Need some opinions on this property. Looking to plan a small intimate wedding in the fall of 2003. How does it compare to the Kea Lani or Grand Wailea? Thanks for your opinions.

Four Seasons is in a league of it's own, and the other hotels aren't even close!

KL: bigger rooms, larger property, not as nice as FS (detail type things...furniture, bathrooms, beds, etc...and of course no one outdoes FS for service). Nice place, but a clear notch below FS.

GW: big, Disney meets las vegas meets Liberace type place. Almost cheesy/glitzy IMO, and out of place for Hawaii. But in and of itself a very nice hotel. Overrun with kids because of their water slides and such. Not refined like the FS, if that's important. Some younger people find the FS dull compared to places like the GW. Depends on your personality and style.

Kea Lani is wonderful. It is next door to the 4 seasons and the villas they have would be great for a wedding and honeymoon. I think you will get a better value for money there rather than the 4 seasons where there are the nice rooms and suites.

Food is better at the 4 seasons but I think the sevice in both places is laid back

wailea is normally a zoo nice to go with kids and perhaps for the spa treatment.

Had an original reservation at 4S but swapped it for a room at the Kea Lani. Went over and checked out the 4S after staying at the Kea Lani. No comparison. Kea Lani has bigger rooms, better pools, and we were treated the same as if we were staying at a 4S property.

Having watched travel ratings from the travel mags, Zagat, etc over the past 10 years, I have not once seen Kea Lani rated higher than Four Seasons. Out of maybe 25 or 30 different ratings.

Does that tell you anything?

Glenn:

Yeah, it tells us that there's a lot of people out there with more money than sense.

All of the Wailea hotels are excellent. The Four Seasons has the best food and service. However, its pools are very small compared to the Kea Lani and the Grand Wailea (something to consider when the resort is full). Also, given its angle to the beach, only the suites have true ocean views. If they say you have an "ocean view room", chances are you have an angled 30% view of the ocean.

The Kea Lani has larger rooms and importantly, much more pool space. The resort is also more spread out. The service and food are not as good.

I haven't been to the Grand Wailea but because of its amazing fantasy pools it is very popular with families with young children, so it's not the best for peace and quiet.

While general ratings from magazines and guidebooks are helpful, you need to choose based on your own particular preferences since hotels are not "one size fits all".

To my good friend the big fat guy, there are plenty of people who have enough money that the Four Seasons stays booked nearly year round...even when the economy is poor.
Relative to my income and savings, a week at the Four Seasons won't have any impact on my life, and if I saved $2000 staying at the Kea Lani, the extra money would have no impact on my life.

And if the money isn't an issue, it really makes no difference whether I have a lot of common sense, now does it?

Staying at the Kea Lani or Grand Wailea vs. the Four Seasons is like watching a black & white TV vs. a color TV. If you had never seen a television before you would love a black & white television, because you wouldn't know what you were missing! But once you see a color television you wouldn't want to go back to the old b&w. Besides, the Four Seasons is where OPRAH stays! (but don't tell anybody!)

Okay, I'll answer this one also. Being the "expert" on Hawaii on this board I will fill you in.

Kea Lani, Four Seasons and Grand Wailea are all located on the "ugly" side of the island--Wailea. Not much natural vegetation here. Views not as good as other areas. You are also located on "hotel row" with properties being wedged in right after each other. You are far from most of the attractions--Lahina, Kaanapali, etc. If you have to pick one of those three then you should choose the Four Seasons.

If you can choose another Maui locale strongly consider the Kapalua area--esp Ritz Carlton. Very upscale, very quiet and private. September and October are best months for weather in Kapalua--little wind and rain. Wailea tends to have consistently better weather--hot and dry.

You are now educated.

Sidney just because you receiver your edukashun in Arkansas and you're the smartest guy in Possum Noggin, please don't assume you have anything to teach anyone else who has actual education and world experience.

