Grand Wailea A Waldorf Astoria Resort

Customer ratings & reviews

TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

9040 reviews

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  Phenomenal stay, but have a couple recommendations - thoughts.

  This is definitely a “Grand” hotel in its size, and the pool amenities are a huge draw for young families if you can deal with the no available chairs issue. I won’t rant on that since its been beaten to death. There are signs of wear and tear, but I saw people painting, cleaning and maintaining constantly. I wish the tiki torches would have been lighted at night but maybe natural gas is at a low level. No self-parking was a pain because my teenage kids constantly need stuff out of the car. Getting a new wrist band every day is a also a pain but I understand why. All the restaurants are tasty and the staff were all super nice. As a Diamond member I felt like I did get extra taken care of. We booked a standard points room and got a 6th floor ocean view room. Check in staff were so nice and set us up to get the digital key and the room came on time at 3:15. It was a strange mobility access room but that didn’t bother me and we loved the big balcony and comfortable chairs that recline. We got a nice daily food and bev credit that covered a couple cocktails at the grotto pool bar each day, but I did wish a property of this size would have an open air pool bar you could sit and look at the ocean. Other things I liked and made use of are the free folding beach chairs. That was very nice. I bought a small umbrella at the store and had shade to add. My daughters and I also loved the free work out classes. I don’t recall the instructor’s name but she was awesome and really motivated us to work off those Mai Tais in the Core Strength class that was included in the resort fee. I also have to say that we were there during the tsunami scare and while I understand many staff had to leave to get to their family members, I commend the ones that stayed and kept the kitchen going to get us food. Those are some dedicated staff. All in all I would definitely go back because the grounds are beautiful, staff were all super nice and you can’t beat the location.

  Jul 31, 2025
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  Stunning Resort, Unforgettable Stay — But Skip the Luau

  We recently spent five nights at the Grand Wailea for a romantic couples’ getaway, and I can honestly say the resort is absolutely phenomenal. The grounds are breathtaking — lush, meticulously maintained, and truly give that “wow” feeling everywhere you look. Whether you’re relaxing at the beach, strolling through the gardens, or lounging by one of the many pools, the entire place is visually stunning. Nighttime on the property is especially magical. Our room was comfortable and the service was solid throughout our stay. I can’t say enough about how beautiful everything was — from the landscaping to the views — the property itself is simply exceptional. That said, I do have two caveats worth mentioning: 1. Dining: The breakfast buffet was fresh and enjoyable, but by day three, it felt repetitive. As for the on-site restaurants like Nobu — the food was good, but extremely overpriced, especially considering everything is à la carte and portion sizes felt small for what we paid. We eventually opted to dine off-property a few times for more variety and better value. 2. The Luau: Unfortunately, the resort’s luau was a major disappointment. Despite the concierge hyping it up — even claiming that a guest tipped her $100 for booking the luau for her and her family — we found it boring and underwhelming. About 30–40 minutes in, people around us were disengaged, looking at their phones. The energy was low, the performances felt awkward, and the overall experience lacked the festive spirit you’d expect from a Hawaiian luau. No flower leis or warm welcome, just basic seating and a mediocre plated dinner. If you enjoy open bars, maybe it’s a plus — but for us, it wasn’t worth it. I’d highly recommend looking elsewhere for a more authentic and exciting luau experience. Despite those drawbacks, the resort itself is incredible, even if a little dated in spots. It’s a gorgeous setting for a relaxing and romantic vacation, and we would absolutely return — just with adjusted dining and entertainment expectations. ⸻

  Jul 29, 2025
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  Beautiful & Overpriced, But Worth It...Read for Tips!

