Luxe Beat Magazine JUNE 2014 | Page 53

Wellness M y alarm clock had gone off at 2am. I’d hauled my way up to Haleakalā National Park in search of a spectacular sunrise and found only bone chilling fog. A drenching rain turned my bike ride down the volcano into something more like a sea kayaking expedition on wheels. When I arrived at Wailea Beach Villas, it’s safe to say signs of my rough morning were pretty apparent. It was a couple hours before checkin time, but the pampering began immediately--iced tea, hot tea and an orchid lei. The sun was coming out and it looked like the afternoon might be salvageable, if I could only get out of my wet, squeaky shoes. Left: Wailea Beach Villas Makai Pool Below: Lush Landscapes The bad news was my villa wasn’t ready. The great news was, it was close to being ready. If I didn’t mind making friends with housekeeping, I was welcome to settle in to the bedroom and bathroom that had already been cleaned. (I could also use the dryer in the laundry room. Hooray!) The manager made a few quick calls and walked me to my penthouse perch. Up a key access elevator to the 5th floor, when the doors opened, I couldn’t help but exhale in relief. I’d been on the move in Hawaii for six days. I had two more nights in Maui and I could tell it wouldn’t take much to feel spoiled at Wailea Beach Villas. After getting into dry clothes, I did my best to stay out of way of the two housekeeping staff cleaning the master bedroom and kitchen. But I couldn’t resist the urge to explore the villa. I say explore, because at 1900 square feet, it might be bigger than the actual homes of some of the guests that come to stay, especially the city slicker set. But it might as well have been a shoebox. The large balcony, complete with table, room to lounge and Viking barbeque grill has a view next to impossible to walk away from. A loaded with fruit and goodie basket, sitting on a stretch of the gourmet kitchen’s granite countertop, offered tasty snacks to tide me over until dinner. And speaking of dinner, all welcome baskets come with some great, The grounds at Wailea Beach Villas are extensive; 11 acres of lush tropical landscaping and tiki-lit pathways By Dana Rebmann 53