Fairmont Kea Lani review – The Points Guy

Fairmont Kea Lani supplied TPG with a complimentary three-night keep in order that we might get an inside take a look at the resort and its facilities. The opinions expressed beneath are completely these of the writer and weren’t topic to assessment by the resort or any exterior entity.

The Fairmont Kea Lani initially debuted on Wailea’s Polo Seaside in 1991, however after present process a multi-million greenback renovation, it is now mixing luxurious facilities with cultural significance.

The reimagined resort helps create one of many largest cultural facilities on the island — significantly necessary after the lack of Maui’s historic and cultural heart Lahaina. Residents of Lahaina in West Maui are nonetheless rebuilding after devastating fires tore by the historic city in 2023, however tourism to different elements of the island is important now greater than ever.

These hoping to loosen up and unwind in luxurious ought to take into account reserving a visit to the Fairmont Kea Lani — this is why the property is a brand new TPG favourite.

Associated: The 18 greatest resorts in Maui, from luxurious stays to family-friendly resorts

What’s the Fairmont Kea Lani?

Set on greater than 20 acres, the Fairmont Kea Lani boasts simply over 400 suites and villas on the pristine Polo Seaside in Wailea, about half-hour south of Maui’s Kahului Airport (OGG). The resort has an informal class about it, detectable from the second you arrive within the foyer and if you enter your visitor room for the primary time. It feels acquainted, snug and like residence — solely fancier. (And my residence does not supply expansive ocean views from virtually each window.)

Designed as an all-suite resort, Fairmont Kea Lani caters to everybody from honeymooners to households and multigenerational vacationers. The villas are specifically designed for households, and so they function full kitchens, residing rooms, indoor and out of doors eating areas and laundry rooms.

The grounds are lush and exquisite — precisely what you’d anticipate for a tropical escape. The most effective elements about this property is that you’re by no means a far stroll from something; the principle constructing homes the entire eating places, spa and health heart, and there is a brief path to the villas and seashore. With three swimming pools (together with one adults-only pool), a 140-foot waterslide from the higher to decrease Lagoon pool, cabanas for hire and a full slate of actions, there are many methods to fill your days on the Fairmont Kea Lani.

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How to book Fairmont Kea Lani

The resort is an Accor property, so Accor Live Limitless members can book and receive discounts of 10% or earn and redeem points for stays. Members get Classic status upon signup, which (in addition to discounted member rates) provides exclusive offers, free Wi-Fi, online check-in and fast checkout. Bookings are available directly through the Fairmont Kea Lani website, the place room charges begin at $899 per evening, together with taxes and charges. For Accor members (it is free to affix), there’s member-specific pricing on the web site. Merely signal into your account.

And if you wish to redeem factors on your keep, Accor does not have an award chart however quite a flat charge per level of two cents every. You should use this to offset even a portion of your invoice.

The resort can be bookable by way of American Specific Journey. Cardholders can earn 5 factors per greenback on pay as you go resorts if reserving with The Platinum Card® from American Specific. It’s a Fantastic Lodges + Resorts® member, so the complimentary breakfast profit, 4 p.m. late checkout and different FHR facilities would apply to your keep. Keep in mind, you can even get a once-yearly $200 assertion credit score when reserving an Amex FHR or Resort Assortment property by way of Amex Journey. The Resort Assortment requires a minimal two-night keep

Chase cardholders can earn 5 factors per greenback spent on journey booked by the Chase Journey℠ portal. Charges for stays booked by this portal begin at $1,078 per evening, together with taxes and charges. Capital One and Citi are each switch companions of Accor Dwell Limitless. You possibly can switch your Capital One miles and Citi ThankYou Rewards factors to Accor at a 2:1 ratio, which means 2,000 miles or factors will grow to be 1,000 Accor factors — so not the most effective worth per mile. Moreover, Bilt Factors switch to Accor’s program at a 3:2 ratio — a partnership that was introduced final October.

A panoramic beachfront location 

As beforehand talked about, the resort is about half-hour south of Maui’s Kahului Airport (OGG). You possibly can hook up with the rental automotive heart from the terminal by way of a tram if renting a automotive. A rental automotive is a good possibility in case you resolve to enterprise off the resort grounds and expertise Maui’s Upcountry or its many different seashores and native eating places. The resort additionally has an Avis Rental Automobile outpost within the foyer for day by day or weekly leases.

