This is not temporarily closed! It's Feb 2024. We attended the luau on this Friday and loved it. The food was exceptionally good. We had low expectations for food quality given mass catering is never one to really impress. But this luau at the Westin had these delicious offerings that my table all enjoyed: pork, sweet potato. They offer poi which is taro, a tuber. I enjoyed it because it's an island staple but note that it tastes like a tuber! It's going to not have a ton of seasoning, which is fine because it's like eating rice or potatoes--it tastes great with the seasoned meats. The show was also nice-- talented dancers and ends with an impressive fire dance which reminded me of the power of nature. Lahaina fire is still a recent memory and the community here is still recovering. We were guests at the Westin and found that buying our tickets from the concierge was slightly cheaper than buying online. But tickets can be purchased online and it was easy. All guests get a nice lei of flowers or nuts. It's all you care to eat and drink including alcohol. There's a great kids section with kiddie chopsticks and cute deco. Ohana seating was nice- we shared a round table with 2 other families and got to know folks from different parts of the mainland. The MC had a nice callout for anniversaries, honeymoons and birthdays. And there was even a marriage proposal on stage at the luau!!!! read more

Great for kids! Great venue setup and well organized from the time we sat down, through dinner, and during the performance. The location is very convenient at Whalers Village as well! Food was very good and they even had a separate fun section setup specifically for the kids. The servers and bartender were very friendly, helpful, and attentive. Highly recommend if you're looking for something to do with your family. read more

BEST LUAU EVER!! We had an AMAZING time at the Wailele Luau. I am of Polynesian descent have been to many luau's & cultural events, this was one of the best at incorporating several Polynesian islands. The food was great (even the poi was on point), as was the service. The ambience of the luau from start to finish was such an aloha vibe. The property being beach front in Ka'anapali sets you up for a stunning sunset just in time for a spectacular show!! The fire knife dance was fantastic! 5 Star read more

Awesome show, started a little late but the MC was great , food was great & the show was amazing. read more

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The drinks were fine, the food was good and the show was amazing. It was worth it, I highly recommend!!

This was a great show and experience for the whole family. I advise to get there earlier because the lines can get a bit hectic and crazy in the Westin Hotel. You will also be able to get seated at a better location, and the hosts tend to pair up tables with the right amount of space to fill each table evenly. The earlier you get there the more drinks you can enjoy! Everyone was nice and they had people offering refills on drinks if you were running low. The Ohana seats weren't as bad as I imagined. They kept you busy with vendors selling local items and a photo opt to take and purchase as a souvenir. I feel that your attention was always kept by the show and activities at the Luau. Fire, water, dances, music, etc. It's everything you would want in a Luau. Food was great. For the price, you would expect it to be better, but you have to know that this is a banquet/buffet style type of food. They make these to feed 100's of people every night they have a show. The drinks were watered down a bit, but you can always go up to the bar and ask for a fresh Mai Tai. Plenty of options for drinks (both alcohol and non-alcohol). This was a perfect way of ending our vacation. read more

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Service was very good. You are greeted with a lei when you get there as well as your choice of a POG or Mai Tai. Live music plays while you are seated and you are taken to take photos. There is an open bar with set options for drinks, which were fine. Almost every offering on the buffet was new to me so I really enjoyed getting to try everything. Me and my family impressed with the purple sweet potato, Taro roll (with butter) and Mac salad. The performance was great and felt very authentic. This is a great option for all ages! read more

