Startle

It’s easy to get to the Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea from the airport. The resort is about a 30-minute drive from Kahului Airport and is pretty much a straight shot on a highway road. You can rent a car or arrange for car service, catch a shuttle or take a taxi.

You can arrange for a private car or reserve a rental at one of the eight car companies located at the airport. The car rental counter is located on the walkway just past the end of the baggage claim area. Once you hop in your car, get onto Kahului Airport Road (Hawaii 380) and drive about six miles until you reach Mokulele Highway (State Highway 311). Continue on Mokulele Highway until it connects with Piilani Highway (State Highway 31), which will lead you directly into Wailea. Continue onto Wailea Ike Drive for about half a mile, then turn left onto Wailea Alanui Drive at the Shops at Wailea. The hotel will be on your right, just past the Grand Wailea resort.

You can also catch an airport shuttle to the hotel. There are two shuttle operators at the airport — SpeediShuttle (808-242-5777) and Maui Executive Transportation Service (808-669-2300).

Taxis are located in the area outside baggage claim. The meter fare from Kahului Airport to Wailea is $3 per mile, or about $57 one way. You can call Maui Airport Taxi to arrange transportation.

The county of Maui also operates a public transit system that provides limited service to and from the airport. The Maui Bus stops at marked locations fronting the terminal and routes are operated daily for $1 per ride. It’s important to note, however, that luggage is limited to one medium-sized suitcase, duffle bag or carry-on bag per person. Check the county’s website for routes and timetables.

To make the most of your Hawaiian getaway, there are few things you should know about Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea. Here’s the 411 on this Five-Star hotel:

1.Wailea is an active resort community. This is not a remote hotel where folks hole up in their rooms and order room service. Four Seasons Maui at Wailea has a great energy. The lobby is a lively spot for an evening cocktail, the pools are upbeat and celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck’s Spago is a fun place for dinner. The resort is elegant but not at all stuffy. Guests here are constantly on the move — golfing, snorkeling, taking Pilates classes, playing table tennis in the gaming area and exploring the island.

2. There are no bungalows. Unlike some of the Four Seasons’ other Hawaiian hotels, the resort at Wailea is a six-story structure with no bungalows. It’s a multi-story, U-shaped building, a design that gives most rooms full ocean views. It’s also spread out, so it doesn’t feel like guests are on top of each other. But you won’t be able to hole up in a secluded bungalow by the beach (the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai on the Big Island has that).

3. All Maui beaches are public. State law in Hawaii requires that all counties provide public access to beaches — including those in Wailea. So be prepared to share the towel space with residents and others, especially on weekends and during holidays, though the crescent beach here is never overcrowded.

4. There are no beachfront rooms. Even the most expensive, most luxurious accommodations — the 5,000-square-foot Maile Suite — doesn’t have direct access to the beach. To get to the water, you’ll need to walk across the hotel lobby, past the pools and down a right-of-way to the warm sand and crashing waves.

5. Wailea Beach doesn’t allow motorized sports. Unfortunately, this means no Jet Skis or motorboats are allowed here. But that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the ocean. The resort offers a variety of non-motorized ocean activities, including stand-up paddle boarding, snorkeling and outrigger canoeing.

There are a few things you’ll want to pack to make the most of your stay at Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea. Don’t forget to toss these items in your suitcase:

1. Workout gear. You will actually want to work out in the gym while staying at Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea. It’s a lovely open-air space with a canopy and all the latest equipment. You’ll also find pretty jogging paths around the grounds and neighborhood, so pack your gym shoes and workout clothes. (A good pair of sneakers or hiking boots will also come in handy if you plan to see the sunrise from the top of Haleakala, which we recommend you do. On that note, also bring some layers to wear for this activity, as you’ll have to get up very early in the morning to join the other sleepy-eyed folks who gather to see the spectacular sunrise over Maui’s dormant volcano.)

