Maui Beach Hotel

Situated on the harbor in Kahului, the Maui Beach Hotel is a favorite with Hawai‘i residents and business travelers. (Just don’t let the name fool you—there’s no swimmable beach here.) Despite its age, the property is well maintained, clean, open and bright. (The skylights in the hallway go a long way in brightening up the space.) They have a good sense of humor here (their Maui-style weather station is a hoot), and the staff has lots of aloha. Oceanfront rooms are the most spacious and worth the upgrade. If price is the biggest factor, notice that the cheaper rooms facing the highway have double-paned windows that do a good job of blocking traffic noise. Garden View and Ocean View rooms have a tub/shower combo instead of just a shower. Only some rooms have a lanai—be sure to ask if one is available when booking. The only two suites have nice ocean views and are adjacent to each other—rent both, and they can be connected. The rooftop pool is in a strange spot—it faces the road instead of the ocean. Their restaurant, Rainbow Terrace, has a reasonably priced breakfast menu and a nightly buffet. The airport is less than 3 miles away, and the hotel shuttle is included in the resort fee. Rooms are 272–380 sq. ft., suites are 588 sq. ft. Their listed rates are high, but we doubt you’ll pay them.