FS Maui | winter vacation in Hawaii

adults-only Serenity Pool at Four Seasons Maui

You could be here! Winter is coming, and the ensuing months will bring cold weather, snow storms, and short daylight hours to much of North America. If you're anything like me, you'll want to escape the cold and damp of winter and enjoy a week at the beach, soaking in the sun.

Four Seasons Maui is by far the the most popular resort that my clients book. Rooms are spacious, luxurious, and attractive, and if you're traveling with kids, you have two options.

1. Most comfortable — book two connecting rooms, a King-bedded room for you joined by an interior room to a room with two Queen beds for your children.
2. More economical — book a King-bedded room which also has a Queen-sized sofabed for the kids.

Guests rave about the service at FS Maui. I spent a morning at their adults-only Serenity Pool (see my picture above). It's a quiet place to relax in the sun, lounge under the shade of an umbrella, or laze in the pool. Every hour or so, Four Seasons pool attendants come by with a treat — frozen fruit, chilled towels, ice water, or a spray of Evian mist.

Three on-property restaurants offer a variety of cuisines. DUO specializes in steak and seafood, Ferraro's offers casual lunch or authentic Italian cucina rustic cuisine served right by the beach, and Spago (Hawaiian fusion cooking). Wailea offers more restaurants and great shopping, and Four Seasons offers a complimentary car service to shop and eat anywhere in Wailea.

So much is included. Though not inexpensive, Four Seasons Maui offers great luxury value with no resort fee. Meals for kids 5 and under are complimentary at DUO and Ferraro's. Kids For All Seasons is a complimentary full-day children's program. And the list of inclusions goes on...

Here's a secret way to save hundreds of dollars over the course of your stay at FS Maui: don't book online through an OTA like orbitz or expedia. Make your reservation through a Four Seasons Preferred Partner. Your room rate will be exactly the same, including any "Experience More" fifth night free or resort credit rates that you may find, but you'll get free breakfast every day and so much more.

• Daily full American breakfast for two people per bedroom, served through In-Room Dining or in the hotel restaurant (including buffets)
• Food and beverage credit of USD 100
• Upgrade of one category, based on availability at time of check-in (excluding signature suites and villas)
• Complimentary high-speed Internet access for all suite bookings

Four Seasons Maui (search here on Google)

copyright (c) 2012 by David Ourisman LLC. All rights reserved. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.