A first-time Travel & Leisure (T&L) writer/tourist to Maui writes all about a $2,500+ night accommodation, forgets to mention that the wildlife he’s snorkeling with is endangered, or the issues about the Road to Hana he recommends, and flies Southwest to get here. Hmmm. Strange juxtapositions to be sure, especially coming from the once venerated T&L.
Regular commenter Lee T said: “I have experienced more first-time travelers to Hawaii recently than in the past 40 years. The US culture is becoming more demanding & entitled & not just for tourists in Hawaii. People are exposed more to short-term gratification rather than taking time to learn about the culture & people in the areas they are visiting. Hawaii is creating a divide between tourists & locals with their added fees for tourists only. You don’t get this when traveling stateside. The influx of new residents to Hawaii is also changing the culture of the islands. Less grace & aloha as some of these new locals bring some kooky entitlement attitudes with them. Hopefully, more tourists & new locals will be “won” over & embrace the Hawaiian culture & aloha.”
The T&L article, which we saw right after reading Lee’s comment, caught our attention, but unfortunately, for all the wrong reasons. It was written by William Curtis, whose T&L credentials say he “is an avid traveler who studied languages at university, largely due to the promise of a year living overseas.” This was admittedly his first trip to Hawaii.
We’re not even sure what the article’s purpose was, since it is primarily an advertorial for high-end Montage Kapalua Bay rather than almost anything about the experience of Maui. The author doesn’t state whether or not he paid for his stay there, but based on our read, we’d surmise he did not. It also struck us as odd that while staying in a 2-bedroom suite that starts at over $2,500/night, the author flew economy-focused Southwest Airlines from LA to Maui.
Again never indicating whether or not the stay at Montage was paid for or comped, the author said merely, “We had the fortune of staying at Montage Kapalua Bay, and one of the hotel’s fleet of Cadillacs was duly awaiting our arrival.”
Why should you care if the writer received a complimentary stay?
Case in point. When we did our recent flight reviews on Alaska, Southwest, and Hawaiian, we paid our way by purchasing tickets online and did not tell the airlines we were coming. That way, we felt we could write an honest review of our experiences. When free trips and stays are given, we believe you lose credibility because it’s hard to be objective. We also note that famed travel writer, Andrew Doughty, keeps his identity hidden so his Kauai Revealed books and others can be impartial.
“An hour spent slowly following a family of turtles eating their breakfast.”
We’ll skip over all the excessive accolades for Kapalua (we’re still scratching our heads about the Southwest connection) because what caught our attention was for one thing was the part about snorkeling with turtles. “An hour spent slowly following a family of turtles eating their breakfast.” Followed by more accolades or advertorial content which seems beneath the old T&L we used to have much respect for.
A budget may have been no issue other than the Southwest experience. “Our breakfast favorites included lobster eggs benedict, and the house-made granola served out of a famous local Maui Gold pineapple.”
Staying ultra-high-end, the Montage guest said, “we did indulge in what is, for me, one of the real highlights of the Montage’s guest program: the in-house chef experience.”
The article ends with, “You can take one of the hotel’s new Cadillacs to drive to a local surf spot or explore the famous Road to Hana.”
Our questions:
1. We can’t imagine writing an article about snorkeling with turtles without even a mention of their federally and state-protected status and the fact that they are endangered. Or how to behave appropriately around turtles in Hawaii. Lack of awareness regarding Hawaii wildlife leads to incidents like this, where a Hawaii visitor picked up an endangered green sea turtle.
Getting close to these animals may constitute a federal or state violation if the animal is disturbed or if your action has the potential to disturb its natural behavioral patterns. NOAA and DLNR recommend, for your safety and the animals’ protection, that everyone stay at least 10 feet (3 meters) from all sea turtles. — Hawaii DLNR.
2. In writing about traveling the Road to Hana, it is also important to mention the road is plagued by multiple issues that visitors should be aware of before driving there.
