Marriott’s Wailea Beach Resort earns multiple national honors following renovation

Marriott’s Wailea Beach Resort recently received three national hospitality awards and accolades, coinciding with its property-wide renovation and the debut of its new Signature Oceanfront Villas.

The resort was ranked the eighth best in Hawaiʻi in the annual Condé Nast Traveler Reader’s Choice Awards, published in October. Other Hawaiʻi properties featured in the rankings included Hāna-Maui Resort, Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa and the Grand Wailea, among others.

The Wailea Beach Resort was also recently recognized by Good Housekeeping as one of the best resorts in Hawaiʻi. The publication bases the list on evaluations by its “travel testers.” Wailea Beach Resort was recognized by Good Housekeeping last year and is the only Wailea property featured in its “Best Hawaiian Beach Resorts” category this year.

“Once a spot that was almost exclusively family-focused, the Wailea Beach Resort now appeals to adult travelers as well,” said the publication’s travel testers. “The Olakino Wellness Pool Experience for guests 18 and older pampers with micro-spa services (think short massages and cooling masks), chef-curated healthy bites and a saline infinity pool with in-water chaises overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Stay in the uber-romantic new Sundeck Garden Oasis room, with a roomy lanai plus an outdoor bathtub and a firepit with comfy seating.”

One travel tester said she and her partner tried the wellness pool experience, and enjoyed “an incredible head-and-shoulder massage with a gorgeous view of the infinity pool and ocean,” along with amenities throughout the day such as face masks, mini açaí bowls and fresh fruit cups. She said the resort’s lūʻau was another highlight, describing the performances as “among the most beautiful she had ever seen.”

Wailea Beach Resort also earned a Gold “Magellan Award” from Travel Weekly in the “Overall Beach/Resort Hotel – Hospitality” category. Several Maui properties were recognized by Travel Weekly this year, but Wailea Beach Resort was the only awardee located in South Maui.

The island of Maui received its own major accolade, getting a feature in National Geographic’s “Best Places in the World to Travel in 2026.” Travel writer Emily Hochberg recently said that Maui is “rebounding from wildfires in a spectacular fashion.” Visiting Maui, she said, is “an act of kōkua (…) but it’s more than just a feel-good choice.”

Hochberg continued: “With tourism still down from pre-fire levels, Maui in 2026 grants a rare glimpse of the island in a quieter mode. Once crowded beaches feel intimate, and to help them fill up again, some of the island’s top hotels have made big investments in guest experience: The Grand Wailea just debuted Hawaiʻi’s largest spa, while the newly refreshed Wailea Beach Resort now boasts an adults-only wellness sanctuary with an infinity-edge pool. And many hotels, such as the Four Seasons Resort Maui, foster opportunities to give back, in partnership with Mālama Hawai‘i, a voluntourism initiative that leads guests on beach cleanups, native-plant restoration hikes and more.”

For Hawai‘i travel information, visit GoHawaii.com.