Ho‘olei Villas at Grand Wailea

We stayed at the Hoolei ,December 2022 ,we have stayed at the Hoolei 6 times prior since 2014 ,this last trip was a real disappointment the villa we had was not cleaned to usual Hoolei standards in the past ,the area rug in living room was so dirty the bottom of our feet were black from walking across the rug gross ! Our ensuite bathroom toilet run for minutes after using it making horrid noises ,the shower in the main ensuite need repairs in the handles ,which my husband did ,and the dryer only worked one 1 setting and you needed to reset that setting for 3 cycles to get a dry load. The shuttle service was down to 2 drivers great guys ,but they were so busy the waits were long at times ,not due to their trying though. The Hoolei pool was not cleaned regularly as we swam with dead bees and leaves and debris,small kids had thrown handfuls of gravel into the bottom of the pool that you stepped on when you were walking in the pool ,from what we enjoyed many times before ,was now a real disappointment,and for 4200.00 a nite ,such a let down ,we will return to Maui ,but we will not be returning to the Hoolei, it’s completely lost it’s sparkle ,it’s getting old and tired looking .

We booked a villa through the Grand Wailea. So we paid the premium price that included access to hotel amenities, housekeeping and the free shuttle. I expected luxury and that’s really not what we got. Let’s start with the villas themselves. I believe they are each individually owned. Which means you really have no idea what you’re getting into as far as decor and whether furnishings are decades old or updated. We went with family, so there were a total of 4 villas in our party. They were all extremely different. Ours had newer carpet, but the others’ were stained and lumpy. The toilet seat finishes were worn and bubbled up. Our villa had the worst smell that hit you as soon as you walked in. It smelled like cat urine, cigarettes and rotten fruit. I didn’t tell the front desk because I didn’t want them crawling all over the house while we were trying to relax on vacation. Besides, I couldn’t find the source myself and I have the nose of a bloodhound. The hotel is a Cat Sanctuary, so I’m guessing that part of the problem is that a cat got in at some point previously. I found a cigarette butt in the dryer, which probably should have been found by housekeeping before we checked in. Speaking of housekeeping; The villa was not cleaned well upon check-in. Every handle in the kitchen has sticky. I wiped down all the bathroom counters and they were pretty gross. There was a mound of caked-on soap that had been there for who knows how long. The towels and washcloths had big dark stains on them half of the time, and those are from the hotel as far as I know. One nice thing about housekeeping is that they were good about getting to us early in the day. They even did our dishes and vacuumed the entire house. The Shuttle Service is hit or miss. The drivers themselves are AMAZING. But it can take a while for them to get to you. It’s not the drivers fault. I believe they only have 2 shuttles. I think the holdup comes from entitled people who call for the shuttle and then make the drivers wait. I waited 15-20 minutes twice, 5 minutes at other times. The Grand Wailea Resort itself is beautiful! Great places to eat, lots of pools and slides, and even some lovely shops. There is a lot of remodeling going on right now, so I’m sad that I didn’t get to see it in all it’s glory. Our villa was at the very top of the hill, so it was quite a walk to get to the hotel, about 10 minutes or so. Moral of the story? If I went back to Maui, I would stay at the Grand Wailea, but not in a villa at Ho’olei. While it’s nice to have a huge house, it’s not worth the price. It should be clean and updated for $4000 at night.

This villa was amazing! We stayed in 17-6. This three story villa, was beautifully decorated with a ton of space for our family of five. It is an end unit that overlooks the ocean across the street with the golf course on the other side. The kitchen is huge and fully stocked with anything you may need. We enjoyed fixing a quick breakfast here most mornings before we went out to explore the island. The beds were comfortable and the rooms were very spacious. Having a washer and dryer was a huge plus. Our favorite part was being able to open up the glass wall of doors on the second story patio. The patio was fully furnished, complete with a Weber grill. It was the perfect spot to enjoy a cup of coffee in the morning or a cocktail at night. Staying here you have complete access to the hotel across the street and they provide a shuttle if you don’t want to walk or drive. While we did enjoy the hotel, sometimes we preferred to stay at the pool at the villas instead. It was less crowded and we even had the pool to ourselves at times.

