Mike L.
Yelp
This was one of the most perfect places we have ever stayed. Where do I start?
The beach. It's huge, uncrowded with plenty of chairs and towels for everybody, included in your stay. The sand is soft and the water is warm. Generally pretty calm, not a surf break. Beautiful views, and isolated. Just stunning.
The pools. A quiet, warm adult infinity pool with plenty of chairs and towels, and a hot tub attached. All of the pools and grounds are terraced with views of the ocean, so you never feel crowded. Constant food and beverage service if you need it. There is also a bigger kids/adults pool near the poolside grill, which is also perfect.
The grounds are manicured, interesting and lush with lots of native plants, ducks, lizards and a few cute cats. Sun chairs are scattered about so if you want a semi-private hangout, it's there.
The hotel is flawlessly maintained and during the entire stay I never saw anything dirty or out of place. Looks brand new every day. There are small sitting areas, a wood swing, and lots of places to hang out. We were welcomed with fresh juice and leis, and the desk, bell and valet service was perfect, with never a wait for anything. It's an open-air setup so you see the ocean and beach constantly. The style is modern, but with plenty of Hawaiian and koa wood accents. There is no bottled water provided, but there are filtered, chilled water stations everywhere, and metal bottles provided, and this is much, much better than using dozens of plastic bottles. There's a golf course, but we did not play.
The room. Thanks to my amazing ambassador, Daniella Perez, we got an upgrade into a fantastic suite and a great welcome gift. Possibly my favorite hotel room ever. Great view of the ocean with a lanai with a table and chairs, and a couch/bed big enough to sleep on (which a member of our party did, enjoying the ocean sounds and breeze). A large living room with a comfortable couch/rollaway, dining table, wet bar with fridge, microwave and coffee. Large bathroom with a separate shower and bath, and 2 sinks. The only complaint I had was the lighting in the bathroom. It's all on a single switch on the outside of the room, so all of the lights are on - which is a lot in the middle of the night! Would prefer a softer option for a night light. The bed was huge and amazingly comfortable. You could open the blind for an ocean view, or black it out for sleep. Marriott's great TVs with streaming access in both rooms. I would have happily lived there forever.
The houskeeping was amazing. Our room was perfectly prepared each day and they were so nice and welcoming. We asked for extra stuff and made a mess, and they took care of it all.
We enjoyed all of the restaurants. Meridia was mostly great. The pool grill was perfect, and the breakfast was awesome. The platinum breakfast (free with status) was a huge selection of fruit, pastries, juices, granola, oatmeal, etc. We had a vegan who was accommodated with special requests like almond milk, etc. The full buffet had an omelet station, meats, eggs benedict, an asian selection with rice, fish and soup, and lots of fruits and juices. Pastries, toast, bagels, basically anything you would want. Service was excellent at all restaurants.
What else can I say? We LOVED this place and will definitely return.