We knew we might enterprise exterior of the resort, so we rented a Jeep Wrangler from the airport’s Avis rental location. We booked by Costco Journey, and a seven-day rental was solely $277 plus taxes and charges.

The climate in Wailea is just about the identical year-round — heat and breezy. Even in case you see clouds on Haleakala, they hardly ever make their approach towards the seashore. The Wailea space is inexperienced and luxurious, full of luxurious resorts and championship golf programs. The Wailea Seaside path connects the Fairmont Kea Lani, 4 Seasons Maui, Grand Wailea, Marriott’s Wailea Seaside Resort and the Andaz Maui, and it is highly regarded for morning walks or jogging.

In response to the resort’s web site, valet parking is out there for $40 per day per automotive. Self-parking is out there on the resort and is included within the day by day resort charge of $50.

The resort concierge can assist set up excursions with native tour operators if you need to expertise actions off-property or see different elements of the island however desire to not drive.

Arrival expertise

Upon coming into the plush oasis that’s the Fairmont Kea Lani (which we reached by way of a quiet driveway), a bellhop greeted us and supplied help with our baggage. One other visitor expertise employees member greeted us with leis and supplied our daughter a whale’s story carved necklace. The journey was already off to an ideal begin, and we hadn’t even stepped into the attractive foyer but.

We made a rapid cease on the entrance desk and had been welcomed by the villa expertise crew. They knowledgeable us that drinks could be replenished day by day in our villa fridge and that breakfast was included as a part of the villa keep; in addition they defined that the crew could be only a cellphone name away if we would have liked something.

In the course of the golf cart trip all the way down to the villa, a bellhop supplied a short property tour, mentioning areas as we went alongside. As soon as contained in the villa, he supplied an summary of the villa’s options and facilities.

Spectacular oceanfront villas

If you happen to’ve ever questioned what residing on the ocean in a villa could be like, that is your likelihood. We spent three wonderful nights in a newly renovated, expansive two-bedroom, two-bath, 1,800-square-foot oceanfront villa with a personal plunge pool and lanai. This might be my splendid residing state of affairs — falling asleep to the sound of the ocean each evening and realizing the water is simply steps out of your patio door. It was heaven.

Villa visitors take pleasure in sure resort facilities included with their keep, equivalent to day by day breakfast at Kea Lani Restaurant and valet parking. The villa itself additionally included a barbecue grill on the lanai, two lounge chairs and an out of doors eating desk. The employees stocked the kitchen fridge with drinks and snacks, and the kitchen was totally geared up for cooking. The villa crew also can help with arranging grocery deliveries.

A big granite eating desk was between the kitchen and residing space. The lounge furnishings included a sectional couch and comfortable chair, a flat-screen TV and a ceiling fan.

The first suite with a king mattress was on the villa’s higher ground (the ground you enter from the surface stairs all the way down to the villa). The room additionally included a writing desk and chair, a chaise lounge and a small patio with a lounger.

Ample charging areas for gadgets had been constructed into the nightstands and TV stand, making it simple to cost a number of gadgets for a household (not that you’re going to want them if you’re having fun with the resort!).

A lower-floor bed room off the kitchen and residing space supplied two queen beds, a full closet and a rest room. Every bed room included ample closet house (a big walk-in closet was upstairs for the first suite) and a full toilet with a bathtub and walk-in travertine bathe.

Twin sinks with marble counter tops supplied loads of house for journey kits.

Alongside the Le Labo bathtub facilities had been bottles of ocean-safe Venture Reef mineral sunscreen and after-sun lotion on the toilet counters — a considerate contact.

Considered one of my favourite facilities was having the ability to do laundry in our villa midway by our journey (that is additionally how you understand you are over 40). The stackable washer and dryer had been within the utility room, together with an ironing board and iron.

