svenskaflicka

I totally agree with the above poster. I could have written that whole paragraph myself. I don't think there is any other resort area where I feel more like I am in Hawaii.

wintersummer

Does anyone have experience with the Hotel Hana Maui? I know that it has gone through a series of ownership changes and has been undergoing some changes. New owners are the ones who own Post Hotel in Big Sur. An older version of AAA guide had the following to say "did not meet the AAA rating requirements for room dcor/ambiance at time of last evaluation on 11/08/2001". What has happened since? It's fairly pricey. Some guidebooks seem to rate it as wonderful, others are less-favorable. I'm looking for some real life experiences, from travelers!

McGoGo56

Hey wintersummer,

I generally use the tripadvisor web site for up-to-date "real" hotel feedback. Here's the link to the Hotel Hana Maui.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Rev...ui_Hawaii.html

I'm going to Maui for my honeymoon in October, so would love to hear any feedback if you stay there before then.

l etoile

Do you know when the last ownership change was? I'm trying to think when I was last there, maybe two years ago, and the suites were pretty nicely decorated. Restaurant was OK. Grounds still needed some work. They were just getting ready to add a spa and were training massage therapists on site. Not very current info, but they were working on it. But think low-key and secluded, not Ritz-type luxury.

wintersummer

McGoGo56 - Our reservations are for the end of May. I'll post when we return and give you my opinion. Some people warn me about the isolation and the fact that there's really nothing to do in Hana. That's great with me - my idea of a good vacation. The less-than-positive comments have always been about the hotel restaurant (in that there's hardly any other place to eat) and that this recently renovated little hotel still doesn't have air conditioning. Some people say it's miserable hot, other people say it's just great. I'm hoping for nice breezes.

wintersummer

Letiole - I wish I knew more info about the ownership changes. I've been reading about this hotel for years (maybe close to 20 years) and it's been on my list of places to visit. I have this faint recollection that it was owned by Rock Resorts at one time...but may be wrong on that. It was supposed to be just wonderful back then. I then started gradually reading how it was going downhill, that it received no attention, and then remember news that it had been sold to a group of Japanese investors. Seemed like they owned it for a year or so. Next I knew, it was being promoted on web site for Post Hotel in Big Sur, CA and I learned that a group out of San Francisco owned both hotels. The chef from the Post Hotel supposedly has moved to the Hana Maui to take over the kitchen. I've eaten at the Post Hotel and it was just wonderful. I just don't know the exact timeline of all these changes or even the accuracy of my recollections. I'm just hoping that this latest group of investors will do all they can to make it the special place that it once was.

l etoile

There is actually a lot to do if you like hiking through bamboo forests to waterfalls, swimming in the fresh water pools, lying on a red sand beach, switching to a black sand beach and getting massages. That whole area from Paia onward is my favorite part of the island. I just looked at the website and the rooms, which were restored in 2002, were the same as when I was last there. The spa wasn't there yet (it looks like that may have opened last year), but it seems to be getting lots of awards. (Actually, it was pretty nice at the time because they had the spa school there then so massages were about $25 each.) The restaurant wasn't horrible just not great, but if they've got a chef now from the Post Ranch Inn I would expect it to be much improved. I'd expect you'll have a wonderful time. The staff was all quite accommodating.

dhuey

We stayed there a few years ago and loved it. In fact, it's the only time I extended a vacation and paid the change fees for pushing our return flight a couple of days further.

This place is definitely not for everyone. Hana is quite secluded. If you're looking for night life, look elsewhere. This is about tropical, lush Hawaii. It might rain most of the time you go there (but it'll be warm the whole time).

I concur on the food -- good but nothing memorable. What I recall best about the place was a feeling of being in a very beautiful, special spot. It's very exclusive, but not in a five-star hotel way. Most Hawaii visitors exclude themselves from Hana. If they go there at all, it's just for the drive and back.

By the way, there are much cheaper places to stay in Hana if you look around.

edgewood

does anyone have any current news about the mosquito/dengue fever problem in hana?

do you need to drown yourself in repellent or is it safe??

are people still getting sick?

i tried the hawaii state health website but only got error messages-

l etoile

The outbreak you're referring to happened in 2001 and I don't believe there have been any cases there since (the islands were declared free of the virus in May 2002). You may still want to protect yourself from mosquitos out of concern for comfort.

lemketron

If you like the Maui Banyan, but would rather NOT have the daily maid service that Aston provides, and don't wish to pay for it through higher rates, then check out Maui Condo & Home. They manage a lot of the Maui Banyan condos, but generally rent them for less than Aston (with a single cleaning that happens after you leave). You can also find a small handful of Maui Banyan condos available at VRBO.com.

Full disclosure: I own a condo at the Maui Banyan which is managed by Maui Condo & Home, and listed at VRBO.com but you can rent it (or a similar unit) for a lot less than $165/night! Contact me for details... :-)

Cholula

Although I wouldn’t necessarily stay there, the Ohana Maui Islander has rates in the $100 +/_ range.
Bottomline is that you‘re not going to get better than a bottom-line hotel for $100/night on Maui.

lemketron

Maybe if you're paying rack rates for a hotel room...

Of course, the original question in this thread was posted last summer (and the discussion seemed to be focused on Kaanapali or Lahaina, at least until someone mentioned the Maui Banyan which caught my interest). Still, I'd guess lots of folks refer back to these threads so I wanted to clarify that there's plenty of stuff to be had on Maui for $100 (or less) per night -- like all sorts of condos on VRBO, etc. As with most things in life, it mainly depends on how much time you want to spend looking for it (and contacting individual owners to book it).

For example, the Maui Banyan condo I mentioned above currently rents direct, off-peak (4/15/05 through 12/15/05) for as low as $100/night -- even though Aston charges $168+/night for comparable units at the Maui Banyan. For a last-minute rental where we were otherwise vacant, I might even do better.

ALadyNCal

Don't stay there. We got a cheapee last minute package that included this hotel. I knew it had mixed reviews. After one night, we packed up and rented a condo for the remaining nights.

Another hotel that comes up with Priceline is the Royal Lahaina. For $80-100/night, it's a good value. Oceanfront with a nice beach. MUCH, MUCH better than considering the Ohana Maui Islander (imho).

Another agency that has a large pool of condos is --

www.aaoceanfront.com

I've rented thru them before and everything was fine. Plus, their pricing list gives you some ideas of properties to consider.

Good luck!

lemketron

We stayed at the Royal Lahaina as part of a package deal the first time we went to Maui. However, we spent more there for what was "just" a hotel room than we spent the next time to rent a whole condo (with kitchen, two baths, washer/dryer, etc.) at the Maui Banyan in south Kihei. Our family liked it so much we bought the very condo we had been renting when it became available (but I'll spare repeating the details which I've already posted elsewhere).