By Mark and Clare, Pack With Purpose. We haven’t stayed at the Grand Wailea ourselves yet, so this is our researched guide, not a firsthand review. Everything below comes from current guest reviews and the resort’s own information. When we do get there, we’ll come back and tell you how it actually felt.
Grand Wailea, A Waldorf Astoria Resort is a 40-acre luxury beachfront resort on Wailea Beach, on the sunny south shore of Maui. From everything we’ve read, it’s less a hotel and more a small world of its own, with nine pools, a canyon-style water complex, the largest spa in Hawaii, and gardens and art threaded through the whole property. It’s also not all-inclusive, and it isn’t quiet. So this guide walks through how to get there, what’s included, what costs extra, who it suits, and the honest catch to know before you book.
Getting there
You’ll fly into Kahului Airport (OGG), the main airport on Maui. The Grand Wailea sits about 17 miles south, and the drive runs roughly 30 to 40 minutes depending on traffic through the resort area. That’s a short transfer by island standards, so you’re not in for a long haul after the flight.
You’ve got a few honest options for the airport run. There’s an on-site Enterprise rental desk near the concierge if you want a car for exploring, and on Maui a car really does open things up. If you’d rather skip driving, the resort works with private transfer services like Ama Transportation, and shuttle services like SpeediShuttle run the route too. There is a public bus for about two dollars, but it takes well over two hours with connections, so we’d only point you there if budget is the whole priority.
The setting and who it’s for
The first thing to understand is that the Grand Wailea is big, lush, and generous, and that shapes the whole trip. It’s forty acres of tropical gardens opening straight onto Wailea Beach, which consistently lands on “best beaches in America” lists. The water is the heart of it, from the sea to the nine pools.
So who’s it for? Families and couples alike, which is part of why it reviews so well. Families love the Wailea Canyon Activity Pool, a 25,700 square foot complex of nine pools across six levels, linked by a current and stacked with seven water slides, six waterfalls, a lazy river, caves, a rope swing, a sand baby beach, and a swim-up bar. Couples and anyone wanting calm have the adults-only Hibiscus Serenity Pool, reserved for ages 18 and up, with private cabanas, two Jacuzzis, and a giant hibiscus flower set into the bottom from over 630,000 pieces of glass tile.
It’s a large, popular resort, though, so go in knowing that. At peak times it feels busy, and if your idea of a holiday is a small, hushed, barefoot hideaway, we’d gently point you elsewhere. But if you want abundance, activity, and a beautiful setting with something for every age, it delivers.
What’s included, and what isn’t
This is the big one to understand up front. The Grand Wailea is not all-inclusive. You pay as you go for food, drinks, and most activities, and there’s a daily resort fee on top of the room rate. So the pricing works very differently from the Mexico and Caribbean all-inclusives we usually cover.
What’s covered by the room rate and resort fee (around $55 per night):
- Your room, and access to all nine pools and Wailea Beach
- The gardens, art, and grounds
- Fitness center access
- A snorkel and scuba intro session in the resort’s own dive pool
- Wi-Fi and daily cultural activities
What costs extra:
- All dining and drinks, from casual to the on-site Nobu ($)
- Kilolani Spa treatments and the hydrotherapy gardens ($)
- The Grand Luau dinner show ($)
- Poolside and beach cabanas ($)
- Valet parking, roughly $65 to $75 per night, with no self-park option ($)
The parking is worth flagging twice. It’s valet only, it isn’t cheap, and reviewers mention real queues at the stand. None of this is a dealbreaker, but it adds up, and it stings more when nobody warns you.
Amenities
Rooms
Guests consistently describe the rooms as spacious and comfortable. At around 640 square feet they give you plenty of room, with big bathrooms and private lanais, and the lanais are the detail people mention most, especially the ones facing the gardens or the ocean. Those who splurged on a higher category or an ocean view generally felt it was worth it.
Pools
The pools are the signature here. The Wailea Canyon Activity Pool is a genuine event for families, and the adults-only Hibiscus Serenity Pool gives couples a quiet counterpart. Between the two, the resort flexes from lively to calm better than most.
Beach
Wailea Beach is wide, soft, and golden, with warm, swimmable water and a beach path made for a slow morning or sunset walk. It’s regularly rated one of the best beaches on Maui, and it’s a real strength of the location.
