Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - Grand Wailea--STAY AWAY!

Fodor's Travel Talk Forums (https://www.fodors.com/community/)

- United States (https://www.fodors.com/community/united-states/)

- - Grand Wailea--STAY AWAY! (https://www.fodors.com/community/united-states/grand-wailea-stay-away-272957/)

Grand Wailea--STAY AWAY!

We had chosen Grand Wailea because of its alleged "superiority" to the other Maui resorts. It was a HUGE disappointment in every way. Went here for our honeymoon. The rooms were TIRED. The mattress felt like it was made of concrete. On our second night I got food poisoning at one of their "premier" restaurants. There was no interest in the resort staff to either provide or suggest any possibilities for medical attention nor to take my claim seriously. Management and staff demonstrated ZERO interest in my well being or providing any compensation for incovenience after spending 3 days ill and a day in the hospital on I.V. The hotel begrudgingly allowed us a late check out even in the context of the events above. As a result we had to cancel almost all of our planned activities (Haleakala, Hana, Snorkeling etc.) Management would not return our phone calls. On 2 occaisions I observed hotel staff using the bathroom without washing their hands. YUCK! The service was generally terrible. We had to beg to get your room cleaned and the majority of the staff with the exception of the valet was RUDE and extremely un-customer focused. There was an error in our bill and an attempt to charge us for an additional day that we did not stay. The grounds and the quality of the beach is lovely, but there is a whole lot you must overlook...and for $450/night it is certainly NOT worth it. For such a "prestigious" resort, Grand Wailea had NUMEROUS opportunities to make good on this HORRIBLE experience. Instead they offered to simply refund the cost of the meal and that they would consider a inconvenience refund of $100. Thanks for nothing. In closing G. Wailea managed to RUIN what should have been one of the most special and meaningful experiences of our lives without little concern. Please be sure to tell you friends!

C: I am so sorry that you were ill on your honeymoon making it impossible to do all that you had intented. It can only go up from here!!

If you got food poisoning at a Grand Wailea restaurant, it highly probable that others who ate there also got food poisoning. How many people were sick other than yourself ?

I agree it's a yukky resort. But some family members of mine love it there and go every year. I don't like how crowded and expensive it is.

How come I've seen this message from buick ramone more than just a couple of times now? I think something stinks here. Buick, you wouldn't by ANY chance work for a rival resort would you? Maybe a disgruntled employee? Travel agent? And what the hell kind of name is buick ramone anyway?

To "C": If you actually researched very carefully, you would not have had the impression that the GW is superior to other resorts on Maui. You'll rarely find anyone here at Fodor's who thinks so. You'll never see GW rated higher than places like the Four Seasons in Conde Nast or Zagat. The GW has changed hands a couple times and is now owned by a smaller resort group than before (was Hyatt). Often times that's a very BAD thing when it comes to service at a high end property. I'm truly sorry that your big week was a bust. That's really crummy. But I would never recommend the GWE for a honeymoon. Read thru the old posts here and you'll read similar comments time and time again.

I teach food safety training for a living. If you were sickened as badly as you stated and it was a direct result of the resort you were staying at, there must have been many others sharing your predicament. Did you notice this during your stay? The symptoms of foodborne illnesses usually materialize within 24 to 48 hours and last accordingly. Although some, like listeria, can go on for weeks. And not all bacterial illnesses are food-related. Anything and anyone you came in contact with up to 24 hours prior to your illness could be to blame. Poor personal hygiene is the biggest cause of foodborne illness. Could it be that you shook the hand of someone who had just sneezed into it? Did you wash your hands before going to dinner? Probably not. Everything under your fingernails and on your skin that you had touched earlier gets in your mouth while you are using your dinneware and napkin. It's called cross-contamination. You could have handled some fruit that had not been washed. There are so many variables that, unless there was an outbreak at the resort, it seems highly unfair of you to the point the finger at the resort. And unless you could have proven your illness was a direct result of the resort's negligence, I would side with the way the resort handled it. Post what you think you had or what the doctor thought you had and I'll give you my expert opinion on how you could have contracted it.

One major correction to FS101's note...staph aureus food poisoning, a very common source (many different bacteria can cause FP), typically becomes symptomatic within 4-6 hours after ingestion. It is the fastest activating source of FP. Many people will say something like, "Oh, I was already feeling ill by the time I was walking out of the restaurant" etc. That cannot be due to FP from the restaurant in question (unless you're eating one of those 6 hour marathon meals served in Europe). The above note is very much worth noting. Many, many cases of infectious gastroenteritis are due to poor hygiene on the part of the EATER...NOT DUE TO POOR PREP/HANDLING BY THE RESTAURANT.. But, hey, this is America...where everything bad that happens is someone else's fault.

Don't you just love that holier than thou attitude? These people have already judged and convicted you without knowing anything about your situation. I once had food poisoning from mushrooms I bought in the grocery store. I thought I was dying. And I, of course, washed my hands thoroughly before cooking. I too went to the emergency room and the nurse told me portobello mushrooms often give people food poisoning. I also had a slight case when I stayed at the Grand Lido in Jamaica. Many people that handle food in hotels are unsantiary. I live in Las Vegas and can tell you many stories about food poisoning at the buffets. Sorry you didn't get to enjoy your vacation.

OK, knowitall xxx, what percentage of people who think they were served spoiled food in public restaurants (claiming food poisoning) do you think actually contracted food poisoning due to restaurant negligence? The answer is estimated to be in the range of 10-15%. 2 ways any emergency room doctor will know whether or not there are grounds for a complaint or lawsuit: if symptoms appear before 4 hours from ingestion of food, and if no one else eating at the restaurant that night reports symptoms....then it's not a negligence issue. Plain and simple.

I'm not the one claiming to be a know it all here. And who said anything about lawsuits? Quite an interresting take on things since my spouse is in an emergency room seeing sick patients every day. Geez, lighten up - it's only a travel board.

The question has not been answered: Did anyone else at the Grand Wailea get sick ?

I reviewed my dinner at the Humu at the Grand Wailea in detail on this board - if you search it you can find it. I was there in October. My meal was fine, but my wife's sucked. She had gritty scallops and stale fish. The place has nice grounds, but it is definitely not worth the cost. I am glad I did not stay there. I would be mad. P.S. If I had Buick's experience, even if I didnt get food poisoning from the restaurant (after eating there, I wouldnt rule it out) I would be posting on every website I knew over and over again.