Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - Kealani or Grand Wailea?

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

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

- - Kealani or Grand Wailea? (https://www.fodors.com/community/united-states/kealani-or-grand-wailea-218683/)

Kealani or Grand Wailea?

Just the two of us going for 7 days, which hotel is better? Kealani or Grand Wailea? We are a quiet 40 ish couple who like simple things. We also lead a quiet almost boring life. So, running, working out and walks and a little shopping, snorkeling etc.will keep us busy. Thanks!!

We stayed at the KeaLani for our tenth anniversary and loved every minute. All the rooms are suites and are very elegantly decorated. I would suggest you get a deluxe ocean view. The Grand Wailea is huge and seems to be more orientated forwards families and large groups. Have a great trip!

You won't want the Grand Wailea's bustling hubbub if you're a 40-ish couple who value quiet relaxation on vacation. The place is Disneyland in Maui. Kea Lani is quieter and equally well appointed, with larger rooms.

Janet is absolutely right. My husband and I (early 40s) stayed at the GW once, about 3 years ago. Next year (and later this year), the Kea Lani. You will love it.

Thanks everyone, We appreciate your help!! Happy and romantic travels to you all! Helen

KEA LANI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We are in our late thirties with middle school aged kids, and we loved our stay late July at the Kea Lani. I liked the beach walkway that goes over a hill to the Four Seasons and Grand Wailea. There is a new mall near the resorts that is very classy. We went on a snorkling trip with the Alii Nui. They took us in between Waliea and Kaanapali. At first I didn't like the trip because the sailing took us way too slow, but our desintation had very clear water ,and they had everything a child would need to snorkel. I pulled my eight year old around on a boogie board ,and she was able to see turtles and all kinds of fish. I have been on other tours in Kauai that I like better because Of sightings of spinner dolphins and the Napali Coast. The Kea Lani was a special place for us. The view of Molikini Crater and some other islands was spectactular. The room was huge and nice! The free breakfast was great! I liked it better that the Hyatt in Kauai. Every morning Jack Wagner of the old show "Melrose Place" would eat at the resturant there. He would put on a show by kissing his wife, who is a soap star. The beach is very private and great for swimming. The staff would promptly bring us beach chairs and umbrellas. There is a $40 fee for this. Grand charges $100 for the same. The food at Nick's and Cafe Caico's is probably the best you'll find on the island. It is expensive, but worth it! Roy's is only a 10 minute drive and has great and comparable food. You will love the adults only pool. It shined gold from our balancy ,and when we first checked in, it helped maked that first impression. We will make another trip to Maui this summer , we will still choose the Kea Lani. We will probably choose a different snorkel trip. The beach in front of the Grand Wailea is bigger, and the pools are bigger too. The Grand has water slides, but a lot of kids and extra charges. The rooms are larger at the Kea Lani, and it is more private. There are laundry facilities on each floor. I've heard that the rooms are better at the Kea Lani, and the slides are great a the Grand Wailea. The Grand charges more for little things. The slide at the Kea Lani is mainly for kids. The Grand is bigger and adults fit better.

Only one answer..FOUR SEASONS!!!!!!

Helen, Wailea Beaches are great, but see my note below while considering. 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!

Who, except "c buick ramone", thinks Grand Wailea is "superior" to all other Maui resorts? That's a new one on me.

If you want something big, luxurious and grand, then YES, it is superior to the other resorts, at least it was quite a few years ago (but, quite frankly, the food was NOT impressive)!

Grand Wailea: try "tacky, out of character for Hawaii, fraying at the seams, and Hollywoodish".

Memo to "c buick ramone" : Please stop posting your rantings. Please identify what you are. A)Travel Agent B)Recently fired from Grand Wailea C)Employed by a rival resort. Not buying the "horrible honeymoon" crap story. People are looking for honest opinions, unlike yours.

Sharon: I dont know who you are - probably a toilet cleaner at the GW - but you seem to be making a cottage industry out of attacking buick's opinions. Get a life you bum.

Tourist, why so mean? I mean,"you bum"? Easy there tourist. Relax, take a deep breath, and turn that frown upside down.

Your one to talk. Look at your posting re: "crap" and "rantings."

OK. I admit it. I am obsessed with scatological issues and indeed do clean toilets at the GW. I apologize and will never post on Fodors again. I am sorry for any ill will I have caused and will seek treatment immediately.

Kapalua is the nicest area on Maui. There are two superior hotels ther-Ritz Carlton and Kapalua Bay Hotel. You should seriously consider staying at either of these locations. Wailea is in the "ugly" part of Maui with little natural vegetation. Hotels are crammed into the ocean mile--very congested. You are about 40 minutes from Lahina where verybody who is cool hangs out at night. The golf is much much better in Kapalua. Restaurants are about even but Kapalua is only ten minutes from Lahina. If you want classy go to Kapalua. If you like neon got to Wailea.

I just realized Tourist IS c buick ramone. This is getting creepy and really scary. OH...MY...GOD...THE CALL ARE COMING FROM INSIDE THE HOUSE!!

Hey Bobo, we checked out early from an expensive villa at Kapalua Bay because the weather up there is so dismal much of the time compared to Wailea. We don't go to Hawaii to sit under clouds, rain and with windbreakers on because of the constant cold wind. We stayed in Kapalua once, learned our lesson and will never return. We still hang out in Lahaina at night so we can (attempt to) be cool like you. But we do it after spending the day in the sunshine down in Wailea.