Wailea means “waters of Lea,” the goddess who would watch over canoe builders. Lea was said to have transformed into a forest bird called ‘elapaio and fly down from Haleakala along the shores of South Maui. Legend has it she transformed the area into a beautiful forest for birds and would frequently fly above it to appreciate its beauty.

Being in Wailea is an immersion in tropical flowers, beautiful beaches with soft sand, golden sunshine, and painterly sunsets.

Today Wailea’s luxurious resort community in South Maui includes the Four Seasons Resort, Grand Wailea Waldorf Astoria Resort, and Hotel Wailea, voted #1 Hotel in Hawai’i by the Condé Nast Traveler Reader’s Choice Awards.