Trip Index
- Planning the trip, Hyatt Regency Maui
- Wailea Beach Marriott
***
Missed the first part of the trip? Click here to read about it.
After having breakfast, we checked out of the Hyatt Regency Maui and drove down to Wailea, stopping at fruit stands in search of papaya and longan, had lunch and shopped at Costco, then went to Safeway to buy some poke and beer.
I booked two rooms at the Wailea Beach Marriott using the following complicated schemes:
Arriving at the resort, we were warmly greeted by the bell staff with flower and shell leis. Our bags were loaded onto trolleys before the car was valeted. I went to check in but the rooms (to be located on the 6th floor of Haleakala Tower) were not ready yet as we were about half an hour early from official check-in time. The front desk agent gave me all the paperwork plus resort coupons and said they would contact me via cell when the rooms were available. In the meantime, we explored the hotel grounds and redeemed coupons for free mai-tais.
I still hadn't gotten a call after an hour and a half, so we went back to the lobby and asked about the rooms. The front desk agent called housekeeping and was informed that the rooms were not yet cleaned. While sitting patiently in the lobby, one of the bell staff (probably the captain/manager) remembered us and came over to ask why we were still waiting. I told him that our rooms were still not ready; he apologized for the inconvenience and said he would take care of it. Wow, what customer service! I wasn't expecting much, but I was really surprised at what powers he had - somehow we were upgraded to premium ocean view room and junior suite in the Hale buildings, a huge step-up from the tower rooms. I thought he would accompany us with our luggage, but he sent someone else, and unfortunately we never ran into him again the rest of the stay to thank him some more.
We first dropped my parents off at the junior suite. It was quite spacious and was probably one of the closest rooms to the shoreline.
Then we arrived at our ocean view room, overlooking the serenity (adults only) pool.
Tonight's dinner was at on-site restaurant Humble Market Kitchin. We redeemed the free appetizer coupon for fried calamari. I also checked in on Yelp to receive a complimentary chocolate souffle for dessert, a delicious end to a nice meal.
The next day, we had breakfast in our rooms with the groceries we bought yesterday, then spent the rest of the day at the serenity pool and in the ocean. Servers roamed around to take bar and snack orders. We were able to use the other two drink coupons for any alcoholic beverage of similar value as the mai-tai.
Tonight's dinner was at Matteo's Osteria, an Italian restaurant located a few minutes' drive from the Marriott. We took advantage of the complimentary shuttle service that the resort provides for destinations within a few miles' radius. The vehicles were usually Cadillac Escalades, driven by friendly employees. Rides were requested at a stand next to the front curb, then guests wait in the open air lobby until your destination was called. They also provided a card with a phone number to call for a return ride.
I had made reservations with OpenTable and we had no issues getting seated. The food was very good and I'd eat here again. We were so stuffed that there was no room for dessert.
Tuesday morning, we went to Humble Market Kitchin again to try their breakfast buffet. It was all right. Next time, I'd walk over to try the buffet at Ka'ana Kitchen in the Andaz Maui, next door to the Marriott.
We took the car out and headed to Haleakala National Park, but even though it was nice and sunny at the coast, it was raining at the summit so we didn't get to hike or see much. Fortunately, we had all been here before so it wasn't a big loss. We scurried up to the visitor's center to try to catch a glimpse of the landscape through the fog, went back in the car and ate the Subway sandwiches we got along the way, then drove back down into Kihei to look for more longans and papaya and get another dose of Ululani's shave ice. It was still a nice outing outside of the resort.
That night, we had dinner at Ruth's Chris Steak House, located in The Shops at Wailea, a short walk from the Marriott. The restaurant offered a "sizzling prime time" special from 5-6pm, consisting of salad, entree, side and dessert for just $55-65 per person. I was hoping the Costco in Maui would have discounted Ruth's Chris Hawaii gift cards for additional savings, but none were to be found. Reservations were made on the Ruth's Chris website. The food was as expected and the service was efficient and friendly.
Friday morning, we walked over to the beach behind the Andaz Maui for some snorkeling. The Marriott had little beach chairs you could borrow for free, located at the towel stand next to the Ohi pool. (there were only a handful of chairs available so get there early) We brought our own snorkels from home. The water was a bit brisk when you went in, but became comfortable after a few minutes. Underwater pictures were taken with a Panasonic Lumix camera like this one.
Lunch was at the KAPA Bar and Grill next to the Ohi pool. The food was fresh and tasty.
