my husband and I just returned yesterday from our 16 night vacation in Hawaii !
We absolutely loved every minute, and cannot even pinpoint our favorite high light of the trip...there were so many incredible moments...

I will give a more descript report later in the week, but for now....
we spent 3 nights at the Hilton Hawaiin village in Oahu,
from there we went to Pearl Harbor, dole plantation, drove around the north shore....
also did a day trip to the Big Island, went to the Volcano National park, it was amazing.

3 nights in Kaua'i, stayed at the Princeville resort, in a junior suite. LOVED it, that view of Bali Hai... there could be no better location on earth....so romantic and breathtaking, we absoltuely fell in love with Kaua'i.
we did an hour long Helicopter ride in Kauai, it was fantastic, Kauai has the most dramatic scenery!

flew to Maui,
drove the raod to Hana... spent 3 nights at the Hotel hana Maui...
well... the road to Hana was not to impressive to us.. Kauai was more beautiful and more "dramatic" to us... but we had fun.
Hotel Hana Maui... I'll elaborate more later, but lets say that 3 nights without air conditioning is a little more than I can bear... and we had a deluxe oceanview sea cottage, very close to the ocean...I slept one out of three nights...that said.. we loved the resort grounds, so beautiful and tranquil, and romantic!
the highlight of Hana was when we ent to the Haleakala national park, and hiked to the Waimoko Falls! wow!!! we were the only ones there, as staying in the Hotel hana maui got us a jump start on the morning, it was incredible when we finally got to the falls! (details later!)
and, Hamoa beach in Hana is fantastic, had a lot of fun there.

drove to Wailea, by this time, I was a pro driving the road to hana, no big deal at all.

6 nights at the Grand Wailea... in the Napua Tower,
loved the Grand Wailea! Loved it!!! we must have went down the slides 30 times (or more!) I cant believe I almost changed to the Fairmount Kea Lani or the 4 seasons, we liked the decor of the Grand Wailea a lot better.
we had so much fun!, to be in your 30's and play like your 8... well, you cant beat that, the beach at Wailea was fantastic also,
we took a scuba diving lesson, and then went scuba diving in Wailea beach it was amazing!

all in all, I said the word "WOW" more times than I could count during this trip, we had some incredible meals also! I will definitelty be posting about the restaurants in my next thread, I know everyone loves to hear about the restaurants!
just a bit of info...best restaurant.. Nick's at the fairmount Kea Lani..unreal, we went twice!
and the romantic dinner on the Beach at the Princeville, incredible!!

from Shooting stars.. to waves crashing against black lava rock..to helicotper rides, to romantic dinner on the beach at Princeville... to scuba diving..
Hawaii was to amazing for words...

we are already planning to go back again in April!!! YIPPEEEE! we want to go to Maui and Kauai this time, and stay at the Grand Wailea and Princeville again.

so, I am excited that I'll be hanging around these baords... to plan our next Hawaii vacation!

Thank you all for all your help..

and stay tuned for a more detailed report!

Oh, lasjas--You were unfortunate enough to visit Maui on the worst week of the year! We had no trade winds and lots of humidity, thanks to the remnants of a tropical storm (Howard? isis? both?) hanging out in the east Pacific and interrupting our trades. It was pretty bad for about a week and a half. It was not all typical.

But, I had family in from Florida and they agreed that if this is our worst week, it is still better than their best week during Aug-Sept on the Gulf coast!

Nice report lasjas..can't wait for your details!!

Like here_today said, these last couple of weeks have been AWFUL!! So humid and hot. I have friends who just bought a condo and arrived Sept 2. They are in a very cool area, and I had told them there are only about 10 days a year you might want AC, usually Aug- Oct.

Well, they had all ten days in a row and almost bought the AC, till the trade winds showed up the other day. Now they believe me on how the wind works here!

When were you at the Princeville? We just got back from 10 days on Hawaii yesterday to. We loved the Princeville and you are right the views were great!

Thanks for sharing, Lasjas! Can't wait for more details..........

