Hawaii Vacation at the Andaz at Wailea: Part I

We had the most incredible vacation in Maui at the Andaz at Wailea and I am so excited to share all of the details with you!

We set off bright and early on Monday morning. I was hoping to sleep on the plane, but I was so darn excited that it was impossible. After a five and a half hour flight I was more than ready to get off the plane. I was very pleased when I realized the Maui airport is actually quite small because I was able to get my checked back in under five minutes from stepping of the plane! I am pretty sure that is record for me.

Before we knew it, we were in our rental car on the way to our hotel!

It was fairly cloudy out by the time we landed, but I still thought the scenery was beautiful.

Travis and I did a ton of research before our trip. Hawaii has always been on the top of my list of vacation destinations, but I’ve always been put off by the steep prices on all the islands. A few months ago we saw a hotel and flight deal for the Andaz at Wailea, a new beautiful hotel, we knew we couldn’t pass it up. The Andaz opened last September and all of the reviews we read raved about the beautiful property and impeccable service. We spent so much time researching because we wanted to prioritize what we were going to spend our money on.

When we pulled up to the Andaz entrance, we were greeted by friendly valets who took our car and bags and handed us each a beautiful lei. I received the tuberose lei and they gave Travis the traditional Kukui nut lei. Unfortunately, I forgot to take close-up pictures of them! When we entered the lobby, we were met by one of the lovely staff members, who sat us down on a large couch overlooking the pools and checked-in on an ipad (I think that was a first for me!). They also gave us warm hand towels and fresh lavender lemonade – I felt like royalty!

Next, we were taken to our room and I loved how bright and beachy it was! The room looked out onto the property’s gardens and we had our own private balcony where I sat every morning to enjoy my coffee and read.

After we dropped our bags in the room, we were more than ready for some lunch, so we set out to explore the hotel and find something to eat.

You can almost see our leis in the above picture.  Please note Travis’ “I am so excited to eat” dance!

We decided to stop at Bumbye Beach Bar, which was next to one of the hotel pools. I ordered a glass of pinot grigio and Travis ordered a local Maui beer to kick off our vacation. For lunch we ordered the chicken “popsicles” and a grilled chicken kale salad to share.

Some hotel food can be overpriced and lack imagination, but everything we ordered so fresh was delicious! I knew that was a good sign that the rest of the food throughout the hotel would be delicious as well.

After lunch we decided to take a stroll on the beach. The wind and waves were crazy, so there was barely anyone left laying out by the ocean.

After our walk, we went back to the room to rest for awhile until dinner. We had reservations at Ka’ana Kitchen, a farm-to-table restaurant at the Andaz at Wailea. Before dinner, we freshened up and went downstairs to grab a cocktail and watch the live entertainment they have by one of the pools every evening. The performer sounded so much like Israel Kamakawiwo’ole, a Hawaiian singer whose music I’ve always loved. It felt so peaceful listening to him as we enjoyed our drinks.

Our meal at Ka’ana Kitchen was incredible. I was enjoying it so much that I forgot to snap some photos. I did, however, make sure to capture the gorgeous sunset we watched during our meal. Look at these colors! I took pictures of the sunsets every night during our vacation because I just thought each night was more beautiful than the one before it.

After dinner, we were wiped from a long day of travel and the three hour time difference, so we passed out pretty early. I was so eager to wake up for our first full day on the island!

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For more about our stay at the Andaz at Wailea in Maui, please read Part II and Part III.