Andaz Maui At Wailea Review: Pros And Cons

Andaz Maui at Wailea is regularly hyped as one of the best Hyatt properties in Hawaii. It's located in Wailea on the island of Maui, this property features multiple pools, beach front access, and great dining. 

Our family recently stayed at the resort for six nights in March. We had our eye on this property since we have been Hyatt Globalists for several years, and the timing of this trip worked out with our kid's early spring break.

This might be one of our more controversial reviews: overall, I don't think we'd stay here again and we don't recommend it for most Maui travelers.

The only way we would stay here again is with a point redemption and suite upgrade award. The price point for cash pay is not worth it. You'd enjoy any of the other properties in Wailea for less money. 

And if you don't get a suite upgrade, you'd probably have a better room at the recently remodeled Hyatt Regency Maui in Ka'anapali Beach.

The bottom line is this is an amazing location on the beach, but regular rooms feel dated (not maintained and downright uncomfortable), reward stays will generally get parking lot and air conditioner views, the resort is short staffed and the staff seems generally annoyed or unhelpful across every different part of the resort (valet, front desk, beach and pool, dining), and while the food is good, the service is poor.

We actually left the resort early due to poor sleep and room conditions, along with a failure of the management team to make it right. We ended up at the Hyatt Regency Maui Ka’anapali Beach and loved it.

Overall Andaz Maui Impressions

The Andaz is located on our favorite island of Maui, and it has the privilege of having beach access that's relatively private (compared to the Four Seasons, Marriott, and Grand Wailea). 

There are tons of activities (both free and paid), but some of the highlights include beach equipment like snorkels and boogie boards. The food is also generally good.

On the downside, this resort is expensive. Really expensive. Even if you're redeeming points, it's expensive (though you can get some awesome redemptions). And the service and room quality is lackluster for the price. It's not what you'd expect at a $1,000 per night property.

The high price point does make you question the value - especially compared to the other hotels along the beach in Wailea.

We likely won't stay here again, but if we had a good Hyatt point redemption opportunity, we might consider it. Especially since the neighbor property Marriott charges so many fees for reward stays. 

However, it's important to note that this property does not value reward stays or Globalist status, and they will do the bare minimum they're contractually required to do, and they'll make you feel it at every point. From poor room assignments, to always seating you at the back table for your free breakfast, if they know you're staying on points, they will do the bare minimum.

Finally, we found the customer service seriously lacking. From the front desk helpfulness, to resolving problems (they don't), to even after leaving the resort and getting our refund processed (which took weeks and multiple emails), the entire experience is sub-par. As my daughter said, "they are polite, but not helpful."

You'll see these themes echoed through our review, other reviews on TripAdvisor, and throughout Reddit threads as well.

Our Trip Background

We were excited for this trip and to stay at the Andaz! It was going to be our spring break family vacation - but it was a milestone year. My wife and I both turned 40, and we celebrated our 15th wedding anniversary just days before. Plus, we love Maui, and have been eager to get back to the island. 

We had been saving points up for this trip. We used 255,000 points (6 nights), which averages 42,500 per night. The cash price would have been $955 per night, or $5,730. That includes the mandatory resort fee of $50 per day, but there's also a $55/day parking/valet fee - valet is the only option not included in the price.

And the cash price for breakfast is $65 per person (without tip), so for a family of 4 everyday that's another $1,560.

From a Globalist perspective, this resort is disappointing. We knew this might be the case in advance, but they don't provide any upgrades and it's likely your room won't be ready early (given the resort is usually very busy).

However, as you read earlier, we were continually disappointed by the customer service. And even after we left, I had to send multiple emails to get them to actually issue the refund they committed to. I even had to get my Globalist concierge to help. It was just a bad experience.

About Andaz Maui

Andaz Maui at Wailea is a beach resort in Wailea, which is a resort area on Maui. It's a relatively small hotel, with terraced pools, and direct beach access at the corner of the resort.

The resort is about 30 minutes from the Kahului airport and located at the north end of Wailea, closer to Kihei. 

What's Included?

One of the nice things about the Andaz is that they do have some really good benefits included in your resort fee. This is a nice upgrade compared to many properties.

Here's a quick summary of some of the key things included:

• Beach Equipment: Unlimited use of snorkel equipment and boogie boards (though they have a one-hour at a time limit if it's busy).
• Stand Up Paddle Boards: More beach activities you can do. 
• Yoga Classes: Each day there was at least one class we saw on the lawn.
• Outrigger Excursions: You could sign up for an outrigger excursion around the reef.
• Ukulele Lessons: Offered on the side of the lobby, but sign ups required.
• Hula Lessons: Offered on the side of the lobby, but sign ups required.
• Lei Making Lessons: Offered on the side of the lobby, but sign ups required.
• Wireless Internet: Sadly not the best internet speeds though. Starlink on the airplane was faster.

What About Globalists?

• Complementary Valet Included
• Breakfast everyday at Ka'ana Kitchen 

We loved being able to use the beach equipment, and that was a nice highlight. The breakfast was also good, and went late. 

