Hana-Maui Resort

Such a beautiful property and the staff are so friendly! What a great way to get away in Hana and take advantage of the area!

The Good: Unbeatable Views and Luxury Lodging You simply cannot "screw up" this location. We stayed in an oceanfront room that was truly luxurious—the view was downright spectacular and easily the highlight of our stay. We spent hours enjoying the hot tub on our private deck and were very impressed with the high-end finishes of the shower and bathtub. The grounds remain as wonderful as ever, preserving that lush, peaceful Hana atmosphere. The Bad: The "Ghost" Concierge The communication from the resort felt incredibly disjointed. We received numerous automated messages asking, "How can we make your stay better?" and offering early check-in or special room requests. We replied to every single one of them, but never received a single human response. It is frustrating to be courted by a computer program only to be ignored by the actual staff. The Ugly: The Decline of a Dining Legend As someone who stayed here in the 1980s when Rosewood managed the property, I am shocked at the downturn in the dining experience. Back then, the food was a world-class highlight; now, it is a significant "low-light." We spent weeks trying to secure a reservation at the Hana Ranch Restaurant, thinking it was still a gourmet destination. Instead, we found an overpriced "burger sports bar" atmosphere with mediocre-to-poor food quality ($59 for a piece of Mahi with cold mashed potatoes, and rubbery, overcooked calamari). While the included breakfast at the resort was perfectly fine, the Ranch was a massive disappointment. It has traded elegance for a casual, high-volume feel that doesn't match the luxury price point of the rooms. The Verdict: A real mixed bag. If you want a spectacular room and a quiet place to sit in a hot tub, the Hyatt delivers. However, if you are looking for the gourmet, high-touch service of the "Old Hana" days, you will be disappointed. My advice to future guests: enjoy the room, skip the Ranch, and head to the local food trucks for a meal that actually tastes like Hawaii.

If the weather prevents you from being outdoors, there is almost nothing to do. According to the valet, it is rainy here a lot. So why have they not made it possible to have a fun experience even if the weather is inclement? Despite this they will still charge you a $45 "resort fee" which I would not have minded much if I could have used the various facilities. But they were not available most days of our stay since the weather was bad. No onsite bar is open (except, apparently for special occasions like the super bowl, but you need to pay extra then) if the pool bar is closed -- which it is when the weather is bad. There is a affiliated "ranch" restaurant up the road if you want to walk there in the rain or get the valets to drive you up. (If you bring your own car it can't be parked near your lodging--so would either need to walk to your car, call valet to pick you up or just walk to the restaurant which is about as far as the car parking. Oh, and you'll get charged a $20 fee for parking per day anyway.) At the ranch restaurant I got a sad mixed drink which cost over $28 when tax and tip are factored in. For $28 it should be special (large, pretty, creative, delicious). It was not--garnish was a small slice of lime and drink was small and ordinary. Fried chicken satay was not good at all. Fries only mediocre. I actually loved the beet salad and should have not tried other items. But food trucks nearby had better food overall, better value for one's money. Too bad they are also closed for inclement weather. I also did not feel like the staff were warm or welcoming at the ranch restaurant. Schlepping over from the resort was a pain, particularly in the rain and particularly when there was a beautiful restaurant right there on site. But that restaurant is only opened for breakfast. Breakfasts were good though. No hot tub unless you pay extra for a spa pass or spa service, but even then the hot tub is terrible--not hot, missing tiles and with a lava stone surround that snags your swimsuit if you lean back). They offer yoga, but it was randomly cancelled (no note, you just wait there and no instructor shows up). No comfy public seating (there was a library with 3 chairs, all taken when weather was bad--other seats near lobby exposed to wind and cold ). Outdoor chaise longues very uncomfortable after about 10 minutes of sitting in them anyway, so perhaps just hunkering down in your room is the best plan. Our room had no TV which would not have been a problem if there was something else to do. There was other deferred maintenance in room and around resort besides the hot tub. In our room we could hear neighbor room's kids who woke up early and played outside, waking us up as well. Also teens or young adults (guests vs community?) ran screaming obscenities around the lower part of the property around dusk on two occasions and one truck parked on the street right outside our room at about 1 am and blasted loud music. Perhaps the community does not want this resort in their midst?? Did I mention the fire alarms being tested off and on for about 3 days? They sent a "sorry for the late notice" about that well after it started and probably after receiving several panicked calls from guests.

Absolutely the best place to stay in Hana. The rooms were fabulous. The staff was delightful. We were glad that we stayed the two nights. It was really quiet and relaxing.

The Hana Maui was a sleeper hit during my weeklong trip to the island. Staying there helped me feel fully relaxed, thanks to the quiet, spacious, tranquil setting. We booked an oceanside room and left the curtains open to wake up with the sunrise, true serenity. My intention was to explore more of Hana but it felt so good staying on the property, we only left to visit the food trucks nearby. Guess we'll have to return and spend more time there!