KEIHEI, Maui, Hawaii
Grand Wailea, A Waldorf Astoria Resort, is undergoing a $30 million renovation, which includes all-new guest room interiors as well as upgrades to the hotel's meeting areas and its famous pools, with a completion date set for early 2015.
Room design updates are being headed by Los Angeles-based Barry Design Associates (BDA), who won the account via a design competition. The firm was behind the elegant looks of the El Conquistador Resort in Puerto Rico, the Mauna Kea on the Big Island of Hawaii and the Naples Grand Beach Resort in Naples, Fla.
Sustainability is a focus of the room reimagining, with LED lighting used throughout and all carpet made from recycled material, including bed accent carpet made of recycled nylon fish nets from the islands of the Pacific.
The overall design focuses on a sleek, modern aesthetic that aims to provide a sense of place.
Specific renovations to the 23-year-old Grand Wailea include:
- Updated guest rooms featuring all new furniture.
- Various pool upgrades.
- New carpet in the common areas of Spa Grande.
- Fiber Optic Wi-Fi Upgrade throughout the resort.
Nestled on 40 acres of tropical gardens fronting Wailea Beach, the resort is 35 minutes from the Kahului airport. It features 22 elegant outdoor function spaces, and seven unique event facilities—including a seaside wedding chapel—for business or social affairs.
The property offers nine different restaurant and bar outlets, including the thatched-roofed Humuhumunukunukuapua’a—built over its own oceanfront saltwater lagoon and voted "Maui's Best Resort Restaurant" by the readers of The Maui News—and the hotel’s open-air, art-filled lobby with its trompe l'oeil Botero Bar.
Guests also have access to the luxurious Spa Grande as well as five different golf courses and the extensive tennis facilities on the island. Accommodation options include an enclave of 120 luxury villas called Ho’olei’ ranging from 3,200 to 4,000 square feet, which are located directly across the street from the resort.