We had a lazy afternoon, then used complimentary shuttle service to the Fairmont Kea Lani to have dinner at Ko, serving multi-ethnic "plantation-inspired" cuisine. It was really hot inside the restaurant, even though there were ceiling fans overhead. The food was all right. I probably wouldn't come back unless someone else wanted to.
When we got back to the Marriott, Kaleb and I checked out the resort fitness center, which was located close to our room.
On our last full day at the resort, we went out snorkeling again. The water was choppier than yesterday, but we managed to see a turtle again.
44-second video (click here if you cannot see the preview below):
We also tried out the water slides over at the Nalu Adventure Pool. One slide is open-air, the other closed - very dark and fast. Tip: do not wear a rash guard on the slide as it really slows you down! My video is living proof. I took off the rash guard and rode the closed slide again for the proper thrilling experience. I wanted to try the open-air slide, but right at that moment, the area closed for an hour due to maintenance. Oh well, next time...
33-second video of Kaleb and Dad coming off the slide (click here if you cannot see the preview below):
55-second video of Kat and Mom coming off the slide (click here if you cannot see the preview below):
There is a dive pool adjacent to the adventure pool that is used for scuba lessons. An Intro to Scuba class is included with your resort fee, so if you ever wanted to try it out, this would be a great opportunity.
For lunch, we walked to Island Gourmet Markets located in The Shops at Wailea. There was a variety of fresh-looking pre-packaged sushi, sandwiches and other items. You could also order noodle soups, burgers and other hot food. As the few tables inside the air-conditioned store were occupied and much of the seating outside was in the sun, we took the food back into the mall area where shaded tables were available. We stopped by Lappert's for dessert.
Afterwards, we took a few pictures around the resort, then relaxed until dinner at Nick's Fishmarket at the Fairmont Kea Lani.
When the shuttle dropped us off at the Fairmont, there was a resort event happening in the lobby, with Hawaiian music, free cookies and non-alcoholic beverages, in which we did not partake. Once we entered Nick's, we welcomed the wonderful ambiance, much better than the previous night at Ko. We all ended up ordering the catch of the day. The food and service was pretty good and I would eat here again.
On Saturday morning, we checked out of the Marriott and drove to the airport, stopping by the popular Da Kitchen for brunch. We got there right around when it opened so there was no line. The restaurant served Hawaiian-style comfort food with friendly and efficient service.
Our flight back was uneventful. My dad tried to get another mai-tai but unfortunately they are not served when leaving Hawaii...boo! We caught an Uber ride home, using the $20 monthly credit provided by the AMEX Platinum Card.
Overall, we had a great time, mostly relaxing and eating, not the usual sightseeing trip since we had visited Maui before. I really liked staying at Marriott's Wailea Beach Resort more so than the Hyatt Regency Maui (even though it didn't have a lounge); it never felt crowded, the staff treats guests well, the pools and grounds were beautiful, and it didn't hurt that our rooms were exceptional! Having a snorkel-able beach close by was a plus. I enjoyed the quieter Wailea area and I would plan to stay at the Marriott or another hotel nearby on my next visit to Maui.
What's next? Kaleb and I head to Pennsylvania for Christmas...stay tuned!
If you came here from a Facebook or Twitter link, thanks for clicking the "Facebook Like" button at the top of the page or retweeting!
Don't miss a blog entry! Sign up for updates direct to your inbox here or add the blog to your RSS feed.
Getting excited reading about these trips and want to go? Contact me at yellowdogtravel at gmail d0t com with your ideas and I can help you plan it! Or if you've already put a deposit on a cruise through the cruise line, contact me to get more information on transferring the reservation to me to get bonuses like extra onboard credit or gifts. I have lots of happy returning clients - references always available.
Come check out my other blog "What in the world is Kat Kong doing now?", documenting things other than traveling...sign up for blog updates direct to your inbox here!
Another disclaimer: The intention of this blog was to remind Future Me in full detail about where I went and what I did. I could have made it private, but I frequently get questions from family, friends and internet folks about how I planned things, got deals, etc., so instead of repeating the story over and over, I direct them here. If you are offended by anything I say or do, save yourself the discomfort and kindly click away from my blog. Thanks for reading and have a wonderful day!
After having breakfast, we checked out of the Hyatt Regency Maui and drove down to Wailea, stopping at fruit stands in search of papaya and longan, had lunch and shopped at Costco, then went to Safeway to buy some poke and beer.
