New Maui Resort Coming Summer 2013 — Andaz Maui at Wailea

A new luxury resort is set to open in Maui’s posh Wailea Beach area this summer. Andaz Maui at Wailea will be set on 15 acres fronting sunny Mokapu Beach. (Longtime Maui visitors might recognize this area as the former grounds of Renaissance Wailea Beach Resort that closed in 2007.)

Andaz properties are the upscale resorts of the Hyatt brand. Though Hyatts hotels are well established on Oahu, Kauai and Maui, the new Wailea resort will be the first Andaz property in Hawaii.

One of the distinguishing features of Andaz resorts is their commitment to honoring and weaving local culture into the design and guest experience. It will be interesting to see how Andaz will incorporate Maui’s rich Hawaiian and Polynesian culture and history.

Andaz Maui at Wailea will feature a restaurant by acclaimed Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto. The resort’s signature restaurant, Morimoto Maui, will focus on integrating traditional Japanese cuisine with local, Hawaiian ingredients.

The resort’s spa sounds very spacious with 15,000 square feet, which makes it one of the largest spas in Maui. The spa will include a private adults-only pool as well as a fitness center.

We love the sounds of the cascading outdoor infinity pools. From the aerial rendering of the resort, the pools look like they’ll be very spacious — which, I imagine will make them somewhat uncrowded for the 297 guest rooms, suites and villas.

We applaud Andaz Maui at Wailea for being Hawaii’s first LEED® certified resort under the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system, the nationally accepted benchmark for green buildings. The resort has a design approach that reduces energy and water consumption, minimizes waste and harmful emissions, and stresses sustainable design as an integral component of its overall strategy.

We will keep you posted as we learn more about the specific opening date, rates, special offers and more.