Luxury? Maui’s Grand Wailea Resort ‘Leis It Out’ Beautifully—And Now’s The Time To Book For The Holidays

14.11.2023 - 14:23 / forbes.com

Back in 1990, I had the privilege of attending the opening of the beautiful Grand Wailea Resort on Maui. I had dreamed, as a kid, of perhaps someday visiting Hawaii – and there I was, on my first trip, greeted by gorgeous grandeur, the likes of which I had never seen before. I was a Contributing Editor to The Robb Report magazine at the time, and the press trip was a “wow” every step of the way. The resort’s owner at the time had spent about a million dollars to bring in journalists just for a weekend. All invited travel journalists were given convertibles to drive, taken on snorkel sails to Molokini, trips to Haleakala, received spa treatments galore, and dined on ever-present – and perfect – food and beverage. My experience was, in a word, as spectacular as the resort itself.

Now, 33 years later in 2023, I am happy to report that the Grand Wailea Maui, a Waldorf Astoria resort, in the posh, upscale area of Wailea in south Maui, is bigger and better than ever. This, in light of the devastating wildfires that destroyed the popular town of Lahaina. Thankfully, the Wailea side of the island was left untouched, and the resort continues to open its doors to travelers. If you are considering taking a vacation soon – please guide your path to Maui, and help the Maui economy – and its hard-working residents – recover from the tragedy. And please be empathetic and kind when you are there. That server offering you a pina colada may have very well lost his home. (And bring plenty of cash – I tipped as much and as often as I possibly could.)

The Grand Wailea just completed a $350 Million renovation, including the guest rooms, lobby bar, the popular Olivine restaurant, its special Humuhumunukunukuapuaa restaurant (so named after the state fish.) The property’s glorious new 50,000-sq.ft spa is still in the works at this writing and will open in early 2024. The Spa Grande at the Grand Wailea was always the gold standard for spas, and I can only guess what a knockout the reimagined one will be next year. About $60 million was spent to make it one of the best in the world. Says Brian Kaufman, Managing Director at Blackstone Real Estate: “Since 2018, we have been focused on elevating and reimagining all aspects of the iconic Grand Wailea to ensure it remains a premier destination for decades to come. The Kilolani Spa is the latest addition to our ambitious project, and we are thrilled to bring this state-of-the-art wellness retreat to life in a way that honors its rich heritage.”

I had a treatment in the Mohalu Spa Garden – an interim spa during construction of the new one– and my service was performed in an outdoor hale. It was a signature specialty – the honey-macadamia-nut indulgence, and indulge me it did. It was