Maui's Newest Resort to Include Morimoto Restaurant, Other Top-Notch Amenities

MAUI, Hawaii -- As part of our recent coverage of the third annual Hawaii Travel Exchange, Travel Agent toured the grounds of the soon-to-be Andaz Maui at Wailea resort, a five-star resort slated to open in the Wailea section of Maui by the summer of 2013.

Agents can book the property beginning late winter. This will be the first resort at this location since the Renaissance Wailea Beach Resort closed in 2007.

We sat down Friday with Anita Rahman, director of sales and marketing for the resort, to get the skinny on the much anticipated property.

Andaz, which means "personal style" in Hindi, is the high-end, lifestyle branch of Hyatt Hotels and Resorts. Andaz Wailea will join Andaz Liverpool Street, London;  Andaz West Hollywood, Andaz Wall Street and Andaz 5th Avenue, both in New York City, and Andaz San Diego.

Additional Andaz hotels under development include Andaz Amsterdam, Andaz Delhi, India; Andaz Papagayo, Costa Rica; Andaz Sanya Sunny Bay, China and Andaz Turks and Caicos. Andaz Wailea will be the second Andaz  hotel designed by internationally acclaimed architect and designer David Rockwell of the Rockwell Group, following the January 2010 debut of Andaz Wall Street.

Andaz Wailea will feature roughly 300 rooms and suites, ranging from 456 to 2,321 square-feet and including seven, three-to-five-bedroom villas. We were told 70 percent of all rooms face the ocean. Among the suites will be two Premiere Suites, which are one-bedroom rooms that can connect and form a two-bedroom suite. Each Premiere Suite comes with a soaking tub located in the center of the room, offering clients' an impressive ocean view while they soak. There will also be butler service available.

"We really aimed to create a level of luxury that is a reflection of Wailea," says Rahman.

There will be two restaurants here, including the recently announced Morimoto Maui, named after executive chef and former "Iron Chef," Masaharu Morimoto, perhaps one of the most well-known celebrity chefs out there. The second restaurant remains unnamed at this point, Rahman says.

There will be a 15,000 square-foot spa, gym, lobby lounge and meeting space. The spa will have 10 treatment rooms, including one couples room. Andaz will house a 4,650-square-foot ballroom that can accommodate up to 200 people.

There will be transfers available to and from the airport in high-end, luxury vehicles. Rahman says the type of luxury vehicle has not been chosen yet by the resort.

There will also be a total of five pools, including four pools that all lead into each other. In fact, three infinity pools all end up in one relaxing lagoon pool. The fifth pool is located separately and will serve as the resort's adults-only swimming pool.

Check out a quick video sneak peek of the resort by clicking here. Agents should note, however, that the resort is opening in the summer of 2013 despite the sign in the video that proclaims a spring 2013 opening.

Visit www.andaz.com.