Resort Experience

The resort is beautiful - it's Maui! However, beyond the Maui air and beautiful beach, the rest of the resort is lacking - from upkeep to customer service, we left disappointed.

Arrival

The arrival experience was disappointing. The hotel is valet only, and there were only two valets trying to deal with maybe 10 vehicles. They were clearly frustrated.

This was a common thread throughout most of our stay - the entrance is clearly under-sized (especially when you compare neighboring hotels). Plan to wait to get your vehicle, and even if you call from your room, you may not get an answer. The poor guys are just busy.  

Front Desk

The check-in experience and front desk team was also disappointing. There were only two people working at 4pm check-in time, and so there was a line of about 3 others including our family. 

It took about 15 minutes to get to the counter, and when we did, it was clear we were not going to have the good experience we envisioned. The desk agent was polite, but not helpful - this is a theme. 

After the usual inquiries about upgrades and rooms, promises that there may be other rooms available, we took our keys and went to our room. And it was disappointing. Maintenance issues, a view of the air conditioner, it was sad. 

I went to at least try to report these to the front desk, and he smugly replied "I knew you'd be back..." Well yeah, because the room is terrible. When I said the mattresses were old and sagging, they said "that's how guests like them..." 

The only thing he said was he'd ask his manager, who, in turn, did nothing but offer two free drinks at the bar. 

In writing this review, this TripAdvisor (from another guest) says it best:

Shopping

There isn't much shopping on property. They have their main shop, which has some grab and go items, breakfast, coffee, and gelato.

They have pop up shops everyday, including a larger shop in the hallway. There is also an art gallery.

Parking

Parking is valet only. Be prepared to wait. Even calling ahead, you'll wait. These poor guys seem so short staffed every time we were by.

Laundry

There is a small guest laundry facility on the property that nobody really uses. There's no cost to use it, and there is laundry detergent available.

Gym

The gym was excellent and never crowded. 

Spa

The spa is located in an odd location by the adults only pool. One of the awesome offerings is spa treatments outside. There are private cabanas tucked away along the adult pool where you can get a massage and other treatments.

It's a nice way to enjoy the Hawaiian air.

Pools

The main pools are terraced, and are open 24 hours a day. There's only one hot tub, located on the middle tier. 

The pools are dull, with no activities, slides, or anything beyond swimming.

The lowest tier is the largest, with a beach-style entrance. There is a bar/food stand on the top and bottom levels, and the main restaurant Morimoto is located along side of it. Since there is "fine dining" here, you cannot swim at night in the lower pool.

There is also an adults only pool on the side of the resort, near the gym and spa.

Room Impressions

We booked a 2 Queen Room for our family. It's important to note that many of the rooms don't allow 4 person occupancy. The king rooms do NOT have a pull out sofa bed, so if you need a room with 4 people, you must get a 2 queen room or a suite.

We were allegedly upgraded two categories for this room, but I don't think any experienced traveler would consider our room an upgrade.

Bedroom

The bedroom was small and outdated. The beds themselves were extremely uncomfortable - the mattresses felt old (you know, the massive divots). The pillows were worn two - you'd need to use both together to get any support. 

The room suffered from maintenance issues as well. The light switches were broken, and the doors were all warped so you couldn't close anything.

Notice the right side "blinds/shutters". Those block the shower, but you don't control them - they're adjustable from the bedroom side. Keep this in mind if you're showering and others are in the bedroom. It can be fun for people to "surprise" you. Very annoying.

Bathroom

The bathroom was poorly laid out, very narrow (you really could only have one person in the bathroom at a time), and not very functional. Again, all the doors were warped - this was especially problematic for the closet which has an automatic light based on the door opening. I had to force it closed using towels to not have the light on all night.

The mirror situation was annoying as well. Notice the glass panel on the left of the sink - that also gives you a show of whoever is showering!

Here's the notorious shower:

Other Areas

The room did have a decent balcony, but it looked out over the air conditioning and parking lot areas. The air conditioning is loud in day, so be warned.

Housekeeping

Housekeeping was hit or miss. We only ended up staying for three days, and they didn't clean our room one of the three. Not a big deal, but again, and this "quality" and price point, you'd expect housekeeping to be on point.

At other hotels, such as the Four Seasons (and even the Fairmont), you'd also expect turn down service in the evenings for a similar price point.

On-Property Dining

The food here was good. Nothing amazing, but good. If you've stayed at Hyatt Regencies or Andaz's before, the breakfast menu is very similar with some Hawaiian flair.

Main Restaurant: Ka’ana Kitchen

Breakfast was a combination of a typical Hyatt buffet and several menu items, including an omelette. Everything was enjoyable.

I would say that service was a pain point. It was slow to get drinks, and they make you order eggs from the waiter/kitchen and have it served. My omelette order took almost 30 minutes our first day (and we heard from others it was the same), so I avoided it the rest of our stay. 

Beyond the hot food, they always had a good selection of fruit:

Morimoto

Morimoto is their fine dining restaurant. It's a seafood and sushi focus, and while we didn't dine there this trip, we have before.

You can't go wrong with their entrees, but I especially love the Sticky Ribs appetizer and Sea Bass entree.

