Maui: lodging

January 12, 2012

Maui: lodging

For our trip, we stayed in Kihei, a town 30 minutes south of the Kahului Airport, full of mostly condo-type lodging and located right next to the beach. From what I gathered, there are 3 types of areas you could stay in while in Maui: resorts (in towns like Wailea, which is right next to Kihei, or Lahaina/Kaanapili area which is on the northwest side of the island), condominium-style lodging in Kihei, or upcountry/secluded hotels and B&Bs in towns like Hana.

Personally, I don't have the money to stay in a resort, but even if I did, I doubt I'd want to stay in one. When I go on holiday somewhere (especially somewhere new), I don't spend much time in my hotel so why pay so much? However, Maui has some really amazing looking resorts, all of them seemed modern and in great condition with awesome beach amenities so if that's your scene, go for it.

I can't say too much about the upcountry lodging but I think I would probably go for that if I'd been to Maui multiple times and wanted to escape the touristy stuff.

As for the lodging we chose, Castle Kamaole Sands in Kihei, I loved it. Our condo kitchen was stocked full of supplies (bowls, dishes, utensils, rice cookers, coffee makers, sandwich press, griddle, pots, pans, spatulas, you name it, we had it), was clean and spacious, and it pretty much made us feel like we lived in Maui. There's a nice pool area (pool, chairs, two hot tubs) in the center (where they offer free cocktails in the afternoon) and there are a few barbecues scattered throughout the property (which we took advantage of). We got a great package deal through Orbitz for our hotel + rental car + flights. In the end, I think we paid around $100/night, which is amazing for the high season. Just do some research.