Fairmont Kea Lani: a hotel full of suites

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In a nutshell: If you’re looking for space to spread out in a luxury setting, the Fairmont has a suite with your name on it. 

Overview of the Fairmont Kea Lani

Enjoy south Maui looking out over Polo Beach at the Fairmont Kea Lani. Enjoy plenty of space (hello suites for everyone!), three pools, and plenty of on-site activities that will keep you entertained and active for days. 

Fairmont Kea Lani Location

The Fairmont Kea Lani is located at the southern end of the Wailea Resorts, on Polo Beach. 

Highlights of the Fairmont Kea Lani

Pools

Three beautiful pools are waiting for you at the Fairmont Kea Lani. Adults can head to the adults-only tranquility pool. Their lower lagoon family pool offers plenty of entertainment with a basketball hoop and a separate child pool. And the upper pool is home to their 140 foot waterslide and poolside bar and restaurant, AMA. We spent one full day in the pool enjoying the amenities and none of us grew tired of being there. 

Rooms

This is what sets the hotel apart for us. All rooms are suites, so you will have a separate living and sleeping area. For a family traveling together, or just anyone who appreciates space, this is a huge selling point. Their smallest suite is 860 square feet, which, by hotel standards, is huge. Plus, each room comes with a private lanai, which is another 200 to 400 square feet.

There are a number of different suite options, ranging from 860 square feet to 1,100 square feet, with different views (mountain, ocean, etc). If you’d like even more space, there are two and three bedroom oceanfront villas which are up to 2,200 square feet. So you won’t be lacking space at the Fairmont. 

They have 413 one bedroom suites and 37 two story villas. 

Restaurants

If you don’t feel like leaving the resort for food, there are plenty of on-site dining options available. 

• Ko restaurant: artful interpretations of Hawaiʻi’s exotic blend of multicultural influences — part China, part Japan, with a dash of the Philippines, Korea and Portugal.
• Nick’s Fishmarket: Known for excellent fish (of course) and an expertly crafted wine list. 
• Luana lounge: small batch beer, wine, and fresh poke.
• Kea Lani restaurant: Breakfast buffet and ala care options
• Makana Market & Cafe: coffee and pastries are on the menu here!
• Ama Bar & Grill: You don’t have to leave the pool to enjoy food and drink here. 

Kids 5 and under can enjoy a free meal (when dining with a resort guest) and Ko, Kea Lani Restaurant, and AMA Bar and Grill. 

Activities

There is no shortage of things to do when you’re staying at the Fairmont Kea Lani. While you do pay a resort fee, part of what you enjoy with that are all of the resort activities. Some of these activities include: 

• A sunrise chant on Polo Beach
• Koi fish feeding
• ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian language) lessons
• Evening torch lighting ceremony
• Hula and ukulele lessons
• Outrigger canoe experience

Plus, you can rent beach gear like a kayak or a stand up paddleboard, you can do so from the beach kiosk. 

We also have a full list of things to do on South Maui, so you can enjoy the island without a long car ride.

Fairmont Kea Lani Room Tour (full experience)

We had a blast staying at the Fairmont Kea Lani. Erica loved the suite, Jordan loved sprawling gardens, and the kids loved the swimming pool with the waterslide. Watch our full experience plus a room tour of the Fairmont Kea Lani below.

Fairmont Kea Lani Review: Why We Love it

• Sweet suites: Have we mentioned what a game changer having a suite is? When you’re traveling with kids or more than 2 people in a room, having a separate sleeping area is such a luxury. With the smallest room measuring 860 square feet (plus lanai!), you get a lot of space here. 
• Pools open 24 hours: This can be a positive or a negative, depending on your view. But while pools at most hotels have a closing time, the pool at the Fairmont stays open 24 hours. So have a wonderful meal and then head back for a late night swim. Or head out early with your jet lagged kids for a fun sunrise dip in the pool. The downside is that yes, the pool can feel a little disruptive at times. 
• Courtesy car: If you haven’t rented a car or you don’t want to get it just to take a short trip, the Fairmont Kea Lani does offer a courtesy car that will take you to different places in the Wailea area. Head out for dinner and don’t worry about parking!
• Pet friendly: If you’re traveling from outside of Hawaii, you’re probably not bringing your dog because while it is possible, it is a lot of work to be able to bring your dog to Hawaii. And once you get here, it’s difficult to find accommodation that allows pets. The Fairmont allows you to bring your dogs with you, but charges a cleaning fee (part of which is donated to the Maui Humane Society). 
• Such a friendly atmosphere: Maybe we just got lucky here but everyone we encountered at this property was so incredibly kind. It helped make our stay feel really special and we look back on it fondly. 

Things to Know Before Booking the Fairmont Kea Lani

• Beach access: The Fairmont is the only hotel on Polo Beach in Wailea, so it tends to not get as crowded as other beaches in the area. But, the beach is somewhat small and at times the shorebreak can be a bit rougher than nextdoor Wailea Beach. This isn’t a huge drawback all of the time, but it’s something to know before you book. (Quick note: all beaches in Hawaii are public, so you are free to walk up and enjoy any beach. If Polo Beach isn’t your favorite, you can walk up the path and head to a different one.)
• Resort fees and parking: Unfortunately, high resort and parking fees are par for the course in Hawaii. Like many resorts, The Fairmont Kea Lani charges both a daily resort fee and a daily parking fee, which is not included in the room rate. This can be sticker shock if you’re not expecting it. 
• Loud groups: Maybe it’s the 24 hour pool or perhaps they give an excellent corporate rate, but we’ve visited a few times and noticed loud groups on site for conferences. It honestly didn’t bother us (there was a company party one night we were there), but in reading reviews there seem to be a few people that were bothered by this vibe. 
• Renovation underway: They are currently renovating the hotel (through 2023). Though they are renovating wing by wing and promise minimal disruption to guests, you should expect that there will be at least a small disruption to your stay. 
• Southernmost Wailea Resort: What we really enjoy about staying in Wailea is how easy it is to just hop on the walking path and walk from hotel to hotel or to the Shops at Wailea. But with the Fairmont being the most removed, it was more of a challenge to pop over to the other hotels for happy hour or to walk up to the shops to grab something quickly. 

Booked your hotel and now planning the rest of your trip to Maui? We make the trip planning easy with our Maui itineraries. They take you on excursion days around the island so you can see and experience the best on your vacation.

“Just wanted to tell you that we followed your vacation guide almost to the T and had a wonderful time when we went a few months ago in November!  Your recommendations were awesome!”

Allan D.