Fairmont Kea Lani evaluation – The Factors Man

What’s the Fairmont Kea Lani?

Set on greater than 20 acres, the Fairmont Kea Lani boasts simply over 400 suites and villas on the pristine Polo Seashore in Wailea, about half-hour south of Maui’s Kahului Airport (OGG). The resort has an off-the-cuff magnificence about it, detectable from the second you arrive within the foyer and once you enter your visitor room for the primary time. It feels acquainted, comfy and like dwelling — solely fancier. (And my dwelling does not supply expansive ocean views from nearly each window.)

Designed as an all-suite resort, Fairmont Kea Lani caters to everybody from honeymooners to households and multigenerational vacationers. The villas are specifically designed for households, and so they characteristic full kitchens, dwelling rooms, indoor and out of doors eating areas and laundry rooms.

The grounds are lush and exquisite — precisely what you’d count on for a tropical escape. The most effective elements about this property is that you’re by no means a far stroll from something; the primary constructing homes all the eating places, spa and health middle, and there is a quick path to the villas and seaside. With three swimming pools (together with one adults-only pool), a 140-foot waterslide from the higher to decrease Lagoon pool, cabanas for hire and a full slate of actions, there are many methods to fill your days on the Fairmont Kea Lani.

Find out how to e book Fairmont Kea Lani

A wide ranging beachfront location 

As beforehand talked about, the resort is about half-hour south of Maui’s Kahului Airport (OGG). You may connect with the rental automotive middle from the terminal through a tram if renting a automotive. A rental automotive is a good possibility for those who determine to enterprise off the resort grounds and expertise Maui’s Upcountry or its many different seashores and native eating places. The resort additionally has an Avis Rental Automobile outpost within the foyer for each day or weekly leases.

Arrival expertise

Upon coming into the plush oasis that’s the Fairmont Kea Lani (which we reached through a quiet driveway), a bellhop greeted us and provided help with our baggage. One other visitor expertise employees member greeted us with leis and provided our daughter a whale’s story carved necklace. The journey was already off to an amazing begin, and we hadn’t even stepped into the attractive foyer but.

We made a fast cease on the entrance desk and have been welcomed by the villa expertise crew. They knowledgeable us that drinks could be replenished each day in our villa fridge and that breakfast was included as a part of the villa keep; additionally they defined that the crew could be only a cellphone name away if we would have liked something.

In the course of the golf cart trip all the way down to the villa, a bellhop offered a short property tour, mentioning places as we went alongside. As soon as contained in the villa, he offered an outline of the villa’s options and facilities.

Spectacular oceanfront villas

Should you’ve ever puzzled what dwelling on the ocean in a villa could be like, that is your probability. We spent three superb nights in a newly renovated, expansive two-bedroom, two-bath, 1,800-square-foot oceanfront villa with a personal plunge pool and lanai. This is able to be my ultimate dwelling state of affairs — falling asleep to the sound of the ocean each night time and understanding the water is simply steps out of your patio door. It was heaven.

Villa visitors take pleasure in sure resort facilities included with their keep, resembling each day breakfast at Kea Lani Restaurant and valet parking. The villa itself additionally included a barbecue grill on the lanai, two lounge chairs and an outside eating desk. The employees stocked the kitchen fridge with drinks and snacks, and the kitchen was totally geared up for cooking. The villa crew can even help with arranging grocery deliveries.

A big granite eating desk was between the kitchen and dwelling space. The lounge furnishings included a sectional couch and cozy chair, a flat-screen TV and a ceiling fan.

The first suite with a king mattress was on the villa’s higher ground (the ground you enter from the skin stairs all the way down to the villa). The room additionally included a writing desk and chair, a chaise lounge and a small patio with a lounger.

Ample charging places for units have been constructed into the nightstands and TV stand, making it straightforward to cost a number of units for a household (not that you will want them once you’re having fun with the resort!).

A lower-floor bed room off the kitchen and dwelling space provided two queen beds, a full closet and a rest room. Every bed room included ample closet house (a big walk-in closet was upstairs for the first suite) and a full rest room with a bath and walk-in travertine bathe.

Twin sinks with marble counter tops provided loads of house for journey kits.

Alongside the Le Labo tub facilities have been bottles of ocean-safe Undertaking Reef mineral sunscreen and after-sun lotion on the toilet counters — a considerate contact.

