I've been to a few luaus, including one at the Aulani on Oahu, and this was luau left me expecting so much more. Upon check in, we were informed we were in a alternate location (chapel side). Unfortunately, this location wasn't great for the production. the entire event felt like a makeshift stage, and you could see people walking behind and to the side to run food or to change into costumes, which felt really amateur. it was nowhere near the polished production that Aulani has--Aulani had a full stage, a professional feel, and it felt magical with performers all around. The dancers stayed primarily on stage. They had a few interactive parts of the show which was fun. One thing that threw me was on arrival shell leis were given to everyone, but if you wanted the kukui nuts (which I asked for when I noticed them being handed out) you had to have a VIP table, which I didn't like. I felt everyone should get the same lei and the VIP gets you the viewing advantage and priority service. I felt The photography was also really amateur--it didn't highlight Grand Wailea at all, and the folder for the photo was just plain, not special. The pre-show games were fine but not immersive; the young hosts were nice, but it never pulled you in. I enjoyed the host of the show and the fire dancer. Both stole the show. As for the food; we were served taro chips before the 1st course, --they were good, though I recognized them from Costco, which was disappointing. The first course was really strong--poke, mac salad, corn beef, salad, and Brussels sprouts. 5/5 for the first course. Our server Todd was fantastic and made sure we could get more if we wanted. He also helped us grab drinks from the bar. The open bar was a nice perk, those how much can realistically drink in 2 hours. The second course, the proteins, were a letdown--beef was good, but the chicken and fish were just okay. It also came with rice Ang cooked veggies, basic but good. We got a several dessert options plated as our 3rd course. Everything was too coconut-heavy, and for this price, it needed more variety. We asked to wait on dessert, but because took our time eating. Even at our request, they had to give us the dessert even though we weren't finished. They rushed to serve dessert because we were coming to the end of the program. I really felt like the Grand Wailea could offer a better luau for being a luxury hotel. Overall the experience didn't justify the price. read more

Exceptional luau!!! The most beautiful hotel, I found this place on here when searching for the best luau. My bf and I had such a blast, we got here and walked around the gorgeous property, took photos and loved the beach views. All of the workers are friendly and happy to greet you with your wooden lei. We were given a couple complimentary professional photographs (I choose to frame ours!) The BEST part of this luau is the unlimited bar package - we tried all of the cocktails and loved that it's all top shelf liquor. We were seated at a table of other couples and were still friends with many of them to this day. They matched us all so well based on our age/ what we were looking for. We had great food and the show was so enchanting. Truly a magical evening I couldn't have wished more from! Well worth the price- yes it's expensive, but you'll be thrilled once you step on the property. read more

See all

Came to the Grand Wailea luau back in 2017 and it was an ok experience. Came back again yesterday and ...WOW!! It's a completely different experience. Amazing food (love the family style!), fantastic service and the show was amazing!! The only thing I miss is the complimentary photo that they used to do, but fantastic experience overall!!! read more

I had seen this show before in the early 2000's and I recall more action, including more drums & 2 very fit native young men that would climb coconut trees as part of the show. It has been over 20 years since I've been back & was excited to show my son "the best luau on Maui". The grounds are beautiful, but as for the show and entertainment itself, to say this was a disappointment would be an understatement.. my son didn't know any better since he had never been. All of the action of the show that I recall that made this show spectacular is now gone & now very slow moving & boring. Even though we all wanted to leave, we decided to stay in hopes we would see more action, but nope. And no, there isn't 2 solid hours of show/action/dancing. The dancers were hardly on stage at all, maybe 20% of the time. The rest of the time is waiting and waiting and waiting, including waiting for the crappy food (because it is brought out in courses) . The host was mainly encouraging the audience to entertain themselves, rather than sit back, relax and see a good show. A little over $800 for a family of 3 and they still charged us $50 extra for a family photo. Shameful & Ridiculous!! Whomever the chef, choreographer and the one in charge of ticket pricing for this event needs to be fired. There needs to be WAY more action, especially drums. The pricing for this is more expensive than a Cirque de Soleli show in Vegas and not even CLOSE to being as captivating & entertaining. What a complete waste of money for a non traditional experience, mediocre food and cheap alcohol drinks. Overly expensive and a rip off. The king at the end with the fire was the highlight but overall the experience was poor, especially for $275 per adult. Honestly, don't waste your money here a cheaper luau will be much better with lots more show. We kept wandering off listening to the other luau where it sounded like everyone was getting their money's worth. We will not ever be back to this one. read more