Oh my - you mean they don't have A/C at the Hotel Hana Maui?!? We're going next Sept for 2 nights, staying at the FS Maui the first 4 nights, but if they don't have A/C, forget it! We'll do the whole stay at the FS. Also, you like the Grand Wailea THAT much better than the FS? Interesting. Glad you loved it there. We're alot older, 44, so I don't know if that huge slide would get us to change our minds of switching over to the GW but you're trip sounded like fun.

PLEASE do elaborate on that no A/C thing in Hana. That would be a deal killer for us. We LOVE our A/C, even when it's cool enough out for most. We use it as white noise too.

Steve
Maryland

we were told that the weather was very hot while we were in Maui, it was a little uncomfortable dining outside a few nights, but otherwise, but once we heard that this was a s hot as it gets... we agreed that Hawaii is paradise for the weather as well. We live in NY, but go to FL a few times a year, the weather there is way more humid and stifling than any day we had in Maui. we kept saying "atleast there is no humidity"...lol


Steve - the a/c was a big problem for me at Hotel Hana Maui, if the winds are not blowing, it is pretty stifling in the room, the ceiling fans only do so much... my husband and i use the a/c at home for noise as well.. but in Hana you have the waves crashing, you dont really need the noise. The hotel is absolutley gorgeous though and we are glad we did it... 2 nights may be okay, but stay in a sea cottege, not a bay cottage, there was way less wind up by the bay cottages.

we liked the Grand Wailea mmore than the 4 seasons for more reasons than just the slides, that was just a perk..
the reason we liked GW better was because it is bigger.... the grounds of the 4 seasons seems so small, with the one common area for the pool it just seemed cramped with no were else to go.
the Grand Wailea has so much land, and incredible landscaping, the adult only pool with a whole grassy area as well for adults, a huge beach, and then the fun of the Wailea Canyon pool. there were just more possibilities at the GW. also, we loved the lobby, so open and beautiful. since it was September, there were hardly any children there at all, so that was not a problem.

hope to get more details out by end of the week. especially restaurants!

Mahalo lasjas for the Trip Report! Did you happen to do any snorkeling in addition to the scuba

Lasjas: Thanks for the info. I didn't know the Hana Hotel doesn't have A/C! We ARE staying in the bay cottages as we can't afford the Sea Ranch ones... If it COULD be hot in Sept and there is no A/C, we will definitely cancel that part of the stay! Anyone else on the Hana Hotel situation??? Would you stay at a hotel there without A/C? We NEED A/C most of the time (all the time!).

I would have been so pi**ed if I spent $400+ a night for a sweltering room. I will not rely on any breezes to keep us cool. We close the windows when we sleep and crank up the A/C wherever we go that's warm climate.

As to the GW - the jury is still out on that one for us. It sounds like a great place, but I think for now we're set on staying at the FS. Question: How much were your rooms at the Grand Wailea Resort??? What kind of view did you get? Did it include breakfast?

Thanks,
Steve
Maryland

lasjas,

Thanks for the report. Cannot wait for more.

Only after I booked the GW for next summer did I discover fodors. I do remember you posting some your concerns about the property and were looking for feedback as you were getting ready to depart. I have been waiting to hear how things went.

I am sooooo glad that it went well for you, not to mention relieved that you liked the GW. We shared a lot of the same concerns and apprehensions about the property. I have been looking to change over to the FS but not anymore!

One small question: I too booked the Napua Tower. Can you go into a little more detail on how that was?

I live Maui and I have been visiting Hana regulary for many years. In all of my visits, I have never had A/C, nor did I miss it, whether staying at the hotel, with friends or renting in a private cottage. A well constructed building here is built to take advantage of our tradewinds.

But everyplace has bad weather days, even here in paradise, where a bad weather day can include no trade winds. I grew up east of LA in the San Gabriel Valley where it is not usualy for summer temps to be three digits. I have yet to experience anything even close to that on Maui.

