The best surf & yoga hotels · Maui, Hawaii
Hotel Wailea
Hotel Wailea is Hawaii's only Relais & Châteaux property, Hawaii's only adults-only all-suite hotel, and the only luxury property in the state that is independently operated and locally owned. Those three facts together explain why Travel + Leisure has named it a top-five hotel in Hawaii for nine consecutive years, and why guests who stay once tend to come back for anniversaries. Jonathan McManus acquired the property in 2008 and worked with Japanese architect Takashi Okamoto's existing structure to introduce locally sourced woods and coral, removing anything that didn't belong to the place. The result is seventy-two suites across fifteen acres of tropical garden on a bluff three hundred feet above the Pacific, each with a private lanai facing either the ocean or the gardens, with views across to Kahoolawe, Molokini, and Lanai. The Treehouse — a private chef's table in the treetops — is the most theatrical private dining experience in Hawaii. The beach is five minutes by Tesla shuttle. The hotel is the kind of place that makes the other hotels in Wailea feel like they're trying to explain themselves.
We may earn a commission if you book via this link.
The hotel
Yoga
The Design
Japanese architect. Local woods and coral. Seventy-two suites on fifteen acres of garden, three hundred feet above the Pacific. No children. No chain. No compromise.
McManus preserved Okamoto's architectural structure and introduced materials that belonged to the island — locally sourced timber, coral, organic textures that weather into the landscape rather than against it. The suites are among the largest in Hawaii. The grounds — fifteen acres of winding paths, cascading waterfalls, and mature tropical gardens — are the hotel's architecture as much as the buildings are.
The Design
Japanese architect. Local woods and coral. Seventy-two suites on fifteen acres of garden, three hundred feet above the Pacific. No children. No chain. No compromise.
McManus preserved Okamoto's architectural structure and introduced materials that belonged to the island — locally sourced timber, coral, organic textures that weather into the landscape rather than against it. The suites are among the largest in Hawaii. The grounds — fifteen acres of winding paths, cascading waterfalls, and mature tropical gardens — are the hotel's architecture as much as the buildings are.
The Food
The Treehouse. A chef's table in the treetops. The most theatrical private dining in Hawaii.
The culinary programme runs across three distinct experiences. The Restaurant at Hotel Wailea serves hyper-local, seasonal island produce with panoramic three-island ocean views — the wine list is the most expansive in Hawaii. The Birdcage Japanese Grill pairs Japanese-inspired cuisine with sunset ocean views. The Treehouse is an intimate chef's table tucked into the treetops — private, elevated, the kind of dinner that requires advance planning and justifies it.
The Food
The Treehouse. A chef's table in the treetops. The most theatrical private dining in Hawaii.
The culinary programme runs across three distinct experiences. The Restaurant at Hotel Wailea serves hyper-local, seasonal island produce with panoramic three-island ocean views — the wine list is the most expansive in Hawaii. The Birdcage Japanese Grill pairs Japanese-inspired cuisine with sunset ocean views. The Treehouse is an intimate chef's table tucked into the treetops — private, elevated, the kind of dinner that requires advance planning and justifies it.
Also in Maui, Hawaii
