WAILEA, Maui—A former Japanese private members club previously unknown to leisure travelers, Hotel Wailea makes the scene following a $15 million makeover. Perched 300-feet above sea level, Hotel Wailea features a relaxed beach house design in all 72 one-bedroom suites, a newly finished pool with private residential-style cabanas, and an orchard-to-glass apothecary bar.
Honolulu-based interior designer Marion Philpotts-Miller led the project blending together indigenous island character with modern sensibility. Hotel Wailea is set across 15 acres with 72 suites that offer views of gardens, three neighboring Hawaiian islands, and the Maui coastline. Inside the contemporary suites, architectural elements such as coral and limestone walls, smoked white oak floors, and custom-crafted Hawaiian Ohia cabinetry are fused with laid-back island aesthetics including artwork by local surfer-turned-artist Pete Cabrinha. Each suite has a separate living room, oversized lanai, and Sub-Zero and Wolf kitchen amenities.
“Today’s refined luxury consumer desires privacy and relaxation above all, a challenging commodity to find in a 300-room beachfront resort,” said Jonathan McManus, owner of Hotel Wailea. “Hotel Wailea delivers on the promise of effortless island luxury—a very private escape where guests experience a high degree of attentive but relaxed service.”
The hotel’s restaurant, Capische?, blends Southern Mediterranean flavors and artisanal Hawaiian products. Executive Chef Brian Etheredge and Chef de Cuisine Chris Kulis, both graduates of the Culinary Institute of America, share a passion and understanding for creative techniques and high quality in the culinary arts.
The new poolside lounge, The Cabanas, is a day-to-night experience where guests gather to drink, dine, and relax. Raw food chef-turned-mixologist Kerry Mekeel brings her extensive knowledge to the apothecary-style bar where she creates custom cocktails with a wide selection of premium liquors, fresh-pressed juices, organic hydrosols, and tropical infusions. A series of oversized cabanas surround the pool deck furnished with DEDON lounge seating, sun chaises, aqua loungers, and circular pod daybeds. A built-in fire pit sits center stage for evening socializing while hanging lights, tiki torches, and lanterns evoke a romantic mood.
Hotel Wailea is beginning its next phase of upgrades, which includes an ocean view treehouse where guests can experience private spa treatments within the mango tree canopies. Projected for completion in spring 2015 is a new spa concepted by renowned luxury spa developer Tracy Lee offering a menu of signature treatments and massages.
