LUXURY RESORTS
Four Seasons Resort
Maui at Wailea
On our previous visit a few years back, the resort was just completing a comprehensive renovation and massive reinvestment program. We were excited to visit again, in a post - Covid environment to see if Four Seasons Maui was as good as I remembered and still reigned supreme as the most glamorous resort on the island. And to also check in on how things were looking now the refurbishment was complete.
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There’s a level of calm professionalism and unforced friendliness you expect at Four Seasons, and nothing has changed in that regard. The tasteful furnishings throughout the lobby and common areas still feel very fresh and new and expectations were immediately set at a very high level - everything looked better than ever. The grounds and setting on magnificent Wailea Beach were just as I remember – stunning.
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This time round we were booked into Room 665, a Deluxe Ocean-View Room measuring in at a very generous 600 sq.ft. excluding a nicely sized lanai. It was the perfect sanctuary, from the bespoke patterns and textiles to the curated art collection, each room and suite at Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea has been transformed into a stylish personal retreat. In a location as special as this, I strongly recommend booking a room or suite with an ocean-view, well worth the extra cost.
Another secret in Four Seasons playbook is its high staff-to-guest ratio, in addition to an industry leading training program. I have stayed in many great hotels around the world, and when it comes to service, Four Seasons is still the benchmark. Even at peak times the service here doesn't just cope, it thrives. Polished, proactive - perfect. Great to see so many familiar faces, a testimony to the management team and the culture they have created that ensure staff enjoy their work, feel valued and so attrition is at a minimum. They understand that luxury doesn’t just come from a superb location or lavish surroundings – although those certainly help – but from a commitment to making every guest feel like a VIP, and they sure have a number of those.
Even at near full capacity, the resort still maintains the feel of exclusivity and privacy that many of its guests crave and have them returning year after year. The resort's clever design and abundance of prime oceanfront real estate also allows the luxury of space, with dedicated adult and children pools and zones. Now the kids are older, it was nice to spend some time at the Serenity Pool. An adults-only sanctuary complete with one of the world's most instagrammed infinity pools, luxury private cabanas and my new favorite swim-up bar. With cocktail in hand taking in the spectacular, ocean views of the beach below - it doesn't get any better.
Quality cuisine is another essential component of a true luxury experience and is sometimes lacking at what are otherwise memorable 5 star island resorts. Four Seasons Maui excelles, we really enjoyed the Hawaiian/Californian fusion cuisine and the new raw bar at Spago and the seafood at Duo. Our favourite Four Seasons food experience had to be Ferraro’s Bar and Restaurant. Informal, beachside chic, authentic Italian dining al fresco under the stars looking over Wailea Beach is something truly special. Oh, and I'm happy to say Mary's Organic Chicken Calabrese was as good as I remembered. The secret is well and truely out with Ferraro's, so remember to book ahead.
As I said at the start, I’m a repeat visitor to Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea. It just gets so many things right, on so many levels. There’s the impossibly gorgeous setting on a golden-crescent beach. There’s the impeccable layout, the luxe furnishings and super-professional staff. There’s the indefinable feeling that you’ve arrived somewhere devoted to your comfort – whether you’re travelling with a large family group or a romantic duo.
Four Seasons Maui is not just undoubtedly the finest resort in Maui, but one of the world's best. Of the hundreds of luxury hotels and resorts we have reviewed and visited over the years, there is only a handful that draw us back multiple times, this is one.
