My daughter's fiance proposed February 2008. April 2008, they decided to have their wedding in Hawaii. Their first choice was the Mauna Kea resort on the Big Island, because her uncle lives on the Big Island, however, "the Madam," had other plans and nearly destroyed the resort before the eruption of Pu'u O'o. So, June 2008, she changed plans and contacted the Fairmont in Wailea, Maui. My family and I were able to pay for her wedding, but could not afford the $700 a day room rates, so I contacted a friend who travels to Hawaii annually, and he gave me the URL for the Maui Sunset. Upon contacting the Maui Sunset resort, I discovered the rental of a two bedroom apartment was ten times cheaper then the Fairmont. From the brochures sent me, the amenities and extras offered convinced me to sign a reservation to hold my family a room.
We arrived May 18, 2009, following nearly 11 hours of flying and two babies who could not handle the flight from Texas to Maui, so we weren't in a very festive mood, and we got a phone call that my daughter's fiance who flew over with her, did not have a place to stay because his family was coming over on the 19th. So, following all this, we were glad to have the kitchen and washer/drier because, we ate at the apartment instead of the resteraunts, my daughter and her fiance, my son and his wife and children, all went down to relax in the hot tub after dinner.
On the 19th, my daughter and her fiance went to meet his family and go to the Fairmont to start the wedding set-up. On returning for their luggage, my new son-in law commented, after seeing where his brothers and their families were staying, and where his parent's were staying (at the Four Seasons Resort next to the Fairmont). The Maui Sunset was by far the better deal, and the "luxuries" and grounds were far more beautiful and luxurious then the brochure displayed. If his family had known what we had, they would not have used the travel websites to get their "bargains," but contacted the Maui Sunset from the website on the brochures he had given to each member of his family. The one thing Jon's family had which Maui Sunset didn't have is, daily maid service and room service. And as anyone who has travelled to Hawaii knows, resteraunts are expensive compared going to the local Safeway or Star supermarket and cooking your own meals, especially for a family with 2 and 3 year old babies. Even more expensive is going to the local "travelocity of FODOR recommended" dining, disco, lunch, or tour/sight seeing offers. Maui Sunset has a kiosk at the pool which can arrange, with a discount, these same tours, dive trips, and dining experiences.
My experience at the Maui Sunset was very good, my grandchildren, if they do remember what they did at age 2 and 3, will remember the beach and swimming pool and walking the grounds in their bare feet without getting their feet hurt by rocks, branches, or thorns. My one tip to newcomers (malahines) to the Maui Sunset, ask a lot of questions to get exactly what you want. My one regret besides too short a stay, I should have asked for a ground floor apartment so I would not be worrying about my grandchildren falling over the railing surrounding the lanais on the upper floors. We had a fifth floor apartment.
- Maui Sunset
