More about Hana Kai Maui Resort
A MAGICAL WATERFALL
by starrwriter
One of the most beautiful spots on the island of Maui is the Muliwai, a waterfall and pool at the edge of a bolder beach near the native village of Ulaino. Tourists have since renamed them Blue Angel Falls and the Blue Pool.
The Muliwai has tiny opae shrimp in it and the rock walls of the waterfall are lined with wild watercress. The pool water is chilly but refreshing for a swim. A few yards away you can swim in the ocean, but only if the surf is small.
A four-wheel-drive is not absolutely necessary to drive most of the way to Ulaino, but you will need a vehicle with high ground clearance due to the rough dirt road. Or you could hike the entire 4 miles to the Muliwai if you don't have the right kind of vehicle. The terrain is level and the 8-mile round trip is an easy half-day walk for anyone with hiking experience.
Ulaino Road starts on the left about 1/4 mile beyond Mile Marker 31 of the Hana Highway. The first two miles pass over a cattle guard and through lush Hana Ranch pasture before entering the forest. If you're driving, cross over the first three shallow streams, but park your car at the fourth stream and walk the rest of the way unless you have a 4-wheeler. The last mile is a thick kukui and hala (pandanus) forest and Ulaino village is only recognizable by stone walls, trees and a few rustic houses. The road ends at a rocky cove along the coastline which is quite scenic as well as a good place for diving and spearfishing when the ocean is calm. Continue along the shoreline for 200 yards until you see the big waterfall and Blue Pool on your left.
Remember to bring drinking water and snacks for this unique hiking experience since there are no public facilities in Ulaino. Also bring rain gear -- it's not called a rainforest for nothing!
The nearest accommodations are inexpensive cabins at Waianapanapa State Park a few miles away. Call (808) 984-8109 to make reservations well in advance. A few miles further in Hana you can rent a condo at the Hana Kai-Maui for $125-$195 per night.
They "accidently" cancelled our reservations/
by A TripAdvisor Member
After a long but beautiful drive to Hana, we finally reached the Hana Kai Maui Resort. We had made reservations in February for their best room which is like a condo because it has a seperate bedroom, kitchen and porch. Upon arrival we were told that our reservation had been cancelled. I promptly produced my confirmation number and e-mail which had been sent from the hotel manager but that was of no interest to the staff. My wife and I (we were on our honeymoon) were told by the hotel check-in agent that they had no rooms and that no rooms were going to be available in all of Hana because there was a big wedding that weekend. We were told that the hotel had recently changed computer systems and that we were not the only people who had had this problem.
No attempt was made by the staff to secure us a room in Hana and the closest town with hotels is a 2 hour drive! My wife and I were then forced to drive up and down the main streets of Hana to see if there was anything available. We eventually found someone, who called someone they knew, who was able to find us a place to stay - of course no water view.
A Piece Of Paradise
by TripAdvisor Member FLAMESFAN68
We decided at the last minute to stay overnight in Hana, after speaking with other tourists that wished they had taken 2 days to do the drive. Needless to say, we were thrilled with the Hana Kai-Maui Resort! Our room was beautiful, spotless and spacious! We had two lanai's (one with ocean view), hardwood floors, granite counter tops in the kitchen and all the necessities you need. There are only two places to eat in Hana & one was closed, so we picked up some groceries from the local store & cooked dinner in our spectacular kitchen. We had the best sleep of our whole trip to Maui-it was quiet and we had a nice breeze blowing through our suite. In the morning, we went for a walk along the beach in front of the resort and enjoyed our breakfast in our room, before checking out & driving back to Napili. If you're looking for a peacful, romantic place to rest after your long drive to Hana, I would highly recommend this spot!!
Hear the ocean surf and watch the sunrise from your bedroom.
by TripAdvisor Member sthrottlemeyer
We stayed at the hotel Hana Kai Maui during our drive to Hana for one night - we were booking it with the intention of a reasonably-priced place to stay since we were staying in more "luxurious" resorts on the other side (Wailea). After our experience, we appreciated taking our time on the drive from Pa'ia to Hana so much more after staying overnight in this charming town. (quick tip: the coffee and pastries at Cakewalk in Pa'ia are a perfect start to your Hana-bound adventure)
We were so pleasantly surprised - our room was huge - terrace with table, living room that could have slept an additional 2 people, kitchen and bedroom that was 20 feet from the black sand beach, with major surf crashing (maybe exaggerating a bit but it was really close.) Our room was considered a premium ocean view room (#4), from the looks of it, other rooms may not be as close or large. Those seeking a pool or swimming-safe beach should look elsewhere or find a way to live without these things for a night--the benefit is having your room situated in an unforgettable, "dream" location. A bonus of this hotel is that many of the other places to stay in town require a multi-night reservation. One night was the perfect amount for us.
