Receive complimentary breakfast at Luxury Hotels
We have reviewed the best Four Seasons hotels in Hawaii, which includes the stunning Four Seasons Maui in the most exclusive resort on Maui, Wailea.
Four Seasons Maui is the most resort-based Four Seasons hotel on the Hawaiian Islands, situated in the exclusive resort area of Wailea. To get the best deal at Four Seasons Maui, book your next stay via our luxury travel concierge, as we can give you free loyalty-style benefits, free breakfast (which is glorious here), resort credit, room upgrades (subject to availability), and perks while matching the rates on the Four Seasons Maui website. Our clients usually get the room upgrade (except for during peak periods, although it is not guaranteed).
I was previously blown away by Four Seasons Maui when we stayed at the Wailea Beach Resort by Marriott on Maui. We had walked up the beach boardwalk from the Marriott to the Four Seasons to use the Four Seasons bar, where we enjoyed a beer and wasabi nuts as the piano was played and the sun set. On our next trip, we made it our mission to stay at Four Seasons Maui, and this is my review of our stay.
The best time to visit Maui is in Hawaii’s off-season when the rates are cheaper and the islands are less crowded. Ideally, travel is spring (April to June) and fall (September to November, excluding Thanksgiving). Winter in Hawaii can be slightly cloudier and wetter from December to March, but it is a popular time to travel simply because the rest of the Northern Hemisphere is so miserable and cold. If you stay in Wailea on Maui, you have the most chance of sunshine as Wailea is on the sunniest coastline on Maui.
It is worth noting that Four Seasons Maui does not charge a resort fee, unlike some other nickel-and-diming resorts across these islands. It’s one of the only hotels on Maui that does not charge a resort fee, and yet it still offers a bunch of complimentary extras, such as the use of cabanas, resort car service (to golf, tennis, shopping, and dining in the Wailea area), free sunscreen, introductory fitness classes, free of snorkel equipment for the first hour, free introductory daily scuba lessons, and Hawaiian outrigger canoe paddling excursions.
Location
Four Seasons Maui is located in Hawaii’s most exclusive resort enclave of Wailea. From the outside, the U-shaped, low-rise building is quite similar to the other large-scale Hawaiian resorts, but the interior is refined and luxurious with an open-air design where halls lead to the open side of the building. From here, you can enjoy ocean breezes and panoramic vistas.
Style & Character
When we arrived, we were greeted by name with leis (how do they do that!). The open-air marble foyer is just stunning and adorned with sweet-smelling flowers. You can literally smell the luxury when given a tour around this beautiful resort, where the cream hues and intricate marble pillars form a backdrop to the magnificent ocean views.
The large lobby has a glorious open design that brings the tropical outdoors in. Communal areas are also always immaculate, and the staff are always welcoming and often address you by your name. Four Seasons Maui also houses hundreds of incredible art pieces by Hawaii-influenced artists throughout the property.
The Four Seasons Maui has a wonderful garden that stretches down to the beach. The entire resort is beautiful. The hotel is built in a U shape around numerous pools and fountains, framed by beautiful Wailea Bay. It reminds me of a giant creamy wedding cake with a frothy fountain filled with white icing. You certainly can’t fault the look of the grounds and will find an array of loungers and pristine white marquees to choose from for your days lazing.
Service & Facilities
The pools at Four Seasons Maui are beautiful; some are for kids and families, and the stunning infinity pool with a bar is for adults only. We used the loungers on the beach and around the pools (spritzer anyone? don’t mind if I do) as well as the snorkeling equipment. I did notice that although the feel around the pool is very casual, the men, in particular, were wearing a lot of Rolex watches, so do remember your designer swimwear and accessorize with watches and diamonds. They will be appreciated!
There are actually three separate pool areas. The resort’s central pool is called the fountain pool because of a giant picturesque fountain that emerges from the heated waters of the pool. This pool, which has two whirlpools at both ends, is surrounded by plenty of cabanas that can be used free of charge (one per room). This pool area is open 24/7 and is very popular with kids, but it opens up to a more tranquil lawn with plenty of loungers that overlook the beach.
The waterfall pool is a free-form lagoon-style pool located next to the fountain pool, and it draws its inspiration from the ponds of Maui. Two parts of the waterfall pool are linked together with a short slide. This pool mainly attracts families with younger children, and parents can relax in one of the cabanas while keeping an eye out for their kids. Food and drinks are also available poolside, both here and around the fountain pool.
Both the fountain pool and waterfall pool can be crowded during the school holidays, so for adults, there is a third pool area, the serenity pool. This pool is located one level above the other two pools at the resort’s southernmost edge and has two hot tubes and four bubble loungers on its side. The pool is an infinity pool offering panoramic views of the ocean and beach and plays underwater music.
