_Beaches.htm

I don't think you'd be unhappy on any of the Wailea beaches! We really enjoyed the beach right behind the R.W., very peaceful and calm, but Polo sounds fine also.

Both are gorgeous in their own way- I know the Fairmont has nicer rooms, but the Fairmont is also MUCH, MUCH more crowded. Tons more kids than the Renaissance has.

We stayed at the Renaissance in the Mokapu section with private waiter, pool, cabanas (no charge) and it was awesome...extremely romantic and private- other resort guestst were not 'allowed' in the area. The rooms were large, but nothing luxurious.

I'm sure you can't go wrong with either choice- I have more experience with Renaissance and found it to be a great place to relax!

Ahhhh, decisions, decisions! I am hoping kids won't be as much an issue at the end of September after school starts. Thanks to all for being so helpful!

I checked the Maui Beach website and I can't wait to stroll them all. I notice that Pu'u Olai Beach is a nude beach, so maybe I will skip that one! It was horrifying enought to buy a new swimsuit for the trip!

We really loved the Kea Lani and wouldn't hesitate to stay there again. Yes, it is popular, but it still felt relaxing and not crowded to me. The size of the rooms, huge lanai and impeccable service were impressive also. I actually liked Polo Beach better than nearby Wailea Beach. It was just a smaller, cozier version.

We walked over to the Renaissance Wailea one morning for brunch at Palm Court. The grounds and hotel seemed quite nice, but we didn't like the beach as much. The food at Palm Court was mediocre and the entire place was completely overrun with birds that kept swooping in and eating off the leftover plates. The snorkeling at Ulua next door is good, but very crowded after 9:00 a.m.

All in all, I think the Renaissance is a good choice, but you might be happier with the Kea Lani. Hope you have a great time either way!

Sap, you must have hit the R.W. on a bad morning. I think their breakfast buffet is fabulous ... the best eggs benedict and pastries I've ever had! We've eaten a lot of meals at Palm Court, and have always been very pleased (and I'm picky!). It must have been an off-day.........

Ulua and Mokapu beaches are usually rated a bit higher than Polo, overall. I think all the beaches in Wailea are great, though...... And they're close enough together that you can visit them all!:-)

First post but have been reading comments on this forum for months in preparation for my honeymoon in Hawaii. Felt compelled to post a reply here. I was in Maui two weeks ago and stayed at the Renaissance Wailea for several nights. Have never stayed at the Kea Lani but visited the grounds, saw the nice beach and had dinner at Nick's (very good food and pretty setting).

To sum it up, my husband and I wished we had stayed at the Kea Lani or Four Seasons (we liked the Kea Lani's grounds better). However, my mother in law gave us a bunch of rewards points so the Renaissance stay was free (we couldn't pass that up). In my opinion, the Renaissance Wailea is okay but nothing special, except for the grounds which are pretty. We stayed in the Mokapu wing (beachfront). The hotel is showing its age and not gracefully. Our room was in desperate need of renovations and the food is mediocre at best. The part of the beach right at the hotel was washed away by a storm in February (according to one of the beach attendants) and is slowly making its way back. Snorkeling is good nearby but it gets very crowded EARLY as someone previously mentioned.

To add to a prior comment, the Palm Court restaurant at the hotel has more birds in it eating than people. The funniest part of my stay was watching the birds swoop down and eat off all the unattended breakfast plates. The most disturbing part of my stay was watching those same birds actually fly onto and take food off of a "covered" and unattended omelette station area - disgusting since I had an omelette the previous morning. Needless to say, after seeing that, we stopped with the omelettes.

The Renaissance was not even close to being fully booked while we were there. We understand why now. Yes, less children was a positive (probably kept away by the tiny useless pool) because it was our honeymoon and we were not aiming to be overrun by children. But I found the hotel to be a little depressing despite my hatred of crowds. Very few people eating at the Palm Court for dinner and the lounge area was dead at night (i'm talking from 8:00 pm on).

