The Aloha Spirit In Wailea, Maui, Is Ready & Waiting, Especially For Canadian Visitors
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- Category: Inside Golf
- Published: 2025-01-28
By Gord Montgomery, Senior Writer, Inside Golf
When in Maui, know that the Wailea area always has its arms open to visitors in the Aloha Spirit. Located on the southern end of this gorgeous Hawaiian island getaway, Wailea is yours to explore whether you’re into golf, shopping, dining, swimming, relaxing on the beach, or just looking for an interesting area to investigate.
Speaking to the welcoming spirit here, shared among residents and merchants alike, Frank ‘Bud’ Pikrone, the General Manager of the Wailea Community Association, and his right-hand associate, Kathleen Costello, both spoke to this prevailing attitude.
“What’s really nice — and I see this all the time,” Pikrone began regarding the hospitality industry, “is watching the employees around here. How much they appreciate and enjoy their guests, get to know where they’re from... you see that everywhere here. People come here not knowing what to expect and are pleasantly surprised at the Aloha Spirit.”
Even In The Evening, The Sights On Maui Are Outstanding, As The Sunsets Here Are Remarkable. (Photo By Gord Montgomery/Inside Golf)
A big part of that Aloha Spirit in making visitors feel at ‘home’ on Maui is the fact anyone and everyone is happy to answer queries visitors may have about the island and the way of life, the many attractions, and the wonderful natural habitat in general.
One key thing to note if you haven’t visited here is that all beaches on Maui — and in Hawaii for that matter — are public. That means no matter where the sandy retreat lays, it’s open to one and all. In the Wailea area itself, there are five crescent-shaped beaches which, needless to say, are popular spots with anyone looking for sunshine, surf, and relaxation. While one can enter a beach through a hotel, there are public parking lots at each one with walkways down to the shore.
(Photo By Gord Montgomery/Inside Golf)
“The hotels can’t claim them. The condos can’t claim them,” explained Pikrone about those ocean-side spots. At this point, Costello chimed in with the fact that the Wailea Community Association oversees all the beaches on their part of the island. As a matter of fact, “We maintain them (beaches) to our resort standards. Our staff cleans the restrooms, which is done twice a day, seven days a week,” as well as tending the parks by cutting the grass, trimming the trees, waste management, and other duties including security patrols in the parking areas. “Most of the things here are county-owned, but we maintain it,” added Pikrone.
Away from the ocean proper, the amenities in Wailea are numerous. As a golf writer, I am drawn to the three outstanding layouts owned by the Canadian company GolfBC. Those include the scenic Emerald, the challenging Gold, and the popular Blue courses. If you want to sharpen your game before hitting these wonderful layouts, the golf academy headed by Canadian expat Claude Brousseau sits high above the Emerald and Gold courses and is well worth the financial investment to improve your game.
After A Hard Day Of Exploring This Gorgeous Island, There’s Nothing Like A Great Seafood Lab Lab Dinner At The Ko Restaurant, With Ti Leaf Wrap, Catch Of The Day, Scallops, Prawns, Shiitake Mushrooms, & More. (Photo By Gord Montgomery/Inside Golf)
Then there’s shopping at The Shops At Wailea, an outdoor mall that features retailers such as Tommy Bahama, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, and several other high-end establishments as well as several others specializing in food, beverages, and incidental needs. There are also non-shopping activities here including ukulele lessons, lei po’o making, coconut husking, wood carving, and more, making this place a must-see during your time in Wailea.
After a day of wandering, sunning, or just enjoying yourself, there is a need to refresh your body and mind with a good meal. There are several outstanding restaurants in Wailea, including the Kō at the wonderful Fairmont Kea Lani, the Chef’s Table at Ka’ana Kitchen, and the Grand Hotel, the famed Humuhumunukunukuāpuaʻa outdoor seafood restaurant.
If you’re looking at staying on this part of the island, there are eight luxury hotels available including those above plus the AC Marriott, the Four Seasons, Hotel Wailea, Residence Inn, and the Wailea Beach Resort. To top those off, there are more than 50 places to dine. As well, there are five spas, fitness centres, and at select hotels, tennis courts.
All in all, the Wailea area is a welcoming spot to all and open for all to enjoy, especially those of us coming from the cold, snowy Canadian weather because what you’ll mostly find here is sunny, blue skies.
“We love Canadians!” exclaimed Costello. “Wailea, I think, has a special tie to Canada, especially Western Canada,” and if that’s not a good enough reason to visit this area, then move up this page and read again all there is to see, and do, in this beautiful part of Maui.
At The AC Marriott In Wailea, You’ll Walk Into A Clean, Crisp Lobby (Photo By Gord Montgomery/Inside Golf)
A Place To Stay
For our time in Wailea, we chose to set down at the newest hotel on this part of the island, the AC Marriott. Now about three years old, this property is one of the smaller hotels in this area, meaning fewer people and more room to enjoy the extra elbow room.
On first impression of the rooms here, the starkness jumps out at you. In a nutshell, these rooms are contemporary, clean, and minimal. In our room, there was a king-sized bed and a queen-sized pull-out couch. However, there was no microwave and the coffee maker was on the tiny side. Minor issues aside, you come to Maui to explore all its wonders outside not to stay in your hotel room.
While The Rooms Seem A Bit Stark, They Are Comfortable & Offer Great Views Of The Pacific. (Photo By Gord Montgomery/Inside Golf)
Once you get over that initial impression, you’ll find the room(s) comfortable and quiet. Those with the ocean view have a beautiful sightline to the Pacific as well as the hotel’s courtyard which features an infinity pool and a Tiki Bar-inspired eating/drinking area. Live music is on tap here a couple of times a week. Overall, this is a great spot to set up for your stay, and it is quiet given the smaller number of rooms available.
The AC Marriott is located just above The Shops At Wailea, an interesting mall featuring high-end and budget-friendly shops, as well as restaurants and coffee shops. As mentioned above, several interesting activities take place here daily and are well worth attending.
Blue Golf Course Offers Some Outstanding Par-3 Challenges, Including These Two Downhill Tests. One On The Front 9... (Photo By Gord Montgomery/Inside Golf)
A Place To Play
If you’re situated on the ocean-view side of the AC Marriott, while you may not realise it, the Wailea Blue golf course is also in your sightline. However, given the greenery around that layout and the hotel area itself, it’s something you may overlook.
Don’t dismiss this course though, as it is claimed by the Director of Operations, Justin Ohta, as “the most popular,” of the three BCGolf-owned courses in Wailea. The Blue features wide open fairways, for the most part, views of the ocean on several holes, and a challenging layout with several uphill shots and downhill par-3 tests. Ohta noted that while the course isn’t tight, it does have protection. The two things in particular going that, he pointed out, are the tricky, and fast, putting surfaces and the fact that the rough is being grown out a bit to penalize anyone straying off the fairways.
...And One On The Back 9. (Photo By Gord Montgomery/Inside Golf)
An interesting side note here is the front nine has what is called the Blue Wave — a shortened nine, akin to a par-3 design, playing to just over 1,600 yards, for those who want to loosen up their swing (or find it after a winter away from the game), after climbing off a plane after a long flight. This feature is available only on the front nine.
Enjoy Your Stay
Overall, time spent on Maui is relaxing, fun, and unforgettable. Those characteristics are all found in the Wailea area where visitors, especially those from Western Canada, are welcomed with open arms on this beautiful island paradise. For more on this area, go to their website at www.WaileaResortAssociation.com.