Hotel Wailea Maui Grows Up

Jan 01, 2016

HotelWailea_FEATURE — Hotel Wailea guests can relax in poolside residential-style cabanas. // © 2015 Linny Morris

Clients who stay at the reinvented Hotel Wailea Maui can go fishing with the resort’s executive chef or kiteboarding with the general manager. They can drive to a hidden beach in a reproduction 1957 Porsche convertible. If they feel like doing nothing at all, they can do so on peaceful grounds with like-minded adults.

Following a $15 million redesign, the southwest Maui hotel — Hawaii’s only Relais & Chateaux property — is positioning itself as a unique resort experience. Set above the beach and away from busier oceanfront properties, the 72-suite hotel is billing itself as an intimate adults-only escape.

“In coordinating a visit to Hotel Wailea, travel agents are facilitating more than just a room stay,” said Kelly Candeur, director of sales for Hotel Wailea. “They are crafting a carefully curated experience for their clients.”

Travel agents will do well pitching the property to romance travelers, honeymooners and baby-mooners, Candeur says. It’s also ideal for girlfriend getaways and corporate retreats.

Renovated Rooms With a View
Located 300 feet above the sea, Hotel Wailea capitalizes on unobstructed, 180-degree ocean and island views. Its 15 landscaped acres boast Zen-inspired tropical gardens, waterfalls and winding pathways.

Each of the hotel’s 720-square-foot one-bedroom suites has been upgraded to what Candeur calls “barefoot luxury,” with contemporary white oak floors and Hawaiian ohia wood cabinetry.

Accommodations come with kitchenettes, deep soaking tubs, 40-inch flat-screen televisions and private lanais.

Distinctive Wellness and Dining Options
Hotel Wailea’s grounds feature a new swimming pool with residential-style cabanas and a poolside bar. The property taps the health and wellness trend with a fitness facility, yoga classes and eco-friendly electric bicycles. In the future, it will open an oceanview treehouse spa.

Guests can join guided tours of the hotel’s tropical orchards, picking and tasting the likes of starfruit and mango, and they can also take part in a tropical mixology class.

On-property dining focuses on seasonal and artisanal island products, including ingredients grown in the hotel’s own garden. At its Capische? restaurant, guests can dine on Mediterranean-inspired dishes made entirely from scratch. From their poolside cabana, they can order light meals and drinks.

Activities for Free and a Fee
When guests are ready to venture off-property, Hotel Wailea offers a variety of gratis services. Beach attendants provide water, umbrellas, towels and beach chairs.

Mercedes-Benz transfers take clients to the hotels, shops and restaurants of the surrounding area. Guests get preferred tee times at nearby golf courses, plus signing privileges at Grand Wailea, A Waldorf Astoria Resort.

For an additional fee, visitors can embark on personalized adventures such as the aforementioned fishing and kiteboarding trips.

With Agents in Mind
For agents, Hotel Wailea promises the same undivided attention it gives its guests, starting with a dedicated one-on-one sales team, 10 percent commission and fam rates for agent visits.

“We even provide arriving guests with a welcome letter personally signed by their travel agent,” Candeur said. “Hotel Wailea takes great care to ensure that each client has an enhanced sense of personal connection.”