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The “Road to Hana” is one of the more touristed parts of the island of Maui. However, as famous as the road itself is, folks often do it as an out-and-back day trip, spending hours upon hours negotiating the one-lane bridges and hairpin turns. As a result, many don’t spend much, if any, time in the Hana area. That’s a shame, because it’s one of the least-developed parts of Hawai’i, with stunning, rugged beaches and marvelous state and national parks nearby. My wife and I were married in a small church just under 20 miles from Hana and, every few years, we take a trek out to camp, reminisce and do some hikes. A couple of years ago, the Hana-Maui Resort (formerly Travaasa Hana) joined World of Hyatt, making it possible to stay there on points. We ate at one of the resort’s restaurants years ago and, after that, had always wanted to spend the night. Recently, armed with a Hyatt Category 1-7 free night certificate, we finally did…and had a great time.
Hana-Maui Resort Bottom Line Review
Both my wife and I loved the Hana-Maui Resort. Built in 1935, the property is dated, but in a good way, with an “old-Hawai’i” feel that permeates the plantation-style bungalows, tin roofs and laid back atmosphere. This isn’t the place for folks looking to lay on the beach all-day, go out for fine dining and then watch a movie in the room afterwards. It feels more like a national parks lodge: there’s no TVs, no connected beach and the nightlife is non-existent…the hotel restaurant is the only place in town open after 7-8 pm. That said, it’s a great place to relax on a beautiful and sleepy side of Maui that most people only experience for an hour or two. We were there for one night and wished we’d had a couple more. Thumbs Up
- Price: Hyatt category 7; award prices range from 25,000-35,000 points per night. I booked using a Hyatt Cat 1-7 Free Night Certificate. The cash price on the night that I stayed was ~$500/night.
- Value: It seems to usually offer between 1.7-2.5 cents per point in value, right around our reasonable redemption value for Hyatt points of 2.1 cents each. It’s often not a great value on points, but it’s also rarely poor.
- Location: Hana-Maui Resort is located at the end of the “Road to Hana,” approximately 2-5 hours from Central Maui, depending on how many times you stop along the way. It’s centrally-located in Hana, which doesn’t say much since Hana is a town of ~1,600 people. There are two separate areas of the resort, the first contains the main building, golf course and spa and is adjacent to a city park. The other is across a residential street and ends at the ocean.
- Room: I booked a standard king room and was proactively upgraded to a ~650sq ft Ocean View King Bungalow. The room was terrific. It had tall ceilings with fans, a wet bar, soaking tub, walk-in shower, a dining room table and a comfy couch. Outside, there’s a massive, ocean view lanai with padded reclining furniture. Perhaps best of all, it still has the traditional tin roof on top, so when it rains (which happens frequently in Hana), the sound inside is incredible. There’s a big difference here between the standard rooms and the bungalows. The standard rooms are back near the main resort building, next to the street. Most don’t have a view of any sort and some don’t have AC…which isn’t really an issue in the winter, but could be a little steamy in the summer.
- Parking: Self-parking in a lot across the street from the property is included in the resort fee.
- Resort/Destination Fee: $45 (waived on award stays). Includes:
- Self-parking
- Use of Resort Bikes
- Use of Resort Exercise Fit Trail
- Use of Fitness Center, including Peloton bikes
- Use of Tennis /pickle ball Courts
- In-room waters, replenished daily
- Hamoa Beach Shuttle
- Hana Airport Shuttle
- Welcome Beverage (we never received this and never saw anyone get one either)
- Use of 3-hole pitch and putt course
- Choice of several themed “experiences”
- Daily Yoga Classes
- Internet: Good in the main resort building and in our room. Gets weak in some areas of the property.
- Service: Hana is a small, fairly remote town. Given that, the resort can’t draw on the same pool of potential employees that the rest of Maui or Oahu can. The service reflects that. It’s not bad, per se, just very unpolished. Many folks have been there for years and their zeal to surprise and delight doesn’t really come to the fore.
- Turndown service: None.
- Dining:
- The Restaurant at Hana Maui Resort: Located in the main building, with a large, screened-in lanai that faces the property and has a sea view. Good food overall, and not terribly priced when you consider what the food trucks down the street charge. This is the only full-service restaurant currently open and Globalist breakfast is served off the menu here. Open for breakfast daily from 7am-10:30am, lunch and dinner from 11am-9pm. The bar is located right beside the restaurant, has its own lanai and is open daily from 11am-9pm.
- Pool Bar – Small bar located next to the wellness pool, serving sandwiches, pupus and drinks from 12pm to 5pm daily.
- Hana Ranch (currently closed) – When we visited in December, 2023, the Hana Ranch Restaurant was still closed for renovations. It’s located directly across the street from the resort and you can see the menu here. It was supposed to only be closed for three weeks in September/October of 2023, but no one currently seems to know when it’s expected to reopen now.
- Spa: There’s a full-service spa on property that can be booked for in-room treatments as well.
- Fitness Room: There is a small, open-air fitness room located by the garden pool near the main resort building. It’s pretty barebones. There’s a few cardio machines and a light smattering of resistance equipment.