  I really don't know why this resort is getting so many bad reviews. I almost changed our travel plans because of the reviews and so glad I didn't. We just got back last week and had an amazing time. For reference, we stayed at Nayara Resorts (Costa Rica) last summer and Grand Hyatt Baha Mar (Bahamas) the previous summer - so we like higher-end resorts. We have 3 kids ages 11, 9 and 5. I have to say I was disappointed that we didn't get a lei or welcome drink, but everything else made up for it. The other complaint I hear on here is that the resort is dated or needs repair. This is not the case. However, we did pay extra to stay in a Napua Lounge room (read more below). Our room was beautiful, spacious, clean and had an amazing ocean view. We enjoyed the Nespresso coffee maker and large bathroom too. The balcony was spacious and clean. Our favorite part of the resort was the large family pool with water slides and lazy river. It truly was amazing for all ages of kids and adults. You start at the top of the volcano area (which looks realistic with a tunnel, "steam" and even glows red at night) and each small pool connects to a slide that empties into another pool. It was truly amazing and we especially loved the second to last slide that emptied into the Grotto area with fun swim up bar and large waterfall. They had the best mai-tais and chocolate smoothies/shakes for kids. My only complaint is that 2 of the small slides were closed because they were under repair. The pool has amazing tiles and artwork on the bottom of the pool and some cool statues and beautiful plants/landscaping everywhere. There is even a zero entry sand pool for little ones. It's true that most people lined up at the multiple pool entrances right at 7am to claim a spot - but that's only if you want one on the first row. The pool area is huge and we didn't have a hard time finding chairs when we went most mornings around 9am. Also, people come and go and the resort will remove items/towels from chairs if the chairs haven't been used in an hour (they have a system for this). The restaurants were all very good (we didn't try Nobu) and the breakfast buffet at Humuhumu was amazing. Dinner there was super pricey but probably on par with similar resorts nearby. They aquarium bar, sustainable seafood and overall ambiance make it worth it. They also have a grab-and-go place in the shopping area on the 4th floor that has a lot of food options and is open 24hrs. I heard the nearby Island Gourmet Markets next door at the Shops at Wailea had better selections at lower prices. The hotel gave us 5 bottles of water and we used them the entire time. We didn't have a problem finding spots to refill them like by the lobby elevator, by the pool check-in desk, the Napua lounge (and the 6th floor small lounge), the Surf Haus restaurant by the pool and a few other places. Tip: If you are a Hilton Honors member - you get daily discounts/credits on food. The grounds were so beautiful and we felt like we were in a Maui jungle. The many koi ponds, tiki torches, sitting areas and waterfalls were so relaxing. We actually preferred taking the long way to the pool and restaurants. If you want to venture out - it's easy to rent a car onsite and you just turn it into the valet when done! Is it worth it to upgrade to the Napua suites? Probably not - unless you can get a discount (which we did) and then eat 1-2 of your meals in the Napua lounge each day and have a few cocktails (they have premium liquors). They have a nice breakfast buffet that changes daily and evening apps and snacks that can be substantial but they lack any mid-day foods except for granola bars, popcorn and popsicles. The bartenders and staff there were amazing. The spa is truly wonderful and only 1 year old. They have top of the line amenities and it's stunning. They even have a meditation room with zero gravity chairs and an outdoor relaxation room overlooking the beautiful waterfalls of the resort. Our services were wonderful and mine and my daughter's mani/pedi were great - they had new chairs and used a new kind of polish that doesn't chip! Skip the $100 per person canoe/swim with turtles from Maui Pacific. It was convenient they are onsite - but they just took us over to the right side of the resort where we could have just snorkeled ourselves. I saw more turtles snorkeling in waist-deep water by the hotel, than with the tour. Book a catamaran or one of the other snorkel tours that include food/drinks instead. Don't hesitate to book this resort. It's very pricey but in my opinion, it's worth it. It's stunning with great food, rooms, service, beautiful grounds to explore, wonderful calm beach with turtle sightings and it feels like a paradise for couples and families.

  Jul 25, 2025
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  Beware!!!!

  Extremely disappointed. No bell service, no turndown service. Chairs at the beach 150$/day. Make sure you line up every morning at 6:30 to grab a your chair by the pool (there won’t be enough chairs for anyone)! Restrooms by the pool extremely dirty and no one cares. Trash cans are overflowing. Breakfast buffet is 62$. Unfortunately they were out of papaya and mango every day (on Maui!!!). If you want avocado with your omelet, you will be charged an additional 6$ (for a few slices). What used to a a Waldorf Astoria is Hampton Inn standard (but extremely overpriced)

  Jul 25, 2025
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  Disappointed After Years of Loyalty

  We’ve been coming to this resort for the last three years and used to absolutely love it — we always had great experiences and recommended it to friends and family. Unfortunately, this year was a major letdown. There were no available seats or umbrellas, which is surprising given how much we paid and how well this was managed in the past. We felt like we were scrambling just to find a spot to relax — something that should never happen at a resort of this caliber. To make matters worse, the adult pool has basically turned into a kids' zone. Adults are trying to unwind, but instead we were getting hit in the head with balls and surrounded by noise. It’s extremely disappointing that there’s no longer a separate, peaceful area for adults as there used to be. It’s disheartening to see a place we used to cherish lose its charm and attention to guest experience. We hope management listens to returning guests and makes changes, but sadly, we’ll think twice before booking again.

  Jul 25, 2025