The best way for families to do Maui, but quite pricey. The villas give you the best of both worlds if you rent from the hotel directly, as you can use Grand Wailea’s pools and amenities. However, Ho’Olei has its own pool, gym and poolside massage service so you don’t necessarily need to go over to the big hotel and deal with the larger crowds unless you have small kids that really want a waterslide and lazy river experience. You can use the public beach without staying at the main hotel or staying through the hotel booking. If using the hotel amenities is not a priority then you may get more cost-effective options staying at the privately owned villas. Wailea is a beautiful part of the island and close to Kihei town for shopping for essentials and lots of hole in the wall seafood, poke, and diner food joints. The aquarium is only 20 minutes away, the airport 30, Lahaina and Kaanapali 35 minutes. The service and set up of these villas is excellent and most have large balconies with grills and expansive views of the ocean and the hotel resort.

Just returned from 6 days here and can't wait to go back! We were traveling with 2 adult children, and really debated between the main hotel and the villas. SO glad we went with the villas. Everything felt huge, spacious, and was very clean. We had a deluxe ocean view and the view never got old. The kitchen was equipped with first class dishes, pots and pans, and so much more. We were more than impressed. Bedrooms and bathrooms were beautiful and spacious. Silly thing, but they even provided laundry detergent which was nice to not have to buy. Walked or drove to the main hotel and sat at the adult pool daily. Easy walk, or can valet the car too. Walked the path to neighboring hotels for some variety. Pool food, drinks and service was really good. Sparkle our favorite server and so sweet! Sat at the beach too, no charge for chairs. Had a great dinner at HumuHumu...pricey but delicious, the sunset was worth it. Had a late flight the last day, so were able to use showers at Hoolei pool area before we left. They were nice and clean too. And the staff was amazing! Everyone was very friendly and helpful. We can't wait to go back!

I cannot recommend booking with Ho'olei enough. We had four adults (two married couples) and one infant and the experience was fantastic. First off, the Ho'olei team was extremely communicative weeks before our trip even started. We had texts and emails with the concierge regularly As a parent of an infant, the included high chair, crib, and baby proofing of the unit was extremely helpful. It was all set up when we arrived. Additionally, as we had a full kitchen and grill, they have a grocery service that will pick up groceries before you get there. We arrived at 2AM our time (8PM Hawaii time) and all of our groceries were put away in the fridge and on the counter ready for us to use. It was a very nice thing after 14+ hours of travel. Check in was very smooth with clear instructions of how to use the property. We had a Deluxe Ocean View which meant we were in the last row. The views of the ocean were incredible with multiple whale sightings per day. The only downfall of this is that the walk down to the pool or the hotel was a little longer. However, if you do want to go to the hotel, free valet was included in our stay which was a huge bonus. Additionally, when you don't want to drive, there is a daily shuttle service you just text to get picked up that runs until 8PM (however the valets take over after 8PM) Our concierge helped us book 99% of our activities. We also had a reservation as Mama's fish house, which you have to book months in advance. At the last minute we had another guest wanting to join us for dinner and the concierge was able to contact the restaurant and add the additional guest. This was a fantastic trip and if you have any questions I am more than happy to answer it!!

Top Notch Service. Did everything in their power to ensure everyone had a wonderful time! We stayed in the Ho’olei Villas and they had everything we needed! They made sure everything was set-up for us in advance and we wanted for nothing! Highly recommend the villas for a large family! We will definitely plan another trip here in the future.