I have been to four other luaus in my life, including the one at the Aulani on Oahu in the past year. This is the worst luau of the bunch. The location was changed so the entire event was on a makeshift stage and also the fenced in area seemed makeshift. The games beforehand were not very fun and were only available for a few minutes (despite us checking in early). No professional photo was taken, which I thought was very odd. Service was ok. Our server was very chatty with other tables, so we ended up refilling our own drinks. The drinks were not good--except for my son's shirley temple, which he said was awesome. The food was so-so. The salads/appetizers were the best part. I enjoyed the mac salad, green salad, poke, and bread. The main course meat tasted like cheap hotel banquet food. The noodles and rice also tasted off to me. The show itself featured fake sounding electronic music. The emcee was good, but the dancers didn't seem that great. The highlight of the show was the fire dancer, which was very entertaining for my 8 year old. If we come back to Maui we will definitely pick a different luau. read more

My husband and I attended the Luau. This was our first Luau in Maui and we enjoyed it. My husband had never been to a Luau so all of it was so new to him. It was so cute to see everyone dancing along especially the cute little kids. Everyone was pretty friendly. read more

Grand Wailea - Hawaiian Near Me - Wailea, Hawaii

See all

Love the food! And atmosphere! After 4:00 the "tasty grill" is on! We had ribeye, New York steak, quinoa salad with roasted vegetables, steak sandwich, mahi mahi! All were excellent! Service spot on! read more

I don't really understand all the bad reviews. The show was great. My kids really enjoyed the performance. The performers were enthusiastic, and the fire dance was awesome. I thought the food was great as well particularly the ahi, beef and pork. Good enough variety of drinks at the open bar. I will say it's not worth paying for the premium seating. It puts you slightly closer for a hefty price increase. We did it because the regular seating was sold out, but I think if regular seating is available, that's what you want. There are also some very nice vendors of handmade wood carvings as well as jewelry and purses. There are ukelele lessons, temporary tattoos for the kids and hula lessons. Overall, I had a great time and if you're staying at the grand wailea, the convenience of not having to drive anywhere after is really nice. read more

It's been almost a week since we've come back from Hawaii and I woke up with the following lyric stuck in my head this morning, "Island in the skyyyy, paradiiiise, calling youuuu, calling meeeee, Hawaiiiiiiiiiii" which came from this luau. So I figured I should write my review on it. The luau clearly left an impression on me. First off, this is an expensive luau. It was not our first choice because of that, but we booked it so last minute it was what was available. I only have another luau to compare to, but that was from 20 years ago when I was just a kid. At the time, I remember I couldn't see anything because I sat way out in the back, and to be frank I probably wasn't fully paying attention because I was playing with my school friends. What would a good luau entail? To me, good story telling, performance, food, drinks, service, and ambiance. All of these were homeruns. And that's why I'm giving 5 stars. The performers did stellar jobs. Through their singing, dancing, and music, they conveyed the spirit of the Hawaiian islands and its distinct history. There were multiple numbers, each unique and important to the show in their own way. The MC had a soothing singing voice that was used throughout. The hula dancers were very fluid, and I enjoyed watching the lady with the giant cloudlike skirt that made her look like a cloud personified, dancing in the heavens. We loved that the show was capped off by the amazing fire dancer who really brought on the heat! We were captivated throughout the entire show and got to learn a little at the same time. While our senses were ignited by the show, our taste buds feasted on the spread before us. See pictures. We got to have it all. For appetizers- poi (taro with water), poke, breadfruit mac salad, Hawaiian rolls, salad. They say poi is not for the faint of heart, but growing up in an Asian household, we love taro. And the tip from the waiter was to have it with the poke, which was delicious too. I really enjoyed eating breadfruit for the first time. I now understand why it's called breadfruit. It has the taste and texture of a nice roll. I love that the Hawaiian rolls came with a sprinkling of guava over the butter. For the main course, we had a nice helping of kalua pig, teriyaki chicken and beef with grilled taro and noodles, and a third dish of curry mahi mahi with rice and veggies. The quality of the food was actually very tasty. The kalua pig was on the drier end. The teriyaki and taro were delicious. The curry was very flavorful. The mahi mahi was cooked well. Finally for dessert, we had a platter brought before us which included panna cotta, brownie bites, lilikoi cakes, coconut and taro puddings, and fresh pineapple. By this point of the meal, we were stuffed and couldn't finish all our dessert, but we enjoyed the small bite size samplings of everything. My favorites were the puddings and panna cotta. We also had endless supply of drinks, so I ordered a couple of pina coladas. Our server was spectacular. His name was Todd. He was very friendly and helpful and genuinely seemed happy to be there. While a luau is definitely not cheap, it really is a magical experience. Even though I don't fully remember the one I attended 20 years ago, I still remember the feeling I had when I was there, and it left me with a feeling of enchantment, romance, and wonder. Both luaus I've attended had gorgeous rainbow sunsets and lovely ambiance. Now as an adult who can appreciate a lot more, and perhaps this was a much better luau too, I can definitely say that this luau was one of the highlights of our trip (although we had many). We saved it for our last night in Hawaii, and it was a great send off. The location of this luau is beautiful, right alongside the beach. I actually liked that the luau was not facing the sunset, because it allowed us to take many amazing photos with the sunset during golden hour. It also meant the show could start when the sun was still out, and we wouldn't be blinded by the light. My husband and I were very much mesmerized by the enchanting evening and enjoyed every second of it. The night ended far too early. We had a beautiful night. read more

