GadgetKen

The Makena Beach hotel on Maui is closing the end of June this year. Used to be called the Maui Prince years ago. It's down the road from the Wailea hotel strip and it's a short ride or a long walk. Stayed over Xmas week in 2012 and again in 2014. Nice hotel with friendly staff and good beach location. Pretty Japanese gardens in the center of the hotel and a Koi pond. Too bad they are closing...it is a nice beachfront resort hotel that often had nice deals for direct bookings or through third parties (auction houses, warehouse clubs, etc.).

Got an email a couple of weeks ago they were closing the end of June. From what I've heard, the hotel is to be converted into very fancy apartments with seven figure price tags. Unfortunately, most of the staff will be laid off while they remodel over the next year or two (hope they get rehired or easily find other positions elsewhere). I have a reservation for mid-December through SkyAuction, so I contacted the auction house to be walked to a different hotel. They came back with the choice of the Wailea Marriott or the Royal Lahaina. Looks like they are both being remodeled (but likely done by the time I go), so I went for the Marriott. Won't get final confirmation for a while, but at least the hotel (and SkyAuction) are doing what they can to put people up in different hotels.

Following my stay in Wailea, I'll be staying at the Hana Hotel (another two auction wins). May take Mokulele Airlines rather than do the drive to Hana (stayed in Hana several years ago so I've done the drive before). Think that will be out of the commuter terminal rather than the regular terminal. Should be a good view on the short flight

CBear

This makes me very sad.

We stayed in February and it was fantastic! The secluded beach felt like it was the hotel's own private beach, the employees were fantastic, the grounds were gorgeous, the included breakfast was much better than expected and there was no nickle and dime charges. No resort fee, free wifi, free valet parking and the rate was more than reasonable.

I would have loved to go back.

loomis

The other downside is that, with less rooms available in that area, room rates will probably go up.

rene86mx

I had a reservation for August. The hotel refunded me
Options nearby were expensive compared to the Makena
I rebooked in Marriott's Maui Ocean Club for the same price ~200 per night

msp3

Speaking of Marriott, there is a new Residence Inn opening up this summer nearby...

GadgetKen

Just got a confirmation this morning from SkyAuction that I've been rebooked for the Wailea Beach Marriott for my mid-December stay(they emailed a confirmation number and a link to a new prepaid voucher to present at check-in). Looks like they walked me with style since it's for an ocean view room with a balcony. Like the location since it's two properties away from the Grand Wailea and just behind the Wailea mall (I'm probably not going to rent a car this time so stuff in walking distance is a big plus for me). Going from a AAA 3 diamond hotel to a more centrally located AAA 4 diamond hotel...pretty good. Relieved this was solved without any problems...my emergency backup was the Chase credit card I used has complimentary trip interruption/cancellation insurance on it.

One minor ding I can see is the Marriott may charge a resort fee that the Makena hotel does not...but since they are saving my bacon by putting me up for a week in peak holiday season (and the room at auction was at a substantial discount) I'm not going to make a big deal out of it if they want to charge it. Plus they are currently doing some remodeling of the Marriott hotel rooms, but it will likely be done long before I arrive.

@cBear, yes I am also sorry to see the Makena Hotel go. Really nice staff, great rates, no nickel and dime fees, and a great beachfront location. But at least they gave upcoming guests the option of a refund or rebooking in another quality hotel.

@rene86mx, @loomis, yes the number of reasonably priced high quality beachfront rooms on Maui seems to be getting smaller. I usually have to get rather creative with frequent flier points, flight sales, and auction houses to book something in peak season.

@msp3, I like Residence Inns. Once stayed near DC in one in old town Alexandria. Huge suite with a full kitchen, living room and bedroom plus a nice view, complimentary breakfast and friendly staff. Was walking distance to a Whole Foods supermarket and to the Metro (which I took to see DC and the cherry blossoms).

lhgreengrd1

Well, if you want a reasonably priced room at a hotel with a beach nearby, there's always the Days Inn, right on the Kihei - Wailea line. Nice beach, arguably as good as any in Wailea, but a spartan room the size of a walk-in closet. You won't confuse it for one of the resorts in Wailea.

GadgetKen

Looked at it on Orbitz before. Agree on somewhat Spartan, but it looks clean, well kept, and a nice beachfront location. There are also some very nice condos in the Kihei area. But for about the same price, I got a much nicer Wailea hotel on Skyauction. My point was more that it seems tougher to get a peak season room in a higher quality Maui hotel on a budget through traditional booking sites...the Makena beach hotel was a nice exception to that.

lhgreengrd1

Don't get me wrong - I've stayed at the Days Inn multiple times, and I'd stay there again (generally, gotten on Priceline or Hotwire for something like $110 a night all in). But it is what it is - a clean small room with a bed, a tiny bathroom, and a lock on the door, in a great beach location. Amenities are nil, except for beach towels, a safe deposit box and fridge & microwave in the room, and free wifi, and a discount at the restaurant next door. I have been known to fill the gaps between deals I get on places in Kaanapali and Wailea with an extra day or two at the Days Inn. There's pretty much no other tolerable place anywhere near Wailea that can be gotten for just above a $100 a night - I used to be able to rent a studio condo at Wailea Grand Champions for about $135-150 a night (typically 3 night minimum) but not recently. Back in the day, I got the Makena resort on Priceline for $129 a night + resort fee and taxes, but those were the good old days.

Fa Hz

Oh no, i just learned about this. Stayed here twice, in 2014 then 2015, absolutely loved the hotel! i was thinking in coming back, but sad to hear they closed last year.