We stayed at the Fairmont Kea Lani during the Maui portion of our Hawaiian vacation, and had a fantastic time full of great memories! Here are my thoughts about the various parts of the resort.
POOLS AND OCEAN: The pools and ocean are very important to us, and they were a winner here! Polo beach was small and eroded due to the recent storms, but I prefer to spend my time in the ocean. The sand was super soft getting into the water, so we didn’t have to worry about stepping on rocks. And the waves were the perfect size. They weren’t too big, but just enough fun for my family to have a blast. And at one point, I even saw a huge sea turtle swim right in front of me! I could have spent hours just relaxing in the ocean.
The pools were a major reason we chose the Fairmont, because I knew my kids would enjoy them. And they did! The water slide was a blast. It’s not too scary for young kids, but still fun for adults too. We spent most of our time at the lower pool. They also had a basketball net in the lower pool, so it was fun to play that. The upper pool was dominated by adults, as it has the swim-up bar.
We went during fall break (off-peak time), so we never had to play the “pool chair game”. We could roll up at any time of the day, and had no problems finding pool chairs.
GROUNDS: The resort is very pretty and has a nice luxurious tropical vibe to it. I like that it’s a good size, but not so big that it feels overwhelming (everything is a short walk away). There is a nice walking path that takes you over by the Four Seasons and Grand Wailea as well. The lobby is huge and has a great view of the ocean in the middle of the lobby. There are plenty of tables in the lobby, and we even played cards there one night. They have a bunch of water stations as well, and they give you a metal Fairmont refillable water bottle. It’s a nice souvenir that I have been using at home also.
ROOM: We booked an Oceanfront room via the Amex FHR program. I was hoping to get a free upgrade, but the person said they were too full to provide upgrades. I knew the room would be nice and huge, and the kids were amazed at how large the room was. The convenient thing is that the bathroom can be accessed by either the living room (kids’ room), or the private bedroom. So it’s a great arrangement for privacy. The kids appreciated they had their own large TV in the living room also.
The bathroom was enormous, and very nice. I really liked that there was a huge amount of shelf space to place toiletries. The mirror was massive. The shower had nice pressure, though it doesn’t have complete privacy from the rest of the bathroom (something to be aware of if you are sharing a room with kids). The toiletries were fancy and had a rose scent to them.
The beds were very comfortable, and we slept so well. There was no shortage of storage space either, for laying out clothes. I also appreciated that there was a microwave and fridge in the room. It was nice to be able to warm up leftovers from dinner.
I would say the only complaint I had about the room is that the lanai felt dated. While it was large and had a great ocean view, it felt like it needed a fresh coat of paint. Also, the furniture on the lanai felt cheap. It would have been nice to have furniture with cushioning.
RESTAURANTS: Our Amex FHR booking included breakfast buffet for two adults, so we ate at the breakfast restaurant every day. The spread was large, and I would say the quality was very good. I also liked having fried rice as a breakfast option. There is an omelet station, and everything else you would expect at a fancy breakfast place. I enjoyed making my own pancakes with crushed macadamia nuts, coconut flakes, and coconut syrup.
We had a date night at Pilina one night, and had no problem getting a prime ocean view table (again, it was great to be there during off-peak season). While it wasn’t the best sushi, it was solid. They have an awesome cocktail menu there, as well as live music. We also went to KO for dessert, and they had amazing ones there. I’m a big fan of crème brulee, and they had this fantastic version with Kona coffee, chocolate, and banana mousse. I still dream about that one!
ACTIVITIES: Since this is a pretty big resort, they had a lot of activities planned (which are included in the stay). My wife and kids really loved the Hula dancing lessons, as well as the lei making lessons. The staff doing the Hawaiian cultural activities were great. We went to the gym one day, which has high quality equipment.
LOCATION: The location of the Fairmont Kea Lani is really great. There are dozens of restaurants, stores, and coffee shops all within a 5 min drive. I love being able to go off-resort for local restaurants, so this is ideal. There is also the big mall for shopping. Keep in mind, this is a luxurious part of Maui, so things are quite expensive. One tip- if you self-park at the Fairmont, be very careful. The spots are very small there.
SERVICE: We had great service everywhere we went. The staff was very friendly and helpful.
Of course, this is a very expensive resort, so we expected a lot. And the Fairmont Kea Lani delivered. We will always treasure our stay there, and hope to make it back one day.