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Even though I'm SF born and raised, my family always visit Hawaii to visit relatives who had settled here. So most of my vacations had always been more of family visits rather than the typical tourist experience in paradise. Now let's fast forward to my adult life making my own money and traveling with my husband having the freedom to play tourist! All my life, my family and even some friends, told me, don't waste your money on a luau! The food is watered down & it won't be as good as auntie's cooking; or that I can just go watch my homegirls' tahitian/hula showcases. Regardless, I still wanted to have a real tourist experience. So I did my research, but the luau I originally wanted to book, was filled up 3-4 months in advance. I already went into my planning knowing I didn't care for the food because I did expect it to be altered to be more palette friendly for non locals. Having taken hula myself and having several friends professionally compete in tahiti, I knew I'd appreciate any & all hula performances. What sold my husband on this luau was the fire dancers/ tree climbers and the outdoor scenery of the luau. Plus my favorite movie is Lilo & Stitch! I've even learned the hula in the opening scene so you know I'll love a luau. Since we were in Maui for our first time and celebrating our 1 year wedding anniversary, my husband booked the premium seating. That saved us from having to come early and wait an extra 45 minutes in line. I heard people had been waiting 30 minutes before doors opened in the regular line since those seats were first come first served. We waited less than 5 minutes to be seated right when doors opened. So it's definitely worth it for the premium seats. We were greeted with a little box of chocolate to celebrate our anniversary along with leis and overly sweet Mai Tais. We were seated close to the stage with other couples celebrating their anniversary and newlyweds. The performers were so pretty and amazing in their craft and the servers were very friendly keeping our drinks filled. There can be somewhat big gaps in between dances, but shit, I can't tamau, ami, or faarapu for hours straight either so ahead girls and stretch your thighs & glutes! As for the food, I went into it with low expectations, but I still liked it. Of course I've had better, but it's party food for tourists and I think most items were cooked decently. Pro tip, don't eat egg or rice noodles that have been left out too long though, they spoil fast so I avoided that. The smell reminded me of all the family parties I've had when the pansit goes bad. The poke and lomi salmon was actually kept cold. I didn't see any wilted greens in the salad at least. Protein options were standard and reminded me of my meal prep when im cooking for bulk; a little over cooked & bland but I rather have that than undercooked. My personal favorite was actually the taro with haupia sauce. It reminded me a lot of something my ilocano dad use to eat and my grandpa had worked on the sugar plantation in Maui. So you know I went back for seconds. There was also a large cake selection, but that was my least favorite with most of the cakes either dry or dense. The only one I'd recommend is the guava chiffon. Or just eat the pineapple. Maui pineapples are probably the sweetest pineapples I've had in my life. The night ended with special greetings from the host to people celebrating birthdays and anniversaries. To my surprise, my husband and I got a little shout out for celebrating our 1 year wedding anniversary. Afterwards, they played some music & put on some mood lighting for all couples to dance to. It was a really romantic and special way to end our night and luau experience. Plus we got to take home the pineapple center piece. I'm knocking off a star because the luau itself is already pricey & it cost extra to get copies of your pictures taken at the beginning of the luau. They print all 4 poses so if you don't purchase it, its just thrown away so why not just include it? There is also no beach access as well and it would have been nice to see it or get pictures there prior to the luau. Also, you won't get to see a pig getting roasted, but no big deal to my filipino lechon ass, but it would probably be on the bucket list for others. Overall it's a decent option. Of course there are better options whether on maui or the other islands. Some people will tell you any luau is a waste of money and others will say how great it is. If you have the $$$, I say just take the risk and make the best of it. Mind you, we're also going through a recession, everything is inflated, and people are angsty post covid. You're in Hawaii, just relax, respect the culture, and take in the Aloha spirit read more

Wailele Luau - Performing Arts Near Me - Lahaina, Hawaii

We paid a little more for the premium seating which was well worth it! Our table was right in front! We had a buffet dinner before the show which was so delicious! So many options to choose from. My daughter is vegetarian and she was happy with her meal too. Lots of drink choices all evening with great service!The show was incredible! All the dancing and a great fire show! We learned a lot about the Hawaiian culture.I would definitely recommend this Luau for all ages. read more

Great staff, great food, great music, great show. We got 20% from a promo they were running which made the price easier to swallow. If you do non-VIP seating, try and book early so you can sit in the front "Ohana" tables, which are almost as good as the VIP seats and a lot cheaper. Overall a lot of fun and it totally checks all the boxes. read more

