Want to take advantage of Four Seasons Preferred Partner benefits, including a space available room upgrade, complimentary breakfast, a hotel credit, and more? Contact Ford ([email protected]) for more details. He may even be able to help if you already have a stay booked.
Ford and I recently stayed at the Four Seasons Maui at Wailea, which is a hotel that has long intrigued me (it’s also the hotel featured in The White Lotus season one).
The property opened in 1990 (worry not, the resort underwent a full renovation in 2015), and was one of Four Seasons’ first-ever resorts, as the brand previously focused on city business hotels.
With 383 guest rooms and suites, I was curious to see if this property would be able to live up to the Four Seasons standard (spoiler alert: it sure did, and I’ve never been to a resort this large with such good service).
In this post:
Why we stayed at the Four Seasons Maui
Initially we were only going to visit Hawaii for six days, as we had booked the villas at the Andaz Maui at Wailea. A close friend of Ford’s decided to celebrate a birthday in Maui the weekend after we were supposed to leave, so it didn’t make sense for Ford to fly back and then return a few days later.
Instead Ford and I spent a few more nights in Maui together — I extended my trip by three nights, while he extended his trip by six nights. Since we had an extra few nights, we decided to check out a new (to us) hotel in Maui. A few years back we had an amazing stay at the Four Seasons Lanai, so we figured this would be a good chance to check out Four Seasons’ Maui property.
Full disclosure — while I pay publicly available rates for a vast majority of our hotel stays, in this case Ford booked a travel advisor rate. He’s a Four Seasons Preferred Partner travel advisor, and he books a lot of clients at this resort, so this was a great opportunity for him to also check it out firsthand.
As you’d expect, rates at the Four Seasons Maui are all over the place depending on the time of year, whether there are holidays, etc. In general, you can expect a base room will run anywhere from $800 to $2,000 per night, give or take.
How to book the Four Seasons Maui
If you’re booking a stay at the Four Seasons Maui at Wailea (or any Four Seasons property in the world), the best option is always to book through the Four Seasons Preferred Partner program. You pay the same rate you’ll find directly on Four Seasons’ website, but you’ll receive extra perks, including the following:
- A room upgrade, subject to availability
- Complimentary daily breakfast, either in the restaurant or via in-room dining
- A hotel credit to use during your stay
Four Seasons Preferred Partner is generally combinable with promotions being offered directly through Four Seasons, like a third or fourth night free offer.
You can’t beat getting all of these extra perks just for booking through an eligible travel advisor. Ford and his team are happy to help anyone book Four Seasons properties through Preferred Partner, and can be reached at [email protected]. They don’t charge any booking fees for Four Seasons properties.
Note that booking Four Seasons properties through Preferred Partner is better than booking through programs like Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts®. Why?
- With Preferred Partner you have the option of room service breakfast in place of restaurant breakfast (that’s something a lot of people value)
- Upgrades are prioritized for Preferred Partner bookings, given that it’s Four Seasons’ own proprietary program (and the value of an upgrade at a hotel like this can be significant)
- You can combine Preferred Partner perks with virtually any rate on Four Seasons’ website (other programs don’t allow you to stack promotions in the same way)
Four Seasons Maui experience & service
Usually I talk about service towards the end of my hotel reviews, though for the Four Seasons I think it’s only fair to lead with that. The Four Seasons Maui soft product impressed me immensely on several fronts, including the lack of nickel-and-diming, and the exceptionally friendly and attentive service, in spite of this being quite a big hotel.
No resort fee, no nickel-and-diming
Resort fees are the most frustrating junk fee we see in the hotel industry, and the Four Seasons Maui is the only resort in Maui not to have a resort fee (for that matter, none of the Four Seasons properties in Hawaii do). Huge kudos to the hotel for that.
Not only that, but I was impressed by the lack of nickel-and-diming otherwise. For example, while minor, I loved the fact that the Four Seasons Maui had complimentary sunscreen at the pool, which most other hotels make you purchase in the gift shop.
Four Seasons Maui complimentary sunscreen
Similarly, the Four Seasons has complimentary coffee in the morning, as seems to be the case at most Four Seasons properties around the world. As someone who cares a lot about coffee, I love that.
Four Seasons Maui complimentary coffee
Genuinely awesome employees
I’ve found this to be the case at Four Seasons properties around the world — Four Seasons seems to hire for personality and treat employees well, and that’s reflected in the experience.
The service was simply stellar across the board in terms of professionalism and friendliness. I can’t say enough good things about the employees at this resort. Obviously with a property this big, employees won’t know your name or generally remember your preferences, but still, service lived up to the Four Seasons name.
