POST CATEGORY : Four Seasons

Hawaii 219: The Rest of the Four Seasons Maui at Wailea

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For the rate we paid at the Four Seasons Maui at Wailea, I was afraid we’d feel like we overpaid “just” for a hotel. Well I was wrong! The arrival experience and the room were both welcoming and amazing. The food was delicious! And we soon found out that the service and on-site amenities were just as excellent as well.

First and foremost, the focus of any great beach resort is their pool. Four Seasons Maui has three – the Waterfall Pool, the Fountain Pool, and the Serenity Pool. We spent a whole day at the adults-only Serenity Pool. I reserved us a Missoni Cabana; one of their newest ones created by Italian designer Rosita Missoni.

Missoni Cabanas

As we walked into the cabana area, we could tell right away which cabanas were the Missoni ones. The palette of colors just popped right off the canvas of surrounding earth tone cabanas.  The attendant showed us to our cabana and explained all the amenities that we had access to – 2 bottles of Veuve Clicquot champagne, Nespresso, fresh fruit, ice cold towels, and a large flat screen TV with wireless headphones.

It was perfect. Joann could tan on her beach chair in the sun and I could mostly stay in the cabana – under the ceiling fan while watching some NBA. This was what relaxing on a honeymoon is all about.

Missoni cabana at Four Seasons Maui at Wailea

Lounge chairs in front of our Missoni Cabana

Missoni cabana at Four Seasons Maui at Wailea

Vibrant colors inside our cabana

Missoni cabana at Four Seasons Maui at Wailea

More Missoni decor & a big flat screen TV

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Hawaii 219: The Food at the Four Seasons

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The food at the Four Seasons Maui at Wailea was just like the resort – truly amazing. We had the chance to dine at all three of the restaurants on the property. Spago is Wolfgang Puck’s restaurant that focuses on the elegant use of local products. Ferraro’s is an Italian open-air restaurant that we ate lunch at one day. DUO is a steak and seafood restaurant where not only did we have dinner, but also where we had breakfast every morning.

SPAGO

Like most of Wolfgang’s restaurants, Spago was well prepared and presented fine dining. We started with Ahi Tuna Poke in Sesame-Miso cones and Spaghetti ‘Kobe’ Beef Bolognese. The tuna was good but the hint of sesame and miso in that playful cone was the star. The spaghetti with that rich bolognese was filling; good thing they portion it as an appetizer. I could have had that dish as a main course any day. For entrees, Joann had a Thai Seafood Soup and I had the Lamb Chops. Both were fresh and flavorful, but Joann’s soup was a bit spicy.

FERRARO’S

Because we booked with a Four Seasons Preferred Partner, we received an $85 credit to be used at Ferraro’s. So for our last full day that we mostly spent lounging at the Missoni Cabanas poolside, we decided to eat lunch there. Since I wanted to use all of the $85 credit in one meal, we ordered ourselves a feast. Calamari for appetizer, lobster sandwich, shrimp scampi, and dessert. Sadly, everything but the gelato dessert was below average. On my shrimp scampi dish, the angelhair was sticking together and the dish was overall bland. Joann’s lobster sandwich kind of fell apart and would have fared better without adding the tomato and avocado. Thank goodness for the credit otherwise I would have been pissed to pay for that meal out of pocket.

DUO

DUO, by far, was our favorite restaurant at the Four Seasons. Again because we booked through a FSPP, we ate at DUO’s extensive buffet every morning for FREE. I thought the St. Regis Princeville’s breakfast buffet spread was great, but Four Seasons edged it out. They had a lot more offerings and a better omelet station with a different special each day. I don’t recall how much the buffet costs, but if you like options, this is probably worth it. From bacon and eggs to pancakes to smoked salmon to all kinds of fresh fruits, DUO’s buffet started our day right.

We also had dinner at DUO since our friends had been there the week before and said it was a must for steak and seafood lovers. I had the ribeye which was massive; I think it was 20+ ounces. Joann had a swordfish-like fish that I can’t recall along with a Kona lobster tail. For our side, Kula sweet corn and truffle mac and cheese. The corn was so fresh and the mac and cheese was decadent on top of decadent. That one little cast iron dish could have served 4. It was that rich (and awesome).

OVERALL

Whether or not you stay at the Four Seasons Maui at Wailea, it’s definitely worth a visit for either breakfast or dinner. I don’t know if there is a better breakfast buffet on the island, but, if there is, I want in. As for dinner, both Spago and DUO make wonderful choices. Since I’m a steak lover, I’d give DUO the nod if I had to choose. As for lunch options, there are much better options on the island rather than waste a meal at Ferraro’s. I’ll just leave you with a few food photos as you await the next installment that focuses on what we did/saw on Maui…

Hawaii 219: Four Seasons Maui at Wailea

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Where else would a couple of newlyweds stay on Maui other than the Four Seasons Maui at Wailea? Again with the help of David Ourisman, our luxury travel agent, we were able to secure great rates for 5 nights at this grand property. Since David is a Four Seasons Preferred Partner (FSPP), he was able to secure us amenities like full daily breakfast at DUO Restaurant, a room upgrade, and an $85 lunch credit at Ferraro’s. This cost us nothing extra so there is nothing to lose by checking what properties David works with.

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Trip Planning: Vancouver, British Columbia

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Intro – Planning
Cathay Pacific Business Class New York – Vancouver
Sheraton Vancouver Wall Centre
Shangri-La Vancouver
MARKET by Jean-Georges

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BACKGROUND

Ever since our visit to Vancouver en route to a Whistler snowboarding trip, Joann and I have wanted to go back to enjoy the city for a few more days. Things fell into place when she scheduled a long weekend off – she’s a nurse and works odd schedules. Along with her free weekend, the other driving factors were visiting family, fulfilling the Hotels.com promotion, and completing our NEXUS interviews.

NEXUS approval comes with Global Entry which is a great perk to have while traveling. See The Points Guy’s review on Global Entry. The TSA is also piloting a new Trusted Traveler program to Global Entry and NEXUS users that will allow these users to use expedited security lines. Expedited security lines??? Sign me up! Anyway, let’s plan this trip…

DEPARTING FLIGHT

There aren’t many nonstop options to Vancouver. My first thought is always Continental or Star Alliance because I have the most miles with them and they are Newark-based. Air Canada, a Star Alliance member, is 1 of only 2 nonstop flights from the NYC area to Vancouver (YVR). Unfortunately, that flight had no availability for our strict dates.

Plan B was Cathay Pacific. We have flown their nonstop JFK-YVR service and enjoy the airline very much, at least in Economy class. Also, Joann and I have hoarded a lot of British Airways miles (over 300k) so we might as well use them! Remember, there’s no prize for who has the largest mileage account! BA miles are best used, in my opinion, for their oneworld partners. BA’s most luxurious partner is probably Cathay and any time you can fly in their premium cabin, I’d call that a great day. Take a look at this series of screenshots for a quick and dirty way to book a partner award flight on BA’s site.

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