2. Two or three swimsuits. You wouldn’t come to Hawaii without a swimsuit, but you may want to consider bringing extra swimwear. The pool area at Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea is one of our favorites anywhere. It’s both relaxing and upbeat, and you will spend more time here than you might have anticipated. Pool attendants lavish you with amenities — Evian spritzes, snacks, cucumber slices for your eyes, ice cream, you name it. They will even clean your sunglasses for you and lend you a Kindle to read (the list of titles keeps growing from previous guests). Then, of course, there’s the beach, where you can go snorkeling, try paddle boarding or just soak up the sun. For walks on the beach, there’s a path that goes through Wailea, so you can easily visit the other resorts, so be sure to bring shoes.

3. Camera. There are no bad views from any room, restaurant or bar on the grounds. From your furnished lanai, you’ll be able to see Wailea Beach, Lanai and the West Maui mountain range. If your room isn’t facing the ocean, you’ll discover stellar views of the majestic Haleakala. Two of the most popular activities on the island — seeing the sunrise from Haleakala and driving the road to Hana — also call for lots of pictures.

4. Binoculars. If you happen to be staying at this South Maui resort between the months of December and May, you will likely see migrating humpback whales, which come to the warm waters of the island to breed and give birth to new calves. This is a sight you won’t want to miss.

5. Golf clubs. Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea is affiliated with three neighboring world-class golf courses that are both challenging and picturesque. The par-72 Wailea Blue Course, designed by Arthur Jack Snyder, sits on the lowest slopes of Haleakala, with its fairways meandering through much of Wailea’s natural ocean and volcanic wonders. The more rugged par-72 Wailea Gold Course, designed by Robert Trent Jones II, has hosted the Wendy’s Champions Skins Game and the LPGA Skins Game. The course measures more than 7,000 yards through Wailea’s stunning scenery. The scenic par-72 Wailea Emerald Course, also designed by Jones, is another standout course.

Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea is conveniently located near just about everything. You can easily get to any Maui attraction from here. We recommend driving the road to Hana with a stop in charming Paia to pick up provisions (Anthony’s Coffee Co. has great pancakes, baked goods and sandwiches); dinner at the wonderful Hali’imaile General Store located in the town of Makawao in Upcountry Maui; and an afternoon in Lahaina, the always-packed whaling town where you catch a charter for snorkeling around Molokini. You also need to wake up really early one morning to see the sunrise at Haleakala, Maui’s dormant volcano. Dinner at Merriman’s at Kapalua will give you a glimpse of the other major resort part of the island while tasting the food of one of Hawaii’s leading chefs, and you’ve pretty much covered the highlights in Maui. Right outside your door at the Four Seasons Maui, you will also discover picturesque beaches, jogging trails, restaurants, golf courses and shopping. Here are our top five things to do right near the Five-Star luxury resort in Wailea:

1. Golf. Three world-class, competition-level golf courses are located just six minutes from the resort. These three par-72 courses boast spectacular scenery, whether it’s the majesty of Haleakala or the breathtaking beauty of Wailea Beach. The pro shop rents out clubs and can arrange golf instruction, too.

2. The Shops at Wailea: Less than a mile away — at 3750 Wailea Alanui Drive — is the Shops at Wailea, home to a diverse group of high-end and mid-range retailers ranging from Gucci to Honolua Surf. You’ll find art galleries, specialty Hawaiian shops and boutiques spread over 150,000-square-feet of outdoor retail space. Dining options include Longhi’s, Tommy Bahama’s and Kai Wailea for sushi. (Across from the mall you will also find Matteo’s Pizzeria. You might not think pizza when in Hawaii but the spot serves delicious brick oven pizzas that are very popular with locals.) The mall is open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.

3. Maalaea Bay. Between the months of December and May, endangered humpback whales migrate to the warm waters off Maui to breed and give birth to calves. A few miles from Wailea is Maalaea Bay, one of the best spots on the island to watch these graceful creatures breach or slap the calm and shallow ocean waters. Book a whale-watching tour through the hotel’s concierge and see these magnificent mammals up close.

4. Maui Ocean Center. Just 25 minutes away from the resort is the state-of-the-art Maui Ocean Center, the largest tropical aquarium in North America and one of Maui’s biggest attractions for eco-tourism activities. More than 400,000 people visit this $20 million marine park annually, lured by its outdoor touch pools, a 750,000-gallon open ocean exhibit with more than 2,000 fish and the endangered Hawaiian sea turtles. The center is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, with extended hours in the summer.