For a complete splurge, you can pay for one of six private luxury cabanas ($450 USD per day). While this might not be the best deal on the island and is certainly not a way to save money, these cabanas offer a great place to relax if your budget will stretch that far.
Let’s not forget that this resort is also right on a beautiful beach in Wailea, which is also kitted out with luxury padded loungers and Four Seasons service. Paddling here is a dream!
Rooms
All rooms here are a similarly good size (600 ft²) with the signature Four Seasons bathroom and a large balcony. The view is the deal-breaker here. The hotel is designed in a U shape, so if you were a bird flying above the hotel, you would look down on a U with the base of the U furthest from the sea and the top two points of the view closest to the sea.
The cheapest rooms are the rooms with Mountain views. These rooms are the same size and quality as the Garden View rooms but are on the bottom outside of the U.
The garden view rooms are situated at the base of the U. We stayed in a Garden View room. We booked a Mountain View via our luxury travel concierge and received a free upgrade to the Garden View Room. Our Garden View room was located at the base of the U on the bottom floor. This gave us a beautiful sunny lanai and a gorgeous greenery view but we couldn’t see the sea. If you have a Garden View Deluxe room, you will have a room at the base of the U but higher up in this 5 storey building.
The Ocean View rooms are further forward, closer to the ocean towards the points of the U, but still within the U shape of the building. From these, you can see the ocean nicely from the angled Lanai balconies.
The rooms themselves are identical in terms of size, decor, and aspect. You are simply paying a premium to be closer to the Ocean within this U-shaped setup. If you want a free upgrade to the Ocean View, you should book the Garden Deluxe category, as our luxury travel concierge free upgrade is one level (subject to availability).
Is it worth paying the extra for an Ocean View Room? That is the million-dollar question. If money is no object, then of course, it’s worth the splurge on the Ocean View room, but if you are looking to sit out in the Hawaiian sunshine on a generous balcony with a pretty view but are not too bothered about seeing the ocean, the Garden View rooms are great, and we had a superb time when we stayed in ours.
It’s worth mentioning that even the cheapest room at the Four Seasons Maui is a great room. You are just facing the wrong way so you won’t hear the crashing of the waves as you fall asleep, but I’m very sure you will have a similarly great holiday, whichever room you choose.
The Club Floor
One particularly attractive feature of this property is that guests who book into a Club room or Club suite enjoy complimentary access to the hotel’s exclusive Club Floor Lounge. The ‘hotel within the hotel,’ Club Floor, has its own concierge team solely dedicated to the 26 rooms and suites on the top level. Here, guests enjoy complimentary all-day refreshments, a full-service bar, and other appealing extras. Once you have entered the Club Lounge, everything is free, which can actually bring down the cost of your vacation.
Club floors often offer the best possible deal because, although the initial price is higher, you do not need to pay resort rates for food and drinks, which can save you hundreds of dollars daily.
Food & Drink
The best restaurant at Four Seasons Maui is Master Chef Wolfgang Puck’s Hawaiian outpost (and Forbes Four Star and AAA Four Diamond restaurant). Sit down to a fusion of Hawaiian and California cuisine paired with panoramic ocean views. I recommend booking this restaurant before your stay. Our concierge team can connect you to the concierge at Four Seasons Maui to do this, as it can be fully booked.
I also particularly like Ferraro’s Bar E Ristorante, which is alfresco and right on the waterfront. In fact, this is Wailea’s only oceanfront restaurant, and you can dine under the stars, perfect for special occasions. Savor contemporary Italian dishes featuring fresh Maui ingredients as well as artisan pizzas from the wood-burning oven.
There are also more bars and eateries, including the poolside restaurant, to keep you topped up wherever you are in the resort.
Conclusion
Would I return? To Wailea, yes, in a heartbeat. Wailea is my favorite resort area on the island. Would I recommend the Four Seasons Wailea? Absolutely, Yes, 100%, for the gorgeous rooms, stunning views, amazing beach, and just participating in the magical Four Seasons experience.
Four Seasons Maui also features in our best Four Seasons hotels in North America.
Copyright Luxury Travel Diary 2014 - 2025. Duplication outside of luxurytraveldiary.com is forbidden.
Image(s) courtesy of Four Seasons Maui.
Note: Benefits & upgrades subject to availability. Benefits offered correct at the time of writing. Terms & conditions apply. Enquire for more information. Benefits offered correct at the time of writing but may be amended at discretion of the vendor. Posts may be sponsored by the proprietor or brand being appraised. All opinions remain our own & are in no way influenced.