Traveling During COVID: Four Seasons Maui At Wailea

Wow! When I realized it had been a year since our last family vacation, I immediately started brainstorming the ultimate family-friendly luxury resort in a dream location. I mean, after all… we HAD been in captivity for over 12 months!

Right away, I knew we had to return to Maui and specifically back to the Four Seasons Maui at Wailea. A year prior we’d had the best family holiday, and I knew in these unique times, they would go above and beyond to ensure our safety while still not compromising on the experience.

HOW TO GET THERE:

We flew on Hawaiin Airlines. They have a direct flight from LA to Hawaii and have the only lie flat seats in business class. The service was really wonderful. They asked us to stay masked when we were not eating and drinking, but we were able to eat and drink whenever we wanted. The best part about flying to the Hawaiin Islands is that you have to have a negative Covid test to board a flight going there. That being said, you can rest assured that the flight is packed with healthy people! Hawaiin Airlines provided the testing sites they worked with, and it was a very convenient drive through that took minutes. We received our results within 72 hours and uploaded those to a portal and had to show a QR code at the airport and upon arrival at the hotel.

COVID PRECAUTIONS:

I was super impressed at all the safety measures Four Seasons Maui took to ensure our safety and comfort during our stay. Upon arrival, our temperatures were checked, we showed our negative test results, and masks are required when walking around common areas since it is still a Hawaii state mandate. Guests are only allowed to remove their mask when they are eating, drinking, swimming, or seated in a chaise lounge. . All staff wore masks and there were special plexiglass dividers at the check-in and concierge desk.

I was also very happy to see tables were spaced out so that we could dine without worrying about another table being too close. To be honest, as soon as we landed in Maui, I could feel all the stress of this past year melt away. It felt super safe and I loved all the precautions that were taken.

WHERE TO EAT AT THE HOTEL AND IN THE AREA:

I feel so fortunate that Four Seasons Maui at Wailea has some of the best spots to eat on the Island! There are several restaurants and we always book dinners at all of them, sometimes even multiple times. They offer incredible wine lists, spirits, chef-driven food and all restaurants have a special menu for kids and for teenagers. How amazing is that?! We enjoyed DUO Steakhouse twice, Spago and Ferraros and we ate lunch daily at the pool where they offer a special menu but also can bring food from Ferraros or DUO. I defnitey ate my weight in guacamole and chips, but does that really count on vacation?

The standouts for me were the steaks at DUO, gnocchi at Ferraros and the Half Roasted Chicken at Spago.

Off property we enjoyed a few restaurants in the area including the famous Morimoto and Ka’ana Kitchen both located at the Andaz. I enjoyed the reserve wine tasting at Morimoto where I got to try really nice wine in 3 ounce pours!

KIDS FOR ALL SEASONS

They say a trip with kids is just that, a trip. A trip at The Four Seasons Maui at Wailea with the Kids for All Seasons kids club is a vacation! Having a kids club my children look forward to going to creates the best balance for a family holiday. We get the perfect mix of family time, solo time and couples time. The programming is amazing! They offer hands on activities that keep the kiddos bodies moving and busy all day and engage their creativity. The hours are 9-5 and some nights 6-9 #datenight! I can’t say enough wonderful things about this magical place and the sweet staff that run it. Right now masks are mandatory for the kids and staff. My kiddos didn’t mind at all. They can take them off to eat and snack and drink. Kids can start enjoying the club starting at age 5!

SPA AND GYM

This trip my husband and I indulged and treated ourselves to some spa treatments. We each had 80 minute massages outdoors in a covered area near the ocean. The spa at the Four Seasons Maui is so beautiful, calming, and offers some really unique treatments like the Lomi Pohaku massage I tried that incorporates hot stones.

The gym at the hotel was wonderful. Even during covid, I felt really comfortable working out. Masks are mandatory which was fine because half the gym is open air outside and faces the ocean. The weights and most machines are indoors. They truly have everything you need for a full body workout including peloton bikes which can also be placed in your room! Right now they also have a space you can rent for private work outs if you don’t feel comfortable sharing the space with others.

POOL

There are 3 pools at the hotel. The Serenity Pool is just for adults and my husband and I acutally rented a cabana one day that the kiddos were in the kids club and indulged in a full day of poolside lounging, eating and fun. The main fountain pool is for families and all ages and has complimentary cabanas but you need to claim one early, like 7 am! There are also four ocean view cabanas you can rent that are for the whole family facing the ocean which we also enjoyed one day. Lastly there is a special kids pool with a small slide that my kids enjoyed daily with the kids club.

BEACH

The beach is accessible from the pool and resort and staff helps set up a chair and umbrella for you. There is a fun little beach cafe there as well that serves coffee, ice cream and has a great selection of hats, sunblock and more!

SPORTS AND ACTIVITIES

If you know my family, you know we are avid tennis players and The Four Seasons Maui at Wailea is the only hotel in the area that has it’s own courts! They are on the sixth floor rooftop and my husband and I enjoyed a semi private lesson from the instructor there and my boys also had a lesson. There is now pickleball as well and basketball. For other activities the very attentive concierge team can help your family arrange surf lessons, boating activities and more! The water right in front of the the hotel is perfect for stand up paddle boarding and other water activities.