Honestly, I have no idea why this luau is rated only 3.5 stars. We've been to so many over the years, and this is one of the best luaus I have ever been to. We were welcomed with a drink and lei, then taken to our tables before being escorted to take family pictures. There was also an arts fair in the beginning, which was nice to buy souvenirs from. The one thing that set this luau apart from all the others is how kid-friendly this was and how accommodating they were for our 1.5 year old and 4 year old. They had high chairs set-up and an entire keiki buffet that had kids trays and kids utensils and food set-up at their level. Everything was set-up for them to be able to serve themselves which they loved!! They even had kids desserts and cups. The bar served kid cocktails, one of which was the gecko cooler that my son loved. This luau was also one of the more reasonably priced ones on the island. The food was really good and the dances were amazing. I also really loved the extended fire show, complete with a fire rim around the stage. My kids had a blast and we will definitely be back! read more

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First off, let me say that the performers are amazing. The show was great. The staff was hospitable and very attentive. The location and surroundings were beautiful. Where this Luau went sideways for me was the food. It was subpar, at best. The ahi poke was really bad. The salads were mediocre, the fried rice was good, but what should have been the star of the luau, the roasted pork, was just not good at all. It was bland, flavorless, and the whole meal felt like it was just mass produced. We did NOT pay for premium seating, but our tickets were still $175 per person. We were there about a half hour before seating time and we're close to the front of the line. We could still see the stage just fine. In echoing other reviews, at a Westin you just expect better quality. This food really missed the mark. read more

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Our experience at the Wailele Luau was just OK. We did the Ohana seating and the table that was assigned to us was completely full. One of the staff seated us at different table which was fine. We asked about getting our family picture taken by the professional photographer and we were informed that a staff member will come get us. That never happened. No one came. We saw a line forming by the arts/crafts table for pictures so we decided to do the same. For the buffet, the MC also informed everyone that a staff member will come and let each table know when it's their turn. That never happened. No one came. We saw people forming lines for dinner so we decided to do the same. The food was just OK. Definitely not worth the price we paid. The performances and fire show were great! I wish the management would actually follow the protocols they have in place for seating, pictures, and food. The lack of structure really made it stressful for us as parent of two little kids. read more

Food is delicious and buffet style and you can go for seconds! The service is fast and friendly! And Ambiance is just spectacular, core memories for the entire family! Epic!!!! Thank you for being open ( most Luaus are closed and welcoming) read more

Wailele Luau - Beautiful, stunning, vibrant, engaging Hula dancers! - Performing Arts Near Me - Lahaina, Hawaii

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AMAZING!! The entire experience was awesome! Get the premium option! Started with free champagne and beautiful leis! The open bar mai tais were soooo good! Lorraine our waitress was top notch! The show was soooo good! The food was so good! Hands down worth every penny! Buy the pics for $60 they were great photos! read more

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3.5 star show, enjoyable but could be better. First off, do not pay extra for the premium. There is no difference. The tables are all equally good. Theres no bad views. Its a tall stage. The line moves fast and the food is the same. That said, they are round tables of 8 facing a stage which means 4 seats are great, 2 are passable, and the ends have their back to the stage. Only reason to sell these is pure greed as they are awful. Ask for a refund if they stick you at the end. They sold the show as a 3 hour performance. However its not nearly that long. The luau MC is following a script and has no audience engagement, hes not natural at all at it. Has the vibe of hes done it a million times and just wants to go home. The dancers themselves are great. The food was great. The alcohol is open bar. Make sure to get hammered the show is more fun drunk. Also they try to sell you more and more, like photos for $35 and stuff from China that was "designed" in Hawaii. Just stick go the show and you'll be good. read more

I was told this was one of the best luaus but it definitely was not. While it was good, it wasn't great either. The food and drinks were amazing! But the show itself wasn't. The dancers were not always in synch and some seemed to be new. The fire dancers were not at all as hyped up as it was. The children in the table in front of us kept standing up during the performance and their parents didn't seem to care. That was unfortunate as well. All in all, I wish I could've gone somewhere else for the price of this luau per person. Not worth it. read more

