South Maui Resorts Guide: Fairmont Kea Lani Review

If you are looking for the perfect place to relax and drink in the beauty of the Hawaiian Islands, one featuring a tranquil setting, luxury accommodations, and thoughtful service, The Fairmont Kea Lani resort and all-suite hotel set on the island of Maui will not disappoint. Read on for a complete, unbiased review and updated details on this gorgeous Maui hotel. Click here for amazing photos of this Maui hotel and Polo Beach.

**Note: The Fairmont Kea Lani Maui hotel is renovating their Ko restaurant. From August 2011 to December 2011, discounted rates will be available, though the property promises the renovations should not negatively affect guests' during their stay. Click here for more information on the 2011 renovations.

Maui Hotels and Resorts: The Fairmont Kea Lani in Wailea

The Fairmont Kea Lani Maui hotel embraces guests with warm, genuine aloha at every turn. Luxurious accommodations, delicious food and friendly, attentive staff are served up to guests on a sprawling (but not overwhelming) beachfront property in the upscale Wailea section of Maui. Room rates projected for August 2011 for a partial-ocean view King suite range from $264 when paid up-front (non-refundable), to the $369 Renovate With Aloha discount rate (with two nights deposit required) to $739 per night for best available (rack rate).

If you're trying to decide between The Fairmont Kea Lani and other Maui hotels, you don't want to miss this in-depth review. We will give you the low-down on this high-end Maui resort so you know before you go, giving you the opportunity to budget and plan accordingly. We will share what we think is one of the best activities on Maui: an on-property excursion that is not only free, but potentially life-changing. In coming Hawaii travel guides, we will explore much more of Maui, including restaurants, shopping, travel tips and other helpful Hawaiian information.

Fairmont Kea Lani Maui Accommodations, Guest Rooms and Amenities

When you pull up to The Fairmont Kea Lani, check-in is made easy for weary travellers by the friendly greeting of the valet staff, who will assist you with your luggage and inform you the first night of valet parking is complimentary. The expansive, open-air lobby sprawls before you, and the front desk is just steps away. Chilled island juice and lei greetings are typically offered to arriving guests.

Check in is a breeze, with the Fairmont Kea Lani offering guests the option to check out the view from their intended room on a tablet device before keys are even made. If the view isn't on par with what you were expecting, this matter can be quickly settled in the lobby (pending availability, of course), not after getting all the way to your suite. Checking in with children? Your keiki (child) will likely be gifted with a souvenir necklace from the front desk staff in addition to their lei.

The Fairmont Kea Lani Maui hotel offers an all-suite design, with varying levels of luxury and views from moderate guest suites to exclusive oceanfront villas. Rooms offer one king or two double-sized beds, and the living room sofa pulls out to a queen-sized bed for additional guests. For small families, this design is ideal, essentially giving guests two separate, fully functional bedrooms in the evening, and ample living space during the day. Both the living room and bedroom, which are divided by french doors, have flat-screen TVs, seating, direct access to the spacious bathroom and a sliding door out to the lanai. Suites have adequate closet, cabinet and drawer space, but storing luggage itself can be a challenge, especially a full-size suitcase. See all room types here.

The living areas of Fairmont Kea Lani suites all feature writing desks, ample lighting, a wet bar with mini-fridge and microwave and coffee making supplies. Bathrooms are well-appointed in marble and very luxurious, with a soaking tub, two pedestal sinks, an open-design shower and ammenities such as cotton swabs, nail files, soaps, hair products, and shower gel. Two Turkish cotton bathrobes are available for guest use while on-property.

Fairmont Kea Lani: South Maui Resort and Hotel Offers Free Wi-fi, Canoe Tours, President's Club Perks

If you enroll in the Fairmont President's Club here, which we strongly advise, you will be entitled to free in-room internet access, complimentary local calls, fitness center use, newspaper delivery, use of workout shoes, apparel, yoga mats, and an MP3 player for a nominal fee ($10 per stay), use of bicycles and golf clubs at some hotels, and much, much more. If only for the free wi-fi, sign up. Otherwise, logging on in-suite to check your email or plan your vacation dinners could run you $15 per day!

