I've been to a few luaus, including one at the Aulani on Oahu, and this was luau left me expecting…read moreso 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.