Good pork! Great Lei! Amazing fire show! Service was friendly. Ambiance was welcoming. read more

A must family To-Do when visiting Maui. All the performers are EXCEPTIONAL and should be proud to share their dance and culture. Beautiful near the beach setting 40 feet from the sand. Sunset dinner is a must. The food was excellent and well organized. We enjoyed that professional photos and crafts were available for purchase. Note: Pay the extra premium cost to sit closer to the stage. My daughter was soooo amazed and loved every moment. read more

Wailele Luau - What a lovely experience. Thanks Wailele staff and performers! - Performing Arts Near Me - Lahaina, Hawaii

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The setting was absolutely perfect to watch the setting sun behind palm trees. The staff greeted everyone warmly. Our table was in a great spot for watching the performers. The drinks and food were OVER-flowing! The show was spectacular. Loved the whole night! read more

I've been coming to Hawaii for 20 years and have done a pretty good job of avoiding going to a luau. But this time I brought the family and my wife was adamant that we do a luau. I booked late and so I didn't have a ton of options. That's how I ended up at the Westin... The food was and drinks were solidly average. Typical hotel banquet food. Nothing special though it was plentiful. Same can be said for the entertainment. Exactly what you expect and nothing exceptional. The only thing exceptional was the price - $800 for four of us. Insane. That didn't even include a photo which they hit you up for an extra $50 to get. If your options are limited and you are hell bent on a luau go ahead and do it but otherwise....meh. read more

Great selection of food that was truly delicious. The drinks were also very great, and we were extremely impressed with our server for the table. Loved the show and story that was told through the performers. Got to meet some great people at our table and have an amazing night. Would highly recommend read more

The food was Amazing! We brought our entire family (15) of us, and 6 of our 7 grandchildren got to enjoy the wonderful made for kids food bar. They provided kid style chopsticks and plates with kid flatware. My grandkids felt like big kids! Our waiter was extremely attentive and went above and beyond to help us all out. There was a good assortment of drinks to try and the big open area was perfect to let the grandkids walk around enjoy the show. The show was Awesome! We learned quite a few things about the culture and were so entertained. My 3 month old grand daughter was mesmerized at the dancers. This was the first time taking our grandkids to Maui and to this luau. We were so pleased with the staff the food the photos, that when we come back in 2 years, we will definitely book another luau with this show. We loved the entire experience!!! Highly recommend this. read more

Where to start besides the $150 price tag per person. Yes they did have an open bar, yes they did offer family style all you can eat, and yes they had singing and dancing all of which was not very good. Bartenders fumbled our pre-made mai tais and rum punches, poke salad had a grayish color and might had been leftovers from the day before, and chicken and steak both tasted and looked like they had been in warming trays for at least a couple days. For this money go somewhere nice to eat, save a couple bucks, and get some true Hawaiian cuisine. read more

Wailele Luau - Stage - Performing Arts Near Me - Lahaina, Hawaii

This was a good experience overall. They have a vegan option that you can select when buying your tickets. The vegan food was good, my only complaint is that everyone gets bread with their drinks initially, unless you're vegan because the bread isn't vegan. We honestly paid almost $400 for this experience and they couldn't come up with something else to present us? Most bread is vegan so... any other bread? It takes an hour for them to start bringing out the rest of the food & the drinks are strong (which is a good thing) so you sit there hungry & increasingly tipsy while waiting for your food. As far as the rest of the food, we really enjoyed it. I especially loved the purple potatoes with coconut cream - so delicious! I will say that because we were missing the bread, I left feeling mostly full but like I could def still eat more, which you don't want to feel after spending almost $400 for 2 people. The luau is a really big event & it honestly kind of felt like a wedding. But the show was really good & that's the whole point, right? It's truly all about the show, which was stellar. Overall, I recommend it & thank you for accommodating dietary restrictions, but for the price point, the accommodations should be a tad better. read more

Wailele Luau - Vegan entree - those potatoes are SO good - Performing Arts Near Me - Lahaina, Hawaii

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Great food, great story line for their dancers. Servers are courteous and kind. The dancers are skilled and put on a great show.