Food and drink
Dining is strong, with several restaurants and bars on site, including a Nobu. Just remember none of it is included, so budget for it. The luau is a highlight for many guests and is priced separately.
Spa and wellness
Kilolani Spa is the largest spa in Hawaii, built around Hawaiian healing traditions, with hydrothermal gardens, a hammam, and couples treatment rooms. It earns high praise in reviews, with one couple rating their massage above the Ritz-Carlton in Kapalua. Treatments and the hydrothermal circuit are an upcharge.
Entertainment and activities
Beyond the pools and beach, there’s a nightly luau, cultural activities, a fitness center, and water activities like the dive program. It’s the sort of resort where you don’t need to leave, which is either the dream or the trap depending on how much of Maui you came to see.
Other
Wi-Fi and shops are on site. It’s a large property, so expect some walking between the pools, the beach, and the restaurants.
The honest catch: crowds and cost
Here’s the thing we’d really want you to know before you book. The Grand Wailea is big, popular, and priced at the top end, and the two most consistent complaints in reviews follow from that. First, crowds. At peak times guests describe a daily scramble for beach loungers and long breakfast queues, with little sense that anyone is managing the flow. Second, cost versus service. At this price, some guests expected warmer, more attentive service than they got, and the resort fee, the parking cost, and the parking queue come up again and again.
It’s not a flaw exactly. It’s a mismatch waiting to happen. If you book this expecting a small, serene, service-led hideaway, you may be disappointed. But if you book it for the setting, the pools, and the abundance, and you plan around the busy hours, we think you’ll be delighted. Either way, just go in knowing which holiday you’re actually getting.
Is Grand Wailea worth it?
From what we can see, yes, with one condition. Book it for what it actually is. This is a grand, amenity-packed beachfront resort where the beach, the pools, the spa, and the setting are the stars. It flexes between family fun and grown-up quiet better than almost anything else on the south shore, and with roughly 9,200 traveler reviews sitting around four out of five, the goodwill is real and well-earned.
That said, the drawbacks are honest ones. It’s a premium price, it’s not all-inclusive, so the extras add up, and it’s large and busy with valet-only parking. None of that is a deal-breaker if you know it going in. But if you’re after small, hushed, and hands-off, this isn’t the one, and we’d rather tell you that now than have you find out at check-in.
Prices and packages shift through the year, so check current rates and read recent guest reviews before you book. You can compare current pricing on the resort’s official site and read fresh guest feedback on TripAdvisor.
When we get the chance to stay, we’ll update this with the firsthand version. Until then, this is our honest read from the research.
Resort Reviews: Our Star Ratings
These ratings are based on aggregated guest reviews and the resort’s own information. Five stars is excellent, one is poor, and half-stars are allowed.
| Item | Rating | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Rooms / Accommodations | ★★★★☆4.0 | Spacious at ~640 sq ft, big bathrooms, private lanais |
| Pools | ★★★★★5.0 | Nine pools, the canyon activity complex, adults-only serenity pool |
| Beach | ★★★★☆★4.5 | Wailea Beach, rated one of the best on Maui |
| Food & Dining | ★★★★☆4.0 | Strong on-site dining including Nobu; not included |
| Drinks / Bars | ★★★★☆4.0 | Several bars and a swim-up; pay as you go |
| Spa & Wellness | ★★★★☆★4.5 | Kilolani Spa, largest in Hawaii; treatments cost extra |
| Service / Staff | ★★★☆☆3.0 | Mixed; some feel it’s thin for the price |
| Cleanliness | ★★★★☆4.0 | Well kept grounds and rooms |
| Entertainment & Activities | ★★★★☆4.0 | Nightly luau, cultural activities, dive program |
| Family-Friendliness | ★★★★★5.0 | The activity pool and space make it a family favorite |
| Value for Money | ★★★☆☆3.0 | Premium rates; resort fee and extras add up |
| Parking & Arrival | ★★☆☆☆2.0 | Valet only, ~$65 to $75/night, queues at peak |
| Overall | ★★★★☆4.0 | A stunning, amenity-packed beachfront resort; crowds and cost are the trade-offs |
Sources: Grand Wailea, A Waldorf Astoria Resort official site; Booking.com and TripAdvisor guest reviews; independent hotel reviews. Photos used under free licenses via Wikimedia Commons under Creative Commons licenses (CC BY and CC BY-SA), credited to their photographers.
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