This summer, no parking signs were installed at seven popular stops on the road. That was because visitor cars were parking on the highway, which has caused a traffic snarl on the narrow winding road for years. The no parking situation should be noted at the following locations: Bamboo Forest, Ching’s Pond, Hanawi Stream Bridge, Puaa Kaa Park, Twin Falls, Waikamoi Stream Bridge, and Waikani Stream Bridge.
The Maui Fire Department said that rescues in these areas, especially at Bamboo Forest, have been reduced by the no parking signage, among other things. They also said they do not condone trespassing for recreational purposes and strongly recommend hikers remain on marked and open trails.
Visitors to those areas should use caution, not park before or after the no parking sign, and not walk on the narrow, dangerous highway.
Also, at Twin Falls, there is now a limit on parking availability and the number of daily visitors.
How important is this topic to you?
If you know the travel writer received free travel, does that make you more likely to question their reviews? Mahalo for commenting below.
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I know the PR agency who represents the Montage hotels and this story is exactly how they work. They don’t care about telling the story of the destination, and sensitivities to the local communities. They have no desire to have the journalist write anything about the culture of Maui or the things that make it a special place to visit. They just want the writer to come and write about the property so they can charge high fees to the client. And I’m not surprised they gave him a high class trip and flew him out on a budget carrier to get there.
Pretty sure this traveler is exactly the kind of visitor Maui does not want. T & L must have owed him something to not only send him there, but to print such rubbish. Pretty surprised. Have they had a recent change in leadership? Seems glaringly odd.
An “Influencer” with little knowledge or concern about the island.
I was informed that Hawaiian airlines no longer has Hana Hou magazine what do they have now.
Thanks
Wow, that was the perfect vehicle for educating those coming to Hawaii, Seasonal Events, Sun Blocks, Reefs, Beaches with Parking Charges. I used to subscribe, overall a very nice publication! I felt superior to Hawaii Magazine, but something they may want to reconsider, Hawaii is a Special Place, amortized over 6 Islands and the Airlines own Destinations to Austral-Asia and for some it is once in a lifetime trip with great anticipation, possibly when Advertising gets back, Dining, Etc.. To that subject American dropped their Publication as well, in retirement matters not, but now flying maybe 3-4 R/T’s after 30 years of 46 weeks a year, it was the first thing I grabbed from the Seatback!
Just flew on HA to SEA and back two weeks ago….Hana Hou was onboard…..perhaps someone had a seat without one,
It happens…and jumped to conclusion? Too bad if it’s true….one of the many things that differentiates Hawaiian from the other airlines.
My guess is regular reviewers are known to the businesses they review. So, whether they tell the establishment they are coming or show up under a different name, the staff knows the regulars.
Paid or comped makes little difference. They only announce that so the readers will think the review is unbiased. Every review has some bias built into it, intentional or otherwise.
I completely agree with you!!
It’s a shame that there are so many self-centered people, young and old, who are giving a bad name for all tourists to Hawaii. We are not all like that. Most , I hope, do care about the culture of the islands.
I pray that the locals will not judge all tourists by the actions of a few.
It is definitely unfortunate. I cancelled my subscription to T&L long ago as it became clear that they were only catering to the upscale places where they wanted to stay. Everything was all fluff.
Tourist incidents every where can be highlighted, but most of us already know not to bother wildlife, both in HA or Yellowstone, etc. And as long as there is distance to turtles, it is fine. Nitpicking to prove a point? My takeaway? After grad school work in Hilo in ‘75, and too many trips to All islands, I can truly say, both sides need to give grace and Aloha! Understanding and patience are keys! And one other thing, I believe Hawaii Loves the extreme price point burdens placed on visitors. That is punishing enough.
If I read a restaurant review by someone who was comped the meal I wouldn’t take it seriously. The same applies to hotels.
Real reviewers hide their identity.
As far as reviewing an airline, I doubt airlines spend their time scanning passenger manifests for potential reviewers. In fact, airline reviews have tons of pictures, the crew knows what the passenger is doing. Not as if they’re going to whip them up a special meal!
Besides, US based carriers are terrible compared to many foreign carriers. What’s to review, general level of crabbiness, how loudly they slam the bins?