Grand Wailea is truly a Grand experience. For a Hotel that was built in 1991 it still has the unique Island charm and luxury you’d come to expect from a Waldorf Astoria chain Hotel. Pull up through the expansive grounds past the amazing water fall feature to the lobby where you’re surrounded by the beautiful landscaping, flowers and plants. Upon first steps into the lobby, you’re introduced to the Island Breeze, warmth of the Sun and beautiful scents of Maui. We stayed in two separate Room categories, the 1-bedroom NAPUA Club Suite and the 3-bedroom HO’OLEI Villa. The NAPUA Club Suite was centrally located within the Hotel and offered guests private dining, bar service and appetizers served daily for Guests in that room category. The selections were modest, the service excellent and it provided a convenience if you chose not to get dressed up to go out for dinner. The Rooms were well appointed, comfortable and outfitted with local artistry and decor to give it that Maui charm. Our HO’OLEI Villa was outstanding, it was located across the street from the Grand Wailea property, however the Shuttle service was surprisingly fast and made it effortless to move back and forth between the properties. Send a text to the concierge and within a few minutes the shuttle is at your doorstep or at one of the Hotel’s lobby’s for pick-up. The HO’OLEI Villa’s offer an ensemble of amenities. Large Bedrooms, Kitchens, Dining areas, multiple Bathrooms, Garage and 2 levels, 3200 sq.ft. of living space. For families or large groups looking for space and want to leave the Hotel rooms behind, the HO’OLEI Villas offer that luxurious experience. In addition to your own private Villa, enjoy the area’s Pool, Gym, and amenities that are exclusive to the HO’OLEI Villa guests. For families with younger kids, you’ll be delighted by the largest water park on the Island. Enjoy the Lava Tube Waterpark & Waterslides, Pools, plunge Pools, grotto Bar, lazy River and the very unique water Elevator to move you from the bottom of the waterslides back to the top within a minute. For Adults looking to escape the kids & family areas, the Hibiscus Pool is up another level on the property, offers breathtaking views of the Wailea Beach and Ocean Bay. The Grande Spa is one of the best Spa’s we’ve encountered. The Spa offers a variety of ancient Hawaii and World culture treatments for guests looking for that extra pampering. The Hydrotherapy Pools are a great way to spend an afternoon relaxing and rejuvenating your body. The resort offers a variety of Restaurants but our favorite was Humuhumunukunukuapua’a, the catch of the day or local fresh and interesting dishes will delight your senses and tastebuds. The Beach is expansive and your toes sink into the beautiful soft sand. We enjoyed our daily swim in the warm Ocean Water and relaxing on this beautiful Beach. Enjoy the walk or run down the beach with a paved trail that runs along the Wailea area connecting many of the Hotels along that stretch of the Island. The Hotel can arrange a variety of adventures, but we chose to rent a Jeep and embark on the journey to Hana which provides a unique Maui experience in itself. We highly recommend doing so, stopping at the local cafés, waterfalls, banana bread canteens and the sought-after Red Beach. If you enjoy Golf there are several beautiful courses nearby and the Wailea Golf Club has 3 championship golf courses to choose from, the Gold, Blue and Emerald offer world class Golf with views that make it hard to keep your eye on the Ball. It’s just a short 10min drive from the Hotel. The Grand Wailea is a luxurious family destination offering something for everyone. The Hotel is on the pricey side, however sometimes you get what you pay for, the Grand Wailea delivers on that promise. We were delighted with the service, staff, Villa, amenities, Pools, Spa and how well the property was upkept. Our family is already planning our next visit and we cannot wait to return to the Grand Wailea.

The Villas at Ho'Olei are adjacent to Grand Wailea and a fantastic option for travelers looking for multiple hotel rooms / bedrooms during a Maui vacation. We booked a 3 bdr / 4 bath unit with an ocean view and have nothing but positive things to say about the staff and experience. The facilities are well-cleaned daily (!) and staff take Covid-19 precautions seriously. We loved our unit and would come back for a future stay. Due to the affiliation with Grand Wailea, we enjoyed access to the entire resort, including pools and beachfront, and loved walking around the entire Wailea area for shopping and dining. As of January 2021, a number of restaurants have opened for outdoor dining and restrictions are in place for socially-distant access to shops.