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I booked two rooms at the Wailea Beach Marriott using the following complicated schemes:
- Room 1: Redeemed a 5-night hotel certificate from a Travel Package I got back in March that cost 235,000 Marriott Rewards points (which also included 120,000 Southwest Rapid Rewards points), plus an additional 65,000 Marriott Rewards points (from Starwood business card sign-up bonus) to upgrade the certificate to the higher category required for this property.
- Room 2: Redeemed 160,000 Marriott Rewards points (5th award night free) gotten from more Marriott and Starwood business card sign-up bonuses.
Arriving at the resort, we were warmly greeted by the bell staff with flower and shell leis. Our bags were loaded onto trolleys before the car was valeted. I went to check in but the rooms (to be located on the 6th floor of Haleakala Tower) were not ready yet as we were about half an hour early from official check-in time. The front desk agent gave me all the paperwork plus resort coupons and said they would contact me via cell when the rooms were available. In the meantime, we explored the hotel grounds and redeemed coupons for free mai-tais.
 |  |
I still hadn't gotten a call after an hour and a half, so we went back to the lobby and asked about the rooms. The front desk agent called housekeeping and was informed that the rooms were not yet cleaned. While sitting patiently in the lobby, one of the bell staff (probably the captain/manager) remembered us and came over to ask why we were still waiting. I told him that our rooms were still not ready; he apologized for the inconvenience and said he would take care of it. Wow, what customer service! I wasn't expecting much, but I was really surprised at what powers he had - somehow we were upgraded to premium ocean view room and junior suite in the Hale buildings, a huge step-up from the tower rooms. I thought he would accompany us with our luggage, but he sent someone else, and unfortunately we never ran into him again the rest of the stay to thank him some more.
We first dropped my parents off at the junior suite. It was quite spacious and was probably one of the closest rooms to the shoreline.
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Then we arrived at our ocean view room, overlooking the serenity (adults only) pool.
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Tonight's dinner was at on-site restaurant Humble Market Kitchin. We redeemed the free appetizer coupon for fried calamari. I also checked in on Yelp to receive a complimentary chocolate souffle for dessert, a delicious end to a nice meal.
|
|
|
|
|
|
The next day, we had breakfast in our rooms with the groceries we bought yesterday, then spent the rest of the day at the serenity pool and in the ocean. Servers roamed around to take bar and snack orders. We were able to use the other two drink coupons for any alcoholic beverage of similar value as the mai-tai.
 |  |
|
|
Tonight's dinner was at Matteo's Osteria, an Italian restaurant located a few minutes' drive from the Marriott. We took advantage of the complimentary shuttle service that the resort provides for destinations within a few miles' radius. The vehicles were usually Cadillac Escalades, driven by friendly employees. Rides were requested at a stand next to the front curb, then guests wait in the open air lobby until your destination was called. They also provided a card with a phone number to call for a return ride.
I had made reservations with OpenTable and we had no issues getting seated. The food was very good and I'd eat here again. We were so stuffed that there was no room for dessert.
|
|
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Tuesday morning, we went to Humble Market Kitchin again to try their breakfast buffet. It was all right. Next time, I'd walk over to try the buffet at Ka'ana Kitchen in the Andaz Maui, next door to the Marriott.
|
|
|
|
We took the car out and headed to Haleakala National Park, but even though it was nice and sunny at the coast, it was raining at the summit so we didn't get to hike or see much. Fortunately, we had all been here before so it wasn't a big loss. We scurried up to the visitor's center to try to catch a glimpse of the landscape through the fog, went back in the car and ate the Subway sandwiches we got along the way, then drove back down into Kihei to look for more longans and papaya and get another dose of Ululani's shave ice. It was still a nice outing outside of the resort.
|
|
|
|
|
|
That night, we had dinner at Ruth's Chris Steak House, located in The Shops at Wailea, a short walk from the Marriott. The restaurant offered a "sizzling prime time" special from 5-6pm, consisting of salad, entree, side and dessert for just $55-65 per person. I was hoping the Costco in Maui would have discounted Ruth's Chris Hawaii gift cards for additional savings, but none were to be found. Reservations were made on the Ruth's Chris website. The food was as expected and the service was efficient and friendly.
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| hot sourdough bread |
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Friday morning, we walked over to the beach behind the Andaz Maui for some snorkeling. The Marriott had little beach chairs you could borrow for free, located at the towel stand next to the Ohi pool. (there were only a handful of chairs available so get there early) We brought our own snorkels from home. The water was a bit brisk when you went in, but became comfortable after a few minutes. Underwater pictures were taken with a Panasonic Lumix camera like this one.
