THe Grand Wailea definately lived up to it's name. It was truly a grand vacation. We spent from May 28th through June 1st and had a wonderful experience. The staff was warm and friendly and very accomodating. We were given a beachfront upgrade after booking an inside room. THe rooms were very spacious and roomy, the beds extremely comfortable and the bathroom fantastic. We walked to the shops of Wailea several times during our visit. Very upscale shops. THe beach at the Wailea was very nice. Several times we walked down to the end (not very far) to the four seasons beach (in hopes of catching a glimpse of the California governor or someone equally important) but never did see him. THe pool is fantastic. We took our 11 and 13 year olds and they had a blast with the rope swing, the current slide and the lazy river however the water elevator is overrated. All in all I would definately reccomend this resort to anyone. I am ready to go back!!!

We stayed at the Grand Wailea from 8-21-04 to 8-28-04 and had a great, memorable family vacation. Thank you Grand Wailea and all the staff.

We researched this hotel before we made our reservations. We read the web site and could see that this was not just a pool but a waterpark. That was one of the main reasons for staying here. We swam everyday (ocean and pools) and loved it.

What a beautiful hotel...we loved the open architecture, the art and the relaxing atmosphere. A favorite place to sit and see the beautiful Maui coast and hear the waves crash was on the grassy area by the Hibiscus pool. The Pohaku (lava stone) massage was very, very relaxing. The cardio and nautilus equipment and weights in the fitness center were very nice. The 3-mile round trip path along the beach is another great way to exercise, relax and enjoy the natural beauty of Maui.

We had a wonderful time and would return to the Grand Wailea without hesitation.

We vacationed at the Grand Wailea in May 2004 and found the Resort to be excellent in every way. The "crowds" at the pool did not bother us; in fact, we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves on the water slides, rope swing, water elevator, and lazy river each day we were there! (I should say that we are a fairly young married couple, with an eight-year-old and a two-year-old, so we're used to kids being around. We did not have the children with us on this vacation.) If you choose, peace and quiet are only a minute's stroll away at the Hibiscus Pool, an adult-only area that was quite tranquil while we were there.

The resort's architecture, artwork, landscaping, and facilities in general are nothing short of stunning. The Spa is phenomenal - book your first appointment for early in your stay, because you'll want to come back! The fitness facility was outstanding, far exceeding that of other hotels and resorts, and included a juice bar, along with complimentary iced towels and mint face mist. Plenty of cardio equipment & plenty of free weights; you won't have to skimp on your workout.

We had the opportunity to eat at two of the resort's nice restaurants during our stay; Humahuma and Kincha were both excellent. The poolside cafe is very good as well, and they will take your order and deliver to you in your lounge chair (although it is definitely faster to pick up your order yourself). It's kind of fun to have a drink and lunch at the swim-up bar as well; the warm water that's pumped from under the bar will keep you warm while you eat.

If you're into manicures & pedicures, you can have your cake and eat it, too - in a cabana poolside. There is excellent shopping on the premises as well, and the Shops of Wailea just outside the resort entrance are wonderful, upscale boutiques if you choose to wander further.

All in all, expect luxurious surroundings, great food, exquisite artwork, beautiful views, attentive staff, and endless pampering... just don't expect to have it all to yourself. There WILL be others at the pool, there WILL be some noise, but there are definitely worse things than being able to afford to stay at a resort as wonderful as this one. Enjoy!

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 . . .