Went with two daughters, 12 and 14. They loved the pools, but the food did not agree with them. Probably the same for other families since most of the people I talked to poolside (with kids, about 90% of the hotel) said they rented a refridge for $20/day and bought food at Safeway down the road or drove in to Kihei and ate at a locals' spot. The constant talk around the pools was how expensive the food was for what you got. And there were some affluent families there that could afford it. (I have to say, I went there expecting to drop quite a bit of money and didn't mind it if I got the quality I expected.) Incidentally, we ate at every restaurant.

The food in all of the restaurants has a gourmet-like style, although I don't think it was really very good. The display was interesting, but the taste was definitely not gourmet. I really wish we would have enjoyed eating there; it would have made the trip so much better. Just FYI, it was $20 minimum/person per meal in the serve-yourself Starbuck's-like Cafe Kula; breakfast buffet is $12 for 12 and under, and $24 for adults. They charged my 12-year-old the $24 price which annoyed me since she had a yogurt and bowl of strawberries (I eventually had it corrected). Great view if you get there early. The only restaurant that had chicken fingers (kids' meals) was the Humu restaurant (dinner restaurant), and it was tempura-style fried chicken fingers with a lot of oil. Dinners start at $25 for a veggie stir-fry and go up to $45+, and then "market price" for lobster, etc. If this was a Morton's or Ruth's Chris quality, it would be okay, but it's not. Smoothies are $7.25, starter drinks are $9, and a cheap glass of wine (and I mean cheap) is $9/glass. Without alcohol, our room charges for eating/snacking around the pool for the five days (we skipped a couple of meals, too) was about $300/day for three. Dippin' dots are $5 for a small cup and $8 for a regular cup (can be eaten in about 1 minute!)

Definitely the best part of this hotel is the pool system, and obviously the beach (open to the public). It is a lot like Mandalay Bay in Vegas, but with more humidity, more tropical, and more families. The plumeria and ginger plants on the property are beautiful.

When we were there the hotel was booked solid and the pools were not too crowded. Very friendly crowd. Mostly everyone from So Cal it seemed. All of the help is very accommodating and friendly, another plus for the hotel.

Our room was located in the Lagoon Wing which is a very nice location; however, the room was a little run down. The tile in the bathroom was very dirty and needed a good scrubbing. We never took a bath in the tub because it was just too disgusting. I was told I could upgrade when I got there, but when I requested it, it was so full I couldn't. I ended up not getting the ocean view I wanted. Another disappointment.

I went to the Grand Wailea thinking of purchasing a membership. I am so glad I went there ahead of time because I know I will not go there to stay again nor buy a membership.

I went to the spa with my girls, too, and had massages and facials. It was very nice, and very soothing. My daughters were treated very welcomed and had a wonderful time. The lanai outside the spa is a beautiful place to relax and read. It is rated one of the top spas in America. I thought it was beautiful, but it wasn't anything more than I was expecting.

Overall, if you have a lot of money to burn and don't mind spending it and have kids that love to swim and go down slides, I would go to the GW. But if you plan on "beaching it" and seeing the sites, I would give it a miss.

Hope this helps your vacation plans. I wish I was writing a great review . . .

We have just returned from the Grand Wailea and had a lovely time. The service was beautiful, the hotel truly incredible. The pool was awesome, though I have to say I agree with another reviewer who said to be aware that it is actually a waterpark. It also was a bit deeper than an average pool, (even in the shallow parts), so taking my young children who do not yet swim alone in was a workout for me, as I was on my absolute tip toes as I toted them around the pool. My kids loved the slides, but again, they are intense...I am actually surprised that they allow very small children on them at all. The pool area is intensely crowded and there is outright competition for seats. The prices of the poolside services were downright laughable...we expected the hotel to be pricey but 150.00 poolside hair braiding for CHILDREN and 85.00 pedicures gave us a giggle! The views from the rooms were lovely and the food was very good in the restaurants, although we enjoyed going over the The Shops at Wailea for dinner because there was more variety. (Tommy Bahama Cafe was awesome!) Overall, the stay was a delight. We broke the trip up and went over to Kanapaali for the second half, and I think it was a good plan. The experience at the Grand Wailea is wonderful, but also a bit overstimulating. We found ourself more able to relax when we got away from the crowds and the amusement park atmosphere.

My wife and I stayed at the Grand Wailea for our Honeymoon in July 2004. The property is large and beautiful, the rooms were very nice. We were originally in a deluxe oceanview room, which was beautiful, with a HUGE bathroom. Unfortunately, the room was all the way at the end (the right, if you're facing the ocean), and was right next to a huge construction site; starting at 7am, the trucks roll in, and no more sleeping is possible. We complained, and the manager moved us to a HUGE suite with master bedroom, living room, wrap around balcony, and 1.5 baths. This was a great room.

The grounds are very nice. Wailea beach is nice, though not as perfect as we had imagined. The river pools/slides/water elevator were much fun, though there were lots of kids. However, the resort also has a separate adults only pool with its own sitting area; we sat there, and it was nice and quiet.

Here's my biggest complaint. There is virtually no shade anywhere near the pools. NONE. So if you have a fair complexion, you're in trouble. The only option that you have, which seems like a bit of a scam, is to hope that you can rent a cabana for like $140 a day. After the immense price of a room, charging for shade seemed unreasonable.

We did breakfast and lunches in the resort, but went elsewhere around Maui for our dinners. We were given a coupon for a bottle of champagne if we went to one of the restaurants for dinner, but passed it up.

Overall, I still recommend, but be careful of what room you end up in, and take LOTS of suntan lotion...

We just spent two nights here and it was everything we had heard it was: great fun-extremely crowded. My kids really enjoyed the pools and I'll admit that I did as well. The rooms are spacious and nicely decorated. The bad news is the crowds. Get to the pools early because the chairs will be gone by mid morning. The crowds on the beach are nearly as bad. Loungers and umbrellas the width of the beach and 100 yards long make a ghastly sight on such a beautiful beach. I advise getting your own umbrella and making your way to the far left side of the beach where it is less crowded and far prettier. Be prepared for the $15 a day resort fee and the $12 a day valet parking fee; there is no self parking.
Great fun and beautiful, but if you're looking for a Hawaiian experience, you may want to look elsewhere.