Maui on our minds

 

The world watched – and mourned – as wildfires devastated the Maui town of Lahaina.  The good news is:  Many other areas of Maui were untouched and continue to welcome visitors with open arms. One such area is the blissfully beautiful, luxury Wailea Beach Resort.  

It’s the flagship property of the Marriott Bonvoy family of brands, but you won’t see any “Marriott” signage anywhere.  That’s because this property concentrates on an authentic Maui experience under pristine conditions. It doesn’t matter if you’re on a honeymoon or vacation, celebrating an anniversary or just having fun with your family. “We have the place for you,” said Laurie Garzon, the property’s director of sales and marketing. 

For starters, there are four pools spread across the resort’s 22 acres. The newest, poshest pool anywhere is the Olakino, an unparalleled adults-only wellness sanctuary featuring personalized service from Po’e Mālamas (translated as “one who takes care”) and elevated wellness and culinary offerings, all included in the private poolside setting. It’s making quite the splash. 

With tropical greenery framing the infinity-edge, saline pool and in-water chaise longues that peer out to the Pacific Ocean, Olakino features rotating programs tied to the pillars of la’i (tranquility, harmony), ala (awakening), konea (restoration) and a’o (the acquisition of knowledge) so guests can expect everything from poolside acupuncture and sunrise yoga vinyasas, or flows, to aquatic sound baths and Ayurveda tea ceremonies. To further revitalize the mind and body, Olakino offers a health-forward food-and-beverage menu and complimentary goodies throughout the day, including nutritious shots and Hawaiian shave ice. Some of the yummies available for purchase are acai bowls, avocado toast, local Hawaiian ceviche, mochi ice cream and dark chocolate sea salt banana bites. This is white-glove service at its best. 

  With limited spaces available, resort guests will have the option to book an Olakino day pass (starting at $200/chair), which grants full access to the oasis and daily programming. Day beds (starting at $600) and cabanas (starting at $1,200) are also available. 

What we especially loved about Olakino were the luxurious lounge chairs perched in ankle-deep water, so that you can stay cool and soak up the sun simultaneously.  They’re the definition of  “relax.”  

For more, visit https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/hnmmc-wailea-beach-resort-marriott-maui/overview/?scid=f2ae0541-1279-4f24-b197-a979c79310b0  and https://www.marriott.com/loyalty.mi and https://www.gohawaii.com/islands/maui.

If you go 

 

Overnight at a champ of a hotel – We stayed at the Marriott Los Angeles Airport before boarding a Hawaiian Airlines flight to Maui. The 50-year-old hotel – once the training facility of Muhammad Ali, its first occupant – boasts modern, comfortable accommodations with access to its M Club, offering food amenities for its Ambassador, Titanium and Platinum members. We also enjoyed dining at the JW Steakhouse and Hangar 18. For more, visit https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/laxap-los-angeles-airport-marriott/overview/?scid=f2ae0541-1279-4f24-b197-a979c79310b0 and https://www.marriott.com/loyalty.mi. 

Fly Hawaiian Airlines – There are two reasons to fly this airline, top-rated by Travel + Leisure. The first is its unwavering support for fire-devastated Lahaina. Since Aug. 15, its Mālama Maui Desk has assisted more than 230 individuals and organizations with urgent, high-impact requests for support related to travel, cargo shipping, baggage waivers, volunteers, sponsorships and more, all as part of its second phase of support for Maui. This has included delivering nearly 19,000 pounds of donations to West Maui. These efforts dovetail with an already-existing Hawaiian Airlines program to encourage responsible tourism in Hawaii, called “Travel Pono.” 

The second reason is a new fleet of 12 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners, featuring premium Leihōkū Suites. While we didn’t have the opportunity to review Hawaiian’s Premium class service, we did book seats in its Extra Comfort class, which offered a significantly wider seat (perhaps 2 ½ inches wider than basic Economy), plus a seatback pitch of at least the same. Hawaiianairlines.com.  

Drive Sixt Rental Car — This family-owned company, headquartered in Munich, is more than 100 years old, with 80 U.S. city locations, 44 U.S. airport locations and 2,000 locations worldwide in more than 105 countries. We found it to offer excellent service, a high inventory of electric vehicles and more luxury vehicles than most rental companies. Sixt.com. 

Set sail with Red Hospitality & Leisure – Come aboard the Ali’i Nui and Koa Kai for Red Hospitality’s Royal Sunset Dinner Cruise (starts at $239) and Makani Sunset Sail (starts at $159). 

Dine at these hotspots — TS Restaurants is a group that owns and operates Duke’s Maui, https://www.dukesmaui.com/ Hula Grill, https://www.hulagrillkaanapali.com/ and Leilani’s on the Beach https://www.leilanis.com/ – three excellent venues that make the most of native fishes and macadamia nuts in their entrées and desserts. And don’t forget a stop at Nick’s Fishmarket, https://www.nicksfishmarketmaui.com/ which we never miss when visiting Maui. – Debbi K. and William D. Kickham. 

For more on the Marriott Los Angeles Airport, Hawaiian Airlines, Sixt Rental Car, Red Hospitality & Leisure and dining in Maui, look for upcoming editions of our new Be Our Guest newsletter. And follow Debbi on Instagram @ DebbiKickham.