Grand Wailea vs. Four Seasons Maui: Which Maui Resort Is Better?

If you’re planning a trip to Maui and deciding between Grand Wailea vs. Four Seasons Maui, it’s hands down the question I get asked most about Maui. And, after growing up traveling to Maui as a kid, getting married in Maui, and now traveling there yearly with my OWN children, I have opinions.. and as always, I’m going to be completely honest with you guys here in my review of both… So let’s get into it.

Both Four Seasons Maui and Grand Wailea are located in Wailea, both beachfront, and both considered two of the VERY best luxury Maui resorts… but even though they are literally next-door to each other, they are worlds apart – and offer very different experiences once you’re actually there.

I’ve stayed at both, and which one I’d book for you depends almost entirely on who you’re traveling with and what kind of trip you want to have.

Wearing our matching vacation family outfits!

Four Seasons Maui:

Four Seasons Maui is one of those resorts I recommend over and over again! and every time I go back, I remember why.

It’s calm, it’s polished, and it’s just easy. by day two you stop thinking about logistics at all, which is not a small thing on a trip with kids.

You wake up, grab coffee at DUO, wander the coastal Wailea walk, then breakfast, the pool, the beach, and back to the pool again. that’s the day.

 

What FS Maui Does Best

Service!

Especially on a Hawaii honeymoon or a babymoon or when traveling with little ones, service is everything.

Rooms that actually feel like luxury
If you’re comparing Four Seasons Maui vs. Grand Wailea rooms, I think FS Maui wins. Grand Wailea’s rooms are dated. BUT Grand Wailea recently renovated their new Napua tower so if staying there in that tower, the rooms are recently renovated.

Perfect for couples and babymoons
It’s the babymoon hotel in Maui I recommend most, and for couples in general I’d take it over Grand Wailea every single time.

It’s peaceful without ever feeling stuffy, and it never tips into chaos. Grand Wailea is built for families. Four Seasons somehow works for both, with an adults only pool that is actually quiet and a family pool a few steps away that my kids are perfectly happy in all day.

One of the best Maui resorts for toddlers and babies
I say this all the time, but Four Seasons Maui is one of the best resorts in Maui for families with toddlers.

• Calm, manageable pools, a toddler pool area with cabanas, poolside pack n’ plays for naps (!!!) and a little baby water slide!
• Spacious rooms that work well with cribs
• Staff that is incredibly accommodating with kids

Traveling with a baby here actually feels relaxing, and I don’t say that about many hotels.

Jetset Tip:
At Four Seasons Maui, I always recommend booking Garden View or higher — “mountainside” views face the parking area, and it’s worth the upgrade here.

Adults-only pool + elevated feel
Even though it’s very family-friendly, the adults only pool is the best pool in HawaiI!!!! You can definitely feel like you’re in your own adults only hotel here as well.

Grand Wailea: Best Maui Resort for Kids (Especially Older Kids)

Grand Wailea is iconic. it lands on every list of the best resorts in Maui for kids, and it earns that spot.

This place runs on kid energy from about 8am on.

What Grand Wailea Does Best

The pools and water slides (this is the main event)
If you’re hoping for a Maui resort with water slides, this is the one you want.

Lazy river, multiple slides, waterfalls. it is essentially a Maui waterpark with slides attached to a luxury hotel, and it is the whole reason kids beg to come back.

Best for families with older kids
If your kids are old enough to run around, explore, and want constant entertainment, Grand Wailea is going to feel like the best trip ever to them.

More lively, social atmosphere
Compared to Four Seasons, this is a much louder resort. if you want a quiet week, that will make you crazy. if you want your kids entertained from breakfast until bedtime, it’s perfect.

Jetset Tip:
If your kids are under 5, they won’t get much out of the slides, and Four Seasons is the better trip for you.

Where Grand Wailea Falls Short

Rooms are simple

Outside the Napua tower they’re comfortable and clean, and they’re dated. not what you picture when you hear luxury Maui resort.

It can feel crowded
It is one of the most popular family resorts in Maui and you feel that, especially at the pools midday.

Less personal service
It’s a huge resort, so nobody is learning your kids’ names by day two the way they do at Four Seasons.

Which Is Better: Grand Wailea or Four Seasons Maui?

Choose Four Seasons Maui if:

• You want the best luxury resort in Maui overall
• You’re planning a babymoon or couples trip
• You’re traveling with a baby or toddler
• You care about service, calm energy, and an elevated feel

Choose Grand Wailea if:

• You’re looking for the best Maui resort for older kids
• Water slides and pools are a priority
• You want built-in entertainment throughout the day
• You don’t mind a busier, more high-energy environment

My Honest Opinion – Grand Wailea or Four Seasons Maui?

• Four Seasons Maui → best for couples, babymoons, and families with babies or toddlers
• Grand Wailea → best for families with older kids who want pools, slides, and activity

If you’re looking for the best luxury hotel in Maui for couples or young families with babies or toddlers → Four Seasons
If you’re looking for the best Maui resort for bigger kid fun and water slides → Grand Wailea

If you’re booking EITHER of these hotels, I get my readers VIP Jetset perks (and often preferred rates!) at both! So reach out to me with your dates via email here and i’ll get right back to you.

On hotel quality alone, it’s Four Seasons Maui. the more useful question is which one is better for your specific trip, and that answer changes with every family I talk to.

Four Seasons is the trip you come home from actually rested, which at this stage of life counts for a lot with me.

And then there’s Grand Wailea, where you can practically hear kids saying “this is the best day ever” from across the pool. If you have big kids – how can you NOT go here??

You really can’t go wrong at either one. it just depends who’s coming with you.

Booking Tip: How to Get the Best Value at Both Hotels

I book both as a luxury travel advisor. And I can get you VIP perks at Grand Wailea and Four Seasons Maui (at NO cost to you), which include:

• Daily breakfast for 2 
• Room upgrades (when available)
• $100 resort credits
• Early check-in / late check-out
• VIP status on property

And I’ll tell you straight which one fits your trip. Fill out an inquiry form and let’s chat!!