Grand Champions #143

Booked through PMI Maui and stayed in 174. It was a modern, well-kept place right on the golf course. I even got a nice drone shot of the property.

GW is in a really nice setting, though the hotel feels a bit dated. I went there for dinner at Nobu, but South Maui Gardens’ food trucks are just as good or better, and cost a fraction as much. With Maui’s beauty all around, it’s hard for a place to stand out.

The resort sent a string of automated messages while we were stuck at home: welcome notes for my family, concierge offers for activities we couldn’t attend, and even a goodbye message on the date we were meant to leave. They ignored both the disaster that kept us from reaching the island and our cancellation request. It felt surreal and insulting. Our stay at Grand Champions Resort was booked for March 14 to 19, 2026. Shortly before we were due to arrive, they admitted a “computer mistake” had left the unit we paid for unavailable and asked us to switch units partway through the stay. Even though the booking was non-refundable, we agreed in good faith to help them fix their error. Then a natural disaster derailed the trip, making it physically impossible for us to get to the island. Delta Airlines recognized how serious the situation was and fully refunded our non-refundable tickets. Grand Champions refused to give us any refund or even partial credit. Their messages may have been “polite,” but their actions didn’t feel that way. They asked us to be flexible when their computer failed, then showed no flexibility when disaster struck. Being treated as a source of revenue after we’d accommodated their booking mistake was deeply disappointing. If you expect integrity or basic human empathy in an emergency, I’d look elsewhere. At Grand Champions, the guest’s money may be “non-refundable,” but the rooms apparently aren’t a “guaranteed booking.”

We spent two nights at the Grand Wailea in a beautiful location, but the service fell short. At $1,500 a night, I expected the room to be cleaned. Housekeeping came at 9:30 in the morning while my kids were asleep, so we asked them to return later. They never did. The front desk didn’t seem to think it was a problem when we called. For that price, they should try harder to impress guests. I get better service at the Super 8!