See all

Best luau on Maui, period. From the food to the show to the ambience, it just cannot be beat. Do yourself a flavor and reserve one of the premium tables up front; it's definitely worth the up-charge for the better seating, especially when the show is by far the best on the island. read more

Grand Wailea - Hawaiian Near Me - Wailea, Hawaii

We have gone to the Grand Wailea luau for many years to celebrate my husband's birthday (which is Christmas Day). This year (December 23rd) it was absolutely disappointing. I called ahead to mention our food allergies, I also told our waiter yet nothing was honored. Not only was the food upsetting, this luau was nothing like we have experienced in the past. There were less dances and less story telling. I'm sad to say, we will be finding a new holiday tradition. read more

The food was so salty I was really looking forward to roast pork but all the food was just not good. the show was fine. My husband was falling asleep so we didn't even stay for dessert. Our seats were double booked so they gave us a different seat last minute ‍. I'd check out a different luau I was told there's plenty that's so much better. read more

This is the lamest luau we have been to on Maui. Here is a summary of our experience. It's a bit of a hike from the grand Wailea hotel entrance down to the venue. Not terrible but just be aware. We paid $586 for 2 people. The drinks were good. The bartenders were very nice. The table waitstaff was subpar. They were not very friendly or accommodating. The food was ok, but not great. The performers were subpar. The same 8 or so performers did all the routines. It did not feel authentic or very entertaining. The host was ok, but seemed to want to get the audience too involved and have us perform dances and entertain ourselves rather than sit back and relax. It felt very cheesy. Very little fire show at the very end. Other luau's on the island are WAY better. Steer clear of the grand Weilean luau as it is just a money grab. read more

My husband and I attended this luau yesterday on our last full day in Maui for our honeymoon. Let's just say the best part of this Luau was the valet when leaving. Don't get me wrong, no disrespect to the performers as they did a great job. On the other hand, the food was extremely bland and dry and our waiter ( a white older male) treated our table (POC) very different from the others. We understand people have bad days, but when you constantly see your waiter being smiley and attentive towards other tables other than your own, you can't help but think there's racism involved. Would not recommend this Luau even if it was your only option simply because of the bland food and poor service from our waiter. If you don't want to feel discriminated against by waiters and want tasty food, spend your money somewhere else. Definitely not worth over $500 for two people. read more

I've been coming to Wailea for the last thirty years and have attended dozens of luaus - but this year's at the Grand Wailea was outstanding. A few highlights: 1. Romy (Romeo) took care of us, and the service was exceptional. Romy has been at Wailea since it opened - a genuinely warm person, super attentive, and was on top of everything: special meals for the grandchildren, helping with photos, ensuring the seating worked, and making sure everyone was well taken care of. 2. Table service and the food - I'm used to the stampede for the buffet. However, since the COVID-19 pandemic, GW has been serving at the table--a huge difference. The food was excellent - very well-executed, featuring a super-fresh local salad, steak /fish/chicken, and generous portions. 3. The show was perfectly timed, featuring great music and performances, in a lovely setting - the whole evening was well-paced. Will be back. read more

I thought the reviews were negative because of the price. It's by far the worst luau I have been to and I have been to at least 5. The food was gross. I have never been to a luau that didn't take a pic of you on the way in. There were like 3 activities before the luau. The show was short and not great. The service was good and the drinks were strong or I'd give 1 star. Would not return or recommend read more

HIGHLY RECOMMEND! spectacular place! Nice service, beautiful presentation and Absolutely delicious food! Black cod was amazing!! two times up TO THE CHEF for making seared ahi with foie gras! BRAVO! Great atmosphere and sunsets. Can't wait to return. Thank you! read more

