Maui Revealed - Fairmont Kea Lani

450 rooms, 3 pools (including an adult and a keiki pool), 2 spas, day spa, child care program, valet parking, iPod docking stations and dvd players in each room, empty refrigerator, free room safe, coffee makers with free coffee daily, free hi-speed Internet access and Wi-Fi in rooms, Wi-Fi in common areas, free 24-hour business center, 4 conference rooms, shops, 4 restaurants, wedding coordinator, laundry facilities. Let's start with the reaction that almost everyone has when they approach this resort: Wow, this is a really goofy looking place! The impression is one of Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves meets King Kamehameha. According to the resort's story, the developer asked the architect to create something that blends with the land. This is the result, a mix of Hawaiian and Moorish design. (For those who missed the Moors in geography class, think Casablanca.) Once you get inside, however, you realize that everything about the resort screams money, as if the developer opened a vault and poured money onto the floor. The results are impressive. Everything feels expensive. The name Kea Lani means White Heaven, and it certainly lives up to its name. Everything is bright white, so don’t skimp on the expensive sunglasses. One downside to the white everywhere (aside from being a bit blinding) is that the resort is hotter than others in the area. The bright reflective light and the U-shaped building (which prevents breezes from passing through) make the resort pretty warm much of the time. The rooms are air conditioned, with eco-friendly units that automatically shut off if you open lanai doors or leave the room, but the ceiling fans can be turned on.

Speaking of the rooms, all are either suites or villas. The suites are a spacious 840 sq. ft. (including lanai) and nicely furnished. The bathrooms are huge with deep tubs, a door-less shower and a posh feel. All rooms have very large lanais. Villas, on the other hand, are for the rich and famous. They all sit very close to the ocean. Starting at $1,300, these 2- and 3-bedroom, 2-story units feature their own 3.5-foot deep plunging pool, bbqs, washer/dryers, full kitchens and extra services features, including a rental car, in the room rate. Are the villas worth it? Of course not; that's beside the point. If you have to ask, you're probably in one of the "ordinary" suites with the rest of us peons. But you can dream, can't you?

Their beach, Polo Beach, is nice, and their neighbors have even better ones, accessible from the shoreline path linking the Wailea resorts. The overnight valet parking is $20 (during the day it’s free), and you may want it because their narrow parking spaces could make a motorcycle rider sweat. The resort has a pretty good child program (pricey at $85 a day), but they keep the younguns inside a great room (with all the goodies, including a Wii) or outside as much as possible. They rent beach toys for your convenience and soak you, just like other the resorts. Beach chairs are free, but the covered cabana (4) chairs are a $75-$175 (at peak season, but they run some special discounts in off-season) per day by the pool, which includes a cooler stocked with juices, water and fresh fruit. Umbrellas are an extra $35–$45 for your beach chair, depending on season. (See, and you never knew there was an umbrella season.)

They do not have a resort fee yet still offer the guests some freebies, such as a canoe ride in the mornings, area suv shuttle, kids can help feed the koi in the ponds, and some days there's a clown wandering around the pool area and its 140-foot waterslide. There is an adults-only pool for those wishing to get away from the crumb-crunchers.

Their on-site restaurants, such as Nick's, are excellent. Kea Lani succeeds in their attempt to create a dreamy luxury resort, and rooms, frankly, start much cheaper than we would have expected (making it an exceptionally good value among Wailea resorts), especially considering that they have such spacious suites for $369–$900. Villas 2/2s (1,800 sq. ft.) are $1,300–$1,700, 3/2s (2,200 sq. ft.) are $1,700–$2,000. Some packages and promotions are available during parts of the year.