Even at my house, I have used my A/C only two times this year, and once was to check it out to make it sure was not in need of servicing before the summer hit. I much prefer the sound of the ocean and an early morning shower, to smell the fragrances that drift in on the breezes and the chatter of the morning birds to wake me each day. But that is why I live here. I thank goodness that I do not have to listen to the drone of my immediate neighbors running A/C. That is one of the things I despised about my neighborhhod in LA--when I sat in my yard on any given day, instead of hearing birds and breezes I heard the constant droning hum of air conditioners.

To me, a visit to Hana is amost a spiritual thing. I use the time there to commune with nature, the listen to the quiet, to the surf, to further simplify, to dwell in the mana of the island. I'm not sure where the white noise of A/C would fit into that! lol

Lasjas,
Sounds like a great trip. We are planning one for March '05. Can't wait to read more details on yours. I have one question, in a nut shell, if you could only go back to ONE, either Maui or Kauai, which would it be? That's what we are trying to decide. I'll watch for your updates.

Lasjas,
I might add, we are in our 50's and don't get around as when we were 30, but we do love adventure and different things to do... we don't ever just sit around on vacation, both of us love to shop, but would rather explore, see the beauty, history and unusual sites. Snorkeling, yes for me definitely, MAYBE for my husband... he's not a water lover. Anyone know about helicopter tours in Maui or Kauai??.. which offers the best & most to see?

Steve: if you're worried about the Four Seasons, I'll offer an alternative opinion. I've stayed at more than 20 FS properties worldwide and at most of Hawaii's top 12 resorts. In general, the GW and FS appeal to very different types of people. The GW tends to appeal to a younger crowd (kids to late 20's early 30's) and is the most Vegas-y hotel in Hawaii by far. Glitz and activity and the water park are the draw for many people who like GW.
The people who favor the FS tend to seek privacy, peace and quiet, top notch service and high quality features in the rooms and restaurants. A whiz-bang pool and lots of activities would drive away guests at the FS.
Most people can guess what type of hotel will best suit them, and most people who have stayed at a FS quickly decide whether or not what FS offers is worth the $$ or not. Many people will stay at a FS for the first time and say, what did I just pay for? I don't get it. Others will get the distinct impression that they've finally found a hotel chain that understands the art of service and the value of high quality amenities.
I would add that of the various ratings (Zagat, Conde Nast etc etc) I've seen over the past 10 years, I can't ever recall seeing GW rated higher than FS. Not that everyone feels the same. As noted in the posts above, some people would be bored at FS Maui, some people want the big pools etc.
The best thing you can get from boards like Fodors is detailed info which allows you to match travel options to your personal taste and style. There's no perfect travel style or hotel or destination. The more you read the better you'll be able to accurately plan a vacation which will meet or exceed your expectations.

Thanks travleis: aptly put. After reading between the lines of what you typed, I'm sure we'll be ecstatic about the FS Maui. We love exactly what you described. It's funny - people really put down the small rooms and oldness of the Hotel Del Coronado in San Diego, but were determined to stay there this past May to experience what we hoped would be a great time and some old San Diego charm.

When we got to our room, cheapest in the house (yet still $270 a night) in the old Victorian section, we were amazed to find a large room with a HUGE bathroom instead of the mediocre mess that people wrote about in bad reviews! We were so happy with this place and the attention to detail. We used our portable fan we bring on all our trips to blot out any noise and were happy as larks.

Additionally, people said the Sheraton Hotel by the airport in San Diego was bad news and far from everything, but we won it on Priceline (for $90) for our last night stay instead of winning a downtown hotel like we tried for. We were dreading the location and the hotel itself from what people had wrote on Travel advisor and Fodors, but instead, it turned out to be heaven. We had a killer view of the bay and San Diego off in the distance, and our room was awesome but a little dated. Because of an A/C problem, they even ended up giving us 10,000 free Sheraton points, enough for a free nights stay... in Oahu next Sept!!! I love those Starwood people. AND, we got the hotel through Priceline yet they still gave us all the points.

I think we'll feel the same about the FS Maui but I'm not sure about Hana Hotel. My wife said - no a/c, no go. She's been in a few hotels where it was supposed to be cool enough climate wise to not NEED a/c, but heat waves made the no a/c room miserable.