I've stayed everywhere worth staying in the Hawaiian islands. Including Kapalua's two resorts.
Wailea is the only place I ever stay in Maui.
The biggest difference between you and most people (aside from the fact that most of the rest of us aren't married to our sisters and we only have 10 fingers and toes) is that most people recognize that taste and style are not uniform across populations.
Some people love Kapalua. Great. Vive la difference.
But people who love fine hotels, quiet surroundings, and great weather often prefer Wailea over Kapalua and Kaanapali.
Get used to it.
Kapalua is the least popular of the three areas, so you're preaching to a largely unsympathetic audience.
Tell it to the hogs out behind the trailer.

I just can't believe the utter stupidity on this board! The Grand Wailea is the most beautiful, luxurious and elegant of the three hotels, PERIOD! The Four Seasons is just vastly overrated and overpriced beyond words, and with LOUSY views from MOST of their rooms! So, what are you paying all of that extra cash for? Oh yes, to be spritzed with a stale bottle of Evian at the pool! How declasse can you get?!? The ONLY redeeming quality about the FS is that the food is so much better!

Ginger:

If you are interested in the FS, have you considered the FS on the Big Island? Apart from lacking a good beach, it's in every other respect superior to the one on Maui. The Big Island resort is more spread out, quieter and has fewer rooms. There are larger pools and the rooms are larger and more comfortable (including the famous outdoor showers that come with the ground floor rooms).
The food is also better, with Pahu'ia, the main restaurant at the Big Island resort, easily better than Spago at the Maui resort (which is not as good as the restaurant it replaced, Seasons).
The rates are roughly the same.

Hey Tom, opinions are just like a$$holes.
Everyone has one.
Including you.
Your opinion is noted.
Not everyone agrees with you.
In fact most people don't agree with your assessment of those three hotels.
Deal with it and move on, OK?

Glen,

I think you just made my point.

Thanks,

the big fat guy

Just back from the Kea Lani, and I would NOT recommend it. The first room we were given was FILTHY. THe floor was so dirty they privided slippers and left towels on the floor in the bedroom to cover the stains. When we asked to be moved, the second room was in the basement, and had ants in the bathroom and bar area, which we complained about, but the problem was not corrected. All this was despite a free upgrade certificate from their Fairmont Club, and during low season with less than half occupancy. Yes the rooms are big, and the bathrooms are spacious, but who cares about a suite when the sofa is so dirty you don't want to sit on it. (all this at 5 star prices!)

My husband and I stayed at the FS Maui in the second week of November. The spa was closed and there was minimal construction work being done in an area near the pool in order to upgrade a restaurant and, what appeared to be, an extension of the lobby. I too was concerned before we stayed there. However, the minimal noise was not disturbing and the hotel was otherwise wonderful - fantastic service, beautiful room (we had an executive suite), beautifully maintained grounds and excellent food at the stylish spago. Can't wait to go back.

The Kea Lani is not what we expected at all. We expected lush and got a big disapointment. The lobby was very tired looking and the women checking you in are on the grouchy side. They seemed to be "just doing their jobs". The rooms were OK and as the poster before said the rooms are big but I've seen much better in Hawaii. When you pay those kind of prices you want to be pampered, not get a feeling like you are disturbing them when you ask a question or are in need of service. We left there early with a very bad taste for the Fairmont name. If that hotel is any representation of the Fairmont chain, then we won't be visiting any more of them.

The staff was rude and pompous. Housekeeping came in for our turndown service, left our fresh towels on the edge of the tub and left. We did not feel welcome there at all. The grounds are not at all lush. As a matter of fact they are quite sparse. The place is mostly villas. By the way, don't have your clothes dry cleaned there. They ruined two pieces of our clothing.

To sum up the way we feel is to say that it truly looks like they have thousands of families there every year. The rooms need re-furbishing, the lobby needs re-furbishing and the management needs re-furbishing!!

Just returned from Maui recently. I don't think you can go wrong with FS or MK. I would stay away from the GW as noted though. Too big and gaudy and too many kids...especially for a wedding!