Ingesting and eating

Maui provides out of doors eating climate year-round, so you possibly can really feel the ocean breeze whereas having fun with a cocktail, dinner and a stunning sundown regardless of the season. The Fairmont Kea Lani has a number of choices for dinner, all with ocean views (along with room service). General, the meals high quality in every single place on the property was distinctive — even in case you are not a seafood lover, you’ll not go hungry whereas staying right here.

An added bonus is that children underneath 5 eat free when eating with a registered visitor by the resort’s Keiki (children) eating program at Ko, Kea Lani Restaurant and AMA Bar and Grill (restaurant solely, no poolside eating). Youngsters 6 to 12 could order from the Keiki menu at common worth or choose gadgets from the complete menu and obtain 50% off.

Dinner in Ko Restaurant

Ko incorporates a fusion menu of Hawaiian, Asian and South Pacific flavors in an open-air idea house with principally patio seating. It is on the bottom stage of the principle constructing overlooking the gardens, the grownup pool and the ocean. The restaurant is open for comfortable hour, dinner and Sunday brunch.

To begin, we shared the crispy shrimp with a Maui lavender honey sauce, candied macadamia nuts and smashed sesame cucumbers ($30). The flavors had been an ideal complement to one another — it was savory and a bit candy on the similar time.

Our dinner selections had been the surf and turf particular of the evening ($57) and the Korean braised brief ribs ($58). The surf and turf was a bowl of Asian noodles tossed with bok choy, inexperienced beans, pink peppers and sauteed shrimp. Completely cooked medium-rare slices of ribeye and a chimichurri sauce had been sitting on high of the noodles. The Korean braised brief ribs had been served with carrots, child bok choy and kimchi fried rice. Each dishes had been filled with taste, and we had lots to share.

Breakfast buffet at Kea Lani Restaurant

A villa keep contains day by day breakfast at Kea Lani Restaurant. The buffet was plentiful and catered to many various tastes — there have been shows of sliced meat, cheeses, artisan bread and pastries, together with Asian-style udon vegetarian noodles and miso salmon, rooster potstickers and miso soup.

Every morning, a beneficiant choice was obtainable, from waffles, pancakes and made-to-order omelets to bacon, Portuguese sausage, scrambled eggs and egg whites. Continental choices included cereals, yogurts, granola, dried fruits and recent sliced fruits.

Pilina ocean-view foyer bar

Serving lunch and dinner, Pilina is an open-air foyer bar with attractive ocean views. The menu provides native drinks, recent seafood, sushi, and a choice of meat and fish you possibly can cook dinner at your desk on a scorching rock. Simply exterior the doorway are swinging chairs which proved to be my daughter’s favourite spot to go to in addition to the pool slide and seashore.

The drink menu features a world wine choice, regionally made and Japanese sake, a choice of spirits from Hawaiian distilleries, beer from Maui Brewing Firm and cocktails. Attempt the Mauka cocktail ($24) — which implies “towards the mountains” — which mixes Fy Hawaii gin, Ohia Lehua honey, ginger, lemon, smoked Huge Island bee pollen, angostura bitters and lavender from the Ali’i Kula Lavender Farm we visited earlier within the day.

For dinner, we loved a choice of salmon sashimi ($27), rainbow rolls ($37) and edamame ($16) to begin, adopted by venison sliders with yuzu tomato jam aioli on Hawaiian candy rolls ($26). The particular sushi roll of the evening was beneficial by our server and turned out to be our favourite — a lobster, avocado, cucumber roll with soy sauce poke on high with ogo, cilantro microgreens and garlic chips ($37).

I find it irresistible when resorts have wonderful foyer bars for an informal dinner, and Pilina undoubtedly checked all of the containers due to its enjoyable environment, nice drink menu and scrumptious meals.

Cultural preservation and family-friendly actions

In 2024, the resort unveiled a brand new cultural heart within the foyer, and it is appropriate for all ages. The Cultural Heart on the Kea Lani is much more important now as a result of so many invaluable Hawaiian artifacts and historic paperwork had been misplaced within the Lahaina wildfires.

The middle provides lessons equivalent to hula dancing and ukulele classes. Plus, it features a everlasting show of Hawaiian artifacts — equivalent to feather headdresses worn by royalty, jewellery made out of seashells, ceremonial accompaniments and musical devices — that had been handmade by Maui artisans who replicated the standard strategies of making them.

