Last year I signed up for what I consider to be one of the better hotel credit cards as far as bonuses go: the Chase Fairmont credit card. The sign up bonus for meeting a small minimum spend requirement is two free nights at any of their properties. The reason why this bonus may be more valuable than some others is that you also get a slew of certificates that can be used when you redeem your free nights.
For example, the card also comes with two $25 breakfast certificates, and you’ll also get a separate $100 dining certificate that can be used on the property you redeem the nights at. Additionally, you get a room upgrade certificate and a separate suite upgrade certificate.
At my stay at the Fairmont Kea Lani, Maui I used the two free nights, a room upgrade certificate (all rooms at this property are already suites, so you cannot use the suite upgrade), both breakfast vouchers and the dining voucher.
I arrived at the Fairmont Maui after the designated 4pm check-in time so I didn’t have to request early check-in. The lobby is completely open air with no doors, which is perfect given the weather here. You’re greeted with a fountain in the center of the lobby and just beyond that is the view of the blue ocean and sky. There’s also a bamboo walkway.
I went to check-in after taking in the view. The base room at this property is the Fairmont Suite. My upgrade certificate got me to a Garden View Suite and that’s the room I was expecting going in. I wasn’t going to be at the property very much since I had other plans for the weekend, but I asked if it would be possible to get a complimentary upgrade to an Ocean View Suite (note: ALWAYS ask for an upgrade!).
The front desk agent was very nice and was able to upgrade me to a 6th floor (out of 7) Ocean View Suite. She also asked if I’d like to apply my dining vouchers to my stay, to which I said yes. She mentioned that their property doesn’t track whether the meal was breakfast or another meal, and that I could use the $150 on any food at any time. She was extremely helpful and I already had a great first impression of the hotel without even walking 20 feet into the property.
The only downside is that there is a daily resort fee of $30 that is not waived, even with the free certificates. I knew this coming in though since I was told about the fee as I made the booking over the phone. The fee includes snorkel rentals and some other small benefits that are certainly not worth $30, but I couldn’t complain since the value of the room I was upgraded to was a whopping $949 a night.
I headed to my room which was a bit of a walk away from the front of the hotel. I walked by the spa and caught a glimpse of the hotel grounds, which you’ll see in a moment.
Fairmont Maui Ocean View Suite
I was in Suite 676. The entryway had a little nook with coffee and a mirror, and underneath was a mini fridge. Just beyond that was the living room that had a couch, a TV, a desk, and a door to the balcony. To the left was the door to the bedroom.
The bedroom had a King-sized bed, and there was a tray on it with a couple of items. To my surprise, I had a pair of barely-used Reebok running shoes, t-shirt, shorts, and pair of socks. I had completely forgotten that I selected these items in my Fairmont profile online when I first got the card. Having the Chase Fairmont credit card entitles you to Presidents Circle elite status, and free Reebok fitness gear is part of the benefits package. I actually ended up making use of them on some hikes during the weekend, and they were great.
Anyway…on to the views. They were really amazing. I’ve had some nice views before, including the Conrad Koh Samui and Conrad Bali, but this one might very well be the best view I’ve had. These photos are untouched – which is even hard for me to believe.
The view on this side of the island is of the sunset. Unfortunately I was out for both evenings and couldn’t view the sunset from my room, but I’m certain it would be a sight to behold. My suite gave me a glimpse of everything: the hotel grounds, the ocean, and part of the island in the distance. These images have not been retouched…it’s really that bright and amazing!
The bathroom had two separate sinks and a separate shower and bathtub. Amenities were nice but nothing too amazing.
Fairmont Maui Review – Breakfast
I mentioned I had about $150 in food credits available to me, and I planned to use them at the breakfast in the mornings since we planned to be out all day after that. We had the option of ordering from the menu or selecting the buffet, which was $36 per person. We walked around the buffet options and decided it was the better choice.
The selections actually changed from day-to-day, but about half the items stayed the same. Here are some of the options we had on our first day there.
