I was super excited by the Andaz Maui opening and planned to stay when it first debuted. When I was finally able to stay in July 2014 I absolutely loved it. It was a more boutique property than the resort factories I’d stay on on the island before. And it was a great value not least of which as a Hyatt Gold Passport Diamond member.
It’s been a controversial property over the past 18 months, however:
- Since then they restricted the Diamond breakfast benefit (though they since added it back).
- They added a $40 per night resort fee on top of the $30 per day valet parking fee (there’s no self parking option).
- They restricted Diamond Suite Upgrades to a new separate room type, poolside suites — a lesser room category that there’s only a few of on property.
When I needed to be on Maui and found cash and points ($150 + 12,500 points per night) available for my dates I decided to return. And I found a hotel that wasn’t nearly as peaceful and relaxing as it was on my first stay, and a property that doesn’t seem to be getting the upkeep that it should.
Initial check-in was a bit of an odd experience. I was informed that the hotel was full, and so no ocean view upgrades were available. That’s understandable, an upgrade isn’t an entitlement and I hadn’t been able to confirm one in advance now that the property only allocates about 4 suites to the upgrade pool (and I’m not sure a pool suite is something I’d want over an ocean view anyway).
I took the elevator up to the room on the 6th floor, though I’m not certain why since it was only one floor up, but I didn’t want to drag my rollaboard up the stairs. After that I avoided the elevator, because it smelled like pot.
When I got to the room I found that they didn’t even honor my request for one bed. So I went back to reception. There I got lucky — a woman was checking in and being refused to beds because the hotel was full. She was happy to trade her ocean view room with one bed for a mountain and parking lot view room with two.
The woman who checked us in couldn’t have been less friendly throughout. She kept insisting there was nothing that could be done – for either of us – until we resorted to ‘self help’. During her initial check-in she was going through a speech, and she didn’t seem to want to try to help or find someone who could — just move on to the next guest in the assembly line.
My suite last time was small for a suite but large considering that the non-suite rooms aren’t very big. They’re nicely appointed though and I ultimately did have an ocean view (albeit over the top of the roof of the building in front).
The toiletries are nice, and I love larger bottles, but in this case I was thankful for the larger bottles because despite two room servicings per day housekeeping never replaced them during my 3 night stay.
The couch by the window was super-stained. It was worse in person than the photos show, and reminded me of the furniture at the old US Airways Club at New York LaGuardia prior to renovations there. I didn’t want to sit on it.
The phone on desk in the room didn’t work. The phone by the bedside did, though only the preset buttons and not the numbers.
Since I was getting in quite late and was tired from the trip I ordered room service. I got in before the 10pm cutoff, there’s no overnight service it seems. My burger ordered medium cam rare, and with used condiments on the tray. I called and they replaced the burger, but used the same tray with used condiments.
The thing that bothered me most though was the flooring in the room. Either it was slightly raised at the front door, or the door itself was dragging, because every time I’d open the door there would be a high pitched shriek that was like nails on a chalk board.
Guests do still receive plastic water bottles (I liked the old clear plastic ones better) and a beach bag.
The resort’s grounds though are lovely. The public spaces remain quite striking. And the lobby is a fantastic place for watching the sun set.
Breakfast was good though something of a zoo and getting someone’s attention for a coffee refill was a challenge. They no longer have the ‘pour over coffee’ that I enjoyed on my last visit. And it took as long as 20 minutes to be seated.
Breakfast was efinitely not worth the price, though, if not included:
Though the room was in disrepair – from the furnishings to the flooring to the phone – ultimately on cash and points the stay was still a value. I wasn’t even charged the $40 per night resort fee that would have applied to a paid stay. I received a bountiful breakfast as a Diamond member. I got my money’s worth for sure. But it wasn’t the special place that I had visited only a year and a half earlier.
I was at the property for a few nights last month and I thought it was weird that the elevator always smelled like pot too–though it didn’t bother me any.