Considered one of my favourite facilities was having the ability to do laundry in our villa midway via our journey (that is additionally how you recognize you are over 40). The stackable washer and dryer have been within the utility room, together with an ironing board and iron.

Consuming and eating

Maui affords out of doors eating climate year-round, so you possibly can really feel the ocean breeze whereas having fun with a cocktail, dinner and a beautiful sundown irrespective of the season. The Fairmont Kea Lani has a number of choices for dinner, all with ocean views (along with room service). Total, the meals high quality in all places on the property was distinctive — even if you’re not a seafood lover, you’ll not go hungry whereas staying right here.

An added bonus is that children underneath 5 eat free when eating with a registered visitor via the resort’s Keiki (children) eating program at Ko, Kea Lani Restaurant and AMA Bar and Grill (restaurant solely, no poolside eating). Youngsters 6 to 12 might order from the Keiki menu at common worth or choose objects from the complete menu and obtain 50% off.

Dinner in Ko Restaurant

Ko contains a fusion menu of Hawaiian, Asian and South Pacific flavors in an open-air idea house with largely patio seating. It is on the bottom stage of the primary constructing overlooking the gardens, the grownup pool and the ocean. The restaurant is open for completely happy hour, dinner and Sunday brunch.

To start out, we shared the crispy shrimp with a Maui lavender honey sauce, candied macadamia nuts and smashed sesame cucumbers ($30). The flavors have been an amazing complement to one another — it was savory and a bit candy on the similar time.

Our dinner decisions have been the surf and turf particular of the night time ($57) and the Korean braised quick ribs ($58). The surf and turf was a bowl of Asian noodles tossed with bok choy, inexperienced beans, crimson peppers and sauteed shrimp. Completely cooked medium-rare slices of ribeye and a chimichurri sauce have been sitting on prime of the noodles. The Korean braised quick ribs have been served with carrots, child bok choy and kimchi fried rice. Each dishes have been stuffed with taste, and we had lots to share.

Breakfast buffet at Kea Lani Restaurant

A villa keep consists of each day breakfast at Kea Lani Restaurant. The buffet was plentiful and catered to many alternative tastes — there have been shows of sliced meat, cheeses, artisan bread and pastries, together with Asian-style udon vegetarian noodles and miso salmon, rooster potstickers and miso soup.

Every morning, a beneficiant choice was accessible, from waffles, pancakes and made-to-order omelets to bacon, Portuguese sausage, scrambled eggs and egg whites. Continental choices included cereals, yogurts, granola, dried fruits and contemporary sliced fruits.

Pilina ocean-view foyer bar

Serving lunch and dinner, Pilina is an open-air foyer bar with attractive ocean views. The menu affords native drinks, contemporary seafood, sushi, and a collection of meat and fish you possibly can prepare dinner at your desk on a sizzling rock. Simply exterior the doorway are swinging chairs which proved to be my daughter’s favourite spot to go to moreover the pool slide and seaside.

The drink menu features a international wine choice, domestically made and Japanese sake, a collection of spirits from Hawaiian distilleries, beer from Maui Brewing Firm and cocktails. Attempt the Mauka cocktail ($24) — which implies “towards the mountains” — which mixes Fy Hawaii gin, Ohia Lehua honey, ginger, lemon, smoked Large Island bee pollen, angostura bitters and lavender from the Ali’i Kula Lavender Farm we visited earlier within the day.

For dinner, we loved a collection of salmon sashimi ($27), rainbow rolls ($37) and edamame ($16) to start out, adopted by venison sliders with yuzu tomato jam aioli on Hawaiian candy rolls ($26). The particular sushi roll of the night time was advisable by our server and turned out to be our favourite — a lobster, avocado, cucumber roll with soy sauce poke on prime with ogo, cilantro microgreens and garlic chips ($37).

I adore it when resorts have superb foyer bars for an off-the-cuff dinner, and Pilina undoubtedly checked all of the bins because of its stress-free ambiance, nice drink menu and scrumptious meals.

Cultural preservation and family-friendly actions

In 2024, the resort unveiled a brand new cultural middle within the foyer, and it is appropriate for all ages. The Cultural Middle on the Kea Lani is much more important now as a result of so many invaluable Hawaiian artifacts and historic paperwork have been misplaced within the Lahaina wildfires.