Program was great. Food was not great. It was really nice that they said a prayer. Nice venue, but so expensive and crowded, and felt like a stereotypical tourist trap. read more

Really enjoyed attending the Wailele luau at the Maui Westin. The music, hula, storytelling, and fire dances were so much fun! The included drinks were well-made and the food was pretty good. The Kailua pork and ahi poke were by far my favorites, but the salmon and beef were a close second. The server for our table was friendly and attentive, and the vendors were a nice addition. They are able to engrave items during the performances, which was really nice. read more

Everything was done so well- from the first greeting until the final notes of the beautiful music faded away. The dancers were gorgeous and so evocative in their movements and storytelling. Each was better than the next and the final dance was amazing. The dances with fire took our breath away. The buffet was well organized and getting food took no time at all. There was a wonderful feast presented, first for our eyes and then for our palates. I especially liked the cold noodles and the fresh catch of the day. The desserts were tiny jewels of deliciousness- coconut, pineapple upside down cake, chocolate raspberry. I would highly recommend this luau!! read more

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I have been to a few Luau's in Hawaii, this one doesn't stand out as one of the best. Line up time is 5:30 and the wait is about 20-30 minutes to get in, not sure why? Table seating is not bad, visually you can see okay from any seat. Food was not impressive, just basic with really not much flavor or taste. The show was good, I imagine that is what you are paying for. I would not attend this one again. read more

We had an an absolutely amazing time. The food was really good, the service was amazing and the show was spectacular. This is the second luau I've been to, and I can tell you that this one has been by far the best. The atmosphere was great and the climate could've been better that evening. I would definitely recommend! read more

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If you are looking for a more traditional performance then I would recommend you choose another luau. However, if you are looking for a more modern style of luau then this might be the right place for you. There was a mix between traditional and contemporary song, and traditional and contemporary dance. The dancers and singers here are also very good The food was pretty average. You get pretty large portions, but none of the foods will really wow you. Given the average food, and high price I am giving this three stars despite the good performance. read more

It was a nice time. Lots of food and all you can drink (alcohol too). Pricy, but you pay for the experience. read more

Wailele Luau - Performing Arts Near Me - Lahaina, Hawaii

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We had a great experience at the luau! They noted that seating was based on order of bookings, and as we booked as far in advance as possible we had a *fabulous* table right in front of the stage. Unfortunately, due to our table's location, we were in direct sunlight for the first portion of the show. Add on costs to anticipate: they took pictures that they wanted you to buy, fresh flower leis were available for purchase, and there were some craft vendors at the luau as well. Food was served family style to your table and you picked what you wanted for your plate. There was more than enough of everything, and it was all super tasty. The show was great, and at the end once it was dark, there was even a performance that included fire. Overall loved the experience, and we couldn't beat the location as we could get there by walking! Would definitely recommend this one. read more

Wailele Luau - Dinner. - Performing Arts Near Me - Lahaina, Hawaii

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Waiele Luau was the highlight of our trip, the food was very tasty and the show was great, the host Dwayne was really good and so friendly. I would definitely recommend read more

