Wailea Beach Resort Review

This Wailea Beach Resort review features an in-depth article and overview of The Wailea Beach Resort by Marriott in Maui.

Thinking of staying at the Wailea Beach Resort in Maui? You have come to the right place.

This Wailea Beach Resort review will cover every important point when it comes to making that decision. Our full and honest review includes an overview of the property, rooms, dining options, activities, and more.

We hope that it helps you with planning your perfect Maui vacation!

Disclosure: I live on Maui, Hawaii. Parsnips and Pastries partnered with this property and received a complimentary stay. We received no monetary compensation and this review is 100% our honest, own words and insight. We love Maui and support local, and hope that you find this Wailea Beach Resort review helpful. Mahalo.

In this post:

Wailea Beach Resort Marriott in Maui: At a Glance
Location
Booking and Check-In
Hotel Vibe
Rooms
Amenities
Food and Beverage
Pool and Beach Experiences
Activities and Programs
Wailea Beach Resort Review: Pros, Cons & Summary

Wailea Beach Resort Marriott in Maui: At a Glance

The Wailea Beach Resort is a luxury hotel by Marriott located in Wailea on the island of Maui. The beach resort caters to both adults and families, with adults-only and family pools and a large selection of amenities and activities.

Wailea Beach Resort in summary:

Location: Wailea, Maui at 3700 Wailea Alanui Drive
Recently Renovated: Had a $100 million renovation in 2017
Total Rooms and Suites: 547
Floors: 8
Check-In and Out: 4pm/noon
Standard Room Size: 437 square feet
In Room: Bathrobes, iron/ironing board, free toiletries, hair dryer, 55″ Smart TV with Netflix, refrigerator, safe, desk, coffee/tea
Balconies or Lanais
On-Site Food and Beverage: Humble Market Kitchen, KAPA Bar & Grill, Starbucks, Whale’s Tale, NALU Pool Bar, Mo Bettah Food Truck
Oceanfront and Cabana Candlelight Dining
Room Service
On-Site Gift Shop/Convenience Store
On-Site Luau
Pools: 4, including an adults-only infinity pool and family pool with the longest waterslide in Hawaii
Amenities: Spa, fitness center, small movie theater, family game room, jacuzzi, tennis court, golf course, dry cleaning, business center, cabanas, babysitting services, on-site activities
Marriott Rewards: Category 7
Price Range: $1,000-$1,300/night average for a standard room; $1,800-$2,200/night average for premium or oceanfront rooms; up to $4,000+ for premium suites
Resort Fee: Daily fee of $38 plus tax (includes bike rentals, internet, scuba lessons, and more)
Parking Fees: $30/daily for on-site parking and $40/daily for valet
Airport Shuttle Service: No
Local Complimentary Car Service (Wailea): Yes, 3 miles or less
Smoke-Free Property
Pet-Friendly: No (except service dogs)

Location

Wailea Beach Resort is located 15 miles from Kahului Airport (OGG). It is located in Wailea, a quiet area of Maui that is home to five beautiful and unique beaches and known for incredible golf courses. The resort is located on Wailea Beach Path, a 3 mile long concrete walkway along the beach and ocean with amazing views and even better sunsets.

The resort is situated in the middle of Wailea Beach and Ulua Beach. It is a five minute walk to Wailea Beach and is surrounded by breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean. Wailea is home to many other luxury resorts nearby and The Shops at Wailea mall.

Booking and Check-In

Booking through the website is seamless, and I enjoyed being able to manage my reservation and book experiences directly through my account.

The lobby at Wailea Beach Resort is quite unique. The check-in desks are situated in the middle of the heart of the hotel — an open-air and outdoor lobby. Although only steps from your car, entering the lobby will instantly feel like a true resort experience. Surrounded by palm trees and the ocean breeze, the lobby is bustling and busy, but the staff is efficient and friendly.

After a lei greeting, glass of POG, and a very informative rundown of the hotel and amenities, you are given your key and two very-much-appreciated tickets for complimentary mai tais.

If your room isn’t ready yet, there are also plenty of places to sit and relax in the lobby. Next to the Starbucks, gift shop, and game room, the lobby usually acts as a common ground of sorts. Guests enjoy their morning lattes, read a book on a rocking chair, pose next to the giant “Aloha” sign, or have fun on the swings or whimsical pod seats.

Hotel Vibe

The vibe at Wailea Beach Resort is laid-back, friendly, and relaxing. I will adamantly tell you that the Wailea Beach Resort is not pretentious in the least.

The staff and service is down-to-earth, approachable, and friendly. The service at KAPA, the cabana service, and the front desk was particularly wonderful.

