Sustainability and Community Engagement at Wailea Beach Resort

Each year, koholā (humpback whales) return to Hawaiʻi’s warm waters to breed, calve, and nurse. Their migratory path passes directly in front of Wailea Beach Resort through the ʻAlalākeiki Channel. Revered as ʻaumākua, or ancestral guardians, koholā symbolize our deep connection to the land and sea and our responsibility to care for this special place.

In Hawaiian mythology, the demigod Māui slows the sun to help people live more productively. Inspired by this story, Wailea Beach Resort has invested over $2 million in rooftop solar farms. The system generates more than 740,000 kWh annually, reducing oil use by 1,086 barrels and significantly lowering the resort’s carbon footprint.

With the ocean as our front yard, Wailea Beach Resort is deeply aware of the impact single‑use plastics have on marine life. To help keep our shores pristine, the resort partnered with Pathwater to reduce plastic waste. Since August 2021, guests receive complimentary refillable Pathwater bottles, with filtered water stations conveniently located throughout the resort.

On 22 acres, Wailea Beach Resort offers 543 guestrooms, 100K+ sq ft event space, and four pools with four waterslides (including Hawaiʻi’s longest at 325 ft). Sustainability efforts include rooftop solar, Energy Hound reporting, efficient HVAC/refrigeration, tankless heaters, saline pools, smart irrigation, and drought‑tolerant native landscaping.

Hawaiʻi is one of the most isolated archipelagos on earth, home to coral reefs and marine life found nowhere else. To help protect this environment, Wailea Beach Resort supports Maui County’s reef‑safe sunscreen ordinance. Since October 2022, the resort has offered complimentary reef‑safe sunscreen through Project Reef, paired with guest education and beach cleanups at Wailea and Ulua beaches.

For more than 25 years, Wailea Beach Resort has partnered with local organizations to support the Maui community. Ongoing initiatives include quarterly highway cleanups, an annual Maui Food Bank Drive collecting over 900 pounds of food, National Groundhog Job Shadow Day with Maui High School, and raising more than $10,000 each year for the statewide Annual Charity Walk.