Four Seasons Maui Ocean-View Prime Executive Suite
The Four Seasons Maui’s rooms are large across the board — standard rooms here are 600 square feet, making them the largest standard rooms in Maui. We stayed in room #507 (on the fifth floor — the hotel has eight floors), an Ocean-View Prime Executive Suite.
The Four Seasons’ exterior definitely has more of a classic look, so I was curious to see what the rooms would be like. Upon entering our 840 square foot suite we were in the dining area, which featured a dining table with four chairs.
Four Seasons Maui suite dining area
Past that was the minibar area, where there was a Nespresso coffee machine, a mini-fridge, and some reusable Four Seasons-branded water bottles.
Four Seasons Maui in-suite coffee
Speaking of those reusable water bottles, there was a water station just down the hall from us, which is an awesome feature that I wish we’d see in more hotels.
Four Seasons Maui water station
Past the dining area was the living area, which had a couch, a chair with an ottoman, and a wall-mounted TV.
Four Seasons Maui suite living room
Four Seasons Maui suite living room
Four Seasons Maui suite living room
There was a lovely welcome amenity consisting of a bottle of sauvignon blanc, as well as a plate of sweets — that included some coconut cookies, as well as a coconut made of chocolate, which could be smashed open with a mallet.
Four Seasons Maui welcome amenity
Then there were double doors leading to the bedroom, featuring a signature Four Seasons bed, which is my favorite hotel bed in the world.
Four Seasons Maui suite bedroom
Four Seasons Maui suite bedroom
The bathroom was off to the side of the bedroom, and featured double sinks, a soaking tub, a walk-in shower, and a separate room with a toilet.
Four Seasons Maui suite bathroom
Four Seasons Maui suite bathroom
Four Seasons Maui suite toilet
Toiletries were from a local brand, and had a great scent.
Four Seasons Maui suite toiletries
I loved the low-tech music option in the bathroom, as you could choose from six different stations, ranging from Hawaiian music to R&B. It was so easy to operate that I actually used it.
Four Seasons Maui in-room music
Of course the highlight of any hotel room in Hawaii is the outdoor space, and this was no exception. The suite had two incredible outdoor spaces. Off the living room was a lanai with a dining table.
Four Seasons Maui suite balcony
The second lanai could be accessed from both the living room and bedroom, and featured two loveseats and a table.
Four Seasons Maui suite balcony
Both lanais had gorgeous views of both the hotel’s peaceful gardens, as well as the pools and ocean in the distance.
Four Seasons Maui suite view
Four Seasons Maui suite view
Wi-Fi in the room was fast and free, and the air conditioning also worked very well. What an awesome and beautifully renovated suite!
Four Seasons Maui property amenities
Now that we’ve talked about the room, let’s take a look at the rest of the property, from the lobby, to the pools, to the gym, to the spa, to the beach.
Four Seasons Maui lobby
The Four Seasons’ lobby is massive, open air, and has great views of the pool and ocean. There’s even a lobby bar here (which I’ll cover below), and there’s live music every night, so that makes the lobby a bit more lively.
Four Seasons Maui at Wailea lobby
Four Seasons Maui at Wailea lobby
Four Seasons Maui at Wailea lobby
Four Seasons Maui at Wailea lobby
Four Seasons Maui at Wailea lobby
Four Seasons Maui at Wailea lobby
Four Seasons Maui pools
The Four Seasons has three different pools, all of which have a different vibe.
Four Seasons Maui at Wailea pool
The Fountain Pool is the Four Seasons’ main pool — it’s the single biggest pool, and there’s also a large hot tub on each side.
Four Seasons Maui Fountain Pool
Four Seasons Maui Fountain Pool
Four Seasons Maui Fountain Pool hot tub
The second pool is the Waterfall Pool, which has both a waterfall (as the name suggests) and even a small slide. Presumably this is usually most popular with kids, though there weren’t many kids staying at the hotel when we were there.
Four Seasons Maui Waterfall Pool
Four Seasons Maui Waterfall Pool
The third pool is the adults-only Serenity Pool, which is also great for swimming laps.
Four Seasons Maui Serenity Pool
Four Seasons Maui Serenity Pool
Unlike at the Andaz (and so many other hotels in Maui), there was no need to “reserve” pool chairs early in the morning. They were always readily available, so it’s nice not to have to deal with that hassle.
Four Seasons Maui at Wailea pool seating
Four Seasons Maui at Wailea pool seating
Four Seasons Maui beach-view seating
I particularly loved the number of quasi-cabanas there were — as someone who likes to sit at the pool but who also likes to stay out of the sun, these cabanas let you get as much shade and privacy as you want.