Thanks for the tip Gary! This has me thinking of moving my winter vacation to the Andaz Peninsula Papagayo Resort instead of this place. Did not realize they down graded the DSU’s so much and just sounds like a zoo which I am not looking for.
Exactly the same story at Andaz 5th Avenue!
1. Instead of complaining that you did not receive a complimentary upgrade, you could have simply booked a suite to begin with. If you cannot afford it, then don’t complain if an upgrade didn’t clear.
2. That’s like a coach passenger complaining that his upgrade didn’t clear. If you want business class, you can always pay for it. Then you would not complain.
3. I personally stayed there last year. It’s a beautiful property. I’ve never heard one complaint about this property in my life and know many people who stayed there as well.
4. Your first world problems are NOT the average problems each American endures.
5. Your blog has deteriorated immensely. You should be ashamed of posts like this one and the credit card pumping.
@Jeremy S – I think you misunderstand my issues with the property. Regarding no upgrade, I wrote “That’s understandable, an upgrade isn’t an entitlement” .. my issues are with upkeep, like the door screeching (don’t take my word for it, play the video with sound), the stained furniture, the non-working phones, the elevator smelling like pot (confirmed by a commenter above).
I’ve stayed here in the past as well and found it lovely. Hence the disconnect and why it seemed worth sharing. I concluded the post with the idea that I certainly got my money’s worth from the stay. It just wasn’t special the way it was before.
Was there a change in owners of the property? I thought Hyatt owned most of their properties. Changes in local management, a GM whose attention to detail is not as tight, or not as hands on, could precipitate a degrading quality of experience. My guess is that most guests are not repeats, so they don’t how good it was before. Hawaii being a honeymooners destination, tour groups and the Chinese, many who do not ever return to Hawaii. If management doesn’t care if the guest will return, then the experience will reflect that fact.
Full hotel is no excuse. The management of the hotel when allocating rooms should have met the requests of Diamond members first. I am, however, curious if your self help did not put you into a room in need of repairs when the room with the incorrect bedding was in better repair. When I stay in a hotel, I form an opinion of the brand, not just the particular hotel. Corporate should have severe penalty clauses built into their contracts for hotels that don’t live up to brand standards.
I know that these are not favorite hotel chains of bloggers but stayed at the Fairmont Kea Lani and the Fours Seasons in Maui and they blow the Andaz away. They are located in the same Wailea area and my family had an amazing experience in both properties.
@Ken no idea if the original room was in better repair, of course. But they had assigned my room to a guest so I expect it to be in working order. Meanwhile, room service experience was poor, housekeeping even had an issue, and the pot smelling elevator is apparently not even new.
I am glad that you wrote up your experiences at this property. I have been there twice in the last 18 months and agree with you on every point. This is a lovely property that still can offer good value, but it is getting harder and harder to secure. And, it does seem like they keep making “enhancements” and changes that are costing their customers significant money.
On our last trip we used a DSU and were given one of the pool “suites”. Ugh! Fine if you like living in what feels is a basement. There is no sun that reaches the room all day. Very dark and drab. After one night I said that we would like to move to a room on a floor that gets some light. I even offered to give up the suite and take an ocean view room. They said that no other rooms were available, and even stuck to their guns when I said that I checked online and could see just about all room types available.
On the 3rd day we were offered a partial OV suite. Jumped at the chance! Even though we were moved to the 4th floor looking right into the side of the villas in your first picture, we were thrilled be out of the basement.
The recently added $40 resort fee along with the mandatory parking fee adds almost $80 extra per night. And, C&P and suite upgrades are difficult to find. They seem to randomly appear and disappear throughout the year.
Did you notice the 21-day cancellation requirement? That was added since our first visit. Also, I recently tried to make a reservation for November. Right before I completed the transaction I saw wording that said the reservation is non-refundable. I contacted the Diamond line and the rep couldn’t explain it.