Steve
Maryland

JohnD - bellieve it or ot we did not do any snorkeling, I happen to not like it very much, and dh just wanted to scuba divem once we did that, he didnt want to snorkel anymore, scuba diving was awesome!

stever - stay at the 4 seasons, you could change your mind 5 times while reading these boards, that what happened to me, I originally wanted to stay at the Grand Wailea, and then kept gettign my mind changed on the boards, realize that everyone will have a different opinion, and you should go with your first choice...yuou picked it for a reason.
my thought on the 4 seasons was that it wasn't secluded.. with only one common area, it looked to me like there was no place to sit outside with privacy.

ssm - Napua Tower was nice, the lounge is on the 8th floor, and you had a gated key entry only to the Napua Tower and loung (which is right above the lobby (so its convenient)
we really only used the lounge for breakfast, they have the usual continental varieties - bagels, danishes, fruit, cereal banana bread..yogurt, plus one hot item every day, usually eggs (omelete..etc)
they have lemon water and cookies out all day, and then from 5 - 7 pm there are hor deuvres, but we never went to that, as we went out to dinner every night, and I wouldnt be hungry if I ate before dinner.
we did take a peek one night, just out of curiosity, there was veggie crudite, cheeses & crackers, and a couple of hot items like jalepeno poppers..etc...
the service was good , we only went to the concierge staff once with a few questions about something, and they were very helpful. twice I called them to make dinner reservations, and they called us back immediately with the reservaiton confirmed.

here2dya gone to maui - dont get me wrong, I did completely get the whole Hana thing, we loved the resort, and the tranquility and beauty it offered. We actually did love it in Hana, and are very glad we went there. If it wasnt so hot at night, I would have wanted to stay there forever.
Hana was a place or type of place I have never experienced before, and feel very lucky to have been there for 3 days to soak it in.

cakelady,
that is a tough question, we are going back to Hawaii in April, and are plitting the stay between Kauai and Maui, (leaving out Oahu this time, we dont want to go back there)
Kauai is incredibly beautiful, the most beautiful, with the most dramatic views, etc..however, Maui has beautiful landscaping as well, and has a little more variety of shopping, and activities.
If you want to hike, snorkel, and see some cute towns (love Hanelei - next to Princeville) then go to Kauai,
this is a very tough question, one I wish I could answer myself.....
either way... you wont be disappointed, hawaii is incredible no matter where you go!
we did the ali'i nui helicopter tour frmthe Princeville airport, the compnay is Heli USA, it was an hour in the air, adn we saw so much, it was fantastic! tons of huge waterfalls, the napali coast, waimea canyon..etc.. it was insanely beautiful!

we are still trying to decide which island to choose for next months trip, and the decision may rest with where we can find the house that we want to rent on short notice, but my question is, which will be drier in November, Maui, or Kaua'i . I'm not looking for guarantees, but generally where can we expect less rain. and if we choose Maui, what part of the island do you recommend for beaches, snorkeling, sun, less rain. Thanks for the help, Cheers, Al

HI
We will be leaving for Maui on Sat. and will be doing the Hana Road on Tues. and we are staying at the Hotel Hana Maui for that night. We are not worried at all about no AC we are going to Hawaii to NOT need that like here in Dallas so we are looking forward to the weather.

We were on Maui a few years ago during the first week in October. The weather was freakishly hot and humid, the tradewinds were just not happening, for the five days and nights we were there. We were at the Renaissance Wailea, air-conditioned, of course, so no problem sleeping. But it was uncomfortable if we sat outside to eat dinner at night.......... So it can happen, uncomfortable weather in paradise, although the locals told us that that weather extreme was unusual! Because of that, I would never rent a place with no A/C from probably June through mid-November in Hawaii, although chances are the trades would be blowing and it would be okay, but I wouldn't take the chance myself. What different people consider too hot and humid is so subjective... I'm very sensitive that way; my husband isn't. But if in doubt, I would go for the A/C.

Bonniebroad: Thanks. I rest my case. No Hana Hotel this time around! No A/C, no stay!

Steve
Maryland