Grand Wailea Workers are on Strike

Heads up! If you have an upcoming stay at Hilton’s Waldorf-Astoria outpost on Maui, know that Grand Wailea workers are on strike! As such, expect delays and disruptions during your stay. 

The Grand Wailea is one of Hilton’s most sought after properties, especially for savvy travel hackers. It’s also one of the largest and most expensive properties on Maui, which itself is the most expensive island to visit (outside of Lana’i, of course). However, according to the resort’s employees, they’re underpaid and overworked. That last part is a particular sticking point, as union officials claim the hotel has laid off large swaths of employees in an attempt to cut costs, leaving those remaining to pick up the slack. 

For its part, officials from the Grand Wailea didn’t have any comment regarding the ILWU Local 142’s claims, nor did resort owner Blackstone Group. However, they did acknowledge that Grand Wailea worker are on strike, and that service and amenities on-property are being impacted. 

Grand Wailea Workers are on Strike

As reported by multiple local news outlets, Grand Wailea workers are on strike and have been since Monday, August 5. The types of employees that have walked off the job include guest services, housekeeping, and food & beverage associates, among others. As a result, the resort has confirmed that it has temporarily closed all pools and restaurants. That’s a major blow to guests, as – in my opinion – the pools are the primary attraction at the Grand Wailea. Moreover, Wailea Beach has no lifeguards, and the water can be a bit rough there. 

While no news outlets are reporting on this yet, I fully expect the guest experience to deteriorate beyond the pools and restaurants being unavailable. The last time hotel workers in Hawai’i went on strike was back in 2018 when workers at all Kyo-Ya properties walked out. The results then, as they likely will be here, were hours long waits to check in, zero housekeeping, self-service linen changes and toiletries replenishment, and rooms not being ready until hours past the standard check-in time. Not exactly the experience you want when paying $300 to $500 per night, but I’d be down right furious if I were paying north of $800 per night for such an experience. 

Yet, despite the fact that Grand Wailea workers are on strike, the hotel and Hilton’s website don’t mention the strike and its service impacts, and they’re still selling rooms for this week at around $900 per night! Want to use points? That’ll be at least 100,000 points per night. 

Final Thoughts

Employees at the Grand Wailea are well within their right to strike, though it’s important to know what’s going on for those that have upcoming stays at the resort. There’s no telling how long the strike will last, and it will definitely impact your overall experience. Personally, if I had plans to stay here, I’d try to cancel and find somewhere else to stay. The resort was a circus when I stayed back in 2021 – I can’t imagine how it’d be with a skeletal crew and virtually no services.

For those of you unlucky enough to be there now, or unable to change plans because of a pre-paid stay, etc., I’d try to see if I can get either a full partial refund from the property or Hilton, and even some other forms of compensation, such as points. 

Even for those of you not staying at the resort while Grand Wailea workers are on strike, I’m sure you’ll see some impacts as guests staying there need to find dining options elsewhere. That will, inevitably, may all other options in Wailea much busier, so be sure to plan accordingly.