The Andaz Maui and the Grand Wailea sit less than a ten-minute walk apart on Wailea’s south shore, connected by the same beachfront path. Both charge over $1,000 a night in peak season. Both carry five-star branding. And yet they deliver completely different vacations.
The short answer: the Andaz Maui is the better resort for couples and travellers who value intimacy, modern design, and personal service. The Grand Wailea is the better resort for families and anyone who wants sheer scale — the biggest pools, the biggest spa, the biggest everything.
But the full answer involves rooms, pools, beaches, dining, loyalty points, and resort fees. We compared both properties category by category using verified details and aggregated review data from thousands of guests to help you decide which Wailea resort deserves your booking.
Andaz Maui vs Grand Wailea: Quick Comparison
| Andaz Maui | Grand Wailea | |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | Hyatt (World of Hyatt) | Hilton (Waldorf Astoria) |
| Property Size | 15 acres | 40 acres |
| Room Count | 320 rooms, suites & villas | 794 rooms & suites (+ 50 villas) |
| Pools | 5 (incl. adults-only) | 10 (9 activity + adults-only) |
| Beach | Mokapu Beach (direct access) | Wailea Beach (direct access) |
| Signature Restaurant | Morimoto Maui | Humuhumunukunukuāpuaʻa |
| Spa | ʻĀwili Spa | Kilolani Spa (50,000 sq ft) |
| Resort Fee | $50/night (+ tax) | $55/night (+ tax) |
| Points | 35,000–45,000 Hyatt pts | 110,000–155,000 Hilton pts |
| TripAdvisor Rank | #22 of 58 (Wailea) | #44 of 58 (Maui) |
| Best For | Couples, honeymooners | Families with kids |
Rooms and Suites: Andaz’s Villas vs Grand Wailea’s Renovation
The Grand Wailea is massive — 794 rooms and suites (plus 50 villas) spread across 40 manicured acres. A $300-million-plus renovation completed in 2024 (led by Tihany Design) refreshed every guest room with light wood furnishings, muted earth tones, Frette linens, marble bathrooms with soaking tubs, and spacious private lanais. Standard rooms come in at a generous 640 square feet. The scale is impressive, though some guests note the rooms, while renovated, still lean more traditional than contemporary.
The Andaz Maui takes a different approach. With just 320 rooms on 15 beachfront acres, it feels more like a boutique hotel than a mega-resort. The design is clean and modern — think natural stone, floor-to-ceiling glass, and open-air lobbies. Every room includes a complimentary minibar stocked with non-alcoholic drinks and snacks (an Andaz brand signature), a coffee machine, and a private lanai.
Where the Andaz truly separates itself is at the top end. Its 30 luxury villas — available in two, three, and four-bedroom configurations — feature full gourmet kitchens with Miele appliances, private plunge pools or hot tubs, marble floors, and outdoor Viking grills. The Grand Wailea has renovated suites, but nothing equivalent to a private villa with its own pool. If that matters to your group, the Andaz is the only choice.
Loyalty Programs: World of Hyatt vs Hilton Honors
This is often the real deciding factor. The Andaz is a World of Hyatt Category 8 property, currently bookable at 35,000–45,000 points per night. However, Hyatt is introducing a five-tier pricing system in May 2026 that could push peak nights to 75,000 points — so booking sooner locks in better rates.
The Grand Wailea uses Hilton’s dynamic pricing model, ranging from 110,000 to 155,000 Hilton Honors points per night depending on dates and demand. Hilton points are easier to earn in bulk (through co-branded credit cards and transfer partners), but each point is worth less than a Hyatt point. Many points-savvy travellers consider the Andaz one of Hyatt’s best redemptions in the world. The Grand Wailea, meanwhile, is a popular target for Hilton free night certificates.
One important note: award stays at both properties typically waive the resort fee — a saving of $50–$55 per night.
Pools: Grand Wailea’s Water Park vs Andaz’s Infinity Pools
This is the Grand Wailea’s signature advantage and it is not close. The Wailea Canyon Activity Pool complex spans 25,700 square feet across nine interconnected pools over six levels. It includes seven waterslides, a lazy river, a Tarzan rope swing, a sandy-bottom lagoon, a swim-up grotto bar, caves, waterfalls, and a water elevator. For kids, it is a theme park that happens to be attached to a luxury hotel. It is widely considered one of the best resort pool complexes in Hawaii.
Adults who want to escape the chaos can retreat to the Hibiscus Serenity Pool — a 4,850-square-foot adults-only pool (18+) with two jacuzzis and a far quieter atmosphere.
The Andaz takes the opposite approach. Its five pools are stacked in a cascading design with clean infinity edges, lush landscaping, and ocean views. The vibe is calm, photogenic, and unhurried. There is a zero-entry lagoon pool that works well for young children, and a dedicated adults-only tranquility pool. Poolside service is attentive, with complimentary sunscreen and water at every level.
