Our Review: Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea, Hawaii

During our recent trip to Maui, we stayed at the luxury Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea. After arriving in the morning from Oahu we stopped for breakfast in Kihei and then headed to check-in at the resort. We enjoyed 2 nights at the hotel and barely left during our time there.

Overall, the resort is an amazing place to stay in Maui with the top-notch service you would expect from a Four Seasons, with large rooms and beautiful bathrooms marble tiles, plenty of amenities, no resort fees, great snorkeling right off the beach, and complimentary cabanas to use while you enjoy the pool and beach. They are set up to allow your mind to relax as you enjoy time at the beach.

Location

Four Seasons Maui is located in Wailea, which is about a 30-minute drive from the airport. The area is full of luxury resorts like the Andaz and Fairmont. This makes finding a variety of upscale restaurants easy, especially because the house car will take you nearby.

In addition to resorts and beaches, The Shops of Wailea are also located nearby. This is a great place to go shopping at luxury shops or for your necessities or snacks at the Island Gourmet Markets.

Just north of Wailea is Kihei, a town with plenty of shops and restaurants. South of Wailea is Makena, an area of Maui that still has undeveloped beaches where you find locals enjoying the beaches. It is a great place to get away and enjoy the sunset without the resort crowds.

Arrival

Arriving at the Four Seasons gives you an idea of what you can expect for the rest of the trip. You start with a lei greeting before being escorted to the check-in desk. At this point, you will see the open-air lobby with ample seating and ocean views. As we checked in we were offered a refreshing drink of ginger lemonade (which is available during the day in the lobby) and a piece of pineapple.

It is not unusual for guests to arrive early at the Four Seasons in Maui due to the time difference with the US and the early flights from other islands. We arrived around 11 am and because our room was not ready we were given access to the Aloha Suite.

This room has places to sit, but I doubt many people just sit around in here. There are showers stocked will all the toiletries you may need and robes. We quickly changed into our swimsuits and made our way out enjoy some sun. A quick call to the front desks and our luggage was retrieved and held until our room was ready.

The Room

We stayed in an ocean view guest room which was in the back of the resort, giving us a view of the resort, pool and finally the beach from our private lanai. At 600 sq feet, these rooms are very large with a customizable king bed. The bathroom is oversized with marble tile surrounding a deep soaking tub, separate shower, double-basin vanity, and a separate water closet.

Amenities & Activities

The Four Seasons has pretty much everything you need to stay at the resort during your entire stay.

Most important for us was relaxing by the pool and enjoying the beach. The beach is located near great snorkeling with sea turtles living nearby. We saw huge sea turtles probably 5 feet long swimming calmly in the ocean 20 yards from the beach. Attendants will set you up on the beach with chairs and an umbrella for shade. There are also rentals available for snorkeling and scuba diving.

All around the pool area, there are beach chairs and complimentary cabanas. Every day at 7 am the cabanas and chairs are available to reserve. The ones in the most sought after locations are quickly claimed. We made it around 8 am each morning and were able to find great seats in-between the pool and the beach.

While you are spending time in the sun, everything can be taken care of for you. Someone will be refilling your water constantly, they serve food starting around 11 and there are sunscreen dispensers throughout the resort. You can even get a massage at your seat and they brought around pineapple and cold towels with cucumber for your eyes in the early afternoon.

There are three pools. One large pool in the center with the large fountain in the middle, a smaller pool with rock landscaping around it and the adult-only pool. When we arrived the adult-only pool was crowded with a wait for chairs so we did not spend any time there, especially since there were very few kids around the resort anyway.

If you are looking to get a workout you can go to the open-air cardio facing the ocean, a group class in the fitness room, and a weight lifting room. A full-service spa is available with a variety of treatments.

Kids get their own area to play in with daily activities and there is a large game room that is perfect for anyone.

Each night there is a torch lighting ceremony and live music in the lobby.

Each morning you can go canoeing in an outrigger canoe which we enjoyed. Make sure you make reservations as soon as you arrive. There were other activities at the resort while we were there like a champaign and oysters tasting, photography classes, tennis lessons and much more. When you arrive stop by the concierge desk to find out what is going on around the resort while you are there.

Food

There are 5 different food options for you to try at the Four Seasons Maui. Spago was being refurbished while we were visiting but is a Forbes Four-Star and AAA Four-Diamond restaurant we wished we had the opportunity to enjoy. Duo Steak & Seafood is more casual and has been voted the best steakhouse in Maui. This is where the buffet breakfast is located. Near the pool is the Italian eatery, Ferraros. The Beachwalk Cafe is located just before the beach and is perfect for a snack, gelato, or lunch. Last is the Lobby Lounge. All the seating area you notice when you arrive is put to good use as a place to enjoy appetizers and live music in the evenings.