The guests at the hotel were an even mix of families and adults/couples, most of which were on their honeymoon or vacation. It definitely seems that this is a resort that people come back to. You overhear guests in the lobby talking about how they’ve been coming here for years, or asking for certain staff members by name.

Rooms

One of the most important factors in this Wailea Beach Resort review are the rooms. There are a variety of rooms at the Wailea Beach Resort and all are unique. One thing all rooms have in common is that they all have an outdoor space. Ground floor rooms offer extended lanais with lounge chairs while all other floors have private balconies.

Your standard rooms will come with either two queen beds or one king, and view options include garden or ocean view. There are also premium ocean view rooms and ocean view rooms with sundecks. If you want the closest rooms to the ocean available at the resort, you want to choose the oceanfront rooms and not the ocean view.

There are also junior suites (one bedroom), executive suites (one bedroom), and presidential suites (two bedrooms).

Starting at over 430 square feet, rooms feel very spacious and airy. The interior is designed in contemporary decor and rooms are very clean. The outdoor space is a lovely addition, especially if you have a view.

The beds, which feature a pillowtop mattress, are plush and comfortable. Rooms also include a couch, desk, coffee maker, mini fridge, and Smart TV with premium channels and Netflix.

Most rooms offer accessibility features and cribs.

The hotel had a complete renovation in 2017 so rooms feel updated and the bathrooms are modern.

I would recommend the ocean view sundeck rooms the most, which feature a nice combination of indoor and outdoor living space. The sundecks are complete with plush couches, lounge chairs, and/or tables. The higher level floors only feature a balcony, which while nice to have, provides very uncomfortable seating (more below).

Amenities

Wailea Beach Resort offers a lot of amenities, from multiple pools to the spa to on-site activities (more on that below). Here is the list of some of best amenities at the resort.

Food and Drink

There are two main restaurants at the resort, Humble Market Kitchen and KAPA Bar & Grill, in addition to quick grab-and-go options such as Starbucks, Whale’s Tale, NALU Pool Bar, and Mo Bettah Food Truck. The resort also offers oceanfront and cabana candlelight dining, room service, and an on-site luau. More in-depth overview below.

Parking and Transportation

There is both self-parking ($30/day) and valet ($40/day). Additionally, there is a complimentary car service that will take you anywhere in Wailea (within 3 miles).

Pool and Beach

There are 4 outdoor pools (more in-depth review below) and easy beach access. One thing to note is that the resort is not directly on the beach. While you have panoramic ocean views, the land directly in front of the hotel is grassy, rocky beach with no sand. Wailea Beach is at least a five minute walk from the property.

Fitness Center

Besides a fitness center, the resort offers yoga and fitness classes. The 24-hour fitness center features state-of-the art cardio equipment and free weights.

Full-Service Spa

The Mandara Spa is an impressive 9,153 square foot facility that features 12 private treatment rooms, four couples rooms, a steam room, and more. There is also a salon that offers facials, nail services, hair services, and makeup services.

Some of the services at Mandara Spa include:

Couple massages
Massages
Men and women lounges
Body scrubs
Body wraps
Facials
Steam room
Hair and scalp treatments
Paraffin hand treatments
Manicures
Pedicures
Waxing

Convenience

There are several amenities that make this resort more convenient and inclusive, including:

A gift shop/convenience store on-site that also sells snacks, beer, wine, and alcohol
Laundry facilities
Dry cleaning service
Rollaway/extra beds
Supervised childcare and activities
Free newspapers in the lobby
Multilingual staff
Porter/bellhop
Tour and ticket assistance
Business center
Accessibility features including accessible bathrooms, assistive listening devices, braille signage, height-adjustable showerheads, and a wheelchair-accessible business center, concierge, parking, pool, restaurant, fitness center, and more

Food and Beverage

Below are all of the food and beverage options that Wailea Beach Resort offers.

Humble Market Kitchen

Humble Market Kitchen is located inside the Wailea Beach Resort and run by acclaimed chef and James Beard Award winner Roy Yamaguchi. The restaurant and menu is inspired by Roy’s roots and childhood, which began on the plantations on Maui. What’s quite spectacular about Humble Market Kitchen is the impressive, sprawling space that feels open and modern with both interior seating and an open-air lanai for catching striking sunsets. The menu is very well executed. My favorites include the local-style ceviche (with tiger prawns, yuzu, coconut, and jalapeños) and the Madame Pele Roll with charred spicy tuna to start. For entrees, the misoyaki butterfish, fork-tender braised beef short rib, or Maui cattle meatloaf all will not disappoint.