Best Pool for Families
Grand Wailea. It is the single best family pool experience on Maui. No other resort on the island comes close to the Wailea Canyon’s combination of slides, lazy river, and kid-friendly features.
Best Pool for Adults
Andaz. The infinity pools are beautiful and rarely overcrowded. The adults-only pool is genuinely peaceful — a stark contrast to the Grand Wailea, where even the adults-only Hibiscus Pool can feel busy during peak season because the resort hosts nearly 800 rooms of guests.
Beach and Ocean Activities Compared
Both resorts deliver direct beach access, but to different stretches of sand. The Grand Wailea fronts Wailea Beach proper — a wide, golden-sand crescent with gentle waves and a gradual drop-off that makes it excellent for families with small children. The Andaz sits on Mokapu Beach, at the northern end of the Wailea coast. Mokapu is slightly smaller and quieter, with equally good swimming and better snorkelling along the rocks at its edges.
The two beaches are connected by the Wailea Beach Path, a 1.6-mile paved oceanfront walkway that also passes the Four Seasons Resort Maui between them. Morning or sunset walks along this path are a highlight of staying in Wailea regardless of which resort you book.
The Andaz has a clear edge on included ocean activities. Its $50-per-night resort fee (plus tax) covers outrigger canoe excursions, guided kayak tours, stand-up paddleboard lessons, snorkel equipment, GoPro camera rentals, and bikes. The Grand Wailea’s $55 resort fee includes beach chairs, beach cruiser bikes, and SCUBA clinics — useful, but a narrower selection. At the Andaz, you can fill an entire day of ocean activities without spending beyond the resort fee.
Dining: Morimoto vs Humuhumu and Everything Else
The Grand Wailea wins on volume with roughly ten dining venues following its renovation. The headliner is Humuhumunukunukuāpuaʻa, a fine-dining restaurant built over a saltwater lagoon — one of Maui’s most scenic dining experiences. The renovation also brought Nobu Grand Wailea, adding the globally celebrated Japanese-Peruvian concept to the resort’s lineup. Other options include Olivine, Botero Lounge, Bistro Molokini, and several casual spots like Grotto Bar and Wailea Surf Haus.
The Andaz is more focused with four on-site restaurants. Its star is Morimoto Maui, helmed by Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto. The beachside setting — sushi bar inside, tables under the stars outside — rivals any restaurant view in Wailea. Two poolside bars round out the casual options.
Both resorts are within walking distance of The Shops at Wailea, which adds a dozen more restaurant choices at generally lower price points. If you want culinary variety without leaving the property, the Grand Wailea has the advantage. If you prefer one exceptional signature restaurant with a more curated food programme, the Andaz delivers.
Spa and Wellness
The Grand Wailea’s Kilolani Spa is the largest spa in Hawaii at 50,000 square feet. The recently reimagined facility incorporates Hawaiian healing arts, Indigenous practices, and advanced wellness technologies. It was named to the 2024 Vogue Global Spa Guide‘s list of the 100 best spas worldwide. The resort also introduced dedicated wellness guest rooms in June 2024, equipped with Therabody compression boots, meditation goggles, and air purifiers.
The Andaz’s ʻĀwili Spa is considerably smaller but takes a more intimate, couples-focused approach. Treatments draw on Hawaiian botanical ingredients and the space feels private and unhurried. The resort also includes complimentary daily yoga, meditation, and fitness classes as part of the resort fee.
If spa is a priority and you want variety, the Grand Wailea wins on sheer scale and recognition. If you want a quiet, personal spa experience without competing for appointments with 794 rooms’ worth of guests, the Andaz is the better bet.
Service and Overall Atmosphere
This is where the numbers tell a clear story. Despite having nearly three times fewer rooms, the Andaz Maui ranks #22 among Wailea-area hotels on TripAdvisor (from over 5,100 reviews), while the Grand Wailea sits at #44 across Maui (from over 9,100 reviews). Both carry the same 4-out-of-5 rating, but the ranking gap reflects a consistent pattern in guest feedback: the Andaz receives higher marks for personal service, while the Grand Wailea draws more complaints about inconsistency and nickel-and-diming.
At the Andaz, guests frequently describe the service as “extraordinary” and “personal” — staff remember names, anticipate needs, and the smaller property means you see the same faces throughout your stay. The complimentary house car (which will drive you anywhere in the Wailea area on demand) is a small touch that signals a service-first mentality.
The Grand Wailea’s service is more variable. At its best, the Waldorf Astoria-trained staff are polished and accommodating. At its worst — particularly during busy periods — the sheer scale of nearly 800 rooms can make the experience feel impersonal. Several recent reviews cite additional charges for amenities like beach cabanas (reportedly up to $1,500/day) and pool chairs that feel at odds with the luxury positioning.