- Hyatt Globalist Benefits:
- Room Upgrade: I booked a standard room and was proactively upgraded to a lovely ~650 sq ft Ocean View Bungalow with a private lanai, wet bar and a deep soaking tub.
- Free Breakfast: Served off the menu at the restaurant. Includes coffee, juice, entrée, side and gratuity. The loco moco that I had was excellent.
- Club Lounge: None.
- Late Checkout: I was told no when I asked for a 2hr late checkout. They did offer luggage storage and key cards that would allow us to use the grounds until 5pm.
- Welcome Amenity: A bottle of sparkling wine was left in our room for my wife’s birthday. Not sure if that’s standard for Globalists or if it was a birthday treat.
- Would I stay again? Yes. I love the Hana area and this property is a great place to while away a relaxed day or two (or three) there.
Hana Maui Resort Pros
- The only non-vacation rental property in one of the most beautiful areas of Maui
- Spacious rooms that are well-kept, but still offer an “old-Hawai’i” ambiance
- Bungalows have huge lanais
- Has a beautiful, private, black rock cove that’s surrounded with Adirondack chairs – a great place for sunrise coffee, reading or evening cocktails
- Good elite recognition, especially for a Destination by Hyatt property
- Cool pool terrace that has ocean views and an outdoor firepit
- Decent choice of complimentary activities
Hana Maui Resort Cons
- Some rooms don’t have AC
- There are no TVs, which could be an issue for some folks
- Fitness area leaves much to be desired
- Although there is a shuttle to Hamoa Beach, there’s no beach connected to the property
- The rooms will feel dated for some people
- Hana is a small, very sleepy town…may not be everyone’s cup of tea
Image Gallery
Hana-Maui Resort King Ocean View Bungalow
Welcome Amenity
Hana-Maui Resort Pools
Garden Pool
Wellness Pool
Hana-Maui Resort Restaurants
Hana-Maui Resort Public Areas
Wellness Center
Fitness Center
Grounds
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Thanks for the review! I have been eyeing this hotel since it joined Hyatt. We’re team seclude beach and not full service mega Hawaiian resort. This has me rethinking what a trip to Maui trip might entail.
We drove from the backdoor Hana in March last year and stayed at this resort for 1 night. We upgraded to an ocean view, the same type of room shown in the pic above. I wish I could stay longer. It is a beautiful resort.
One of my favorite parts is this resort has a semi hidden path that you can walk to the food truck parking lot in a few min from the side door of the resort metal gate, it was so convenient. We ate at the Thai food truck every night and never got tired of it. The line will get long, so go early.
Actually stayed for 2 nights but still felt short.
Here here. I wish we had stayed for longer. And that Thai food was the BEST food we had in the island and the BEST Thai food we’ve had in years. Family owned business run by a matriarch! As close to home cooked food as you’ll get!
big portion with reasonable price.
We stayed at that location July 2023
Chose Hana as the last leg of our 2 wk trip to HAWAII so we could rest and get a great local, small town feel. We stayed 3 nights. Gorgeous property! Bungalows were amazing! Older, but very clean and huge. Unfortunately we did not feel welcome in Hana by the locals at all. Hotel employees were very nice! But the locals at restaurants, stores, parks, beaches were rather cold. It’s a very special place to visit. Weather is totally different from other side of island. Gotta see the rainbow eucalyptus on the road!
We were there for a couple of nights 2 years ago. Road to Hana is both a blessing and a curse: it’s a gorgeous drive but it’s also full of blind turns and very narrow stretches winding between a cliff face and a ravine. Not to mention tourists who don’t follow right of way etiquette and come at you from the other direction when you are driving through spots on the road that can only fit a single car.
Value is always subjective but I would say the biggest value is that is allows you more time to explore the part of Maui that very few tourists see and is a big difference from the built up and commercial South and West coasts. Otherwise it’s not a Category 7 hotel by the typical definition Hyatt Cat 7s in terms of service, food or hotel quality. You are not going there for the hotel but the location – skippable if you don’t have the pts or money to burn. If it was located in Wailea, it’d be a Cat 3/4 for the main hotel and maybe a Cat 5/6 for the bungalows on the coast.
There’s also a nice hike across the street up a hill (and cow pastures) that gives you a nice view of the area.
I stayed here about 20 years ago, when it still was the Hotel Hana Maui. It was even more primitive then. But the service was good and the restaurant was very good. I agree the Cat 7 pricing is ridiculous. One should try to get more for their Hyatt points. The restaurant served Wagyu beef that was unheard of, in the US at that time. I remember it like yesterday.
Many, many years ago we did the road to Hana and back in a Ford Pinto without power stering. When we got to Hana I could not even get out of the car.
Stayed there 3 nights in March of 2023. Used the shuttle to Hamoa Beach which was one of the most beautiful beaches I went to in Hawaii. Loved the serenity of the resort.
Dated, sleepy, slow, spotty AC, no beach, bare bones, unpolished, Category 7, thumb’s up? Hmmmmm. Steinke, you’re a generous man.
Yes, this would describe our experience. Would not recommend at this price.
