Scouted: Grand Wailea Maui Is the Epitome of Hawaiian Luxury
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When I was invited earlier this year for a stay at Grand Wailea, a Waldorf Astoria Resort, I immediately packed my bags. The stunning five-star property, which was originally built in 1991, fronts the popular Wailea Beach and is the epitome of Hawaiian luxury. It recently underwent a massive $300 million renovation, not only overhauling the 844 guest rooms and suites, but also the 50,000 square foot spa (making it the largest and most lavish wellness destination the island has to offer). For the 2,479 mile, six-hour flight from Los Angeles, I invited one of my college girlfriends to join me for some much-needed R&R.
Although we were very much there on a chill girls’ trip, it’s worth noting this is a very family-friendly property, ideal if you’ve got little ones. What’s nice is that the impeccably manicured 40-acre property, which sits in the heart of Wailea Beach, truly has something for everyone. There’s a three-story Lava Tube slide and lazy river for the kids, a strip of chic shops to peruse, lush tropical gardens, the adults-only Hibiscus pool, a swim-up grotto bar and plenty of upscale dining options.
We arrived in the late afternoon on a Wednesday and were graciously greeted in the grand open air lobby with leis, then escorted up to our ocean view room. Unbeknownst to us at the time, Paris Hilton, along with her husband and two kids were also there, as she documented on Instagram. Our room was in the more exclusive Napua Tower, which offers stunning ocean views, premiere rooms and access to private lounges (complete with complimentary daily happy hours). As an LA girl, I was ecstatic to find an array of healthy snacks from the upscale grocery store Erewhon left for us on the coffee table.
That evening, we were a bit tired from traveling, so we wandered down to Botero Lounge, the main sunken lobby bar that doubles as a sushi restaurant in the evenings. It’s hard to find the words to describe the immaculate vibes of the spot. Do yourself a favor and order the Izakaya brussel sprouts made with Kabayaki Sauce, Bonito, Kizami, and Nori. At just 5 p.m. the space was already bustling: with live music echoing throughout and, we knew we’d be back.
The next morning we headed down to Loulu, the casual healthy market and coffee bar which features a curated selection of Erewhon products. There I discovered the Hula Hawaiian latte made with macadamia nut syrup, which I proceeded to order every morning until the day that I left. We had a very busy day ahead, as we had a cabana booked for noon at the main pool. Before settling in, we decided to grab a quick cocktail at Olivine, the newest poolside coastal Italian restaurant.
From there we headed to our designated cabana to drink cocktails and read tarot cards (a pastime my friend and I have shared since our college days). We closed the pool down and headed back to the room to get ready for dinner. Eating, drinking and lounging was pretty much the whole agenda for our trip. We put on our flowy floral dresses and went to the coolest restaurant on the property Humuhumunukunukuapua’a (try saying that three times fast).
As we waited for our table, we bellied up the circular fish bar, which was essentially a giant glowing fish tank. We sat there chatting with other hotel guests before we ushered over to our table that overlooked an idyllic beachfront lagoon with majestic views of the Pacific. As expected, the menu was very seafood-forward with standouts like my order: the Misoyako Chilean Sea Bass with kabocha squash and coconut mint chutney. After filling up, we retired by 10 p.m.
The next day, we went to visit the hotel’s recently unveiled spa, nestled on a lower level in a quiet corner of the resort. And as someone who visits spas for a living, I can tell you this 50,000-square-foot wellness sanctuary is top-notch. The Kilolani Spa is rooted in history, named after the ancient Hawaiian stargazers who studied the heavens in order to harvest their plants. With this origin story in mind the entire layout of the space was designed to help guests connect with nature’s rhythms.
Before each treatment, guests are invited to “the portal,” where they’re asked to set an intention in the traditional Hawaiian way, with water infused with salt gathered from the ocean. Services at Kilolani Spa are guided by the Hawaiian moon calendar, which changes every ten days. I did a 120-minute Lomilomi, which was a massage and scrub, all rolled into one. After the treatment I made sure to stick around to hit up the amenities. The halotherapy-infused infrared saunas, hydrothermal gardens, cold plunge and hammam (the only on the island) are all can’t-miss treatments.