This was our third luau on Maui, but first with our boys- and by far our favorite. We loved that our family of 4 had our own table. The food was delicious, the drinks were tasty and plentiful, and the staff was amazing. We arrived early and enjoyed the different areas set up for the kids to try something new (tattoos, ukulele, bowling), had a beautiful family photo taken, and did a little shopping. Our server, Desiree, was so kind and made sure we had enough of our favorites, including drinks (try the lava flow)! The entertainment was amazing, especially the MC. The entire experience was captivating on grounds that were beyond gorgeous. Thankful for the priceless memories created this night. read more

See all

Nope nope nope. Being raised in Honolulu I know what a luau is and this is not a luau. Shame on you Grand Wailea - at this price you couldn't even do a bad luau in grand fashion. You did a bad luau in a paltry fashion. The food was a poor man's bbq - and the entertainment was well despicable and a shame to Hawai"i tradition - what you did was extort money from travelers. There was only ONE authentic presence at our experience - our amazing server - Jeanie - a Maui resident her whole life. She made the $1000 expense for 3 people bearable. Shame shame shame. Never going back to Grand Wailea for anything. This experience saddens me more than anything to see how the culture has been exploited for money. read more

We had a great time at this luau. The ambience couldn't be beat; in the midst of a resort, behind the chapel, on a grassy alcove above the beach. It's an awesome educational experience with a master of ceremonies that guides you through your evening. The female and male dancers took us on a journey through the islands with dances from around the pacific. The cloud dance and the aerial dance were both unique and imaginative. The fire dancers always add to the 'wow' factor. Then there was all the food. There was plenty of food served family style. There were several types of salad, various styles of meat and vegetables, a multitude of desserts and drinks. And the waiters just kept bringing more. If you leave this place hungry or thirsty it's your own fault. This is a premium price event and if you want a cheaper luau I'm sure it can be found, we had plenty to choose from. If you want something better I doubt you'll find it. The evening could not have been better. read more

Wow the biggest let down of my life! I expected much more from this place for this price tag. Don't show up until 5:30pm that's when they let you in. The so called show put on by this resort starts at 6pm. Unfortunately they also rip you off by ending the show at 8pm instead of 8:30pm as it clearly states on your ticket. It's all corporate here nothing Hawaiian. Stick to the Sheraton luau or others this one is just the worst I've been to. It's 1.5 hours of music and 30 min of Hawaiian luau. The food is good the actors are good the staff is friendly but the luau is not worth the price tag! Save yourself the money. I regret this purchase. read more

Grand Wailea - a crowd of people sitting at tables on a lawn - Hawaiian Near Me - Wailea, Hawaii

The poor reviews here almost made us not want to go, but they are wrong! First of all, if you're staying in Wailea, you're not here on a budget. Second, the food was extremely good. Third, the show was awesome. I was really just looking forward to the food and was pleasantly surprised to be as entertained as I was. The setting was amazing and it felt like a 5 star experience all around. read more

We attended a luau here in February 2022 and had a wonderful experience. Incredible location, helpful staff, and talented performers. I would highly recommend! read more

The luau was fun, service epic, and the food was above average for a banquet style dinner. The price point was high but the venue on the water was worth it. read more

This was the first luau I've ever been to, and I really enjoyed it. The seating area wasn't covered and the sun was really strong on the day we went - but it ended up being fine. I would recommend bringing a hat just in case - but there are also shady areas you can stand in before it starts and the sun goes down. There were activities for kids in the beginning as well. As far as the food goes, we are vegan and weren't sure what exactly we'd be able to eat. We knew we were paying mostly for the experience and didn't really have any expectations dinner wise. However, they were able to accommodate us with a vegan plate that had tofu, sweet potatoes, rice, and noodles. It was actually pretty good and filling! The performances were entertaining and there was always something happening. I found it to be very interactive as well, and would recommend this luau. read more

Grand Wailea - Stage - Hawaiian Near Me - Wailea, Hawaii

We went to the Luau at the Grand Wailea and really liked it. We have been to 4 different luaus over the last 5 years at Maui and this is at the top of our list, next to Feast of Lele. If your staying Wailea or Kihei or Makena, you don't have to drive to Lahaina to get a great Luau. I recommend Aha'aina at the Grand. read more