Aloha and yes, paid stays are nothing more than advertising for the resort or hotel. Sadly, T & L has long had the reputation of writing about paid media trips or merely tweaking press releases sent by a resort without actually having visited the place. Conde Nast Traveler has long billed itself as the journalism of travel — all their writers take no freebies at all, make sure they include local knowledge by interviewing a resident for cultural correctness and include info on how to nurture the native species. Night and day in the two approaches.
We’ve been to Hawaii about 15 times over the last 20+ years and have come to experience the tourists who only want to be seen. It seems to be mostly younger travelers who want to feed their Facebook or instagram accounts. The “look at me” generation. They seem to care nothing about the Hawaiian culture, the locals or how to have minimum impact on the land and wildlife. Very sad because the islands, wildlife and the people are very giving and should be appreciated for sharing their beautiful islands with us.
Tom,
“We’ve been to Hawaii about 15 times over the last 20+ years and have come to experience the tourists who only want to be seen.” I see the same people at home and everywhere I travel. So what. You see some forks for 30 seconds and have decided how they will spend the rest of their time in Hawaii.
I’ve been coming a lot longer than you. In the early days, we rented cars and went all over. Enjoying the land, the people, the weather. Now, nearly 80 years old, we go for 2 reasons – my wife will not travel outside the USA. And, we still enjoy this State even though we only rent a car for 1 or 2 days over 2 weeks.
Enjoy your vacation, don’t let your first impressions of others ruin your time here or anywhere.
This is what just makes me so sad. Kapalua Bay Hotel was an Aloha gem. When RitzCarlton tore it down and built their time-share monstrosity…which became the Montage…all who knew and enjoyed Kapalua for years were bereft. Hawaii is stunned by the clueless people coming through and seriously destroying so much that had always been respected but if you look at the larger, sadder picture it’s the world that’s changing and Hawaii is suffering. We raised our kids at the beach, then the pool, then the lava—that was their day. My stepdaughter had to have pool slides and all sorts of entertainment for her kids, she thought I was nuts for expecting my kids to be calm and respectfully curious. Kapalua Zipline=ADHD and what you’re shocked about now.
Michelle, agree 100%, Kapalua was a special place in the late ’80’s and into the ’90’s, just below the Kapalua Bay Hotel was the Kapalua Bay Club (now Merriman’s) that was special, as there was still a Dress Code (Jacket’s for Men, no Shorts) that made the evening and the views to Jaw’s’ stunning. Ritz-Carlton is now Blackstone, having changed hands twice since the millennia in ’06 and ’18. Went to a wedding at the Kapalua Bay Hotel, on the Lawn overlooking the Bay, also remember DK Kadama opening Sansei on his return to Hawaii from Aspen in the Retail component, great spot, now I think In the old Clubhouse near Sacred Heart Church, Kihei and Waikiki only. Maui invited over-development, now out of hand!
T&L is a hack publication filled with gushing articles about properties who provide complementary stays in lieu of glowing reviews. I cancelled my subscription years ago.
Agreed! I recently tried a one-year subscription and it was full of BS articles promoting stuff…honestly, every article was just an Ad for a place disguised as an article. Cancelled before my year was over….very disappointing as it was 100% not what I expected..
Frankly, if a writer is comped and discloses it, that’s fine. Even those writers who are not comped have biases that probably creep into some of their reviews.
They are just travel reviews. They’re not expressing life-changing views.
Doesn’t bother me. The BOH focus on Southwest bothers me more than anything reported about the article.
Perhaps you are not aware Rod that SWA well represents what Hawaii has dealt with for a long time.
Mainland interests have always tried to milk what they could out of Hawaii with little regard for the people that live here. SWA has stated they want to be “predatory”…. using their deep pockets when they are pretty clueless about Hawaii’s history, environment and economics. They are taking what they can out of Hawaii and pocketing it on the mainland.
John,
SWA is an airline – they fly folks from Point A to Point B. They, hopefully, make a profit doing so. They have opinions, they have goals, just like you and me.