Kamahiwa Kawaʻa, the top of the cultural heart, defined that every part on show is supposed to be explored and used — permitting visitors to expertise the tradition and historical past firsthand.

We additionally had enjoyable experiencing the day by day koi fish feeding at 9 a.m. (geared towards youthful visitors). Youngsters 10 and over may just like the stargazing occasion twice every week on the garden or the outrigger excursions supplied a number of instances every morning.

Stargazing in Hawaii is especially distinctive since you’re on an island in the course of the Pacific Ocean with little or no mild air pollution. If you happen to reside in an city space, you may need by no means seen the Milky Means or taking pictures stars. It is value it to attempt the high-powered telescope the astronomer brings to see planets and nebulae.

A swim with sea turtles is a good way to begin the morning, and the outrigger tour (ages 10 and up, reservation required) was an informative cultural exercise that lasted about an hour. It started with a proof of how the Hawaiian individuals historically used canoes for recreation and fishing.

After a standard Hawaiian prayer and blowing of the conch, the outrigger shoved off Polo Seaside and out into the ocean. We paddled in unison for about quarter-hour earlier than stopping to gaze down on the reef beneath and ease into the water with goggles for a swim. If you happen to’re fortunate, you may even get to see some turtles.

Cool off on the seashore or pool

The primary pool (appropriate for all ages and households) is split into the higher pool and decrease pool, with a slide connecting the 2. Pool cabanas can be found in each areas, and rental charges begin from $350 per day. The AMA Bar and Grill on the higher pool serves informal Hawaiian fare and in addition provides comfortable hour, a swim-up bar and patio eating.

The adults-only pool is nearer to the principle constructing, dealing with Ko Restaurant and the Kea Lani breakfast patio.

Cabana leases include a bento field of edamame and recent pineapple to snack on, in addition to a soft-sided cooler stocked with ice, water, juices and sodas. Pool attendants usually make the rounds checking on visitors and, within the afternoon, deliver round frozen chocolate mochi bites for everybody to take pleasure in.

Pool facilities embrace refillable bottles of mineral sunscreen, a retail store the place you should purchase goggles, sun shades, pool floats and toys; there’s additionally a scuba desk the place you possibly can prepare classes.

Down at Polo Seaside, there’s an expansive verdant garden for actions like watching the sundown, morning yoga or for teenagers to play. Visitors who want to borrow kayaks or stand-up paddleboards can achieve this freed from cost from the seashore.

Calm down on the Willow Stream Spa

Willow Stream Spa is a signature of Fairmont properties with distinctive customer support and coverings. The spa at this property — which is slated to be renovated later this yr — options 13 remedy rooms, a full salon and boutique, oceanfront and poolside spa cabanas, and a number of rest areas.

For my remedy, I selected the Pure Hawaiian Journey (120 minutes, $465), which options regionally grown substances that native Hawaiians use to take care of well being and well-being. I additionally selected so as to add on a Knesko collagen face masks ($55).

After my remedy, my pores and skin felt hydrated and relaxed. My therapist, Kellie, supplied skilled suggestions for my pores and skin sort and methods to take care of my post-spa glow.

Be sure you depart your self time to expertise the opposite elements of the spa, from the relief room to the therapeutic clay and steam room to the experiential showers — an “afternoon thunderstorm” bathe was fairly the journey.

Accessibility

The Fairmont Kea Lani is compliant with the Individuals with Disabilities Act, because it provides pool chair lifts, huge entrances and huge pathways. The primary constructing has elevators for entry to the retailers, eating places, health heart and swimming pools.

Broad pathways join the principle constructing to the swimming pools, villas and seashore. A choose variety of single-story, ocean-view villas are accessible from the principle pathways with out having to navigate steps.

As all the time, TPG recommends calling the resort forward of your keep to make sure they will meet your accessibility wants.

Testing

After having fun with our final sundown at Polo Seaside, the villa crew known as to rearrange help with baggage and a golf cart trip as much as the entrance of the resort for the following day. When it was time to depart, we had been unhappy to say goodbye to our new oceanfront residence away from residence, however the aloha spirit of the Fairmont Kea Lani employees stays till our subsequent go to.

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