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rooms are midsized and furnished with understated tropical elegance, slightly more com-
fy than sophisticated. Marble bathrooms have loads of counter space and a choice of
piped-in music.
Children are welcome - there are fun pools plus the Kids for All Seasons program -
but the resort feels more low-key than its neighbors. Relaxing is easy; float in the adults-
only serenity pool or enjoy a Hawaiian hot stone massage with cocoa butter slathering in
a seaside hale. Parking is $20 per day.
Grand Wailea Resort Hotel & Spa
RESORT HOTEL $$$
$$$
(
800-888-6100, 875-1234;
www.grandwailea.com
; 3850 Wailea Alanui Dr; r /ste from $609/
1200;
) We planned to make this posh, fun-loving resort a Top Choice, but
when Paris Hilton, Jennifer Aniston and Oprah Winfrey have already given their stamp
of approval, why bother? We jest, but it's OK to tease an icon you love. The Grand
Wailea's unbridled extravagance, from the million-dollar artwork in the lobby to the
guest rooms decked out in Italian marble, is a wonder.
But it's not all highbrow. The resort, part of the Hilton's Waldorf-Astoria line, boasts
the most elaborate water-world wonders in Hawaii, an awesome series of interconnected
pools with swim-through grottos, towering water slides and a swim-up bar. The $25 re-
sort fee includes wi-fi.
Hotel Wailea
HOTEL $$$
$$$
sleep inside a landscape painting? The Hotel Wailea, with its hilltop perch, lush grounds
and stove-pipe lobby, just needs a frame for artistic completion. The all-suites hotel,
which formerly catered to Japanese businessmen, is under new ownership. Rooms come
with microwaves and mini-fridges, and are in the process of a stylish revamp.
The hotel is not on the ocean, but the $25 resort fee includes a shuttle to Wailea Beach.
On-site yoga classes offered daily. Wi-fi available in the lobby and by the pool.
Eating
Waterfront Deli
DELI $