5. Wailea’s beaches. You don’t have to get in your rental car to find a secluded beach on Maui. The beaches along the shoreline in Wailea are some of the island’s best. Polo Beach offers great snorkeling and swimming and Ulua Beach Park is ideal for jogging and watching sunsets.

Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea is near some of the best golf courses in the world. The Five-Star luxury resort is within six miles of three world-class par-72 courses cushioned within the natural beauty of South Maui. The Wailea Blue Course, designed by Arthur Jack Snyder, sits on the lowest slopes of Haleakala, with fairways that meander through much of Wailea’s natural ocean and volcanic wonders. The rugged Wailea Gold Course, designed by Robert Trent Jones II, offers a more challenging 18 holes covering more than 7,000 yards. With a reputation of being the “thinking player’s course,” the gold course has hosted the Wendy’s Champions Skins Game and the LPGA Skins Game. The Wailea Emerald Course, also designed by Jones, boasts breathtaking ocean views from every hole, and is also considered one of the best courses anywhere.

The design style of the Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea perfectly matches its gorgeous beachfront setting. The open-air lobby immediately sets the tone. Filled with beautiful flora and a museum-quality collection of contemporary art, with works from Hawaii’s statehood to the present, the lobby is ideal for a cocktail (there’s live music in the evenings). The U-shaped building is designed so that the majority of rooms have full ocean views. A subtle island décor is found in guestrooms, which are all spacious and comfortable with cheery colors like warm yellow and more Hawaiian artwork. The entire design of the resort emphasizes open spaces — even the gym is outdoors here — taking full advantage of Wailea’s year-round dry and sunny weather. The Five-Star luxury oceanfront resort more than meets the needs of its sophisticated and active guests, with several pools, great open-air dining and a lovely crescent beach.

Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea has not one but three saline pools. The main pool is located in the center of the grounds, easily identified by its iconic fountain, and surrounded by cabanas and lounge chairs. Next to the main pool is the children’s pool with waterfalls and family-sized seating areas. Both pools are heated — between 72F and 82F — and have attendants who frequently come by with every amenity you can think of — chilled towels, Evian spritzes, ice cream. Located above these pools — just before you enter the lobby — is the Serenity pool, which is reserved for adults only and has a swim-up bar (try the blueberry mojito). The 4,100-square-foot Serenity pool offers beautiful views of the Pacific Ocean, Lanai and the West Maui mountain range. The infinity-edge saline pool features underwater music and four bubble loungers, and is flanked by six luxury cabanas with flat-screen HD TVs and Wi-Fi (unlike those around the main pool, there’s a fee for booking these cabanas).

Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea easily lures you away from work, but when you just have to get a few things done, the efficient business center will take care of all your needs so you can get back to the beach. The business center, located near the front desk in the lobby, is small but it’s open 24 hours a day and services most work-related needs, including printing, faxing, interpretation services and complimentary wired or wireless high-speed Internet connection. It also offers full notary services, and guests can have most legal documents witnessed, signed and shipped, faxed or e-mailed directly from the business center. The resort also offers door-to-door luggage-delivery service, allowing you to ship your bags, golf clubs or surfboards if you don’t want to lug anything yourself.

Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea does indeed loan out eReaders — with a growing list of titles you can read. If your idea of a vacation is to lounge around the pool with a great book, you’ve picked the right place. The pools at the Five-Star Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea are wonderful, with excellent amenities (someone is always coming around with everything from Evian spritzes to cucumber slices for your eyes) and plenty of space to spread out and lounge all afternoon. Grab a complimentary Kindle from the concierge or simply ask for one poolside. Originally, these eReaders were loaded with an assortment of books, but as guests purchase new titles — which remain on the device — the library grows. These are quite popular, especially around the adults-only Serenity pool.

Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea boasts an extensive list of amenities for families with children, making it a great family vacation spot. The resort offers a free kids club (which is pretty hard to find in Hawaii) with activities such as lei making, beach volleyball, hula lessons, lawn hockey, ulu maika (Hawaiian bowling) and lots more. The resort also has a great family game room with board games, billiards, a ping-pong table and three gaming systems. A separate heated kids’ pool includes a waterslide and the beach has calm waters for safe swimming. The Five-Star resort also offers all the things you’ll need — at no extra charge — including cribs, rollaway beds, childproofing items, toys and games for all ages, kid-appropriate DVDs and video games, children’s books, toiletries for babies, and baby bottles. Kids receive their own age-appropriate welcome amenity, as well as child-sized robes. All of the restaurants on the property have kids’ menus, as does the room service menu. Finally, when you need some alone time, the resort will arrange for nanny services.

Good news for canine owners: Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea is pet-friendly, allowing dogs up to 15 pounds to stay at the luxurious resort in Five-Star style — and at no extra charge. Pets are not allowed to remain in the guestrooms and suites alone, but they are able to roam freely around the rest of the resort and beach. It’s important to note that when planning a trip to the resort with your pet, the state of Hawaii requires that all animals complete a quarantine of varying time before they can be released to their owners, so check with the Hawaii Department of Agriculture for more information before your trip.

It may not boast the latest technology in its luxurious guestrooms and suites, but Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea has its own brand of offerings that are unique. For example, you can display your digital photos through the DVD loaded onto the room’s flat-screen TV to relive every moment of your vacation. Or you can soak in the tub while listening to the sound system, where you’ll find music ranging from contemporary Hawaiian to soft jazz. Each room also features an iHome docking station and clock radio with mp3 adapters as well as high-speed Internet access. When you want to read a good book, borrow a Kindle while at the hotel. This will come in handy as you while away hours lounging at the fabulous pools. Guests keep adding titles, so you’ll be sure to find something to read.

The rooms at the Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea are bright and cheerful with a subtle island décor and provide every comfort. The hotel is designed in a U shape so most rooms offer either complete or at least angled ocean views. Some rooms face Mount Haleakala or the lush tropical gardens surrounding the resort. All regular guest rooms measure 600-square-feet so they are pretty spacious, and come furnished with contemporary artwork, roomy seating areas, adequate and well-lighted work areas, 42-inch flat-screen TVs, DVD players, iHome docking stations, thick terry bathrobes and lighter yukata-style robes, high-speed Internet access and plush beds with 300-thread-count linens and fluffy down comforters. Bathrooms are large, with separate tub and shower and plenty of room for two people to comfortably get ready. A small panty is stocked with a mini-bar and coffee maker. Closets have plenty of space and have ironing boards. Overall, they are not the most stylish rooms, but they are more than comfortable and fit the relaxed, elegant style of the resort.

A day spent out in the sun snorkeling, paddle boarding or golfing warrants a good night’s sleep, which is exactly what the beds at the Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea are made for. The Sterns & Foster Tivoli luxury pillow-top mattresses on the custom beds at this Five-Star hotel definitely encourage sound sleep. Each bed — king, queen or double — is dressed in silky, 300-thread-count Prestige linens, with thick down comforters and pillows that make it hard to get up in the morning. You might need to set the alarm on the iHome next to your bed to get a jump on another action-packed day in beautiful Maui. You’ll be more than rested for it.

The bathrooms at Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea are huge. From the Mountain-View guestroom to the Deluxe Oceanfront suites, the oversized marble bathrooms have more than enough space for two people to comfortably get ready in (our standard for an adequately sized bathroom), thanks to spacious counters and a double-sink vanity. Each bathroom features both a glass-enclosed shower and a deep-soaking tub, and many have small windows that stream in natural light. All of the bath products — shampoo, conditioner, body cream, soap, lotion and a handy after-sun balm — are from L’Occitane. Every bathroom is also stocked with an overabundance of oversized bath towels, a sewing kit and a nice grooming kit complete with a file, nail clippers and a pair of small scissors. A music system — with options such as classic rock, soft jazz and contemporary Hawaiian — puts a spring in your step in the morning and helps you unwind at night while soaking in the tub.

