Hana Maui Resort Review (+Video): Stay on the Road to Hana

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Our Hana Maui Resort Review in a Nutshell: A beautiful resort to break up the Road to Hana, and a great option for booking with points! We stayed for free using reward points during our stay.

While the Hana Maui may feel dated, it lacks the luster of its heyday as the Travasa Resort, it is a charming place, and the best place to stay in Hana. Another drawback is that the rooms don’t have A/C. During July and August, the fans might not cut it for you.

Hana-Maui Resort Review: Overview

If we’re not doing a Road to Hana tour (these are our favorite Road to Hana tours), we usually opt to split the trip into two days and spend a night in Hana. Taking it at a leisurely pace means we get to see more with less stress. And the Hana-Maui hotel is by far our favorite option for a one-night stop.

It’s quiet, centrally located in Hana, ocean-front, and comes with all of the amenities that you’d expect in a resort. They offer bungalows, suites, and villas, which provide a serene escape.

It’s a small resort with just 66 rooms spread over 75 acres of beautiful land and ocean views. Not only do you get amenities like the use of resort bikes, tennis courts, and daily yoga classes, but this property also comes with excellent points redemption thanks to Hyatt’s generous awards program. Click here for all Hyatt Hotels in Hawaii to book with points. We also share our wallet of the best travel credit cards for Hawaii here.

During our stay, we spent time at the pool that overlooks the ocean, which has a pool bar and poolside service for drinks and snacks. Plus, we could walk to food trucks for dinner and the Hana Ranch Restaurant. We ended up doing both! Because after the trip out, we weren’t eager to get back in the car again to drive around Hana.

Get everything you need to know for a drive on the Road to Hana:
– Decide if the Road to Hana is worth it. You may want to opt for a tour.
– There are more places to stay in Hana! 3 more to be exact. See our Where to Stay in Hana for more details.
– Pick the best route for your group and brush up on Road to Hana etiquette.
– For all this and more, check our Complete Guide on the Road to Hana.

The Hana Maui Resort Review

There is no better Hana Maui Resort review than our video below. You can get a feel for this hotel to see if the price and the amenities will make your stay in Hana perfect.

Check out a video of our stay at the Hana Maui and get a tour of the hotel!

The Hana-Maui Location:

As the name implies, this resort is located in Hana on Maui’s east side. This is the resort on East Maui.

The name of the drive implies that Hana is the final destination, but there’s quite a lot more to see past Hana, too. Most visitors don’t have enough time to see it all when they drive in a single day.

Staying overnight means you’ll have more time to explore. We include a second day on the Road to Hana itinerary in our famous Maui Wayfinder Itinerary. Our favorite spot past Hana is the Kipahulu District of Haleakala National Park. Kipahulu has the famous Pipiwai Trail with the bamboo forest and Oheo Gulch.

Some of our favorite stops past Hana include Hamoa Beach (one of the best on the island) and Maui’s Wailua Falls. But, our absolute favorite stop is the Kipahulu District of Haleakala National Park, including the Pipiwai Trail with the Bamboo Forest, and Oheo Gulch.

The Kipahulu District is part of Haleakala National Park and requires an entry fee. Your pass will be valid for three days, so if you’re planning to do a Haleakala sunrise or sunset, plan to visit the Kipahulu District within that time.

Another advantage you’ll have is proximity to Wai’anapanapa State Park. This is our favorite stop, but it’s no secret, and it requires reservations to enter. For most visitors, this is the last stop of the day before Hana, so by staying overnight, you can secure an earlier reservation and arrive before the crowds. That is what we did on our stay at the Hana Maui Resort, we had coffee at a food truck cafe within walking distance of the resort and then were the first people at the black sand beach. That is how we got the deserted photo below!

The Hana-Maui Pool: Why We Love It

No Hana Maui Resort review would be complete without talking about the pools. There are two pools on site. While you won’t find waterslides here, one pool overlooks the ocean, offering a serene and beautiful leisure experience.

The pool has a vintage vibe that we love. The pool chairs are comfortable, the poolside service was friendly and fast, and the pool was large. We had a lot of fun at the pool – great memories!

A fitness bungalow is near the pool. The bungalow is the yoga studio and hosts other resort activities. The Hana Maui Resort has an authentic, wellness vibe.

The ocean pool is across the street from the central hotel and near the ocean bungalows. The Hana Maui Resort is not on the beach, nor does it have beach access; it is on a cliff overlooking the ocean.

The red sand beach is nearby, but we don’t recommend walking down to it, as the trail is dangerous. Please respect signs from Maui Fire and Rescue at the trailhead. We recommend visiting Hamoa Beach, one of our favorite beaches on Maui!

