Four Seasons Maui changes it up with new artwork, furnishings, flexible suite design

Ranked consistently as one of Maui’s top luxury hotels, the Four Seasons Maui at Wailea is unveiling upgrades intended to keep it at the top of the pack.

Resort officials won’t say specifically how much the floor-to-ceiling renovations cost, but a spokeswoman told me it was “many, many millions.” The changes were unveiled Monday.

So what looks different?

--The hotel’s already-spacious rooms feel even larger thanks to a rethink of their design. Bulky furniture in the main rooms has been replaced with sleeker items. Dressers have been moved to nooks outside bathrooms. The space now functions as a dressing room, replete with some of the new art now found throughout the property.

--The contemporary artwork was selected by Julie Cline, the hotel’s art curator. Pieces were created by artists who have lived, worked or studied in Hawaii. Graphic textiles by the Eskayel design firm were selected to further connect the rooms to their coastline setting.

--The resort’s 383 rooms include 21 oceanfront suites that can now be configured in one- to four-bedroom floor plans.

Work on the project began in December 2014, when hotel executives challenged three hotel design firms to submit their visions for a transformation. A Honolulu firm, Wimberly Allison Tong & Goo, was ultimately chosen. The company was the original architect for the hotel, which opened in 1990.

The resort was named a Forbes five-star hotel for 2016. It has also been named Maui’s No. 1 hotel by U.S. News & World Report and Oyster.

A recent check of room availability for Thanksgiving Weekend — for four nights arriving Nov. 23 — found rooms starting at an average of $1,489 per night. The hotel does not charge a resort fee.

Info: Four Seasons Maui at Wailea, (800) 311-0630

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