The Top Luxury Resorts in Maui
The three best luxury hotels and resorts on Maui are all in Wailea.
Maui is the best all-around vacation island in Hawaii, with more activities to choose from for a family trip, honeymoon, and more. These are Maui's best luxury hotels.
Maui is inarguably one of the top vacation islands in the world, and the best stretch of beach is, in turn, the Wailea resort area on East Maui. The beach at Wailea, between Kehei and Makena, is sheltered from rough surf, so that kids can safely play in the gentler waves, and great snorkling can be had by walking right in. The Shops at Wailea is the most high-end retail shopping center in Maui - if not Hawaii as a whole. There are three luxury resort hotels in Wailea, and these three jewels of Wailea are the Fairmont Kea Lani, The Four Seasons Resort, and the Grand Wailea. These three adjacent resorts are the best luxury hotels in Maui.
These three top luxury hotels are lined up in a scenic row on the beach at Wailea. I have walked from one to another many times with ease.
- The Grand Wailea Resort, Hotel & Spa, at 3850 Wailea Alanui, Maui, Hawaii. The AAA Four Diamond Award, Conde Nast Traveler's Gold List, Travel & Leisure's Top 25 Hotels in Hawaii... Is there any resort award the Grand Wailea hasn't won? The full-service day spa here, the Spa Grande, is huge. Seriously, it's like being in a Roman Baths - 50,000 square feet of aromatherapy and massages. Plenty of room, and you'll need it if you vacation here during peak travel seasons. It gets so crowded, particularly around the water slides and river pool, that the noise level can be deafening. Hundreds of kids and teens barreling around the pools would send even the most child-friendly traveler right to the serenity of the day spa.
- The Four Seasons Resort, at 3900 Wailea Alanui, Maui, Hawaii. The antidote to the mania of peak season Grand Wailea, The Four Seasons is sedate and calm no matter the time of year. I didn't see any kids here older than 3 or 4, and most of the young children I did see were occupied at the day camp. This leaves a lot of space for quiet pool side relaxation. Four Seasons luxury and class is evident everywhere here, from the tailor-fitted lounge chair covers, to the Spa at Four Seasons - which Travel & Leisure and Conde Nast have both named as one of the top spas in the world. Of the three Wailea luxury hotels, this one is tops for honeymoons, anniversaries, and other romantic vacations.
- The Fairmont Kea Lani, at 4100 Wailea Alanui, Maui, Hawaii. The Fairmont Kea Lani has the best of both worlds; luxury accommodations with an adults-only pool and other romantic, adult features, as well as a child-friendly kids' camp, twisty water slide and activities for children. The Fairmont Kea Lani is my favorite luxury resort in Maui because it effortlessly shifts, from mature, elegant and romantic to fun, lively and great for kids. It's an ideal luxury resort for a family trip to Hawaii. Also, with every hotel room being a suite with a sofa bed, the Fairmont Kea Lani seems tailor-made for family vacations. The resort's fancier restaurant, Nick's Fishmarket Maui, is my favorite upscale seafood restaurant on the island.
These three luxury hotels are all beautifully appointed, with upscale amenities, fine dining, and first-class day spas. The experience of a vacation at each is unique from one another - the path to the best vacation in Maui lays in choosing the resort that suits your needs.
Related, on Suite 101:
Maui - The Best Vacation Island in the World
The Best Hotels and Resorts on Maui
Airports and Ports of Call in Maui
The Fairmont Kea Lani in Wailea
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