Grand Wailea, A Waldorf Astoria Resort

OVERPRICED, UNDERSTAFFED, NO LUXURY HERE. Having recently returned from nine days at this hotel, I can assure you this is not the luxury vacation you are looking or paying for. If you want to be pampered for the significant money you are spending, go elsewhere! At this hotel, if you would like chairs in the shade by the pool, you’ll be waking up at 6:30 AM to get on the line and then literally running to put your stuff down. If you would like chairs at the beach with an umbrella, you’ll be paying an additional $150 per day. Want a towel? Each member of your party must be there to get more than one - oh and the laundry seems to break everyday. The cabanas - the way they have monetized the shade - start at $1350, more than double the much nicer hotel next door. Intentionally, the hotel has removed so many of the umbrellas (often times only 4 at a pool) that many families like ours with kids, feel desperate. Recent changes in this hotel have made it a decidedly money making adventure and not at all about customer service. No staff member can help - most of them are stressed beyond belief and will tell you that they have no way to help you. The small and inadequate lunch operation cannot bring your food on time, cannot get the order correctly, and your $26 pina colada will have melted by the time you receive it. Plus, no tables in the shade! We had numerous problems - seating, rentals, the elevator doors closing on top of us and one of our party getting seriously injured, none of which were well handled - again as each staff member told us they were so sorry and yet powerless to help. Then there are the astronomical prices for food and beverages, in each of the restaurants. An average piece of fish will cost you $60-$80. For one dish. The highlight is Nobu, where at least that price is getting you truly sublime food. Everywhere else, it is nothing to write home about and equally overpriced. Would not return to this hotel and would spend the money elsewhere for better value or more luxury.

I am appalled. Rude staff, no luxuries, absolutely insane prices. Didn’t even get seats by the pool for 1600 a night. You’ll need to set a 6.30am alarm to have a chance, and no shade available despite UV index 11. Everyone including kids got burned. Not enough bedding in room. No drinks on arrival. No minibar. Just nothing. Upgraded for 400/night for their club package to get some extra snacks - they were literally packets of chips. Spent the entire week joking with my wife about how extortionate it was AND terrible at the same time. I’d happily pay this much for luxury, but it was rough. Makes Waldorf a complete joke. I will never stay in any of their resorts again. Couldn’t be more upset.

DO NOT STAY HERE! It is a beautiful campus with many pool selections, but it is a frenzy to get a free chaise with an umbrella by any pool. People line up 30 to 45 minutes before pools open and then save chairs for the whole family. About half the free chairs do not have umbrellas. If you leave your chair for more than an hour, monitors will remove your items and send them to lost and found. Multiple meltdowns throughout the day from children whose toys were gone. Why aren't there enough chairs, you ask? Because there are expensive ($1400 per day) cabanas taking up space that are only about half full. A cheaper option are day beds for $300. On the website, an adult only pool is shown, but when we asked about it, it has been changed to the Serenity pool with children allowed. This pool is just as loud as the activity pool. If you choose to go to the beach, $150 for two chairs and an umbrella squished together with strangers. The staff seem embarrassed about the prices, but they have to adhere to policy set by Hilton. The result of comfort and relaxation being out of reach for most people is a day full of cranky, angry guests yelling at employees who have no authority to assist. Hilton leaders should understand the amount of negative reviews is not worth the profit they anticipate from overpriced pool seating.

Had an amazing time here at the Grand Wailea resort. Fay, Patty, and Z treated us so well. In Canada who played us an 25th anniversary song. You all made our anniversary so Special. Thanks.

We had a blast last year here but boy has it gone downhill fast in the last year. It doesn’t feel luxury at all. The rooms are dirtier, the waits are longer and the amenities are way over crowded. First let’s talk about why we came here, the pools & water slides. We showed up to the pool at 8:15am and every single chair was taken. Mind you, this was 2 hours and 15 minutes before the waterslides even open and they were already taken. We had to spend $300 for a day bed just to have somewhere to put our kids sunscreen on and put our stuff. What a rip off! We came here mainly for the waterslides and 3 out of 7 of them are down. There were only 2 slides that our little kids could go on and they were so overcrowded that it was not enjoyable. The big slides had waits of 15-30 minutes which was a nightmare. There were crowds to even get out of the pool after the slides. I felt like I was part of a cattle call trying to keep my kids safe in the water. When it came time to order food, it took 50 minutes to hunt down a waiter even though we had paid $300 for the daybed. I tried to order from the restaurant and they said they wouldn’t deliver and I’d be forced to carry all 6 plates of food back to our $300 daybed. Shouldn’t that price tag come with service?? I wonder if the $1500-2000 cabanas were much better. Plus the beach chairs cost $150 for half a day??? My friends at the Andaz were shocked at that. It’s like they’re still trying to charge top dollar to stay here but still nickel and dime you on every little thing. A pool / beach day with little kids is stressful as it but this resort this year is the worst & most expensive that I’ve experienced. We were in Mexico over spring break and it was so much more enjoyable than this one. A night and day difference. The food and drinks are mediocre. Olivine was better than Humuhumu but neither are much to brag about. We ended up cancelling our reservation at Nobu to go out to eat in town because we were over the restaurants at the resort. All in all, this place gives you a 3 star experience for a 5 star price tag. I wouldn’t recommend staying here. We’ll likely be looking at other options for next year.