Four Seasons Maui at Wailea pool seating
Service at the pool was excellent — we were always brought a pitcher of water when we sat down, they’d come around with free popsicles and other treats, and of course you could also order drinks and snacks.
Four Seasons Maui pool service
Four Seasons Maui beach
The Four Seasons is located at the end of Wailea Beach, and guests have access to a beautiful portion of the beach. There were hotel staff there to help throughout the day with setting up beach chairs, etc.
Four Seasons Maui beach
Four Seasons Maui beach
I also love walking down the boardwalk that connects all the Wailea properties.
Wailea boardwalk
Four Seasons Maui gym
The Four Seasons Maui has an incredible gym. A majority of the gym is outdoors, including all the cardio equipment and some weights. Why can’t more hotels in destinations with good weather do this? It’s so much more fun to work out when you’re outside.
Four Seasons Maui outdoor gym
Four Seasons Maui outdoor gym
Four Seasons Maui outdoor gym
Four Seasons Maui outdoor gym
There was also an indoor portion to the gym, which is where most of the weights were. The quantity and quality of equipment was excellent.
Four Seasons Maui gym
Four Seasons Maui gym
Four Seasons Maui gym
Four Seasons Maui gym
There were capacity limits at the gym, and there was someone on staff constantly wiping down equipment.
Four Seasons Maui spa
The Four Seasons Maui has a popular spa, and probably the highlight of that is the outdoor treatment rooms, as you can get a treatment in an open-air hale.
Four Seasons Maui spa exterior
Four Seasons Maui spa reception
Four Seasons Maui spa outdoor treatment rooms
Four Seasons Maui spa outdoor treatment rooms
The spa has an impressive selection of holistic treatments that go beyond the typical massages and facials — you can find all the services here.
Four Seasons Maui game room
If you’re looking for some indoor activities on a rainy day, the Four Seasons has a game room that has everything from pool, to ping pong, to foosball, to video games.
Four Seasons Maui game room
Four Seasons Maui game room
Four Seasons Maui game room
Four Seasons Maui dining
The Four Seasons has an excellent variety of dining options, which could be worth checking out even if you’re not staying at the hotel. The Four Seasons’ main dining options include the following:
- Duo Steak & Seafood, which is the hotel’s all-day dining restaurant, serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner
- Ferraro’s Bar E Ristorante, which is the hotel’s outdoor Italian restaurant, serving lunch and dinner
- Spago, which is Wolfgang Puck’s Hawaiian outpost, serving dinner
- The lobby lounge, which is open in the evenings and serves cocktails, sushi, and more
- In-room dining, which is available 24/7
Below I’ll share our experiences with each of these dining options.
Four Seasons Maui breakfast
The Four Seasons Maui serves breakfast at Duo. The restaurant has plenty of seating both indoors and outdoors, in spite of capacity restrictions, and we never had to wait for a table.
Four Seasons Maui Duo Restaurant exterior
Four Seasons Maui Duo Restaurant inside seating
Four Seasons Maui Duo Restaurant outside seating
Our rate included breakfast (as do all Four Seasons Preferred Partner rates), and you can order either off the menu or have the buffet. The breakfast menu read as follows:
We had iced coffee to drink each morning, which came with a carafe for refills — I love that!
Four Seasons Maui breakfast iced coffee
Two of the mornings we had the buffet, which was excellent. Some of the individually packaged items are self-serve, while other items are served by staff. The buffet included an excellent selection of juices, pastries, fresh fruit, granola, yogurt, cold cuts, cheese, and more.
Four Seasons Maui breakfast buffet
Four Seasons Maui breakfast buffet
Four Seasons Maui breakfast buffet
Four Seasons Maui breakfast buffet
Four Seasons Maui breakfast buffet
Four Seasons Maui breakfast buffet
Four Seasons Maui breakfast buffet
While there were several hot options at the buffet, you could also order custom made eggs, pancakes, french toast, or waffles, as well as your choice of toasted bread.
Four Seasons Maui breakfast omelet
One morning we decided to order from the menu, and we split the greek yogurt parfait, spiced tofu scramble, and avocado toast. The first two dishes were excellent, while I’d say the avocado toast could be a bit more substantial.
Four Seasons Maui breakfast
Four Seasons Maui breakfast
Four Seasons Maui breakfast
Four Seasons Maui Duo Steak & Seafood
We decided to have dinner at Duo Steak & Seafood one night. The dinner menu read as follows:
The restaurant also consistently has a three-course menu for $55, which is quite a good deal when you look at the rest of the menu prices:
I ordered the three-course menu — I had the roasted carrot & almond soup to start.
