Kahului is for the most part a working town. It is home to Maui's major airport and has the island’s only deep water harbor. But it is also a haven for visitors looking for a more laid-back Hawaiian vacation. Spend the day wandering the Maui Nui Botanical Gardens or play a round of golf at the Dunes at Maui Lani Golf Course. Take a 7-mile ride up the coast and watch the giant waves in Paia. Hotels in and near Kahului are ready to welcome you.
Fronting Kahului Bay, this 142-room property is only a 2-mile drive from the Kahului Airport. Part of the Castle Resort and Hotels management group, this moderately priced resort offers rooms ranging from standard city views to oceanfront suites. Dining options include the onsite Rainbow Terrace Restaurant and Lokelani Lounge as well as several options within walking and/or driving distance. Enjoy a swim and some sun at the outdoor pool and deck area. The Maui Beach Hotel sits in the center curve of the bay, giving guests a panoramic view of sunsets and the boats that cruise in and out of the harbor.
Maui Beach Hotel
170 Kaahumanu Ave
Kahului, HI 96732
808-877-0051
castleresorts.com
Maui Seaside Hotel is part of a family-owned hotel chain started in 1956 by Richard Kim, a native Hawaiian. The low-rise hotel surrounds a large outdoor swimming pool with a sundeck and plenty of lawn. Rooms face either this courtyard or Kahului Bay. The décor is simple, with plenty of rattan furnishings and bold Hawaiian-quilt-style bedspreads. The Maui Seaside Hotel is 3 miles from the Kahului Airport and two blocks from the harbor. The onsite Coconut Grill restaurant offers entrees with an island twist.
Maui Seaside Hotel
100 W. Kaahumanu Ave
Kahului, HI 96732
808-877-3311
seasidehotelshawaii.com
Located 7 miles east of Kahului, Paia is the starting point of the Hana Highway, the serpentine road that winds along the eastern coast of Maui to just below Hana town. Paia is a windsurfing and board surfing hotspot with waves that sometimes rival those on Oahu’s North Shore. The Paia Inn is in the heart of this laid-back beach town. The two-story boutique property is filled with original Hawaiian artwork, top-of-the-line linens and has a beachy, laid-back charm. Borrow one of the body boards and walk the 200 yards down to the beach. The onsite store offers souvenir Paia Inn T-shirts and natural hair and skin products. Book a luau, whale-watching cruise, golf round or a host of other activities at the concierge desk.
Paia Inn Hotel
93 Hana Highway
Paia, HI 96779
808-579-6000
paiainn.com
If Gilligan and Mary Ann had never been rescued from that mysterious island and instead managed to convert it into a tropical getaway, chances are it might look a bit like the Nalu Kai Lodge. Offering eight hotel-style rooms and one apartment suite, this property is laid-back, local and inexpensive. Enter through a gate made out of old driftwood pieces fashioned into a sculptured flower. The grounds are surrounded by a bamboo fence and feature a tiki bar, barbecue area and a waterfall seemingly cut from black lava rock. Around one corner is a pond with an outdoor shower made from the same material. Local artwork, some made of shells and polished rocks, is scattered throughout the hotel. The Nalu Kai Lodge is on the ocean side of the Hana highway and less than a block from the beach.
Nalu Kai Lodge
18 Nalu Place
Paia, HI 96773
808-385-4344
nalukailodge.com