Even though I like this property, I feel like it is getting to be too much trouble to book a stay. Before the Andaz Maui we stayed at the other properties in Wailea and liked them very well. In fact, I booked the Fairmont for the days that I had initially tried to book the Andaz. As a consumer, the only thing that we can do is vote its our wallets.
Very honest and worthwhile review. Thanks! You are echoing what I’ve heard from several other Andaz enthusiasts and from what I’ve experienced firsthand as a returning Diamond. The Andaz WeHo has gone downhill. The Andaz 5th Ave NYC has gone downhill. And now I’m considering canceling my Andaz Maui reservation with DSU over Thanksgivng week because of this review and those of several others who’ve been recently and told me similar stories.
Some Hyatt loyalist refuse to accept that Andaz and many Hyatt hotels aren’t quite what they once were…nor that DSUs no longer are what they once were at many of the better Hyatt properties. Only Park Hyatt, in my experience, has maintained as a top brand and handles DSUs with some feeling of gratitude.
I now am ready to abandon Hyatt for any paid stays. Between service fails, lack of distribution, and some serious drops in hotel amenities and refurbishment, I am quite comfortable risking a continued loyalty with Starwood…even with the Marriott merger looming. Starwood still gives me fantastic service, a wide array of hotels from which to choose in most places I visit, and the W chain has been FAR superior in service and amenities compared to Andaz. Plus, a Ivan get upgrade to a suite without a DSU at all on even a non paid stay.
Hyatt tried. They matched me back…and I stayed with them. Unfortunately, I now know that Hyatt is NOT as good as Starwood…and may not be as good as Marriott-Starwood after the merger. Either way, I know Hyatt disappoints me. I don’t know whether Marriott will harm Starwood hotels.
You know I have no sympathy for this hotel and it’s staff. I spent 8 months working on special reservations for my son and his bride working through “My Hyatt Concierge) which I belong to. What happened they completely blew the whole six months of planning. The front desk welcomed them for the first anniversary NOT their Honeymoon,. Stuck them in the wrong room, lost their bags, DID NOT give them Diamond Experience as they were suppose to. Guess what the front desk did gave them a cabana for the afternoon! Got to be kidding. No welcome gift it went on and on, when I talked to the hotel all i got was an attitude , well we are always busy at this property especially for awards, to which I explained to her check my profile and see how long I have been a diamond AND see that I am paying a $900 premium for these rooms. You know they think they are really special at that property
I called My Hyatt Concierge who had been working on it, they called the hotel then called me back to assure me that it was taken care of Nope was not they lied to them. I called My Hyatt Concierge again to to make sure they knew how mad I was I canceled six months of reservations and told them I was going back to Marriott. And by the by I met every word. Well the GM of that hotel happened to be in Chicago visiting corp hg My Hyatt got to him and he called me back personally. All of a sudden the room that I had booked six months ago and was paying a $900.00 premium for came available, sadly they were on their last couple of day and did not want to move.
Oh, get this they had a do not disturb sigh on the door one afternoon Guess hotel staff just walked in the room. And remember they are on their honeymoon.
Anyway I know that property and it does not surprise me that they have issues.
It appears that they have finally replaced the awful original lanai chairs with something that may be comfortable. I’ve talked to several friends who have recently returned from stays with similar (or worse) complaints. It’s either a management or cash flow issue (or both). Really a shame as it started out so strong.
@Ghostrider 5408, “Oh, get this they had a do not disturb sigh on the door one afternoon”
My room lacked a do not disturb sign.
Sounds like you didn’t get a suite upgrade so everything else became a huge problem. Can I get you some cheese to go with that whine?
I knew all I had to about this property when I found out that it had no self parking and that it charged $40 for valet (on an island where a car is a must if you ever want to leave the hotel). Based on that I decided I wouldn’t visit on principle….now I also wouldn’t visit because it sounds abysmal.