The atmosphere difference is equally sharp. The Andaz feels like a modern boutique hotel: understated, design-forward, calm. The Grand Wailea feels like a resort city: grand, buzzing, spectacular. Neither is objectively better — but they attract fundamentally different travellers.
Price and Value: What You’ll Actually Pay
Cash rates for both resorts fluctuate significantly by season. As of early 2026, expect to pay roughly $600–$1,200+ per night at either property during shoulder seasons, with peak winter rates climbing above $1,500. The Grand Wailea often appears slightly more expensive on paper, though rates overlap considerably.
Where the value equation shifts is in what is included. The Andaz’s $50 resort fee (plus tax) covers a wider range of tangible activities — kayak tours, paddleboard lessons, snorkel gear, GoPro rentals, a kids’ club, and a photography session. The Grand Wailea’s $55 resort fee covers the basics (Wi-Fi, beach chairs, yoga, bikes, cultural lessons) but several activities that feel like they should be included at this price point cost extra.
Parking costs are comparable: $48–$55 per day for valet at the Andaz, $75 per day at the Grand Wailea. Neither includes parking in the room rate.
For points travellers, the Andaz currently offers one of the best luxury redemptions in the Hyatt portfolio — a $1,000+ room for as few as 35,000 points is exceptional value. The Grand Wailea at 110,000–155,000 Hilton points per night offers good value relative to the cash price, particularly for guests who hold a Hilton Aspire or Surpass card with a free night certificate.
The Verdict: Which Wailea Resort Should You Book?
Book the Andaz Maui if you:
- Are travelling as a couple or on a honeymoon
- Value personal service and a quieter atmosphere
- Want included ocean activities (kayaking, paddleboarding, snorkelling)
- Prefer modern, design-forward aesthetics
- Are a World of Hyatt member — this is one of the programme’s best redemptions
- Want the option of a private villa with a plunge pool
Check rates and availability at the Andaz Maui
Book the Grand Wailea if you:
- Are travelling with children — the pool complex alone justifies the booking
- Want the largest spa in Hawaii
- Prefer grand-scale resort spectacle with multiple dining venues
- Are a Hilton Honors member with a free night certificate to burn
- Want a recently renovated Waldorf Astoria experience on a world-class beach
Check rates and availability at the Grand Wailea
Both are excellent resorts on the same stretch of coast. The Andaz delivers a refined, intimate experience with better service marks and more included amenities. The Grand Wailea delivers scale, variety, and the best family pool infrastructure in Hawaii. Your trip style — not your budget — is the real deciding factor.
Other Wailea Resorts Worth Considering
If neither the Andaz nor Grand Wailea feels like the right fit, Wailea has several other luxury options along the same coastline:
- Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea — The most expensive and highest-rated resort in Wailea. Exceptional service, no resort fee, adults-only infinity pool. Best for travellers who want the absolute top tier and don’t mind paying for it.
- Hotel Wailea — Maui’s only truly adults-only resort. A small, 72-suite boutique property on the hillside above the beach resorts. Best for couples who want complete quiet and privacy.
- Wailea Beach Resort (Marriott) — The most accessible luxury option in Wailea with lower nightly rates, the island’s longest waterslide (325 feet), and a relaxed, unpretentious atmosphere. Best for families on a slightly tighter budget.
For a broader look at what is available, see our guide to the best luxury hotels in Maui.
The Andaz Maui is the stronger choice for a honeymoon. Its adults-only pool, modern intimate atmosphere, included ocean activities, and private villas with plunge pools all cater to couples. The Grand Wailea’s pools and common areas skew heavily toward families with children, which can change the atmosphere during peak travel periods.
They are on the same coastline but front different beaches. The Andaz sits on Mokapu Beach at the northern end of the Wailea resort corridor, while the Grand Wailea fronts Wailea Beach proper. Both beaches are connected by the 1.6-mile Wailea Beach Path, making it easy to walk between them in about ten minutes.
No. The Andaz is a Hyatt property and only accepts World of Hyatt points. The Grand Wailea is a Hilton (Waldorf Astoria) property and only accepts Hilton Honors points. This is often the single biggest factor in the decision — travellers tend to book whichever resort matches their existing loyalty programme and points balance.
The Grand Wailea has more variety with roughly ten dining venues including Nobu and the iconic over-water Humuhumunukunukuāpuaʻa. The Andaz has fewer options but its signature Morimoto Maui is consistently rated among Wailea’s best restaurants. Both resorts are walkable to The Shops at Wailea for additional dining. For a single memorable meal, the quality is comparable — the Grand Wailea simply offers more choices on-property.