Four Seasons Maui Duo Restaurant dinner
Then for my main course I had the steamed catch of the day, while Ford ordered the filet mignon off the regular menu, along with a side of crispy brussels sprouts.
Four Seasons Maui Duo Restaurant dinner
Four Seasons Maui Duo Restaurant dinner
Four Seasons Maui Duo Restaurant dinner
We split my dessert, which was a tasty dark chocolate & Kona coffee bar.
Four Seasons Maui Duo Restaurant dinner
Both the meal and service were excellent.
Four Seasons Maui Ferraro’s Bar E Ristorante
Ferraro’s is the Four Seasons Maui’s Italian restaurant that’s open for lunch and dinner. It’s entirely outdoors and right next to the pool, with gorgeous ocean views — I’d recommend trying to dine here even if you’re not staying at the hotel, because it was simply fantastic. You can find the menu here.
Four Seasons Maui Ferraro’s Restaurant outdoor seating
Four Seasons Maui Ferraro’s Restaurant outdoor seating
Four Seasons Maui Ferraro’s Restaurant outdoor seating
Four Seasons Maui Ferraro’s Restaurant outdoor seating
We ate here two days — one day we had the heart of palm “ceviche,” a lemon chicken sandwich, and a Hawaiian shoyu ahi poke bowl.
Four Seasons Maui Ferraro’s Restaurant lunch
Four Seasons Maui Ferraro’s Restaurant lunch
Four Seasons Maui Ferraro’s Restaurant lunch
Another day we both had the spiced beef tenderloin steak salad.
Four Seasons Maui Ferraro’s Restaurant lunch
The restaurant also has stone baked pizzas which are legitimately good — we ordered one via in-room dining one day.
Four Seasons Maui Spago
We had dinner one evening at Spago, which is located just off the lobby. As you’d expect, this is the hotel’s fanciest and priciest restaurant. Spago has more indoor seating than the other dining options at the hotel, but at least there are huge windows so you can still be reminded of where you are.
Four Seasons Maui Spago Restaurant
Four Seasons Maui Spago Restaurant
Four Seasons Maui Spago Restaurant
The dinner menu read as follows:
Upon sitting down we were offered a selection of bread.
Four Seasons Maui Spago Restaurant dinner
To start we split the Japanese hamachi.
Four Seasons Maui Spago Restaurant dinner
For the main course I had the pineapple coconut red curry, while Ford had the Hawaiian ono.
Four Seasons Maui Spago Restaurant dinner
Four Seasons Maui Spago Restaurant dinner
Four Seasons Maui lobby lounge
The Four Seasons lobby lounge is absolutely worth a visit for a pre-dinner drink, given the views and live local music. I love any venue that has live music, and it’s something I wish we saw more of at hotels. You can find the menu here.
Four Seasons Maui lobby lounge
Four Seasons Maui lobby lounge
Four Seasons Maui lobby lounge
Four Seasons Maui lobby lounge drinks
Four Seasons Maui in-room dining
The day we arrived we ordered room service lunch so that we could get some work done before heading out for the afternoon. You can find the menu here.
While other hotels have either cut back in-room dining or now deliver it in bags, it was business as usual here. We each had a strawberry salad with chicken, and then also split a pizza, which was from Ferraro’s.
Four Seasons Maui in-room dining
Four Seasons Maui in-room dining
Four Seasons Maui in-room dining
Bottom line
The Four Seasons Maui is probably the best large resort I’ve ever stayed at, thanks to the excellent hard and soft product.
While the “bones” of the property are older, Four Seasons has done a phenomenal job keeping this property updated. There’s a lot to love about this resort, from the three pools with endless seating options, to the outdoor gym, to the direct beach access, to the impressive restaurant selection.
Service at the Four Seasons is excellent as well, especially when you consider how many rooms there are. All employees were friendly and competent, and despite the large size of the hotel, there was an impressive amount of proactive and personalized service.
Ultimately Maui is an incredible place to visit, so if you’re looking for the best hotel on the island, I don’t think it gets better than the Four Seasons Maui at Wailea.
If you’ve stayed at the Four Seasons Maui, what was your experience like?
Want to take advantage of Four Seasons Preferred Partner benefits, including a space available room upgrade, complimentary breakfast, a hotel credit, and more? Contact Ford ([email protected]) for more details. He may even be able to help if you already have a stay booked.
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