We got our dinner from someone's barbeque and ate it on our private terrace. They even include candles.
You have to do more things for yourself - carry your luggage as there is no elevator or conceirge. Wake up at sunrise and you'll add some priceless photos to your album, promise!
I don't see it as a negative that there is no TV or telephone - the seclusion is truly romantic. One of the few good values on Maui, in our opinion.
Our "excellent" rating is based on the unworldly view and comfortably-large room arrangement. Do not expect posh pampering or any measure of hand-holding here -- DO expect to have a relaxing evening in paradise (and I don't throw that word around lightly)
There is a great local spa around the corner - Luana Spa Retreat - BARGAIN.
After our stay, we continued along past Hana and drove the "treacherous" south drive around the island. We found it to be entirely passable in our compact, might be a little more comfortable in a Jeep. Watch out for the locals, who sometimes like to make a sport of the sharp curves and scaring the bejeezus out of the unfamiliar. Take your time, relax and you will be glad you went.
Wonderful condos, questionable staff
by TripAdvisor Member travelgrace
We went to Hawaii for our Honeymoon for eleven days, two of which we spent in Hana. I absolutely loved the peace and tranquility of Hana, and our condo at the Hana Kai was surprisingly spacious and well-kept.
However, I was very upset the day we arrived when we were given the keys to our room in the wrong building. (There are two buildings, the one right on the beach, and the one directly behind it.) I had called at least three times in the eight months since I made the reservations to make sure we would have the corner room with the wrap around views that has been recommended by various travel sites. They promised me we would. To my surprise, we had a room on the first floor in the back building, with a view of the parking lot and the ocean. To me this was not acceptable. The woman's response when I explained the situation was "the room I am giving you is very nice. You will love it." I guess since it is not a large chain hotel there is no upper management to go to. I was kind of shocked at her lack of a response.
We ended up in a second floor room (still in the back building) but with less of a parking lot view. The condo itself was clean, spacious, and nice, and the lanai was fabulous.
For meals, you should definitely eat at the Hotel Hana right down the street. It is pricey, but wonderful. The night we had dinner there they had just caught a huge blue marlin, so we had marlin sashimi and pan seared marlin. They were both outstanding! We also ate lunch at a bbq place in someone's front yard on the way back from Hamoa Beach (beautiful!) We had the shrimp and pasta and the bbq chicken with rice. It was delicious and cheap!
I would recommend staying in Hana, and maybe at the Hana Kai, but be surprised if you don't get the room you request. They obviously just wanted our business, because if they had been truthful with me on the phone about giving us a room in the back building, we probably wouldn't have stayed there.
Sleep to the sound of waves at Hana Kai
by TripAdvisor Member SL MI Traveler
We spent one night of our 15 night visit to Maui at the Hana Kai. The reason we decided to stay was that we had booked trips on the powered hang gliding tour and didn't want to miss anything on our drive to Hana in order to make the flight time that we had arranged. As it turned out, our powered hang gliding trips were cancelled due to strong winds and low hanging clouds (better safe than sorry -- at least Hana didn't have the rains that Kauai had at that time!). Even so, our trip to Hana was more relaxing than if we'd spent only one day and driven back the day we came. The view was great. The sound of the waves was wonderful. The room was as good as can be expected given the age and the degree of humidity in the area. In spite of the negative reviews of the food at the Hana Ranch restaurant, we found the breakfast (the macademia nut french toast is great!) to be quite good. We had taken our lunch from the condo we were staying in on Kihei, and had a pizza and salad that we picked up at the general store for dinner (weather to windy and possible rain for grilling at Hana Kai). We will consider going back again. We didn't find the staff to be all that unfriendly, as some of the other reviews mentioned.
Great get-away place
by A TripAdvisor Member
We stayed here one night when we took the highway to Hana. We heartily recommend staying here overnight on your Hana trip.
We had an ocean view studio on the upper building. The view from our room was of Hana bay and was great. The room was clean and have the bare necessities (no phone, no TV). Take your own plastic forks/spoons/etc ...you won't want to use the ones in the room! There is no restaurant on the property.
Staff is not very friendly but that's okay. This is a barebones place in a very quiet location with awesome views. This is certainly a great place to relax and listen to the waves. We would definitely go back.
