Hana-Maui Resort Review
The Road to Hana is one of the most popular day trips in Hawaii. People get up at the crack of dawn to take hundred of hairpin turns and 50 plus one way bridges for the beautiful scenery along the way. Then they just turn around and do it all over again, instead of spending the night in the town of Hana. The Hana-Maui Resort is a Hyatt property and one of the only true hotels on the eastern side of Maui. After it joined Hyatt as part of the purchase of Destination Resorts, I had to check this place out for a night before my flight back to the mainland. Check out more of our review of the Hana-Maui Resort below. You can also check out my full video walkthrough of the property below.
Location
The Hana-Maui is located in Hana, Maui about 64 miles after the start of the “Road to Hana.” If coming from the mainland, you'll fly into Maui's Kahului Airport (OGG) and make the drive by transfer or a rental car. There is a very small airport in Hana with commercial service from for around $100 per person round trip. They fly 208EX Grand Caravans from Maui's airport over to Hana to avoid the long drive. The resort also operates private charters between several airports on Maui and Honolulu for $220 per person, round trip. The resort is right off the highway, and includes free self-parking for those that make the two hour drive.
If you don't plan on really leaving the property, or the town of Hana, then flying could be a decent option if looking to avoid the drive. If you want to check out some of the nearby attractions / sites, then renting a car would be the way to go. It will also likely be the more cost effective option for more than one person.
Pro Tip:
There is not a lot in the town of Hana, and all the stores close down somewhat early (including the gas station). Because of that you will want to stock up on snacks, entertainment (like cards & books) and drinks before heading out on the Road to Hana. Costco and Target in town have prices that match the mainland for the most part.
Typical World of Hyatt Booking Cost
The Hana-Maui is a Category 7 World of Hyatt property, meaning it will cost:
- 25,000 for a off-peak night
- 30,000 for a standard night
- 35,000 for a peak night
The cost for their premium ocean front bungalows is the following per night (room reviewed below):
- 50,000 for a off-peak night
- 60,000 for a standard night
- 60,000 for a peak night
A base-level room with a garden view typically starts around $500 per night, plus a $45 resort fee (waived for Globalists and those on award stays). For those with World of Hyatt Suite Upgrade awards, or looking to splurge, should look to book a bungalow which starts around $600 per night. You can also book these rooms with points for double the cost of the garden view room. The resort is split in two by a small road, and the ocean side has sweeping views that are well-worth the trip.
I used points for my stay on an off-peak night, at 25,000 World of Hyatt points. As a surprise, I had forgotten about a Destination Resorts promotion at the time. With that, I was refunded 20% of my points back. All in, I only paid 20,000 points for my one-night visit to Hana as part of my longer Hawaiian trip. I earn a ton of Hyatt points each year with everyday spend on my World of Hyatt credit card and Chase Ink Preferred card. You can also earn Hyatt points with the Bilt card, Chase Sapphire Preferred card, and Chase Sapphire Reserve card.
Pro Tip:
Rarely will say that paying for a suite with points is worth it, but if you want the full experience we think it is worth considering the ocean front bungalows. The views, sounds and views you get (plus that deck!) are worth it. The difference between the two stays (garden view room vs bungalow) will be night and day. If a Globalist you can always hope for an upgrade, but if during a busy time we would recommend just booking into the room you want.
Check In
We arrived a little weary from our two-hour drive on the Road to Hana, and were excited to receive a warm welcome by the resort. Above all, our room had been upgraded to a one-bedroom ocean view bungalow, which is a great upgrade. We booked this stay so last minute that I hoped a stellar upgrade was in order. Since navigating the resort with bags isn't really a possibility, we dropped our luggage off at the front desk to be delivered to our room. Then, I parked the car in the parking lot across the street from the resort. There, a bellman met us and drove us to our room.
Pro Tip:
They have someone driving golf carts 24-7 on property, because the walks can be long in this sprawling paradise. You can call the front desk at any point and they will send someone out to where you are.
😍😍😍 pic.twitter.com/BuuQWvD5RA
— Mark Ostermann (@DetroitMark) April 5, 2024
Oceanview Bungalow Review
We were blown away by the size of our one-bedroom bungalow, which did share a wall with another room but felt very private. You access the room via a few stairs to a porch with views of the Pacific Ocean. Entering the main bedroom, an oversized king with two large bedside tables is the first thing you see. The main bedroom also has a small sitting area facing the back porch. The back porch has a partial oceanview, but the view of the manicured lawn was nice, too. On the deck were two loungers and an oversized couch/lounger for premium relaxation. There's a small wet bar inside in the corner of the bedroom where the Illy coffee machine sits with a small sink and a mini fridge. Thankfully, the resort added air conditioning before our visit. Otherwise, it would be quite hot in the rooms for my taste. This was a major complaint in previous reviews / years for people so a good addition on their part.
Moving into the bathroom, there's two sinks immediately as you walk in. Off the main room, a toilet room keeps things separated. There's also a large soaking tub as you turn the corner to the shower. The tiled shower area has no door but was plenty warm. The bathrooms are not in the latest style, but are in great condition. They have been updating the bungalows some and it appears that one is completed at this time.
Hana-Maui Resort Review: Property Amenities and Activities
There are a lot of things to do at the Hana-Maui Resort. For one, staring at the sunrise, or the ocean all day is an activity. We had a few short storms blow through and it was so fun to watch the waves.
