What can I say? Maui is obviously one of our favorite places to visit. Not only did John and I decide to get married there 3 years ago, but we’ve been visiting almost every year since we started dating. There’s just something about this island. It’s not just a tropical place, it’s a state of mind and has so much soul. Almost every time we go we rent Airbnb or Condo to save money since we go so much. Tickets alone can be expensive, to say the least, but this month I was invited to experience and stay at the Fairmont Kea Lani in Maui and it was such an unforgettable experience!

The Fairmont Kea Lani is one of the most beautiful resorts in Wailea (only about 30 minutes from the Airport). To be real, you don’t even have to leave the hotel if you don’t want to. They have their own restaurants (four of them), a beautiful beach (Polo Beach with plenty of fun activities) and 3 beautiful pools (hello Adult pool!) I didn’t get to visit the spa on this trip, but I know from my stay at the Fairmont Austin  that  they have amazing Spas. If you want snacks and don’t want to sit down at one of the restaurants, they also have the Makana Market which was a personal fave of mine (they have the best Kombucha here!).

Keep reading to see how our experience at this beautiful hotel was including photos.

 The Room

We stayed in a super posh suite on the top story with an ocean view #DREAM. The room was so luxurious I did not want to leave! It had two separate rooms (the living room and then the master room). My favorite part was the large bathroom with a deep tub (you know I soaked here more than once), standing shower, and his and hers sinks. It also helped that Fairmont always comes stocked with Le Labo so you don’t have to worry about forgetting body wash, lotion or shampoo. These products are top-notch.

I can’t stress enough how amazing our room was, particularly our view. John and I were there during whale-season. Initially, we had no idea, but apparently its from January to March and we were able to watch the whales breaching right from our room! They were small from where we were, but you could still see the silhouettes, breaching and giant splashes in the ocean. One day we watched them for an hour during sunset. It was such a magical and memorable moment. One thing I especially liked about our room was the open balcony. It was shaped in a circular form so it felt SO OPEN and big. I normally don’t notice that kind of thing, but this architecture at this hotel really stood out to me with its gorgeous open space and arches.

BREAKFAST
Every day we headed downstairs to breakfast at Kea Lani Restaurant.   I noticed this space the very first day when we first walked the property. I instantly fell in love with the decor. The whole hotel is so IG worthy, but this breakfast spot, specifically, caught my attention. It’s hard to deny the photogenic palm leaf wallpaper and that gorgeous natural light! As far as the food, they have a full buffet and a breakfast menu with traditional faves as well as local dishes. I was a big fan of the Chia Pudding (so yummy) and their green tea matcha was right up my alley. You can check out the menu and pricing here.

THE CABANA

We spent one full day at the hotel without leaving and it was heaven! We woke up early, watched the sunrise, headed to Brunch then went to lay out by the pool for as many hours as we could. Fairmont hooked us up with a beautiful Cabana at the adult pool so we could really experience it to the max and experience we did! We spent almost 5 hours at our cabana just laying, reading, swimming and relaxing. The cabanas come with an ice chest containing beverages of your choice, water and local Hawaiian snacks like edamame, pineapples, and cucumbers. The cabanas are so worth it! After finally getting all the sun we needed, we got ready to go catch the sunset on the beach and head to dinner.

Dinner

This hotel has many restaurants, but the meal I most enjoyed the most was our dinner at KO.  We went to check out the sunset right before dinner then just walked over and sat down. We relaxed and enjoyed watching the pretty sky turn colors as we ordered dinner. Ko has tropical plantation-inspired cuisine featuring Hawaiian, Chinese, Filipino, Portuguese, Korean, and Japanese menu items. I know, sounds delish right? Even if you don’t stay at this hotel, I recommend coming just for dinner and don’t forget to try the seared Ahi (probably the best ahi I’ve had). You get to sear it yourself on a hot stone at the table so you know it’s extra fresh and get to make it to your liking. I had the fish and John had steak. Both were delicious, but I think Johns steak won.

Check out their menu here.

 PERKS

• They have everything you need on-site!
• There are shuttles to take you to nearby spots to and from the hotel. By shuttles, I mean private vans.
• The beach (which is walking distance from the rooms) has snorkeling, stand up paddleboard, surfing and they have all the equipment you need. Plus, it feels like a little private oasis. It really doesn’t get crowded like some beaches on Maui.
• As part of the resort fee, you get complimentary classes like Yoga which is always nice on vacay!
•  If you forgot something like shoes, bathing suit or just want a new vacation outfit, The Shops at Wailea are only minutes away so you can either take a 15-minute walk there or take a complimentary shuttle.
• One detail I REALLY appreciated was the text communication you could have with someone from the hotel at all times. At one point John and I couldn’t figure out how to get Netflix going on the TV and all I had to do was text someone for help.
• Some of the restaurants can be pretty pricey. If you prefer to save on food, you can just head downstairs to Makana cafe or head into town and buy some food to store in your in-suite fridge.
• Adult Pool! I try and stay away from hotels with kids, but this hotel is so spacious that you can pretty much stay in your own lane and stay clear of the families if you prefer. If you’re like me you can just hang out at the adult pool all day!

This trip was one for the books and I can not wait to be back in Hawaii! If I am being honest, yes this hotel is expensive, but if budget permits, it’s worth EVERY PENNY. Service is great, the hotel is clean and you get what you pay for.

Thank you so much, Fairmont for having me. If you want to see my trip live I have a highlight section on my Instagram called “Maui Fairmont” where you can see our whole trip in action. For more travel posts head to my Travel section. If you want to stay at the Fairmont Kea Lani,  check out the site here. Stay tuned for what I wore/packed for Maui.

Thanks for reading!

xx Francesca