Not surprising. Hawaii resorts are so overpriced and mediocre. The cool things about Hawaii are off the resorts in the outdoors… which means you could be camping. The premium you pay to stay at any of these places is outrageous. You are competing with Asian cash when you stay here. That, and they hate the mainlanders. Between the time change, the expense, the long flights, the unreal airfare prices especially for premium air, there’s really no reason to go more than once especially from east coast.
@Ziggy valet is $30 not $40
Just to add another data point, my wife and I stayed in December and had a wonderful time. Literally the only complaint we had was that the stairwell to our room smelled bad (not pot; I couldn’t place it). Great room, everything worked and was clean, excellent food, beautiful property, great staff. It was a pure points stay so there was no resort fee for us, and we weren’t trying to get upgraded, so I can’t speak to those issues. I’d love to go back sometime.
@Nick I wasn’t expecting a suite upgrade since it wasn’t available to confirm in advance, and the suites they use for upgrades have a less desirable view than the room I got. Put another way, I got the room type I wanted!
@Gary, thanks for the review. One thing that worries me about Hyatt’s “lifestyle” brands that depend on cool-factor. Modern styling ages especially fast, and it requires constant upkeep.
But this problem sounds more basic, it sounds like the facilities are being ignored. Hopefully Hyatt takes note of your review; I really want them to succeed overall.
@Frank glad you enjoyed it, my first stay at the property was very special!
Well, you certainly have me re-thinking a stay there this fall. I’m taking a special family trip and was looking forward to treating the in-laws to a high-end experience. While they would shrug off the creaky door and stained chair, for the price point, my expectations would be a lot higher than that.
For whoever commented on the “first world problems” nature of the post, you’re darned right. At $500+ per night, I have hefty first world expectations. I’ve stayed in my share of three dollar a night hostels and been just fine with them. But when I spend thousands, my expectations are commensurate with the price point.
That breakfast charge was crazy! And 18% mandatory gratuity for a buffet?!!
Great review and I fully concur with you comments. I used to love staying at this property when it was a Renaissance. I first tried it as the ANDAZ a year ago (with no Hyatt status) and was not impressed. It was always noisy (not relaxing) and stressful with everything, from check-in to check-out. The poolside suite I had was barren, dark and looked like it was missing furniture. I tried it again last month (thinking the previous visit was due to opening “shakeouts”) and it truly was worse in all areas, even with my “elite” amenities. I moved to the Kea Lani Fairmont and it was well worth it.
Nick,
SO you know you might not have read my post it was not just the upgraded room it was the following, just so you know I am not whining ,
1) greeted as if it was their first anniversary in fact was their honeymoon.
2) Lost their bags
3) Did not get the Diamond experience that we can nominate someone for.
4) Wrong room that I paid an extra $900 for, Yes Nick did not get upgrade
5)People walked in with Do not Disturb on door, Maybe you would like that Nick
6) Lied to me that everything was taken care of
7) Attitude of Front Desk Manager when she called me.
That’s pretty close to it Nick. So can I have a glass of Cab with the cheese ?
I worked at this property when it originated as Stouffers hotel. We were considered one of the best on island. We had repeat guest for years ( big names, celebrities and the like). It was because they were treated like family!! The employees were a family too. When stouffers became the Renaissance things started going down. It closed to become a Baccarat property, but that never materialized because of the economic down turn. So many good, hard working locals lost their job and were told when the new property opens, they’d be first in line( per our union). Well, when that day came, no one was hired. They didn’t hire anyone over 35!!
Do yourself a favor next time you visit Maui. Stay at a condo or better yet, rent a cabin in Haleakala!! Mahalo Nui Loa & Aloha
Wow – $70 per day in mandatory “fees” added to the room rate. And you wonder why Congress wants to eliminate garbage fees (trust me hotels are not far behind airlines on the agenda).
It’s so disappointing to hear you had a bad experience here. The wife and I were just at the Andaz Maui during Presidents Day weekend and had a fantastic experience. Despite being only a platinum, we were upgraded to an immaculate suite and restaurant service was attentive as can be.
