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 informal magnificence about it, detectable from the second you arrive within the foyer and while you enter your visitor room for the primary time. It feels acquainted, comfy and like house — solely fancier. (And my house does not supply expansive ocean views from virtually 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, residing rooms, indoor and out of doors eating areas and laundry rooms.

The grounds are lush and delightful — precisely what you’ll count on for a tropical escape. Probably the greatest elements about this property is that you’re by no means a far stroll from something; the principle constructing homes all the eating places, spa and health heart, 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 lease and a full slate of actions, there are many methods to fill your days on the Fairmont Kea Lani.

Learn 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’ll be able to connect with the rental automotive heart from the terminal by way of a tram if renting a automotive. A rental automotive is a good possibility for those who resolve 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 Automotive outpost within the foyer for every day or weekly leases.

Arrival expertise

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

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

Through the golf cart experience all the way down to the villa, a bellhop offered a short property tour, stating places as we went alongside. As soon as contained in the villa, he offered an summary of the villa’s options and facilities.

Spectacular oceanfront villas

If you happen to’ve ever puzzled what residing on the ocean in a villa could be like, that is your likelihood. We spent three superb nights in a newly renovated, expansive two-bedroom, two-bath, 1,800-square-foot oceanfront villa with a non-public plunge pool and lanai. This might be my ultimate residing 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 get pleasure from sure resort facilities included with their keep, corresponding to every 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 out of doors eating desk. The workers stocked the kitchen fridge with drinks and snacks, and the kitchen was absolutely outfitted for cooking. The villa workforce also can help with arranging grocery deliveries.

A big granite eating desk was between the kitchen and residing space. The lounge furnishings included a sectional couch and comfortable 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 surface 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 gadgets have been constructed into the nightstands and TV stand, making it straightforward to cost a number of gadgets for a household (not that you will want them while you’re having fun with the resort!).

A lower-floor bed room off the kitchen and residing space supplied two queen beds, a full closet and a rest room. Every bed room included ample closet area (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 supplied loads of area for journey kits.

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

One in every of my favourite facilities was with the ability to do laundry in our villa midway by means of our journey (that is additionally how 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 stunning sundown irrespective of the season. The Fairmont Kea Lani has a number of choices for dinner, all with ocean views (along with room service). General, 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 youngsters below 5 eat free when eating with a registered visitor by means of the resort’s Keiki (youngsters) eating program at Ko, Kea Lani Restaurant and AMA Bar and Grill (restaurant solely, no poolside eating). Youngsters 6 to 12 could order from the Keiki menu at common value or choose gadgets from the total 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 area with principally patio seating. It is on the bottom stage of the principle constructing overlooking the gardens, the grownup pool and the ocean. The restaurant is open for blissful hour, dinner and Sunday brunch.

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

Our dinner selections 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, purple 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 every 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 obtainable, 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 choice of meat and fish you possibly can cook dinner at your desk on a scorching rock. Simply exterior the doorway are swinging chairs which proved to be my daughter’s favourite spot to go to in addition to the pool slide and seaside.

The drink menu features a international wine choice, regionally made and Japanese sake, a choice of spirits from Hawaiian distilleries, beer from Maui Brewing Firm and cocktails. Strive the Mauka cocktail ($24) — which suggests “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 choice 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 like it when resorts have wonderful foyer bars for an informal dinner, and Pilina undoubtedly checked all of the packing containers due to its enjoyable environment, nice drink menu and scrumptious meals.

Cultural preservation and family-friendly actions

In 2024, the resort unveiled a brand new cultural heart 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 corresponding to hula dancing and ukulele classes. Plus, it features a everlasting show of Hawaiian artifacts — corresponding to feather headdresses worn by royalty, jewellery made out 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 heart, defined that every thing 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 every day koi fish feeding at 9 a.m. (geared towards youthful visitors). Youngsters 10 and over would possibly just like the stargazing occasion twice per week on the garden or the outrigger excursions supplied a number of occasions every morning.

Stargazing in Hawaii is especially distinctive since you might be on an island in the course of the Pacific Ocean with little or no mild air pollution. If you happen to dwell in an city space, you may need by no means seen the Milky Method or capturing stars. It is value it to strive 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 a proof of how the Hawaiian individuals historically used canoes for recreation and fishing.

After a standard 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 under and ease into the water with goggles for a swim. If you happen to’re fortunate, you may even get to see some turtles.

Cool off on the seaside or pool

The primary 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 blissful hour, a swim-up bar and patio eating.

The adults-only pool is nearer to the principle constructing, going through 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 get pleasure from.

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 organize classes.

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

Loosen up 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 12 months — options 13 remedy rooms, a full salon and boutique, oceanfront and poolside spa cabanas, and a number of rest areas.

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

After my remedy, my pores and skin felt hydrated and relaxed. My therapist, Kellie, offered skilled suggestions for my pores and skin sort and methods to take care of my post-spa glow.

Make sure you 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, huge entrances and huge pathways. The primary constructing has elevators for entry to the retailers, eating places, health heart and swimming pools.

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

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

Trying out

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

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