Our Expert Travels to Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea

As an Expert here, I am exposed to and constantly learning about exotic locations, luxury vacations, premium cruises and all sorts of "bucket list" travel experiences. Before I started working here, I had not traveled much so I'm kind of like a kid in a candy shop. When it came time to choose this year's vacation, we debated a cruise in Greece, a land vacation in Italy or a stay in an overwater bungalow in Tahiti. When we discovered my boyfriend could not get out of the office for more than 10 days, we decided to stay a bit more local. It had been years for both of us since we had visited Hawaii. A decision was made and I went to work planning our trip. Thanks to Josh at Classic Vacations and our contacts at Four Seasons Preferred Partners, I had plenty of help. I do have to say, we both felt a little disappointed about this decision after talking about some really amazing and exotic locations. Now that we are back, long gone are those thoughts. We had an absolutely perfect and magical vacation in Maui and Lana'i! Hawaii is still a perfect go to spot for a relaxing time and it is so easy to get there from the west coast. it is really a beautiful slice of paradise. Part one of my two part article is about our experience in Maui. From California it is a short 5 hour flight to Kahului airport in Maui. After we landed, we picked up our car right there at the airport. Since we had used Classic Vacations to book the car rental, we did not have to wait in the long line for the general public, but instead a much shorter line for Classic guests. After about 10 minutes and a complimentary upgrade to a nicer car (thanks again to Classic Vacations), we were on our way to our resort. Twenty minutes later, which included a fun stop for pictures in the sugar cane fields, we arrived at Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea. In Wailea, there are many luxurious hotels lining the beach. Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea has a great location as it is close to the end of where the hotels line up. It feels very private and is very exclusive. The valet attendants took care of parking the car and the bell hops took our bags for us. We walked into the open air lobby and immediately felt right at home. The ocean breeze naturally leads you to the breath taking ocean view. The lobby is beautiful and everyone takes such good care of you. We were given cold towels and fresh pineapple juice while we checked in. We stayed in a Deluxe Ocean View room which was spacious and decorated in a contemporary island style. The bed was beyond comfortable as it had plenty of fluffy pillows and a fluffy comforter. There is also a spacious balcony with a table and chairs. It is here that we enjoyed cocktails and the beautiful sunset on our first night in Hawaii. The bathroom has a separate shower and very large soaking tub. There is also a vanity table for us ladies to style our hair and apply makeup. The bathroom is stylish and has marble floors and counters. I enjoyed the complimentary bathrobe, but the slippers were so comfortable, I had to purchase them when we left. The concierge is fabulous at the hotel. Before we arrived, they had arranged some dinner reservations for us. They had great suggestions and sent us not only to restaurants at their hotel, but other hotels in the area. As I am a foodie, I wanted to experience some local places, and they recommended a sushi restaurant in Paia (about 10 minutes from the hotel) that was amazing and filled with locals. They can also tell you where to go for shopping, cultural outings, helicopter tours and anything else you would want to experience while staying on the island of Maui. They actually booked the ferry to Lana'I for us, gave us specifics as to where we would return our rental car and get to the ferry dock in Lahaina. The restaurants on property are fabulous. We enjoyed breakfast every day, which is complimentary for Preferred Partner guests. The breakfast consisted of fresh fruit, freshly baked breads, an omelet station, hot items and much more. You can also get your complimentary breakfast served by room service. We dined in the restaurant each day as we loved the whole experience with the ocean and pool view. At night this is Duo Steak & Seafood. We did not experience this, but I heard it is amazing. The menu looked really good. On our first day there, we went to Ferraro's for lunch. It is an Italian restaurant at night, but during the day you can get island favorites, sandwiches, salads and all sorts of other delicious items. It was fabulous, fresh and the service was amazing. We had dessert at Ferraro's and that was splendid. We shared chocolate cake and Bailey's on the rocks. To make the experience more decadent is the fact that you are dining by candle light and moon light. It's a little too dark to see the water, but you know it's there and you can hear it. What a fabulous experience. I wish I was there right now! Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea is also home to Wolfgang Puck's Spago. The food is spectacular and the view is equally special. It is quite an experience and should not be missed. Don't forget to make your reservations or have concierge do that for you so you don't have any problems getting a table at your desired time. The resort is not huge and is not over crowded, but space can be limited at the restaurants. I loved the fact that there was a cardio room and a weight room. The cardio equipment overlooks the ocean, making it a little easier to exercise on your vacation. The weight room is fully enclosed and separate and it is equipped with many machines, free weights and other exercise equipment. Cold water infused with tropical fruits is available at both the cardio and resistance rooms. The spa is a nurturing tropical retreat and is a treat for everyone. Experience their signature Hawaiian massage which uses an exclusive blend of herbally infused oils to melt away tension. They also have special huts located on the beach if you wish to enjoy your massage on the beach. For a romantic experience, take a Couple's Instructional Massage where you learn ancient massage techniques while using products made from indigenous plants and flowers. You can also arrange to have a five course private dinner served beachside. You won't want to miss the Serenity Pool, which is exclusively for adults. There are cabanas that you can rent for the day that come with refreshments and televisions along with other special amenities. The pool opens at 7am and the pool butlers are there to assist you and help you get set up on lounge chairs of your choice. Enjoy snacks and cocktails poolside and you don't ever have to leave! The Serenity Pool is an infinity pool with a beautiful view of the Pacific Ocean. The pool butlers come by and spray you with cool water mist and offer you all sorts of goodies. Don't miss it! We also enjoyed spending time on the beach. The hotel makes sure they have a full staff waiting to help get you situated on your chaise lounges on the beach. If you want sun, you get it. If you want shade, they will set up an umbrella for you. They come by and spray you with sunscreen and offer frozen treats to help keep you cool. All in all, this was a great vacation. We set out to relax and that is exactly what we did. On the island of Maui, there is plenty to do if you want. There is also plenty not to do. I have fond memories of our vacation and cannot wait to return.

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