Not even a year old, the Residence Inn Maui Wailea is one of the more affordable points options for staying on the island of Maui.

I found the hotel nearly flawless and worth every one of the 40k Marriott points it costed for a night (I transferred 13k SPG points to my Marriott account, which equals the 39k Marriott points I needed).

I didn’t even realize I had elite status with Marriott until the rep at the desk informed me of it at check-in and upgraded me from a studio suite to a 1-bedroom suite.

The lowest tier of Marriott’s elite status can be earned by staying 10 nights in a year.

This was my first night at a Marriott in years, but I received credit for 5 nights from each of my two SPG American Express cards, equaling the 10 nights needed for elite status.

How’s the hotel?

Still feels brand new. The room was immaculate. Professional, friendly staff.

Very nice, how much?

35k-40k Marriott points, or $250-$350 per night.

Location?

Wailea is a resort area on the south shore of Maui.

This hotel is about a 15-minute walk from the closest beach, but there is also a complimentary hotel shuttle that will take you there.

Amenities?

A large gym, a pool/jacuzzi, a basketball court, and a sparkling row of steel grills and umbrellas if you want to grill out, all looking out over the sparkling ocean.

Wi-Fi?

Free. Perfect.

Breakfast?

YES. The breakfast here was shockingly good for a complimentary breakfast.

The waffle station includes a line of waffle-makers, two types of whipped cream inside frozen sheaths that keep them cold, a variety of toppings, and a mango puree in addition to the usual maple syrup option. Healthyyy.

Bacon is served on Thursdays only though.

Parking?

So parking costs $20 per night, which I was disappointed in, but at least the hotel doesn’t charge a resort fee.

Overall?

Great new option for visiting Maui.

Here are some photos:

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