Pools
In addition, the resort has two pools– one on the ocean side of the resort (pictured up ToP) and another on the “city” side. The ocean side has a pool bar with a small food menu and delicious mai tais and other cocktails. We also recommend the chicken potstickers, which at $14 are a pretty decent deal. With the small size of the resort (beds wise) we never felt like this area was overcrowded.
Yoga
We participated in a yoga activity (included in the resort fee), which was one of our favorites we've participated in. The yoga room is just off to the side of the pool with great views of the ocean.
Sports
There are also two tennis courts and a three-hole “pitch and putt” golf course, all included with your stay. While not incredibly manicured, the golf course is a fun activity for even non-golfers to participate in. The one problem is they didn't have any real wedge options, which was somewhat weird. Hopefully they add some new clubs to the fold for guests soon.
You can check out bikes to ride around town and even beach chairs and towels from the concierge area if you are heading to the black sand beach. This is where you get the golf clubs and tennis rackets etc. too.
Gym
The resort's gym is next to the “city” pool. The cool thing I found is the gym is indoor/outdoor to take advantage of its location. This is also where you rent golf clubs and tennis rackets (free). If you are looking for a more secluded pool experience then this may be an option. We never saw anyone using it during our stay, but there are no views of the ocean like with the main pool.
Spa
They also have a spa onsite, which is the location of the only hot tub on the property, which we found a little strange. The prices are on the higher side, as would be expected, but my wife thoroughly enjoyed her massage. She also liked taking advantage of the facility for a bit before her treatment. We are pretty sure she was the only one there during that day.
Pro Tip
One other thing we should mention in this Hana-Maui resort review is that you can also walk the path behind the parking lot up to Fagan's Cross. This is actually on a working farm's property but hotel guests are allowed to walk it if they stay on the paved path. The hike is uphill, so it will make you work a bit.
But, the views of the Hana-Maui Resort, and Hana as a whole, are simply stunning. It really shows how massive of a footprint this property has too.
Hana-Maui Resort: Dining
In addition to the aforementioned pool bar, there is one restaurant associated with the Hana-Maui Resort. The Ranch restaurant is open for lunch and dinner and is really your only true restaurant option in town.
The Restaurant at the Hana-Maui Resort is where Globalist breakfast is served from 7:00 AM-10:00 AM each day. The food was fresh and authentically Hawaiian— the $90 charge was wiped away due to my benefits. It looks like this used to be more of a full service restaurant at one point, with a closed down bar in another area, but it is only used for breakfast now.
Off Site Dining Options
At the end of the path heading into town on the ocean side of the resort you will find 6 or 7 food trucks. These are open for lunch and dinner, until about 6PM. These are mostly intended for day trippers driving into Hana but they offer a good option for dinner as well. They had a decent variety and the prices are more affordable then you see elsewhere.
Other options during the day are Hana Farms which serves pizza until the early evening, which is on the edge of town. We did not eat there but a friend said it was pretty good. Another buddy highly recommends Thai Food By Pranee as another option. There are quite a few options if you are staying just a few nights, but they all close up early in the evening. The Ranch restaurant is the only thing open later, which closes around 9PM.
Pro Tip:
If looking for a quick & fast lunch or dinner, which is also super affordable, then check out the Hana Ranch Store (right next to the restaurant). They have hot dogs and chicken tenders etc. that are as cheap as anything we saw while in Hawaii. A perfect lunch option for a family that won't break the budget.
Resort Service
The Hana-Maui Resort had incredible service throughout my stay. Everyone in Hawaii is so hospitable— though sometimes you must ditch your mainland sense of timing! It's a slower pace of life in Hana, and that's part of the allure of the Hana-Maui Resort. We only encountered friendly employees eager to make our stay an amazing one.
Warning About Rainey Season
Hello, other Mark here. I chimed in a bit on this Hana-Maui Resort review here and there with my recent stay, but there was one thing I wanted to point out. If staying on property during rainy season (November to March) the weather may play a large roll in your stay. While it will rain most days in Hana year round, there can be more prolonged downpours in rainy season. That will change your stay more at this resort than others. That is because everything is secluded, there are no TVs (although there is Wi-Fi) and you can be a bit room locked when the weather turns. It also takes away from your deck / patio time for taking in those amazing views.
Because of that I wanted to reiterate the need to plan ahead with your stay a bit. Bring some stuff that can keep you occupied indoors and plenty of snacks and drinks for your trip. You can also go into town during the day to grab supplies, but if it is downpouring that isn't a super fun endeavor.
The pools are also a bit on the chilly side during this time. We were told the pools were heated year round, but we could only stay in the water for 10-15 minutes because they were so cold. The fact that it wasn't super warm in early April probably didn't help. I think if we had gone to the resort during peak summer we would have had a completely different experience. We also would have enjoyed the property a lot more overall because of it.
Hana-Maui Resort Review: ToP Thoughts
My stay at the Hana-Maui Resort was a spectacular one. Hopefully, I'll be able to return again one day. I believe it's worth at least one night if you're making the drive on the Road to Hana. That way, your drive is less rushed and tiring. There's even a small part of the Haleakala National Park past the town of Hana that's not to be missed, which many day trippers skip over. I think a two to three night stay is the sweet spot for this resort. With delicious food, spectacular Hyatt status upgrades, and a unique luxury stay in a remote part of the America, I can't recommend the Hana-Maui Resort enough.