Not to mention it’s a 2 hr drive from the airport. That alone has kept us away every opportunity given, even at 20K/night.
I stayed here a couple years ago and had the same reaction. In isolation, this is absolutely not a category 7 hotel, and you are getting ripped off in terms of points or a ridiculous $500 room rate. My room didn’t have AC, floors were a bit dirty, and very bare bones. That said, I would do it again due to the lack of other hotels in Hana, and the fact that it opens up tons of opportunities for sightseeing that aren’t available if you try to drive in. I was able to go to the black sand beach nearby and be one of the only people there, hike to the red sand beach near the hotel, and take my time on the drive to and from Hana, stopping at every sight I could. The hotel is a 10/10 location, but hardly a 5/10 if it were anywhere else.
Lol! It’s certainly not for everyone, but we loved it.
Very interesting that you were married at the Kae’anae church. We live in Haiku about 45 min away on the North Shore of Maui for over 20 years and visiting that church and Hana over 26 years. It is my favorite place on Maui and I love to spend time there. It should be noted the damatic shore break there is mesmerizing but don’t get too close or turn back on ocean rogue waves have taken and ended the lives of unsuspecting tourists. We always have the banana bread at auntie Sandy’s. We always visit the tiny brown and white pony in the front yard on oceanfront property near road and parking. That little guy over 25 years old. We visit the graves of a child who died in ? Late 1980s of cancer at about 9 and when my kids were little in 90s the locals left toys on his grave and all the kids would play with them and put them back respectively and an infant who tragically died when car went over a cliff on Hana highway and say a prayer for them. Considered buying a small property as a getaway weekend years ago. Very special place. Bring a ball and kids can play in sports field in front of church. Do you have a family connection to that place? When we go to Hana always eat the chili rice at Hana Ranch at Hana Ranch store. Reassuring some things change very little. Hope the church gets repaired.
*ke’anae chuch
I feel we made a good decision to stay there in order to break up the drive to Hana into two days. It’s a beautiful setting, but the rooms feel very dated for the price. Our experience was not as relaxing, staying in two rooms right next to the main resort building, where there was a loud late event. We had a long delay at checkout just to apply a Hyatt gift card.
Appreciate this review; captures the pros and cons well. Especially love this brilliant phrase: “their zeal to surprise and delight doesn’t really come to the fore.”
We love this place, but it is dated. Would be nice if they didn’t allow children under 15 at wellness pool. Love kids, but when you relaxing reading book and 4-5 year olds are screaming and jumping off hot tub, it ruins ambience. The half hanging gutter about our deck chairs was also worrisome. Hit the food trucks (2 locations) and early to be sure to get food.
In the past no kids were allowed on the bungalow side of the property, the pool was serene back then!
We stayed here one night in January 2012, when it was the Hotel Hana Maui. Back then members of the I Prefer loyalty program got upgrades regardless of status and our bungalow upgrade on the adult side of the property was great (it looked exactly like your pictures). The hotel offered golf cart shuttle service between the different parts of the property which was good since it rained from sundown until well into the night. We didn’t realize that everything closed in Hana later afternoon so we were stuck with the hotel restaurant. While the rain was quaint in the bungalow it turned very isolated very quickly. My wife quickly decided she didn’t want to stay there again. Sunrise from our bungalow’s lanai was amazing. The fact that my wife won’t stay here again is a shame since my most favorite place in the world is Hamoa Beach. Back then the hotel had a staff member at the beach shack and it was well tended and kept up. Other than the attendant we saw 3 other people in over 4 hours. Staying at the hotel allowed us to get to the beach before the day trippers arrived. We went back to Hamoa a few months ago and the beach shack is falling apart and the restrooms were downright scary.
I think we paid just over $500 for our night, I could possibly convince her to try again as a free points redemption…
Hana is truly a beautiful place, everyone should experience it at least once
I was at a wedding here in 2022. I had an upgrade but it was complicated and I ended up paying for the next upgrade, more than I expected. I’m Globalist. We were at an Ocean View Bungalow, which was huge, and nice. They did a great job for the wedding activities. My best food memory is the Mochi Pancakes which were fantastic and worth going off whatever diet you follow. I did all 3 mornings. Hana Ranch was open, thank goodness, for casual food. Overall I would not recommend because the drive is soo long, it’s expensive, there is nothing around, besides gorgeous views, minimal dining options, minimal (outdoor) gym.
Great review of one of my favorite properties I’ve ever stayed in. The bungalows are amazing and my wife and I can’t wait to go back. One night certainly wasn’t long enough!
I’m glad you mentioned the lack of AC in standard rooms. We didn’t get the upgrade and no AC was a surprise. Thankfully it was not “hot”, however it definitely was not consistently as cool as you would expect in a normal hotel room. You have to leave the windows open and use screen door if you want some fresh, cool air. I was not particularly worried about someone entering the room but it can be disconcerting to know you are sleeping in an unlocked room. The screen door was easily lifted off the rails. I’d stay there again if I had to but it’s definitely not a “normal” hotel experience. This could be a positive for folks who are into that sort of thing.