If you’re a resident of South Maui and frequent the beaches of Wailea, you may have noticed some construction underway on the grounds of the hotel formerly known as the Renaissance Wailea Beach Resort. The Renaissance was the first hotel opened in Wailea in 1978 (known at that time as Wailea Beach). Adding to its long history were a number of different owners, a few different names, and during its time of greatest success, it boasted a AAA Five Diamond Resort ranking. Crippled by the suffering economy, The Renaissance closed in 2007.
In recent years, there have been some rumors as to what would be done with the former resort, complete demolition being one of them. Though there has been much construction on the site, we are seeing the hotel’s renewal, not destruction. The resort is undergoing a massive beautification process. Hyatt and Starwood Capital have joined together to transform the property into The Andaz Wailea Hotel.
Plans for a newly revitalized hotel include a large staff to greet guests, show them to their rooms and answer any questions there might be. The Andaz will do away with the traditional lobby and, instead, equip staff members with computer tablets so that they are free to attend personally to each guest. An overhaul to the usual kitchen system is also planned. Guests will have the opportunity to interact with their chefs directly, and meeting rooms in the hotel will be fitted with their own kitchens. The Andaz intends to be an elegant home-away-from-home and a unique alternative to traditional, large hotels.
Unfortunately, there are no plans to reopen The Maui Onion, a well liked restaurant that was a part of The Renaissance.
The Andaz will provide a series of available jobs in 2012, including a general manager, several top managers, as well as general hotel and kitchen staff. The interesting part is that since the new hotel is creating their own unique system of operation, work experience with other hotels isn’t necessary for job applicants. The Andaz opening is estimated to take place in the spring of 2013.
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