The middle affords courses resembling hula dancing and ukulele classes. Plus, it features a everlasting show of Hawaiian artifacts — resembling feather headdresses worn by royalty, jewellery constituted of seashells, ceremonial accompaniments and musical devices — that have been handmade by Maui artisans who replicated the normal strategies of making them.

Kamahiwa Kawaʻa, the pinnacle of the cultural middle, defined that all the things on show is supposed to be explored and used — permitting visitors to expertise the tradition and historical past firsthand.

We additionally had enjoyable experiencing the each day koi fish feeding at 9 a.m. (geared towards youthful visitors). Youngsters 10 and over may just like the stargazing occasion twice every week on the garden or the outrigger excursions provided a number of occasions every morning.

Stargazing in Hawaii is especially distinctive since you’re on an island in the midst of the Pacific Ocean with little or no mild air pollution. Should you reside in an city space, you might need by no means seen the Milky Approach or capturing stars. It is price it to attempt the high-powered telescope the astronomer brings to see planets and nebulae.

A swim with sea turtles is a good way to start out the morning, and the outrigger tour (ages 10 and up, reservation required) was an informative cultural exercise that lasted about an hour. It started with an evidence of how the Hawaiian folks historically used canoes for recreation and fishing.

After a conventional Hawaiian prayer and blowing of the conch, the outrigger shoved off Polo Seashore and out into the ocean. We paddled in unison for about quarter-hour earlier than stopping to gaze down on the reef beneath and ease into the water with goggles for a swim. Should you’re fortunate, you may even get to see some turtles.

Cool off on the seaside or pool

The principle pool (appropriate for all ages and households) is split into the higher pool and decrease pool, with a slide connecting the 2. Pool cabanas can be found in each areas, and rental charges begin from $350 per day. The AMA Bar and Grill on the higher pool serves informal Hawaiian fare and likewise affords completely happy hour, a swim-up bar and patio eating.

The adults-only pool is nearer to the primary constructing, dealing with Ko Restaurant and the Kea Lani breakfast patio.

Cabana leases include a bento field of edamame and contemporary pineapple to snack on, in addition to a soft-sided cooler stocked with ice, water, juices and sodas. Pool attendants commonly make the rounds checking on visitors and, within the afternoon, carry round frozen chocolate mochi bites for everybody to take pleasure in.

Pool facilities embrace refillable bottles of mineral sunscreen, a retail store the place you should purchase goggles, sun shades, pool floats and toys; there’s additionally a scuba desk the place you possibly can prepare classes.

Down at Polo Seashore, there’s an expansive verdant garden for actions like watching the sundown, morning yoga or for youths to play. Friends who want to borrow kayaks or stand-up paddleboards can achieve this freed from cost from the seaside.

Calm down on the Willow Stream Spa

Willow Stream Spa is a signature of Fairmont properties with distinctive customer support and coverings. The spa at this property — which is slated to be renovated later this yr — options 13 therapy rooms, a full salon and boutique, oceanfront and poolside spa cabanas, and a number of rest areas.

For my therapy, I selected the Pure Hawaiian Journey (120 minutes, $465), which options domestically grown substances that native Hawaiians use to keep up well being and well-being. I additionally selected so as to add on a Knesko collagen face masks ($55).

After my therapy, my pores and skin felt hydrated and relaxed. My therapist, Kellie, offered skilled suggestions for my pores and skin sort and methods to keep up my post-spa glow.

You should definitely go away your self time to expertise the opposite elements of the spa, from the relief room to the therapeutic clay and steam room to the experiential showers — an “afternoon thunderstorm” bathe was fairly the journey.

Accessibility

The Fairmont Kea Lani is compliant with the People with Disabilities Act, because it affords pool chair lifts, extensive entrances and extensive pathways. The principle constructing has elevators for entry to the retailers, eating places, health middle and swimming pools.

Large pathways join the primary constructing to the swimming pools, villas and seaside. A choose variety of single-story, ocean-view villas are accessible from the primary pathways with out having to navigate steps.

As all the time, TPG recommends calling the resort forward of your keep to make sure they will meet your accessibility wants.

Testing

After having fun with our final sundown at Polo Seashore, the villa crew referred to as to rearrange help with baggage and a golf cart trip as much as the entrance of the resort for the following day. When it was time to go away, we have been unhappy to say goodbye to our new oceanfront dwelling away from dwelling, however the aloha spirit of the Fairmont Kea Lani employees stays till our subsequent go to.

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