As with most Maui hotels and resorts, The Fairmont offers a business center for guest use, as well as concierge and front desk staff who will gladly get you directions to that restaurant you've been hearing about, or back to the airport. You can also arrange child care at the Keiki Club through the concierge; be sure to give enough notice and understand if there aren't enough keiki enrolled, there's no club for a given day. The concierge can also help you choose excursions, make your stay on the resort more enjoyable and recommend restaurants.

Perhaps the absolute best thing about The Fairmont Kea Lani is their complimentary outrigger canoe experience program. Guests are advised to sign up with the concierge in advance for this activity;if possible, at check-in.Otherwise, it may be booked full when you want to do it. The Fairmont Kea Lani outrigger canoe rides are the perfect way to get out on the water in Maui without spending a dime (or at least, any additional dimes), and the wildlife encounters alone make your rather scary room rate actually seem worth it. Guests who "dive in" to the Fairmont's canoe tour can expect to share the ride with three other hotel guests and two staff guides. They can expect to share the ocean with the sea turtles.

Though you do need to be able-bodied (and will have to sign a waiver affirming this fact), the outrigger excursion is rather gentle, and the experience is what you make it. Paddling is easy, and not guest-dependent, unless you want to get all gung-ho and turn it into a full on morning work-out. You can feel free to stay dry the entire 45-minute trip, but what's that? You want to jump out of the canoe and swim with sea turtles? Your guides will tell you to go for it. During whale season, you can go under the water and hear them sing to each other. Magical Maui strikes again, and The Fairmont Kea Lani makes it accessible right from the resort. As a rare treat, they don't charge a penny.

Luxury Maui Hotels & Resorts: The Fairmont Kea Lani Experience

Set on Polo Beach, The Fairmont Kea Lani is as picturesque as it gets at all times of day and night. The grounds are clean, well-manicured and nothing short of a tropical dream come true. Lush landscaping, numerous fountains and ponds and beautiful marble floors throughout the property flood guests with a sense of tranquility almost wherever they are. At dusk, the conch shell is blown and the tiki torches are lit; the Hawaiian sunset over the Pacific Ocean rewards guests for their long, hard day of sun worship and poolside lounging.

The Fairmont Kea Lani, typical of many Maui hotels and resorts, boasts several pools which are open 24 hours a day. Two large, family-oriented pools are available for guest use on two different levels, and are connected by a 140-foot waterslide. On the top level, guests will find a swim up bar and a slightly more intimate deck area. Below, a larger pool with more lounge chairs, grassy areas and room to spread out. An adults-only pool is just around the bend, and the simplicity of the cobalt-blue water set in an oval form is nothing less than spectacular. Two hot-tubs provide relaxation for tired, over-exerted muscles.

Chair service is available at all of the pools, making poolside dining an easy, if expensive, novelty. Cool, lemon-scented moist towels and fresh-cut pineapple slices are passed out to lounging guests by staff with silver tongs, and jugs of complimentary ice water are available around every corner. The pool staff will set your chairs up with fresh towels for you, and happily refresh them when requested.

South Maui Dining: Fairmont Kea Lani Restaurants

Guests have many Maui dining options when staying at The Fairmont Kea Lani, both on-resort and off. To be sure, your money will go a lot further off the resort. This is true at most Maui hotels, and most hotels in Hawaii period. Though there are some affordable options, most food is completely over-priced. Luckily, the taste often makes up for the sticker shock. Diners have several restaurants to choose from, including resort-casual Ko, upscale Nick's Fishmarket Maui, the Kea Lani Restaurant, Caffe Ciao Deli and the poolside restaurant (complete with swim-up bar), Polo Beach Grille and Bar.

For resort menus and specials, click here. For cheaper options, ask the front desk for directions to South Kihei Road. You'll find plenty of viable South Maui dining choices in Kihei, and they will be a lot easier on your wallet.

For more on The Fairmont Kea Lani hotel and resort in Maui, Hawaii, stay tuned for our next edition! You'll find resort-specific tips, and more dining information and recommendations. Coming soon.

Source:

Stayed At Resort - May 26-31, 2011. This review is an unbiased,independent traveller review. No compensation, discount or special treatment was offered or accepted in exchange for any part of this review.