See all

It's a better use of your money and will provide you a more nutritional meal. Having never been to a Luau and having limited options because of covid New Years, we decided to try the luau at the Grand Wailea. We walked over from the Four Seasons Hotel next door, a far superior resort on any every level, and were greeted with a cheap wooden necklace instead of the traditional flower lei one would expect. We were also offered terrible blue alcoholic beverages from the cheapest vodka imaginable. Nows a good time to set the scene - we paid $500 for non premium seating. We knew this was absurd but figured we'd get at least a memory and a decent meal as one would expect from a hotel of this alleged stature and price. We were sweated as far from the stage as imaginable (which really didn't matter as the show itself was so dull, so utterly boring and uninspired). now, I'm not really here to criticize the show. Maybe it's for kids. Maybe it traditional. Who knows, we didn't like it. Maybe you will. Maybe if it was free. Maybe if you were high on hallucinogenic toads. Who knows. The first dish as the luau was Poi. Now I'm sure this is an acquired taste and I have not acquired the taste. It's traditional but it is DISGUSTING. I spit it out almost immediately. Now I don't blame them for their Poi, I blame them Because this was the best dish served all night. The food was terrible. The worst meal possible in Hawaii and I'll Tell you a secret. We had Safeway supermarket orange chicken for lunch. The bar was set low and the Wailea grandly fell beneath it. Course after course came our way, each worse than the last. The fact that a pig had to die for this dinner is horrific. I'm not a vegetarian, nor anti-pig, I'm just not into waste and this pig was a waste as the chef cooked all flavor and taste out of it. The show blazes on and the fire dancers are certainly entertaining (but you can see them for free in Thailand and you're not nauseous from eating the AWFUL GRAD WAILEA FOOD). We notified the hotel food and beverage administrators today that we thought this was well below expectations in hopes of anything ranging from an Apology to a free drink to a time machine that might give us our New Years back, but their service is as bad as their food. AVOID THE WAILEA. Go to the Four Seasons. Or the Marriott. Or McDonalds. But then again, thank you Wailea for ending this dumpster fire of a year with the worst meal possible. That being said, the servers were very friendly and the location was nice. read more

I'm not sure what to say here. So the weather during our visit wasn't the best for the most part and they ended up relocating this luau into the ballroom indoors. I'm not sure why because the Marriott luau that night was outside and the weather seemed perfect that night and the forecast didn't look wet. Part of the appeal is the view, so this was disappointing but we understood better safe than sorry. Our server was great for the most part, but it was impossible to hear him or the narration to the luau as it didn't feel like they knew how to set up the music indoors and all I could hear was the band the entire dinner. The food was either mediocre or bad. It's not that anything was even that adventurous and that was the reason but if you imagined a holiday inn conference center in Nebraska attempting to do Hawaiian food -- that's what this tasted like but for about $500. read more

To start, the service was amazing. I appreciate all the hard work everyone does. The performers also give it their all. If you have been to a luau and had a real roasted pigs and crazy hula dancers, then don't expect the same here. If you have never attended one, this is not terrible. I would personally spend the same amount of money elsewhere to get a better overall experience. Like I said before the service was good I just knocked stars off because it didn't reach my expectations of the luau I had been to before. The open bar was included and the drinks were amazing. The food itself was so-so, appetizers were the best personally but the pork for the entre was cold, the steak and chicken we alright, the mahi mahi was dry, and the dessert was not my favorite. read more

The show was good, but it's our 1st luau. Paid for the premium seats and that was nice. Servers were all great. Location is pretty but you look at the hotel the whole time... not the beautiful ocean behind it. Food was not the highest quality which for this price should be. We had other dinners that were much better. What really got me was the blue Hawaiian they give you, which is very watered down and the 3 pina coladas I had. That's 4 drinks and only the slightest buzz. For the cost of this luau I would have liked to have had at least strong drinks. read more

Okay luau with decent food. Beautiful location and view of the sunset. Little disappointed in the actual dancing part of the luau. Seemed a little touristy and cheesy. Only thing the redeemed the actual show was the fire dancing. Paid extra to get VIP seating, but I don't think it was worth the extra money, as it had more live music than actual performance. If you are looking for a more authentic experience, I would look into other luau's. Overall, a very underwhelming experience. read more

We wasted our money. Planning a trip for 2020 (canceled due to COVID) the cost for 4 Premium Seats was $672. Last week we paid $1,432.16 for the same 4 seats. Having been to luaus in Honolulu, Ko Olina, and Lahaina, my hopes were high for this one at the Grand Wailea. The smaller, socially distanced crowd had the performers begging for applause and more crowd noise. Costumes were straight from a discount store. Shorter performance disguised by separating it between food courses. The later which caused a total lack of continuity in the performance. Our server was nice and the food was about par for this kind of event. But the show left us wishing we'd spent our time and money somewhere else. read more

Food is fantastic! 3 courses all cooked with high quality. Enjoy the show too! Host bring audience participation well. Our 9 years girl likes to follow the activities. read more

Out of all the luau's we've been to on Maui this one by far exceeds in every area. The food was phenomenal the entertainment was great. Even the kids enjoyed some humor. While lining up to go in you get to watch the whales Jump and see an amazing sunset. read more