The other pool is next to the gym. It’s a basic, rectangular pool, which makes it good for swimming laps. We didn’t see anyone using it during our stay, so maybe you can have it to yourself! There is no bar or food service at this pool.

Hana-Maui Resort Review: Rooms

There are 66 guest rooms, suites, and bungalows on the property, spread across 75 acres. Many rooms have ocean views, and all of them have private lanais. You can even book a room with a private hot tub.

Rooms start at 500 square feet, giving you plenty of space to spread out inside as well. Their largest accommodation is a 2-bedroom villa with a full kitchen, measuring almost 1,950 square feet.

Hana-Maui Resort Amenities

The Hana Maui has a lot of the same amenities you’ll find at other Hawaiian resorts, like cultural classes, a spa, on-site dining, golf nearby, and a fitness center. Some things are paid, and others are covered under the $45/night resort fee.

The Hana Maui Resort fee includes:

• Self-parking
• Use of resort bikes
• Use of the resort exercise fitness trail
• Use of the Fitness Center, including Peloton bikes
• Use of tennis and pickleball courts
• In-room waters, replenished daily
• Hamoa Beach shuttle
• Hana Airport shuttle
• Welcome beverage
• Use of a 3-hole pitch and putt course
• Daily yoga classes

Hana Maui Resort Vibe

This is not your typical Hawaii hotel vibe. Things over here on the east side are quiet and remote. You won’t find a lively hotel bar at night. You won’t find a multi-level pool or hordes of people at check-in. It’s a nice change!

This place is special, hence this Hana Maui Resort review is longer than our other Hawaii reviews. This place has character and it fits the vibe of Hana Town.

There’s plenty of room to roam and explore, and not many people around, so it was a relaxing evening with not much to do. We all fell asleep by 8:30 pm, listening to rain on the roof. We were up with the sun to explore more of the Road to Hana.

Where to Eat Near the Hana Maui Resort

There aren’t many dining options in Hana Town. You have the Hana Ranch Restaurant, owned by Hana Maui Resort, plus some good food trucks nearby. I’ll be honest, we found the Hana Ranch Restaurant to be fine, but not super memorable. We enjoy the view and the patio dining.

We ate at the pool bar for snacks for the kids, and it had a nice, small menu, but it was plenty for a couple of hours at the pool.

But our favorite food options were the food trucks just a short walk from the hotel. We enjoyed coffee there as well as Thai food in the evening. A really easy option for more food!

Booking with Points

We love a Hyatt property for booking stays on points. Their reward program works on a tier system, rather than a dynamic points pricing system. You can snag a night here for between 25,000 and 35,000 points. Comparable hotels usually go for at least double that!

Click here for our guide to booking a free night in Hawaii.

The Hana-Maui Resort Review: Why We Love It

• Convenience: Sometimes a trip to Hana is too much to do in one day and you want to slow down and enjoy the scenery more. This is a perfect hotel for that. It’s also walking distance to food and shops, so you can get a break from being in the car.
• No two-night minimum: You can book a single night, which can be challenging to find in Hana.
• Hyatt property: The point redemption is excellent here, so you really feel like you’re getting a good trade for your points. Maybe we loved this place so much because we got it for free!
• Wheelchair accessible: This isn’t a big surprise, since it’s a hotel, not a vacation rental, but the rustic feel and layout can raise questions about accessibility.

Things to Know Before Booking The Hana-Maui

No Hana Maui Resort review is complete without our drawbacks. Let’s be honest here.

• Older hotel with no A/C: we stayed there in September and didn’t need A/C, but if you’re someone who likes to sleep in chilly rooms, it might be uncomfortable for you.
• Resort fees: Unfortunately, high resort fees are the norm in Hawaii. Like many resorts, the Hana-Maui charges a daily resort fee, which is not included in the room rate. This can be sticker shock if you’re not expecting it. On the plus side, there is no parking fee for self-parking.
• It’s quiet: Few people stay on the east side of the island, and it’s a tranquil stay. If you’re looking for something lively, this won’t be it, but if you’re seeking tranquility, it’ll be just what you’re looking for!
• Windward side of the island: Hana receives 70-90 inches of rain each year. It keeps the Maui waterfalls flowing beautifully, but you should prepare to get rained on during a stay on the east side.

Want to check out other options on Maui? Read our reviews:

The Best Maui Itinerary

Ready to plan the rest of your vacation? We have you covered with our Maui itinerary. This download and go itinerary takes you on a planned out route around the island seeing the best sights and eating at the best restaurants.