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Lunch was at the KAPA Bar and Grill next to the Ohi pool. The food was fresh and tasty.
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| upcountry mule |
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We had a lazy afternoon, then used complimentary shuttle service to the Fairmont Kea Lani to have dinner at Ko, serving multi-ethnic "plantation-inspired" cuisine. It was really hot inside the restaurant, even though there were ceiling fans overhead. The food was all right. I probably wouldn't come back unless someone else wanted to.
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| complimentary candied ginger |
When we got back to the Marriott, Kaleb and I checked out the resort fitness center, which was located close to our room.
|
|
|
|
On our last full day at the resort, we went out snorkeling again. The water was choppier than yesterday, but we managed to see a turtle again.
 |  |
44-second video (click here if you cannot see the preview below):
We also tried out the water slides over at the Nalu Adventure Pool. One slide is open-air, the other closed - very dark and fast. Tip: do not wear a rash guard on the slide as it really slows you down! My video is living proof. I took off the rash guard and rode the closed slide again for the proper thrilling experience. I wanted to try the open-air slide, but right at that moment, the area closed for an hour due to maintenance. Oh well, next time...
33-second video of Kaleb and Dad coming off the slide (click here if you cannot see the preview below):
55-second video of Kat and Mom coming off the slide (click here if you cannot see the preview below):
There is a dive pool adjacent to the adventure pool that is used for scuba lessons. An Intro to Scuba class is included with your resort fee, so if you ever wanted to try it out, this would be a great opportunity.
For lunch, we walked to Island Gourmet Markets located in The Shops at Wailea. There was a variety of fresh-looking pre-packaged sushi, sandwiches and other items. You could also order noodle soups, burgers and other hot food. As the few tables inside the air-conditioned store were occupied and much of the seating outside was in the sun, we took the food back into the mall area where shaded tables were available. We stopped by Lappert's for dessert.
|
|
|
|
Afterwards, we took a few pictures around the resort, then relaxed until dinner at Nick's Fishmarket at the Fairmont Kea Lani.
 |  |
 |  |
When the shuttle dropped us off at the Fairmont, there was a resort event happening in the lobby, with Hawaiian music, free cookies and non-alcoholic beverages, in which we did not partake. Once we entered Nick's, we welcomed the wonderful ambiance, much better than the previous night at Ko. We all ended up ordering the catch of the day. The food and service was pretty good and I would eat here again.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
On Saturday morning, we checked out of the Marriott and drove to the airport, stopping by the popular Da Kitchen for brunch. We got there right around when it opened so there was no line. The restaurant served Hawaiian-style comfort food with friendly and efficient service.
|
|
|
|
Our flight back was uneventful. My dad tried to get another mai-tai but unfortunately they are not served when leaving Hawaii...boo! We caught an Uber ride home, using the $20 monthly credit provided by the AMEX Platinum Card.
Overall, we had a great time, mostly relaxing and eating, not the usual sightseeing trip since we had visited Maui before. I really liked staying at Marriott's Wailea Beach Resort more so than the Hyatt Regency Maui (even though it didn't have a lounge); it never felt crowded, the staff treats guests well, the pools and grounds were beautiful, and it didn't hurt that our rooms were exceptional! Having a snorkel-able beach close by was a plus. I enjoyed the quieter Wailea area and I would plan to stay at the Marriott or another hotel nearby on my next visit to Maui.
What's next? Kaleb and I head to Pennsylvania for Christmas...stay tuned!
***
If you came here from a Facebook or Twitter link, thanks for clicking the "Facebook Like" button at the top of the page or retweeting!
Don't miss a blog entry! Sign up for updates direct to your inbox here or add the blog to your RSS feed.
Getting excited reading about these trips and want to go? Contact me at yellowdogtravel at gmail d0t com with your ideas and I can help you plan it! Or if you've already put a deposit on a cruise through the cruise line, contact me to get more information on transferring the reservation to me to get bonuses like extra onboard credit or gifts. I have lots of happy returning clients - references always available.
Come check out my other blog "What in the world is Kat Kong doing now?", documenting things other than traveling...sign up for blog updates direct to your inbox here!
Another disclaimer: The intention of this blog was to remind Future Me in full detail about where I went and what I did. I could have made it private, but I frequently get questions from family, friends and internet folks about how I planned things, got deals, etc., so instead of repeating the story over and over, I direct them here. If you are offended by anything I say or do, save yourself the discomfort and kindly click away from my blog. Thanks for reading and have a wonderful day!
Previous post: Planning the trip, Hyatt Regency Maui
