Fairmont Kea Lani overview – The Factors Man

Fairmont Kea Lani offered TPG with a complimentary three-night keep in order that we may get an inside have a look at the lodge and its facilities. The opinions expressed under are completely these of the writer and weren’t topic to overview by the lodge or any exterior entity.

The Fairmont Kea Lani initially debuted on Wailea’s Polo Seashore 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 — notably necessary after the lack of Maui’s historic and cultural middle Lahaina. Residents of Lahaina in West Maui are nonetheless rebuilding after devastating fires tore by means of the historic city in 2023, however tourism to different elements of the island is important now greater than ever.

These hoping to calm down 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 finest lodges 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 Seashore 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 while you enter your visitor room for the primary time. It feels acquainted, snug and like residence — solely fancier. (And my residence would not provide expansive ocean views from nearly 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 characteristic full kitchens, dwelling rooms, indoor and out of doors eating areas and laundry rooms.

The grounds are lush and exquisite — precisely what you’ll anticipate for a tropical escape. Among the finest elements about this property is that you’re by no means a far stroll from something; the primary constructing homes all the eating places, spa and health middle, 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 lease and a full slate of actions, there are many methods to fill your days on the Fairmont Kea Lani.

The best way to ebook Fairmont Kea Lani

The resort is an Accor property, so Accor Reside Limitless members can ebook and obtain reductions of 10% or earn and redeem factors for stays. Members get Traditional standing upon signup, which (along with discounted member charges) offers unique affords, free Wi-Fi, on-line check-in and quick checkout. Bookings can be found immediately by means of the Fairmont Kea Lani web site, the place room charges begin at $899 per evening, together with taxes and costs. For Accor members (it is free to affix), there may be member-specific pricing on the web site. Merely signal into your account.

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

The resort can also be bookable through American Categorical Journey. Cardholders can earn 5 factors per greenback on pay as you go lodges if reserving with The Platinum Card® from American Categorical. It’s a Nice Inns + Resorts® member, so the complimentary breakfast profit, 4 p.m. late checkout and different FHR facilities would apply to your keep. Bear in mind, you may also get a once-yearly $200 assertion credit score when reserving an Amex FHR or Lodge Assortment property through Amex Journey. The Lodge Assortment requires a minimal two-night keep

Chase cardholders can earn 5 factors per greenback spent on journey booked by means of the Chase Journey℠ portal. Charges for stays booked by means of this portal begin at $1,078 per evening, together with taxes and costs. Capital One and Citi are each switch companions of Accor Reside 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 one of the best 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 connect with the rental automobile middle from the terminal through a tram if renting a automobile. A rental automobile is a superb choice if you happen to 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 means of Costco Journey, and a seven-day rental was solely $277 plus taxes and costs.

The climate in Wailea is just about the identical year-round — heat and breezy. Even if you happen to see clouds on Haleakala, they not often make their means towards the seashore. The Wailea space is inexperienced and plush, crammed with luxurious resorts and championship golf programs. The Wailea Seashore path connects the Fairmont Kea Lani, 4 Seasons Maui, Grand Wailea, Marriott’s Wailea Seashore Resort and the Andaz Maui, and it is very talked-about for morning walks or jogging.

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

The resort concierge will help arrange excursions with native tour operators if you need to expertise actions off-property or see different elements of the island however choose to not drive.

Arrival expertise

Upon getting into the luxurious oasis that’s the Fairmont Kea Lani (which we reached through 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 awesome begin, and we hadn’t even stepped into the beautiful foyer but.

We made a rapid cease on the entrance desk and have been welcomed by the villa expertise workforce. 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; additionally they defined that the workforce could be only a telephone name away if we would have liked something.

In the course of the golf cart experience all the way down to the villa, a bellhop offered a quick property tour, declaring places as we went alongside. As soon as contained in the villa, he offered an summary of the villa’s options and facilities.

Spectacular oceanfront villas

Should you’ve ever puzzled what dwelling on the ocean in a villa could be like, that is your likelihood. We spent three superb nights in a newly renovated, expansive two-bedroom, two-bath, 1,800-square-foot oceanfront villa with a personal plunge pool and lanai. This is able to be my very best dwelling state of affairs — falling asleep to the sound of the ocean each evening and understanding the water is simply steps out of your patio door. It was heaven.

Villa company get pleasure from sure resort facilities included with their keep, resembling 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 outfitted for cooking. The villa workforce also can help with arranging grocery deliveries.