I rarely fly SWA and have never flown them to Hawaii. We almost always fly Hawaiian and they do as good a job as most, but no better. Now that they are the only airline to fly N/S from Ontario I’m sure we will fly Hawaiian for all future trips. I wish I’d kept track of how many visits to Hawaii we’ve taken; but I have not. The first one, courtesy of the USMC, was a short one in 1965. Since the mid-1970’s at least 35, as many as 50 trips. At my age, not many more to go.
I visit to take a break from work. Not interested in all the b/s going back & forth. All the hate, anger.
BTW, I assume when Jeff and Rob travel, they travel under their own names. So, if they wanted to, the airlines could know as well.
Saying they don’t let the airlines know they will be on board is a nice gesture, but, practically, meaningless.
According to FTC guidelines, if a stay was comped, that information should have been disclosed by the writer. Common sense would be that they would even state if they paid for it themselves to give more credibility to the review.
Aloha guys,
Of course you get special treatment, that’s what hotels sell! My business is in tourism and the post(?) covid visitors are different, and not in a good way. No rules for them. No accountability. A few but enough for me to note a difference. Covid has changed the world.
Aloha Rob & Jeff!
I read the article, which is clearly a promo for the property. Other than the brief mention of the sea turtles,
which you’re absolutely right about: not one word of their endangered status—there is nothing else said
about the splendor of the island, the breathtaking sunsets, the stunning foliage, the exotic island birds,
the color and feel of the ocean, trade winds…I could go on. What a shame—it seems all the reasons to be
on the islands was missed or taken for granted by the author. He could have been reviewing a 5-star hotel
anywhere on the mainland.
Exactly.
I don’t think it’s a big surprise that a writer that was likely put up to the story by SWA would be so clueless about Hawaii. He is pretty reflective of the type of tourism SWA has hurled upon the State. (Good luck rocking up to a local surf spot with your hotel supplied Cadillac, SWA bag tags and new ukulele, make sure you tell everyone what a good surfer you are so you get lots of waves!😀)
hahaha good one. “Comped waves” 😄
Frankly,whether it’s a travel review or product review, if I see it’s a comp or giveaway I don’t read any further. I believe reputable travel experts, like BOH, pay so you can maintain your neutrality. I appreciate your frank & honest reviews. Our family has been blessed to travel to Hawaii multiple times. The Aloha & culture is what draws us back, not Cadillac escorts. Please keep informing us so that we tread lightly. Mahalo. We look forward to being back on the Big Island in Nov.
Just remember how much of Hawaii has been hobbled up by Zuckerberg, Ellison and Oprah!! I’m amazed these people all get a pass. Their carbon footprints are unparalleled by us!! And yes, things are destroyed so elites can live large. We know-Gates tore down a huge mansion in Del Mar, only to build an epic fortress, complete with requisite gates and fences!! Let’s keep in mind, Hawaii has immigrants from the East and all over the world!! Very few are Hawaiian..❤️
T&L sold their souls years ago, they’ve gone like so many others, the fact that it’s 1/3 thinner, indicates Advertisers do not see Value. I wonder if the writer knows his manse was once Ritz-Carlton Timeshares. Agree 100% on the Credibility aspect, flying Southwest and staying at the Montage, does not collate, nor the freeloading approach to the Breakfast, the Cadillac deal, strictly “amateurville”.
I’ve been a T&L reader off and on for years and the content of the article truly missed the mark. T&L should be chastised for allowing such an article in their publication and the author showed his lack of credibility and experience. he obviously took advantage of T&L’s clout to get a stay at a high end resort but the reality is that most people are going to travel more budget conscious so espousing the lobster Benedict just shows how out of touch the author is. Granted T&L targets the more affluent traveler but all types of travelers read the magazine for useful nuggets of information.
If travel had been comped, I completely discount the review. I may read it to get info about activities I didn’t know about, but any reference to quality or service simply isn’t valid.
I read the article last night, many hours before I saw this. I viewed it as you did, a free trip in return for a glowing review. And heck, if I was wined and dined and staying in a luxury accommodation on someone else’s dime, it would have to be pretty miserable for me to say anything bad about it. The writer has zero credibility.