It’s kind of shocking, actually, how service can change so drastically over the span of a month like that. I’d like to know what’s going on. What I can agree on, however, is the difficulty in securing award space (nothing until 2 months out and disappeared as quickly as it appeared), the 21-day cancellation policy is not cool, and the $40/day resort fee is awful, though waived for award stays.
@Kyle-Seriously, you were upgraded to an “immaculate” suite as a Platinum over a major holiday when Diamonds have a hard time getting a mediocre suite with a DSU? If anything, that points out serious consistency/policy issues with the hotel.
@Ghostrider5408, I feel very sorry for your son’s wife. Was he really calling you on his honeymoon complaining about his accommodations.??!! That is one of the funniest things I have ever heard!
Gary, it does not surprise me, but more because of a philosophical reason:
One of my favorites singer/songwriters, Joaquin Sabina, writes (in spanish):
“Al lugar donde has sido feliz no debieras tratar de volver”
Which translates into something like this:
“To the place where you have experienced happiness, you should not try to return”
Even though you encountered real problems, I have found in general in life that when you go back to a place it is never te same great thing that you remembered the first time. In consecuence and knowing this, I just lower my expectations. It has happened to me over and over again, and I just know it is not going to be the same
My wife and I stayed at the Andaz for the second time this past January. We had a wonderful time there and got a complementary upgrade to a huge ocean view suite (corner unit in Gary’s 2nd picture). The staff was always very nice and polite and we didn’t notice any issues with the room or the grounds. IF you can find a cash and points stay, I would highly recommend it. We also stayed at the Westin the first half of our vacation and were completely underwhelmed. The Andaz is way better in every respect.
Thanks. Canceled.
A bit self inflicted by the bloggers talking up the bounty of free breakfasts and upgrade amenities on all points stays.
I stay far clear of resorts that take points for stays. Too many bargain bin hunters strip mining the places.
Instead use points for basic airport and city center hotels.
And stay at real, quality botique hotels with cash on vacation.
I’ll second the Condo option – I feel spoiled after staying in a condo in Kapalua. I was amazed that, for the same price, I got so much more than staying at a resort in a more crowded area. Calm beaches even at high travel times. Condo life for me on Maui!
@Jeremey – I appreciate Gary filling his readers in like this. When I might have considered the Andaz I won’t now.
$47 for breakfast? Who are they kidding?
Very helpful post. Thank you.
@gary My mistake. I was getting the horrendous $40 resort fee cost confused with the abomination that is the $30 near-madatory $30 valet fee 🙂
Thanks for the honest and thoughtful review and the pictures (and video) don’t lie. No excuse for that kind of poor upkeep for the prices they are charging.
Have never stayed at an Andaz and we have a points stay booked for this summer. So this was an aspirational stay for us and certainly disappointing to hear the review and the poor treatment of Diamonds. I guess I have to wonder though- isn’t some of this normal for properties that are more in demand? I mean if they are fully booked much of the time especially in peak season, the chances of an upgrade are greatly diminished I would think. It’s like the expensive Ivy League school with a long waiting list that has less incentive to give big scholarships to attract applications. And also- not excusing the hotel but speculating- maybe sometimes trendy/boutiquey can equate to snooty in my experience. So maybe they have grown too big for their boots from so many “hotlists” and so much good press.
But in any case the indifferent service and poor upkeep is inexcusable. Will see and judge for ourselves in a few months- and will be sure to milk the free Diamond breakfasts for the maximum possible intake to make up for any shortcomings and for the valet fees and to punish the hotel for all the Diamonds who were denied the benefit, which I think is outrageous since Hyatt states it as part of Diamond breakfast. Any commenters who thinks I am a moocher better get a life. I worked hard for the points and the status and intend to enjoy the perks. In fact we will fast for lunch and dinner every day if necessary to get the most from our $47 free Diamond breakfast.