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

The first suite with a king mattress was on the villa’s higher flooring (the ground you enter from the skin 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 places for gadgets have been constructed into the nightstands and TV stand, making it straightforward to cost a number of gadgets for a household (not that you’re going to want them while you’re having fun with the resort!).

A lower-floor bed room off the kitchen and dwelling 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 lavatory with a bath and walk-in travertine bathe.

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

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

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

Ingesting and eating

Maui affords out of doors eating climate year-round, so you may 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 if you’re not a seafood lover, you’ll not go hungry whereas staying right here.

An added bonus is that youngsters beneath 5 eat free when eating with a registered visitor by means of the resort’s Keiki (youngsters) 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 value or choose gadgets from the complete menu and obtain 50% off.

Dinner in Ko Restaurant

Ko contains 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 primary constructing overlooking the gardens, the grownup pool and the ocean. The restaurant is open for glad hour, dinner and Sunday brunch.

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

Our dinner decisions have 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 have been sitting on prime of the noodles. The Korean braised brief ribs have been served with carrots, child bok choy and kimchi fried rice. Each dishes have been stuffed with taste, and we had a lot to share.

Breakfast buffet at Kea Lani Restaurant

A villa keep consists of day by day breakfast at Kea Lani Restaurant. The buffet was plentiful and catered to many alternative 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 accessible, 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 beautiful ocean views. The menu affords native drinks, recent seafood, sushi, and a collection of meat and fish you may 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 apart from the pool slide and seashore.

The drink menu features a international wine choice, regionally made and Japanese sake, a collection of spirits from Hawaiian distilleries, beer from Maui Brewing Firm and cocktails. Strive 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 collection of salmon sashimi ($27), rainbow rolls ($37) and edamame ($16) to start out, adopted by venison sliders with yuzu tomato jam aioli on Hawaiian candy rolls ($26). The particular sushi roll of the evening was really helpful by our server and turned out to be our favourite — a lobster, avocado, cucumber roll with soy sauce poke on prime with ogo, cilantro microgreens and garlic chips ($37).

I like it when resorts have superb foyer bars for an off-the-cuff dinner, and Pilina positively checked all of the containers because of its stress-free ambiance, nice drink menu and scrumptious meals.

Cultural preservation and family-friendly actions

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

The middle affords courses resembling hula dancing and ukulele classes. Plus, it features a everlasting show of Hawaiian artifacts — resembling feather headdresses worn by royalty, jewellery produced from seashells, ceremonial accompaniments and musical devices — that have been handmade by Maui artisans who replicated the standard strategies of making them.

Kamahiwa Kawaʻa, the pinnacle of the cultural middle, defined that every little thing on show is supposed to be explored and used — permitting company 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 company). Youngsters 10 and over would possibly just like the stargazing occasion twice every week on the garden or the outrigger excursions supplied just a few instances every morning.

Stargazing in Hawaii is especially distinctive since you might be on an island in the course of the Pacific Ocean with little or no gentle air pollution. Should you dwell in an city space, you may need by no means seen the Milky Means or capturing stars. It is price it to strive the high-powered telescope the astronomer brings to see planets and nebulae.

A swim with sea turtles is an effective way to start out 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 an evidence of how the Hawaiian folks historically used canoes for recreation and fishing.

After a conventional Hawaiian prayer and blowing of the conch, the outrigger shoved off Polo Seashore and out into the ocean. We paddled in unison for about quarter-hour earlier than stopping to gaze down on the reef under and ease into the water with goggles for a swim. Should you’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 affords glad hour, a swim-up bar and patio eating.

The adults-only pool is nearer to the primary 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 repeatedly make the rounds checking on company and, within the afternoon, carry round frozen chocolate mochi bites for everybody to get pleasure from.

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

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

Loosen up 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 therapy rooms, a full salon and boutique, oceanfront and poolside spa cabanas, and a number of rest areas.

For my therapy, I selected the Pure Hawaiian Journey (120 minutes, $465), which options regionally grown elements 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 therapy, my pores and skin felt hydrated and relaxed. My therapist, Kellie, offered professional suggestions for my pores and skin sort and methods to take care of my post-spa glow.

You’ll want to go away your self time to expertise the opposite elements of the spa, from the comfort 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 affords pool chair lifts, extensive entrances and extensive pathways. The primary constructing has elevators for entry to the retailers, eating places, health middle and swimming pools.

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

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

Testing

After having fun with our final sundown at Polo Seashore, the villa workforce known as to rearrange help with baggage and a golf cart experience as much as the entrance of the resort for the following day. When it was time to depart, we have 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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