There was plenty of fruit and and egg station, plus all the other items you’d expect like pancakes/waffles, potatoes, bread, and an egg station. Breakfast doesn’t really have a great view but it does overlook the adult swimming pool. We ate around 7am each morning due to jet lag and there were no more than about 8 other tables occupied at that time. Needless to say, breakfast was quite peaceful at this time. I thought the food and selection was excellent, and the service was good as well.
Hotel Grounds
The hotel grounds were fairly extensive as you saw from the view from my room. There are a couple of different swimming pools, one for adults and one for families. There were tons of lounging chairs around the pools and lined along the path to the beach, and by the late morning most of them were in use. The beach itself isn’t exactly private, but it’s still feels that way and has some great views.
There are several restaurants around the hotel and all of them are pricey. I’d suggest doing some research into places outside the hotel as there’s plenty to see and eat.
Surrounding Area
The Fairmont is located in an area where there are quite a few other high-end properties. The Four Seasons is nearby, the Grand Wailea from Hilton is up the street, and the Andaz from Hyatt is just a bit further. There’s nothing really within walking distance of the resort, but thankfully the Fairmont offers free overnight guest parking, which is a great way to save compared to some other hotels in the area.
In terms of getting to some of the island’s more touristy items, you’re looking at a 2+ hour drive to Waimoku Falls on the Road to Hana and just under 2 hours to the top of Haleakala. The views from the top are pretty amazing though, so I definitely recommend going for either sunrise or sunset. Be sure to stay there when it’s dark as well so you can see the stars and Milky Way! The Black Sand Beach was one of the highlights of the trip for me because of how unique it is. If I could do it again, I’d rent an SUV instead of a normal car for the Road to Hana.
The airport is just over 30 minutes away, and there’s plenty of shopping plazas with restaurants and gas/grocery stores on the way. Google Maps works wonderfully around the island.
Final Thoughts
My two nights here were amazing and felt extremely short, and even more so considering I was out for both days. Still, I found this property to be really amazing. Everything, from check-in to the room to the breakfast to the beach, was top notch.
The Fairmont credit card is definitely worth getting, and using the free nights at a property like the Fairmont Maui is one of the best ways I can think of using them. I highly recommend this hotel!
I’ve stayed here.. If I were to sum up in a twitter post.
Location: awesome. Room: dated and ok. Grounds/common areas: fabulous. Good use of certs: yes. Food: overpriced. Services: good
More or less echos what I wrote!
yes.. my biggest problem with the hotel was the room. Views are good but the room itself is very dated and more like a 3 star holiday inn. It did not feel luxirous at all. So my solution was to not spend any time in the room 🙂
having stayed in hawaii and other nice places around the world, I value my stay here at $300/night. Of course they usually charge a lot more.
Next time, I go to hawaii, I’ll instead rent a condo in the kihei area. The mega resorts are on teh beach but it may be a 10 minute walk through the resort to get to the beach. Not the case in many of the ocean front condos in kihei.
Been there 4 times. To be fair they began remodeling a lot of the rooms a couple years ago so not sure how long ago Andreas stayed. We specifically got a remodeled room because we asked for one. The rooms are all suites so perfect for a family of 4 that feels too crowded in standard rooms. Food is not overpriced compared to the other resorts in the area, Grand Wailea, Four Seasons, Andaz, etc, about the same. This is Wailea, not Kihei. It’s got an incredible vibe, not the zoo that is GW and not as foo foo as the Four Seasons (stayed at all of them). But that’s just me. I think the Kea Lani is perfect for a young couple or a family with really young kids. As the kids get older, they may be yearning for something different.
Ummm…”barely-used” Reebok running shoes??? I’m having high-school-bowling-shoe flashbacks! Anyway, the view you got is fantastic! Thanks for the informative review.
Out of curiosity, how long did it take to get the certificates after you completed the minimum spend? Also, how far in advance did you book the rooms? I am trying to determine whether there will still be sufficient availability if I book the rooms in early November for late January. Thanks!
I received the certificates quickly and I booked about a month or two in advance.