Wailea Elua Village

If you're going to Maui because you want to hang out on beaches and frolic in the water, Wailea is the best place to stay. Wailea Elua Village is one of the places I'd encourage you to check out when booking any trip to Maui. It's one of the best values in Wailea if you're willing to do the vacation rental thing (for more, see my post about Vacation Rentals under the Travel Tools label).

This is a quiet village of 2- and 3-story buildings set amid gorgeous tropical grounds. It sits at the northern end of the Wailea beach path, right on Ulua Beach and a short walk from Mokapu Beach (which I highly recommend). Via the beach path you can also walk to Keawakapu Beach (north), or Wailea beach (south). You can also use the path in the evening to visit the bars or restaurants at the resorts nearby - the Four Seasons being the most recommended. It's also very close to the Shops at Wailea for more dining/drinking options, ice cream, and supplies.

Elua isn't a hotel or resort; everything is individually owned, so each unit is going to be different. The entire thing was built ~30 years ago, so quality will definitely vary. The unit we stayed in had been fully updated and was great. If you can get into one like that, this becomes easily one of the best places to stay in Wailea - in my opinion, better than (and at a fraction of the price of) the Four Seasons or Fairmont.