The only drawback here is the location. You're tucked away very low on the property, and many nights you have the luau right outside. It can make your dining experience sub-par.

Lounge: Lehua Lounge

This is the bar area at the top of the first pool. Solid food and drink options. It can be very crowded at sunset, but it's pretty wide open the rest of the day.

Pool Bar: Bumbye Beach Bar

This is the pool bar on the lowest level. It's hours are very short, but it works for lunch.

Resort Activities

The resort activities are centered around the beach, pools, and Hawaiian cultural activities.

The Beach

This is the highlight of the Andaz Maui. They have fantastic access to a beach right in front of the hotel. And they include all the amenities you'd want as part of your resort fee. This means you can get beach chairs and towels, snorkel gear, boogie boards, and more.

The staff at the beach is incredibly nice (though busy). 

If you want to snorkel, it's recommended that you go in the morning. We snorkeled twice (tried a third time, but the ocean was too rough). There is a great reef right along the beach, and we saw turtles, lots of fish, and had a great time.

The Feast at Mōkapu Luau

We've watched or enjoyed every luau in Wailea, and honestly, I don't recommend this one. It's typically the smallest, and you're wedged between the pool and beach pathway. The entertainment seems fine, but it's lacking what the other main resorts offer (specifically the Marriott and Fairmont).

For similar pricing, walk down to the Marriott and enjoy their luau. 

Hawaiian Activities

Everyday there are a variety of activities that you can sign up for, including lei making and ukulele lessons.

However, around the grounds, other than the beach, the resort was lacking (especially compared to the other properties in Wailea).

Here's the sad "kids" area:

Alternatives

The Andaz is located in Wailea, which is a resort area on Maui. The Andaz is one of several "high end" resorts along the beach, that are all connected by a great oceanfront pathway. 

The key resorts that are alternatives are: Fairmont Kea Lani, Four Seasons Maui, Grand Wailea, and the Marriott Maui Beach Resort. We've stayed at (or dined at) all of the resorts now at this point. 

For our stay and room, the Andaz was the cheapest cash rate (roughly $955/night before fees). 

The Grand Wailea was running a similar room for our week for $956 per night (notice the $1 difference).

However, for slightly more, I think you'd have a much better stay at the Fairmont Kea Lani. For our stay dates, their basic room was running $1,259 per night, but that was a suite! And you'd receive a $50/day resort credit.

The Marriott Beach Resort (a better room with a king bed) would have run $1,307 per night, or 106,000 Bonvoy points per night.

The Four Seasons is the most expensive option at $1,869 per night. While the Four Seasons is definitely going to provide the best rooms and service, the location isn't as great as the Fairmont (in our opinion).

Side Note On Customer Service

I've mentioned customer service a few times, and I wanted to highlight a few things. As my daughter said, "they are polite, but not helpful."

We we brought our initial concerns to the front desk, the original clerk rolled his eyes and said "I knew you'd be back". Which clearly highlighted an issue. The manager was more accommodating, but said they were full and wouldn't have any rooms available for two days, and they'd let us know if they could move us the next day.

They, of course, never followed up, and when I did, they still refused any room changes, despite availability showing online. Furthermore, the GM was on vacation, and no other managers were available during our stay, just the front desk supervisor... very odd. No follow up. No offers to make contact with anyone. Just roadblocks.

Finally, the third day, they said they wouldn't have anything or do anything, but would refund the remaining portion of our stay if we wanted to leave - which we did. We're happy we did.

But, of course, it doesn't stop there. They didn't refund our points. I had to reach out to the hotel afterwards, who said they'd take care of it. And they still didn't. So it took another week, cc-ing my Globalist concierge, and finally got the unused portion refunded.

I strongly believe they should have refunded the entire stay, but they didn't. It's not worth the fight, but it's another sign of the poor service at this property.

And this theme of customer service was present everywhere. At the restaurant, slow service, bad seating, ignoring preferences. Asking for directions? Brush off, don't know, not helpful. Valet? Nice, but under staffed. Housekeeping? Missing 33% of our stay. 

It's simply not the level of service you expect at a resort of this caliber and price point.

Final Thoughts

Honestly, our recommendation is to skip the Andaz in Maui. There's no compelling reason to stay at this property. As the lobby reminds you when you walk in: "Do Not Step". It's the manta of the hotel staff and symbolizes our experience here. It's not worth stepping into.

If you're a World of Hyatt loyalist, you'll likely have a much better experience at the Hyatt Regency in Ka'anapali.

If you're paying cash, you'll definitely get better value at other places, depending on what you're looking for. For couples and young families, I love the Fairmont Kea Lani.

For families with older kids, the Grand Wailea is a water park, and has the best beach access in Wailea (and it's a Hilton property).

For Bonvoy members, you'll enjoy the Marriott Beach Resort - it has a great pool, but lacks the fantastic beach access of other properties. It also has some great cash rates as well.

Sadly, I was very disappointed by my stay at the Andaz. And for those researching their next trip, it seems our feelings are echoed on TripAdvisor and Reddit. This one should be a pass, especially for families visiting Maui.