We stayed in Unit 101-Very Nice
by A TripAdvisor Member
I wished we had stayed in Hana a few extra days,(we stayed 3 days) because I was not impressed with the rest of Maui other than Hana. The secluded nature of Hana is what we like and the rest of Maui seemed too congested, too noisy, and just too many cheesey souvinier shops. The Hana Kai was a very nice place for the money. It was very peacfull there and the 101 unit we stayed at had very nice funishings. Pretty much like what was shown on their web site. Ill have too admit that we did not stay in our room very long other that sleeping and having dinner and breakfast, but you will get great breezes thru the units and the lanais are facing the sunrises. Some past reviews had talked about the reflecting ponds they have on the property as being not well maintained, but they looked very clean and were a nice touch to the property.
My wife and I have been to Kauai and now Maui, and we both think that we get that Hawaii flavor and Hawaiian feeling on Kauai. Even in the laid back area of Hana we did not have that feeling like we did on Kuai, so if you are thinking which island to go to, its a no brainer.
Wonderful place to relax and enjoy the ocean
by TripAdvisor Member psychoteacher
This place was great for an overnight stay so we could enjoy Hana. We stayed in Unit #1 which is very close to the ocean so we heard the pounding surf all the time and it was great--helped drown out some of the noise from the unit above us. The view from the lanai and from the bedroom and living room is beautiful. We had our two teenagers with us and they slept on the pull-out bed (not real comfortable, but bearable). Our king bed was very comfortable. Full kitchen with appliances. We baked a pizza from the store. The lania has a table and some lounge chairs--I could have spent my whole vacation there. The staff is not very friendly, but we had no problems so it was OK. Did have one bug in the unit, but it was a clean unit overall. Great view of the sunrise. The grounds are nice--they were working on cleaning the fish ponds while we were there. Short walk to the beach where surfers get some nice waves. Not really a swimming beach. I would definitely stay here again.
Fantastic Romantic Place
by TripAdvisor Member SFBACCA
We spent one night here and loved it, wish we had stayed longer. We were in room 207, which was on the second floor on the corner of the main unit. The view was amazing! Everything was perfect in the apartment, it was so peaceful and relaxing. The staff were really friendly and helpful, and their advice on where to eat and shop was really useful (Although there is not much choice in Hana anyway).
The bedroom was great, and had wooden slat in the wall that could be opened to the the sea breeze blow though. It have never slept so well, with the sound of the sea on the beach and the cool breeze. We could have stayed for ever.
It is quite expensive, however for a special occasion it is worth every penny, it felt really special. There are no phones or TVs, which make for a really relaxing stay.
I would really reccomend this place to anyone wanting a special, or romantic place to stay. It is especially nice as you don't have to do the Hana highway twice in one day.
Forum Posts
Seeking Hotel Recommendation for Hana Area of Maui
by jmgoldsmith
My wife and I will be spending a week on Maui in late June / early July, and we're planning to spend a night in the Hana area. We're seeking hotel recommendations for that area.
We like upscale accommodations, but will gladly stay in a nice bed-and-breakfast or boutique hotel. Please share any recommendations. Thanks.
Re: Seeking Hotel Recommendation for Hana Area of Maui
by drnigelc
How about the Hotel Hana? Very highly rated, good reviews all over the net for this place...
http://www.resideo.com/us/hawaii/hana/79802177.hotel
Re: Seeking Hotel Recommendation for Hana Area of Maui
by YVRDave
Yes the Hotel Hana Maui is a fantastic hotel
http://www.hotelhanamaui.com/
Re: Seeking Hotel Recommendation for Hana Area of Maui
by travelgourmet
In the Hana area itself, you may have to have a minimum of two night stay. Something really upscale is in Paia, the start of the road to Hana from the Airport. Mama's Fish House is not only a great restaurant but it also has upscale inn. They also have a 3 night minimum but you could try for less. Extra money does the trick. If you don't stay there at least go and see the restaurant. Hawaiiana at it's best. See website: www.mamasfishhouse.com
Re: Seeking Hotel Recommendation for Hana Area of Maui
by nospam
The Hana Kai Maui Resort. Good location, reasonable, clean and pleasant. The best attraction was the beautiful bay the hotel was on - great for a sunset stroll. A lot of the balconies overlooked the bay.
Re: Seeking Hotel Recommendation for Hana Area of Maui
by NinaHupp
As the other posts advise, most places in Hana require a 2 or 3 night stay. Another option in Paia town, on the way to Hana is to stay at the newly renovated Paia Inn. It's not as expensive as Mama's Fish House cottages, and is right in Paia Town, walking distance to 10 different restaurants. The Inn is really upscale and prices start at about $199 per night and there's no min. stay. www.paiainn.com
Sign in with Facebook
