Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea

I am rating this property based on 13 specific criteria on a 1-10 scale (with several 11s for going above and beyond and into "the best on earth" status): 1. Overall rating and vibe: 11. This is the most exceptional, truest 5-star resort on earth. 2. Service: 11. Service is UNIFORMLY warm, genuine, intuitive, and seamless. 3. Room: 11. For a small price, we were upgraded from a standard Mountain View room to a very large Prime Deluxe Ocean View Room with 2 queens plus a queen sleeper sofa and a stunning direct ocean view, which easily fit a family of 5. The 100% marble bathroom was fit for royalty and I especially loved the built-in speakers with Hawaiian music on channel 1 and widely-adjustable volume from 1-9. The beds were pure nirvana with the most comfortable sheets and perfect support that enabled incredible sleep. Also thoughtful touches throughout room to promote restful sleep, including a rechargeable flashlight in the bathroom so you can turn all the lights out and still find the WC in the middle of the night in a dark room. 4. Complimentary amenities: 11. The ultra-long list of complimentary amenities frankly puts all other resorts worldwide to shame, and includes: “kids for all seasons” kids club (open 9-5), house car (multiple extended Escalades), full lei greeting for all adults and Keiki including cold drinks and ice-cold Oshibori washcloths, so many Keiki amenities in the room (sponges in each kids’ name, bath robes, slippers, kids for all seasons caps, kids for all seasons flip flops, sunglasses, kids shampoo, conditioner, and body wash set for each kid), welcome treats in the room, all cabanas and lounge chairs and unlimited towels, highly elevated poolside service that includes complimentary frozen treats being passed out every 30-45 minutes, complimentary sunglasses cleaning, complimentary sunscreen, complimentary water stations with delicious fruit-infused water all around the pools and delivered to your cabana, complimentary water and coffee throughout the resort, many complimentary activities including yoga, Hawaiian outrigger canoe excursion, and many more, no resort fee… the list goes on and on. One thing is abundantly clear: the resort’s owner has made a conscious decision NOT to nickel-and-dime guests which stands in stark contrast to the "Grand" Wailea next door which literally nickel-and-dimes its guests (or perhaps more accurately, its prisoners) at literally every opportunity that it can. 5. Pools: 11. The pools are divine and 100% saltwater, which makes a drastic difference in your enjoyment of them. For grownups or those seeking quiet, there is a gorgeous infinity pool that is located above the other pools and features sweeping views of Wailea beach, the Pacific Ocean, and neighboring islands like Lanai, as well as of West Maui (which looks like another island, but is not). The lower pools are all family friendly and quite active with playing children, which we loved. The waterfall pool has two levels with a very small waterslide connecting them and a gorgeous waterfall in the upper level. The fountain pool is the resort’s beating heart with a massive fountain in the middle, two hot tubs (at either end), and an endless number of COMPLIMENTARY cabanas surrounding the pool. It is truly divine. When we were there, there were a large group of kids from ages 3 to 14 (ish) from at least a dozen different racial/cultural/ethnic backgrounds who were beautifully playing a game of football toss with each other for hours. Watching them all play beautifully together gave me great confidence in America’s future, as these kids are our country’s future leaders. 6. Cabanas: 11. Did I mention the cabanas are ALL COMPLIMENTARY (except at the adult pool) and incredibly luxurious? They are also serviced by the world’s best pool staff who will move mountains to make any request happen. For example, although GF pizza was not on the poolside menu, our cabana server was able to secure a GF pizza from neighboring Ferraro’s which was a huge hit with my two Celiac kids. It’s all the little things like this (literally ALL of the staff going out of their way to make your stay absolutely perfect) that makes the Maui Four Seasons a true unicorn, not just in Maui, but worldwide. 7. Waterslides: N/A. There is only one tiny (6-foot-long?) waterslide that connects the upper waterfall pool to the lower one. It is a perfect “my first waterslide” for kids aged 2-4, just make sure they’re wearing floaties and/or you catch them at the bottom! 8. Cleanliness: 11. The housekeeping staff here are true unicorns as well. They do TWICE daily housekeeping with evening turndown service and they don’t just clean your room, they also tidy it with a focus on neatening and streamlining all of your clutter (which can be a lot of stuff with 3 kids). They anticipate your needs without you even knowing you have them, such as winding your phone charger neatly so you won’t trip over it at night when you visit the bathroom. They also offer unlimited complimentary bottled water. The resort also has several awesome cleaning robots (in the lobby areas and on the various hotel floors) who keep the floors absolutely spotless all day and all night. These were a particularly huge hit with my kids who enjoyed watching the robots clean and followed them around to observe their cleaning acumen. 9. Family friendliness: 11. Incredibly family friendly for all the reasons mentioned above. Do not hesitate to bring kids here! They will LOVE this place (all 3 of my kids said this was easily their favorite resort in Wailea, even though it doesn’t have any large waterslides or water features beyond pools with fountains and waterfalls). That’s because this resort goes out of its way, at every turn, to make kids feel welcome, special, and like royalty. 10. Dining: 10. Excellent food at Duo, superb food at Ferraro’s, and an exceptional breakfast buffet that is a good value (kids 5 and under eat free, $20 for older kids, $59 for adults). GF pancakes and waffles are made to order by the chef and were delicious. Also many GF options at lunch and dinner, including for kids. 11. Luxury: 11. This resort sets the global standard for luxury and is the truest of true 5-star resorts. For decades, it has rightly earned 5 stars from Forbes and 5 diamonds from AAA. It should be a Michelin 3-key property as well, and I believe its recent 1-key rating from Michelin was a snub and not reflective of this property’s actual luxury level and truly iconic status which should clearly earn it a 3-key (highest possible) rating from Michelin. 12. Room for improvement: Not applicable! This place is already BEYOND PERFECT. 13. Value for Families with Kids: 10. Long list of complimentary amenities—especially for families with kids—which makes this resort by far the best value for your money in Wailea, and likely all of Hawaii.

This is one of my favorite hotels. Rooms are very well decorated and spacious . Bathrooms are large. Only one area that needs perhaps needs update are toilets . Very very low.

I really enjoyed the personal touch and attention paid by the staff at the front desk, valet and Duo and Ferraro restaurants. This coupled with a clean and inviting environment made for a truly relaxing anniversary with my Bae at the Four Seasons in Wailea Maui! Hope to return soon. Mahalo

Treated like a queen as always

What an amazing trip to FS Maui! The resort is gorgeous and the beach is now one of my favorite beaches. We loved the complimentary outrigger excursion. We saw a mom, dad, and baby whale. They were breaching and it was one of the most magical experiences of my life! We were there in mid-February. There is a path that takes you along the shoreline past other resorts. It's beautiful to walk at sunset and we saw a lot of whales in the distance. Beach: The ocean water is so clear and the temperature was great. We also did paddle-boarding and kayaking. The resort offers a complimentary yoga class in the morning which was serene. Pools: They were so busy, I actually didn't spend any time at them. I tried the adult pool twice but there was a waitlist. I wish there was a third pool that was not as crowded. Pickleball: So great that it was complimentary and the courts were very nice. My kids and I spent a lot of time there. Breakfast buffet: LOVED it! I loved that they offered a different seafood dish daily: octopus salad, tuna poke, shrimp cocktail. Also, their taro rolls were delicious and their pastries were amazing. This was definitely our favorite dining at the resort. The rooms: Beautiful and clean. I especially loved the sound system in the bathroom with Hawaiian music playing. All in all - a wonderful trip and I would highly recommend!!