KAPA Bar and Grill

KAPA Bar and Grill is an open-air restaurant right in front of the ‘Ohi Pools. There is both inside seating and outdoor seating complete with excellent views. The menu offers simple bar fare with local twists such as ahi poke, spicy wings, coconut shrimp, fish tacos, burgers, salads, and more.

Mo Bettah Food Truck

Mo Bettah Food Truck is right next door to the NALU pools and offers up some quick, convenient, and delicious eats. The crispy loaded tater tots with sweet pulled pork and cheese is a favorite.

Coffee, Grab and Go, and Room Service

The resort has a Starbucks on site, which offers their full menu including sandwiches and pastries. There is also the Whale’s Tale on the beach which serves up coffee, cold-pressed juices, and smoothies.

Room service is offered daily for breakfast and dinner only (6am–10am and 5pm–10pm).

Bars

There are a few bars at the resort, including the Sunsets Bar next to the adults-only Maluhia Serenity Pool and the NALU Pool Bar next to the family pool. There is also a bar at KAPA to grab a drink at when the pool bars are closed.

Luau and Private Dining

The resort has an on-site luau, Te Au Moana Luau, and offers private dining options. Couples can either enjoy a private sunset dinner at the beach or on a floating poolside cabana.

Pool and Beach Experiences

As noted above, Wailea Beach Resort has four unique pools:

NALU Pool: Family-friendly pool with four waterslides, including the longest in Hawaii. NALU Pool has a pool bar and Mo Bettah Food Truck.
Maluhia Serenity Pool: Infinity pool for guests 18 years of age and over. Includes pool chairs, lounge chairs, cabanas, and floating cabanas. Maluhia Serenity Pool offers the Sunsets Bar and poolside service.
Ohi Pools: Two new oceanfront pools with hot tubs and cabanas. KAPA Bar and Grill is inside the pool area.
Other: Whirlpool and dive pool (with scuba lessons).

You can also book private cabanas at each of the pools.

Two types of cabanas are offered at each of the three pool areas:

Maluhia Serenity Pool: Two cabanas are offered here, the floating infinity pool cabanas (the most coveted cabanas at the resort) and the ocean view casabellas and day beds. Both are adults only. The day beds start at $100 and the infinity pool cabanas at $450. The rentals are for the whole day and include a $50 F&B credit, fresh seasonal fruit with lavender honey, trail mix, service, and bottled water.
NALU Pool: There are two cabanas to choose from at the family pool, the luxury cabana and the secret cabana. The large luxury cabana suites include a canvas roof, four-sided privacy curtains, comfortable seating, and a stocked refrigerator. The secret cabanas are more quiet options with seating for two. Both include a $50 F&B credit, fresh seasonal fruit, Jelly Belly mix, service, and bottled water. Secret cabanas start at $150 and luxury cabanas at $400.
‘Ohi Pools: The ‘Ohi oceanfront cabanas feature panoramic ocean views, a king-sized reclining daybed, and canvas roof. The ‘Ohi luxury cabanas are much larger and feature two large two-person chaise lounges, a canvas roof, privacy curtains, and a stocked fridge. Oceanfront cabanas start at $300 and luxury cabanas at $400. Both include a $50 F&B credit, fresh seasonal fruit with lavender honey, trail mix, service, and bottled water.

If you prefer to spend your time at the beach, the resort offers complimentary beach chairs and umbrellas on a first come, first served basis.

Activities and Programs

There are lots of activities and programs to take part in at Wailea Beach Resort.

The active and water activities on-site or nearby include:

Jogging/walking trail (on-site)
Bike rentals (on-site)
Kayaking (on-site)
SUP (on-site)
Scuba diving (on-site)
Snorkeling (on-site)
Canoeing (on-site)
Golf (on-site)
Tennis (0.3 miles)
Volleyball (2 miles)
Boating (2 miles)
Hiking (2 miles)
Nature preserve trail (2 miles)
Surfing (2 miles)
Sailing (5 miles)
Horseback riding (10 miles)

Family-friendly activities include an on-site game room, movie theater with 3 showings per day, kids club, and more.

During the summer, there are plenty of activities and programs that happen. Some of these include:

Hawaiian Outrigger Canoe Experience (summer program)
Coco Yoga Classes (with a coconut that you can drink after)
Sunrise Yoga
Fitness Classes (pool, pilates, total body, etc.)
Ukelele
Live Music
Lei Making
Hula Lessons
Hawaiian Cultural Games
Malama Quilting Experience
S’mores & Mo’olelo (Hawaiian talk story)