Splurge and stay at a special place like the Kea Lani on your special occasion. In September, children should not be a huge problem there.

bettedavis: Can you expand a bit more on your observation of the ground of Kea Lani vs. Four Seasons; it sounds like you found the grounds of Kea Lani nicer than 4S?

The Renaissance Wailea has been sold to Starwood, and will be closed the end of January to be transformed into a W Hotel/Resort. I haven't been back for a couple of years but am still getting good-to-rave reviews from others who go. I'm sure the rooms need updating, etc., because I thought that was beginning to be needed last time I was there. I love the ambience there, the beautiful grounds, and, IMO, very good restaurants. Maybe we will hear from some others who have been there recently, who've had very good things to say...... and who are regular posters here on the forum. I would take a vacation there in a heartbeat, and am so sad that it will be no more after January of next year!

Mary2Go, still, if you want something more luxurious, and knowing that the RW is in need of sprucing up, you might want to go to the Kea Lani, but be sure to go down to the Renaissance to eat at the Maui Onion!

Mary2Go, I just visited tripadvisor.com, and there are several reviews of visits to R.W. in the last month or so, which would be good for you to read/review. And I think they pretty much confirm what we're saying........ it's a great place, but needs some sprucing up. A place is not rated the #19 hotel in Hawaii by T&L, if there aren't some pretty terrific things about it!

You are all sooo helpful. I love Fodors people! I am now going to talk hubby into blowing all the AE points on the Fairmont. I am wondering if the Renaissance is being neglected due to the changes in the works. They probably figure there is no point in keeping things up if it is all getting redone in a few months. Now I just need to tackle the airfare issue! I missed a good deal on Yahoo Travel for $331 Rt from Lax to Maui becuase I needed to find a babysitter (for my 17 year old!)I am hoping to wait a bit and see if I can find a good deal. I having been reading trip reports, sap yours was great, and comments by bonniebroad and I am looking forward to using your tips!

Mary2Go, Good decision to stay at the Kea Lani over the less luxurious Renaissance. You are right to wonder about it possibly being neglected due to the sale. I stayed at the Princeville in Kauai after my stay in Maui and a Starwood person there was telling us about how Starwood had purchased the Renaissance property a few months ago.

Although I am not a regular poster here at the forum (didn't know my opinion was any less valid just because i don't post here often), just thought I would provide a little insight. Admittedly, just my opinion but I was there 2 weeks ago for a special occasion similar to yours. Have fun.

OK I was curious why you couldn't use amex points with airlines? I do have a tone of amex points that I have been saving for airline etc. since I had a lot of airlines miles too and was curious of who amex stopped participating with.

Bettedavis, feel free to chime in, you will see that everyone else does. Opinions are just that and yours counts as much as the next guy! The more responses one gets the better..in my opinion! Vengle...I was trying to either purchase 1st class tickets or buy coach seats and use points to upgrade but when I called Delta and Hawaiian, there were so few 1st class seats available as upgrades on the days I wanted to fly I was afraid to transfer my points and then call back the next day and find out that the 2 available seats were now gone. Both airlines would not hold the seats until my points hit the system. Besides Delta only has one flight and the return is a redeye. Maybe I wasn't asking the right questions but it seemed like it was too risky to transfer points without knowing I could get 1st class.

Oh thanks so much...got a little nervous there. When I went to Hawaii last summer on Continental points first class ...it took over 3 mos to confirm I would get those seats..they don't come easy w/ points at all. I think that the Kea Lani will be fantastic although I have only driven through Wailea...the pool at the Renaissance is SMALL but quaint and my friends were there in January and loved it but from what I have heard that Kea Lani is fantastic. I think they are all suites as well.

I was in no way disparaging anyone's opinion, including Bettedavis's. I simply meant that it would be nice to hear from some of the people who planned their trip with this Board's assistance, then came back and reported to us. Period.

(There is an unfortunate thing that happens on this Board with regularity. A troll pops up with a new name, and the sole intent of making another poster... one that he has decided to "stalk" or irritate....... look bad, whatever advice or opinion that poster might give, and however valid it might be. I doubt that is the case in this situation - as the R.W. is not what it was in it's glory days, but it happens more than it should, and people should be aware of it.)