Hyatt Hotels & Resorts intends to open its first Hawaiian Andaz resort next year, the 325-room Andaz Maui at Wailea Resort & Spa.
The 15-acre beachfront resort, which will be located on Mokapu and Ulua Beach, is being designed by the Rockwell Group. It will feature a 15,000-square-foot spa and 12,000 square feet of meeting and event space.
Hyatt's design-driven lifestyle brand, Andaz, has locations in New York, San Diego, London, Shanghai and a few other select destinations.
Hyatt has named Michael Stephens General Manager of the new resort. Mr. Stephens was the general manager of Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort & Spa at Gainey Ranch in Scottsdale, Arizona. Stephens has had a 26-year career with the Hyatt going back to 1986. In addition they have also named Anita Rahman as the director of sales and marketing. Rahman has also had a long career with Hyatt and has served in sales management positions at Park Hyatt San Francisco, the Grand Hyatt Seattle, and the Andaz San Diego, most recently.
The Andaz brand touts itself as being more than a hotel. They embrace local culture into the décor, food and certain events. The opening of this major hotel in Hawaii follows that of Disney's Aulani resort on the Island of Oahu last year.
The new Andaz property sits on the former hotel property of the Wailea Renaissance resort which closed its doors in mid-2007. Below the hotel is a beautiful sandy beach called Mokapu and Ulua Beach. This location has been the ideal setting of numerous destination beach weddings
Hawaiian Style Weddings general manager Jana Rothernberg says "I think this has been the ideal location for beach weddings on Maui. The location has been uncrowded since the closure of the Wailea Renaissance hotel. Being on the south end of the Island means ideal weather and beautiful sunsets. This will certainly change next year when the Andaz resort opens its doors."