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Tone-deaf FEMA officials slammed for living in luxury hotels as Maui residents remain shattered and homeless

Besides, the rooms of FEMA officials come with a hefty price tag which most of the hard-working Americas cannot even afford, sources have revealed

MAUI, HAWAII: The US government bureaucrats who were sent to Maui, after the Hawaii island suffered one of the deadliest wildfires in modern history, are now reportedly enjoying their stay in $1,000-a-night luxury hotels, Daily Mail reports. 

Locals have lambasted the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) officials for their slow response to the cataclysmic wildfires that took the lives of at least 114 lives and left thousands of people on the street after their houses were burnt to the ground.

However, it did not seem to bother the beleaguered agency from frittering away taxpayer money to accommodate more than 1,000 of its staff at four bank-breaking Wailea resorts following the wildfire which caused an estimated $5 billion in damage.

An overview of the lavish beachside resorts

The outlet reports that the ultraluxurious beachside resorts are popular among the aristocrats and famous personalities and it is situated about just a 45-minute drive away from the fire-ravaged town of Lahaina.

FEMA teams have reportedly checked in at three five-star hotels, the Fairmont Kea Lani, Four Seasons, and the Grand Wailea Astoria where former guests include members of the Hollywood elite.

Besides, their rooms come with a hefty price tag which most of the hard-working Americas cannot even afford. According to the sources close to the outlet, federal government rates for this week at all three resorts start at an eye-watering $1,000. 

The Fairmont Kea Lani, Hawaiian for “heavenly white,” claims on its website that it is Hawaii’s “only all-suite hotel” that once welcomed former Bond star Pierce Brosnan and offers 'gourmet dining' to the very wealthy. 

The 780 rooms, measuring at least 860 square feet, come with either one or two bedrooms and have private balconies so that visitors can enjoy sunset views of what the hotel calls “an oceanfront paradise.”

The Four Seasons, another top resort that once hosted Kanye West, spreads nearly 15 acres and has a white fountain pool, green trees, 600 square-feet rooms.

The Grand Wailea where Adam Sandler, Jennifer Aniston, and Nicole Kidman filmed their romantic comedy 'Just Go With It' cokes with 776 rooms that start at 640 square feet.

The hotel sits on 40 acres of tropical gardens and is situated right on one of Maui's most beautiful beaches, Wailea Beach.

FEMA's 100 officials are staying at the four-star Marriott Wailea Beach resort 

According to the outlet, a company insider noted that FEMA 100 officials staying at the four-star Marriott Wailea Beach Resort for $531 per night but where rooms currently on offer to the general public start at $749.

Among them are search teams facing the gruesome and challenging task of searching for the bodies of the dead and recovering their remains.

However, FEMA's choice of accommodation for their officials could draw heat from the general public as there are numerous cheaper hotels in the west of the island.

A local government employee terms the officials' use of luxury hotels 'selfish'

A local government employee, named Kaleo, who requested his surname to be withheld amid fears that he could lose his job, said the revelations about their use of luxury hotels was 'selfish'.

"Shouldn't they stay closer to the site, instead of staying across on the other side of the island?" he asked.

There has also been severe exasperation about the $700 'one-time' payment to aid survivors get necessities such as clothing, food or transportation.

Rumors circulated online last week that the Biden administration had capped all federal payments to those who survived the deadly fires at that amount.

The White House has signed off on $7 million in emergency funds, meaning FEMA can raise cash to house those who have lost their homes in temporary accommodations such as hotels or apartments.

But locals are also outraged by allegations that FEMA has stopped volunteers from delivering aid to the disaster area.