“I went to Maui to stay a week and remained five. I never spent so pleasant a month before, or bade any place goodbye so regretfully. I have not once thought of business, or care or human toil or trouble or sorrow or weariness, and the memory of it will remain with me always.” – Mark Twain
Leave it to Mark Twain to most perfectly capture my feelings about my time in Maui. No place better captures my blissful time on Maui than the Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea, most assuredly one of the best luxury hotels in all of Hawaii.
Where is the Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea?
The property is located in Wailea, which is located at the beachy, soft-sanded southern leeward coast of Maui (Google Maps) – about 30 minutes from the Kahului Airport, and about 45 minutes from the other outer areas of the island.
Arrival
As you would guess, the entry to the Four Seasons Maui at Wailea is grand and dazzling, bathed in polished summerwood-colored stone. The architectural lines are crisp and clean, and the light, airy walls are appointed with oversized lighting and lovely pieces of art. Notice also the signature lavish flower display. Thanks to my parents and my lovely wife for the pictures!
Entry and Open-Air Luxury
I generally wait to make note of Special Features, but I have to mention that upon check-in, guests receive cool, moist towels infused with the scent of lavender. I’ve visited a multitude of high-end properties, and have never experienced such a lovely, thoughtful greeting. It was a warm day, and I eagerly wiped the towel across my face, taking in the soft lavender scent; and then feeling the silky ocean breeze across my face. Divine.
I will never forget that experience, and it’s that type of touch that makes the Four Seasons one of the world’s finest luxury hotel brands. Ahhhh.
The main entry opens to a series of open-air spaces and the interior is replete with elegant architectural features and handsome appointments, but the main attraction is most certainly the collection of dramatic ocean views to the left – stunning, mesmerizing, and striking. It’s hard to look at anything else.
The Grounds
The property’s main grounds are lush and textured, filled with perfectly manicured basil-colored grass, an elegant water feature, and beautiful art.
Water
There are many areas on the property to relax and swim, but the Serenity Pool at the Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea is the most beautiful resort pool I have ever seen. No contest.
The Serenity Pool is elevated at the high point of the property, creating a unique view from the distance – that the negative edge Serenity Pool overflows into the sea. And if you’re at the edge of the Serenity Pool, the swimmer overlooks Wailea Beach and the open ocean from an elegant perch. I have lots of pictures, but this panoramic is my favorite.
Here are some additional photos:
This pool alone is worth a visit!
Kids
While the Serenity Pool is for adults only, the Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea has a ton of activities geared to kids with its “Kids for all Seasons” program. Activities include lei-making, searching for geckos, and ulu maika (Hawaiian Bowling).
Kids (and definitely the parents!) also will love the easy access to Wailea Beach, and the Active Pool for kids, which is staffed with lifeguards so the parents can have some time to themselves and relax. I love this.
Dining
There are a number of outstanding dining options at the property, and you can see the full listing with details if you Click Here, including a most highly-regarded Spago. As I mentioned earlier, unfortunately we didn’t have the time to stay at the property, but we did make time to have lunch at the similarly highly-regarded Ferraro’s Bar e Restaurante; and it was the best meal we had during our week in Maui (dinners included) – which is saying something because it was only lunch.
The View
Before I get to the food, I need to discuss the view from Ferraro’s – or better yet, I’ll show you:
Even if you can’t cook, that view is hard to beat. But it gets better, because the folks at Ferraro’s know their food.
We first sampled the property’s famous and award-winning Mai Tai, and it’s a delectable and rich mixture of dark rum and fresh juices.
While deciding what to order, I ordered a Tuna Poke Salad for the table, and it was sublime – fresh and flavorful.
Look at the beautiful mixture of textures and colors – velvety, and a perfect complement to the ocean view.
Ferraro’s features a diverse food offering, and authentic “cucina rustica” cuisine for dinner. Each of us had a very difficult time choosing a main dish. The menu is staggering in its diversity and scope – once again, this is a lunch menu. Click here to see the amazing-ness (I know this is not a word, but the menu defies current descriptive terms.)
So, after each of the four of us agonized over our orders, we ALL ordered the same dish!! – The Seafood Cobb Salad, which included Lobster, Crab, and a lot of loveliness. This my lovely reader is a piece of culinary poety, and my first order of business when I return to the Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea is to order a Seafood Cobb Salad on my way to the Serenity Pool. 🙂
Feature Amenities
While I didn’t have a lot of time at the property, there are many luxurious amenities such as the Spa and Salon, three Golf Courses, and a dedication to Art with the Artists’ Showcase and its famous, diverse and expansive Art Collection.
Closing Thoughts
I’m extremely and infinitely blessed to visit and stay at many high end resorts. At times, many start to blend in my mind in an indistinguishable mixture of colors, walls, and textures; and I can’t clearly recall a certain property from my memories. This isn’t a criticism, but simply an observation that I’m human, and that some destinations share many similarities. It doesn’t mean that those properties aren’t lovely – they almost always are.
But the Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea is very special. Those hours walking the grounds, wiping my face with the moist lavender-infused towel, viewing the ocean from the Serenity Pool, and enjoying a memorable meal at Ferraro’s with my wife and my parents – well, those hours . . .
In the words of Mark Twain, “the memory of it will remain with me always.”
Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea – Contact and Social Media
Four Seasons Maui at Wailea (Website) – 3900 Wailea Alanui Drive, Maui, Hawaii 96753 (Google Maps)
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FourSeasonsResortMaui?fref=ts
Twitter: @FSMaui
Instagram: @fsmaui
Pinterest: fsmaui
Google Plus: https://plus.google.com/116993099917617381476
Other Four Seasons Feature Articles
Four Seasons Resort Lanai at Manele Bay
Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale at Troon North
Four Seasons Resort at Westlake Village
More Pictures!
Thanks so very much to Hillary and the Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea for their generosity and time in helping to showcase the property, including the use of some of their high resolution images for this blog article. Mahalo.
As always, these opinions are my own.
Thank you very much for taking the time to read this article. I hope you will visit the Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea someday. It will change your life.
#agp
cd35b9f5cd7b10ccd713106063c3b277562e01126690808df7