Wailele Luau - Performing Arts Near Me - Lahaina, Hawaii

First time for our kids and mother in law as she celebrated her retirement, my wife and I have been to others. Seen some of the comments on here, I think I can add more perspective... Price. Yes, it is pricey, that in fact is true. But with COVID and limit to crowd, you have to think about it from an operational standpoint. They don't have the space to add more bodies to spread the cost and still make a profit. The dancers, wait staff, setup all cost $. I think people forget about that. Food: It is pretty good, again, given the current situation. Can it be better, of course. But is it horrible, far from it. Have I had better luau and Hawaiian/Polynesian food, hell yes. But this is a dinner and a show, again, folks need to keep that in mind. Oh, the drinks were spot on. At normal bar prices, I think our table had at least $200 in drinks plus juices for the kids. Our server Rudy was the best!!! Seating: Don't want obstructed view or sit way in the back? Plan and book ahead. Seating assignment is based on when booking took place. People who sat up front probably booked the luau the same time they booked rooms several months ago. We booked our luau tickets about 45 days out and you can see from the pics, we were seated middle and almost in direct line up with center stage. At least three more rows of people behind us with some way in the back, my guess is they landed, checked in, and was like "hey, wouldn't it be fun to do a luau tonight?" Work with your concierge (Sharmane Aquino out of The Westin KĀ'ANAPALI Ocean Resort Villas is phenomenal), book in advance and I am sure you will have prime seating. In short, had a great time. Kids were literally blown away by the finale. read more

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For the amount of money you spend - the food could be WAY better. I thought they would be cooking the food right in front of us but it was really just a cheap hotel buffet. I am also pregnant, so couldn't participate in the open bar which I'm sure played into the very expensive cost. The best part were the performances! read more

It has been a very long time before I've had to write a 1 star review. I am also very aware that writing this review will do nothing other than make me feel better about this poor experience, and potentially help someone else navigate this experience better. I'm an over planner and I usually do extensive research before booking anything, HOWEVER, I was told by the concierge at our hotel (Westin Nanea) that this was the best Luau on Maui, so I blindly booked without reading reviews. I booked the tickets for this Luau several months in advance and the telephone representative talked me into downgrading from Premium to Ohana seats since I was one of the first to book our seats and our seats would be assigned RIGHT behind the Premium seats. Imagine my blood pressure when my family and I arrive exactly at 5:30 pm (as stated on the tickets) and we are at the end of a LONG line with a sign that says something to the effect of "Ohana seating is first come first serve, no assigned seats". From this moment, I am angry that I was lied to and overly critical of everything. Food: It was buffet food (my husband said it best, Safeway food court is gourmet compared to this). My 1 year old who eats everything spit everything out. My 7 year old who is super picky was so hungry, tried the noodles and chicken and left everything on his plate. I keep reading reviews about a server, but our table was so far away from the stage outside near a little farmers market area. We didn't have a server. If we did, I would have asked for kids food for my boys. I still had to go back to our condo and cook. Performance: the performances were nice enough from what we could see. There were LONG gaps in between each performance and the MC talked really fast, so I didn't. catch a story line. My son got to go on stage and dance and he was very happy about that. I am happy that he was happy. There was no pig roasting. I was ready to call it, eat the $450 we spent on tickets and leave when we were first seated, but my husband wanted to stay and give it a chance. We ultimately ended up leaving early and didn't get to see the fire dancers, so I can't comment on that. Ambiance: this was definitely a multi-purpose area and they really cram everyone into this space. Service: what service? Overall, my recommendation is that if you do come to this Luau: - book premium seats or show up very early to be first in line to get good Ohana seating. - expect to have below average food and drinks, maybe pre-game and eat appetizers before hand We didn't get to take photos as I've read in some of the other reviews (again our table was so far away from everything that we were super neglected and didn't have even the 3/4 star experience that I've read about in many other reviews). Imagine your ideal a luau experience and then lower your standards 3 notches. You will have a 5 star experience if you do this. Good luck! read more

If you are to do anything in Maui make it this Luau. Entertainment is excellent, Food is Excellent, service is excellent and the atmosphere is excellent. The fire dancing is unlike any other. The best! It is also All you can drink and you won't leave hungry. I Had such a fantastic time. It is truly the best Luau. read more

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The food was very good and the open bar was nice. My only complaint is the sound system. It is terrible. I would have liked to hear the stories but the words were hard tounderstand because the clarity was poor. They need a sound engineer to figure out why the speech sounds muffled; otherwise it was a good luau. The performers were excellent and the costumes were great. Service was excellent too. read more