It’s all about the experience at Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea, and that philosophy is reflected in the special amenities provided in the rooms. While trendier boutique hotels may offer the latest gadgets — often with an extra fee — Four Seasons sticks to its all-inclusive policy, offering just enough conveniences without overwhelming you. Everything is subtle, efficient and non-invasive. You may not notice the daily activity list on your nightstand — placed there every night during turndown service — or the fax machine hidden in the bottom cabinet of the living room’s entertainment center. The goal is to provide everything you need, but not force you to notice. A welcome gift is left in the room when you arrive, often a spread of artisanal cheeses with a special jam or yummy dark-chocolate-covered Kula strawberries. The private mini-bars can be stocked to meet your needs, from your favorite candy bars to locally brewed beers to honey-roasted macadamia nuts. The huge bathrooms have in-room music systems, and you get to pick the genre of tunes. On the nightstands, you’ll find iHome alarm clocks, where you can dock your iPod, iPhone or mp3 player and listen to your own personalized soundtrack. The hotel also loans out Kindles, gaming consoles, DVDs and CDs on request. All of these amenities make for a great stay, but our favorite perks at the Maui hotel happen to be outside of the rooms and by the pool — think Evian spritzes, chilled towels and ice cream. The staff will even clean your sunglasses for you.

You’ll find plenty to eat and drink while staying at the Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea. The resort’s three restaurants and great bars offer something to suit your taste any time of the day. Here are our five favorite things to eat and drink:

1. Dry-aged bone-in prime ribeye (DUO Steak & Seafood). Formerly the Pacific Grill, DUO is the newest restaurant on the property (since 2007). The prime cut steaks are all good but its signature dry-aged bone-in prime ribeye with Kula corn and the restaurant’s special barbecue sauce is awesome.

2. Grilled pizza (Lobby Bar). The grilled pizza from the Lobby Bar is easily one of our favorites. It comes topped with pancetta, figs, red onion, Maytag blue cheese and chrysanthemum leaves. The interesting flavors make for a pizza that you will crave as a snack in the bar.

3. Blueberry mojito (Serenity pool). The must-have cocktail at the Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea is the signature blueberry mojito at the adults-only Serenity pool. Swim up to the bar and order this tangy but refreshing concoction that’s a specialty here.

4. Ricotta gnocchi (Ferraro’s Bar e Ristorante). All of the pastas are made in-house and they are all good. But we recommend ordering the pillowy ricotta gnocchi with a red wine-braised short rib ragout and fresh mint. Delicious.

5. Spice ahi tuna poke in sesame-miso cones (Wolfgang Puck’s Spago). The signature dish at the celebrity chef’s always-buzzing Spago is the spicy ahi poke cones. It’s the most popular dish for a reason. The crunchy cones are filled with chunks of raw ahi and a spicy aioli, tobiko (fish eggs) and bonito (skipjack tuna) shavings. We could order this dish every night. (In fact, we have had this and the fish lettuce cups at the bar and called it dinner more than once. You’ll also find nice wines by the glass and we always end up meeting some friendly people round the bar.)

The open-air lobby bar at the Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea practically begs for drinks before dinner, and we highly recommend having the signature cocktail while there. The Hana Haze, created by bartender Eric Martinez, will take the edge off after a long flight or top off your perfect Maui day with its blend of Bombay Sapphire gin, coconut water, lavender syrup, lime juice and a splash of St. Germaine Elderflower liqueur. The cocktail is garnished with mint and a candied hibiscus—it’s a perfect tropical treat that goes along very nicely with the relaxed atmosphere. Live music and a gentle breeze will definitely encourage you to stay for two.

Whether it’s the next day or later the same afternoon, be sure to hit the adult-only Serenity pool, where the bartenders at the swim-up bar will make you the hotel’s signature blueberry mojito, a tangy but refreshing cocktail that no other bar on Maui has yet to duplicate.

You don’t have to leave Hawaiian paradise behind while you hit the gym during a stay at the Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea. The 5,721-square-foot gym at the Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea takes advantage of its location in always-sunny South Maui. The cardio room — with several TV-equipped elliptical and step machines, treadmills and recumbent and upright bikes — is completely outdoors, canopied and amid the tropical plants that landscape the property. The less exotic but efficient indoor weight room features Matrix Fitness strength machines, free weights and other workout accessories. Both areas are accessible 24 hours a day and are stocked with chilled water and Gatorade, dry towels, fresh fruit and disposable earphones. If you want to get in a game of tennis, the resort has two sand-filled synthetic grass Omni tennis courts, both of which are lit for night play.