I rarely travel to Hawaii because of the inflated prices and because when I fly 12 hours I don’t want to hear people speaking English and see a Cheesecake Factory restaurant when I get off the plane– and because of crappy American service compared to much of the rest of the world (this being a perfect example) but I intend to make the most of the free stay.
Very sad to hear. We also loved our first visit shortly after they opened and are looking forward to a second visit next year…hopefully they make some improvements by then instead of continuing down this path.
I stayed there back in February. It was my first time there. We had a generally good experience there. The only big issue we had was that for one night, our hot water didn’t work. We had to shower in a lounge are that they had that night, and the hotel ended up giving us a $100 credit to our bill for the night.
I don’t have a basis of comparison to when the property first opened. But I do find a lot of the complaints listed here to be quite nitpicky. For example, not having toiletries replenished…you can always simply ask for more. It may be there policy to not replace them unless they are out. Also, for the problems you found with the condition of the room, those are things that I would think you could complain to the front desk about, so I’d be curious if you did that and how the property handled it.
On the other hand, I understand in a review for a hotel (or anything else for that matter), it may be important to capture these details for those to whom they matter (whether or not they matter to you). I guess what I would want people reading to know is that the property is still quite enjoyable relative to its shortcomings. We stayed five nights at the property, and mostly enjoyed out stay (including gorging ourselves on the breakfast).
I also found the hotel waived my resort fees as a diamond member. The hotel is very generous in terms of the activities offered under the resort fee, and they have a few cultural activities that are pretty neat as well. I would still say the hotel is a great place to stay, and recognize that you did mention that it’s a great value still despite the hiccups.
I am so glad this shitty property is finally getting some real, true reviews from a blogger. The hotel has been pretty underwhelming for over a year, but everyone just continues to sing its praises.
I did not enjoy my stay here at all. We experienced unresponsive, uncaring staff who spent more time reminding you that “this is a 5 star property like the Four Seasons” (which it is NOT), instead of actually cultivating a 5 star property worthy of the price. The staff was also far to unprofessional for my tastes – i.e. when sitting at the pool bar I do not want to hear about how you got wasted at a party, nor do I want to hear about the guest that’s walking past ass.
You also can’t book C+P anymore, so the prices and $70 valet + resort fee is not worth it.
Thanks for the review Gary. This stuff is great and helps make up for the tiresome libertarian rants and credit card pumping.
The problems you bring up are legitimate concern. Couches without stains shouldn’t be a diamond perk as some commenter seem to imply. No couches should have stains like that. Poor maintenance on a property like this will only cost more in the long run but few in business seem to take the long view when they can personally benefit from short term gains. You were lucky not to be charged the resort fee on a points and cash…. I was charged it at the HR Waikiki this January as a diamond but they pulled it off when I mentioned it. I’ve avoided the Andaz Maui as it sounded like a lot of nickel and diming from day one and have instead opted for the Grand Hyatt in Poipu…. I’ll continue to avoid
Your post does not surprise me a bit. Last summer I had booked that property, only to read some posts like yours. I cancelled and booked the Hyatt Maui Regency Resort, which I knew was a madhouse with families and parties etc etc, but the value exceeded the expectations. I am Diamond with Hyatt. They reached out to me ahead of my stay and I told them of my wishes which only was for a decent view. Upon checking in, we were given what I deemed to be the best view of any room in the hotel, on the top floor where the exec lounge was. My 15 yr. old niece was overjoyed and hugged me so hard I thought I would break. We had a fantastic time because we set our expectations and I knew I was paying half of what the Andaz cost. Also, I was going to continue my Hawaii vacation in Kauai at the St. Regis Princeville, as a Platinum with Starwood. Talk about exceeding my expectations. It is the most beautiful property I have ever stay at, and I have been to Bora Bora, Fiji, the Cook Islands, New Zealand, etc etc. The service was 2nd to none and we were given an upgraded room on points and cash stay with a view to die for..And the free breakfast was right up there at the top along with the Conrad in SIngapore, and the Andaz in Costa Rica.
My point here is that I do my research. I read blogs like yours specifically for the “first world” advice. And like others, I work long and hard to accumulate my points, miles and status. I know what to expect at a McDonalds, Holiday Inn, Southwest Airlines and Disney World. But when it comes to unique upscale properties that I am paying through the nose for, either in points or money, I want the experience to equal the expectation. Doing your research is important if you want a good return for your money. And posts such as yours, help all of us out, or at least those that are considering staying there. I hope Hyatt and all properties you review like this communicate with you to let you know what the deal is with the bad service and standards. They should anyway.
I visited on an award stay in 2014, and it was great. I also stayed at the Fairmont Kei Lani that trip and it blew the Andaz out of water. I will only stay at the Fairmont in Maui now, paid or award.
I am so glad you wrote this review. The list of people complaining may open Jeremy S’s eyes.
I also stayed here twice in past 18 months.
First time:
-Was not upgraded even though I was told I was given a superior room. It was fine but so small and if you plan to bath and have spouse brush teeth, good luck maneuvering the bathroom area.
-We asked for the amenity 3 times. Never delivered.
-Our bathroom was not cleaned from previous guest. Urine on the floor. When we asked for it to be cleaned, the staff was less than courteous. Management never followed up.
-Room service delivered wine and dropped tray. (It happens). Shattered glass everywhere and we waited a very long time for someone to come and deliver a broom!
-Had to repeatedly ask for restock of our beverages and coffee
-Phantom charges to our bill after we checked out
We then visited 6 months later thinking things would be different.
– Room was much better but the chair was filthy dirty as was the stained floor.
– Large conference group had pool party with music so loud it was shaking the window. Was told they would end at 6 PM. Since when does Andaz allow corporations to take over entire pool and play loud party music the middle of the day?
– Blinds not working. TV not working.
– Large conference then took over grass and had a dinner, dancing and band play until late at night. If I was in the villas I would have lost it. Music so loud even the employees servicing our repairs complained it was awful. When we complained, the front desk said ” no worries, the group will be on excursion tomorrow so “should be” quieter”. Really!!!???
– Amenity… they have those? I had to ask repeatedly for the water bottle. Finally, front desk gave me a white plastic bottle. No branding.
– Service was good in the restaurant but had to send back our dinners on two occasions due to food being served cold.
– Adult pool is ice cold. Felt as if not heated. We asked a few time and by the 4th day it was warmed.
-Pool staff a bit unfriendly by adult pool and complained they had to service the adult pool and the general pool so the service was slow.
We let management know both times about the misses and sent in survey to Hyatt asking someone to follow up with us. Never happened. It is very clear that this property is not sure what it wants to be (corporate vs boutique vs elite) and management is keeping a dull eye on the operations. At the price to stay here, there are several options on Maui that will compete and exceed. Too bad. I really want to love this Andaz. We visit several times a year and I want to to be my go too.
Oh yes – forgot to mention the dirty tissue in my “fresh robe” in the room.
Three of us just stayed there two weeks ago and we were blown away by the service, decor, amenities, outdoor space and rooms. One of us was a diamond member and we were treated to the best breakfast brunch buffet we have ever had. It had everything and all items were top quality. The pools were extraordinary and the grounds immaculate. The service was impeccable, from the valet guys to the front desk to the bellboys. I would highly highly recommend this property. We considered it the best resort we have ever stayed at and we have been a lot of places!
We were underwhelmed when we first stayed here in late 2014. It doesn’t have a stellar reputation among locals either (possibly because of that whole not rehiring the previous workers, which I didn’t know about until reading the comments here). Also experienced phantom charges which cost us over an hour at checkout to sort out with some completely unprofessional clueless wonders.
Stayed at the Four Seasons as well. No comparison. Top of the line in every way.
I had hoped that perhaps the Andaz had improved since I was there last, and actually had a reservation for just 24 days from now. Cancelled. Thanks for saving me $840 night! That was a close one, given the garbage 21 day cancellation policy.