The Hawaiian Island of Maui is one of the world’s most popular beach vacation destinations, and for a good reason. It has world-class snorkeling spots, stunning lush jungles, impressive diving sites, and so much more. Aside from planning the things to do in Maui, you also need to think about your accommodation. Maui is a vast island, so deciding where to base yourself can be a challenge. Not only that, there are various accommodation options that you can find on the island, from hotel resorts to vacation rentals.
To help you book the perfect place to stay in Maui, we’ve compiled some top tips to keep in mind.
1. Think About Your Budget
Your budget is generally the most important factor to consider when looking for a place to stay in Maui. Consider how much you will be willing to spend on your accommodation. Then use this as your basis for looking for accommodations. If you’re on your honeymoon and feel like splurging, you can stay at five-star hotels in Maui. But if you are traveling in a big group or with your family, staying at five-star hotels may not be practical. You would be better off staying at luxury vacation rentals.
There are many vacation rentals in Maui that cater to families and big groups. Staying at these properties is more convenient and cheaper for you since you do not need to book several hotel rooms for everyone. You can choose to stay at a spacious villa with several bedrooms, which is large enough to accommodate everyone in your group.
Those who are traveling with a limited budget can also benefit from staying at these vacation rentals, especially if you plan on staying longer on the island. In fact, you can take advantage of huge discounts when you travel during the off-season. You can use the extra money that you will save from your accommodation to pay for the best tours and activities in Maui.
2. Aim for Convenience
People travel to relax and get away from the daily stresses of life. Therefore, convenience is a very important factor when deciding the right accommodation to book for your Maui holiday. Hotels provide amenities such as in-room dining, laundry, airport transfers, and access to a concierge who can facilitate in booking various tours and activities in Maui.
On the other hand, vacation rentals may not provide in-room dining service and laundry, but these properties have kitchens where you can cook your own meals and a washer where you can wash your own clothes. And even though vacation rentals do not offer airport transfer services, hiring a taxi from the airport to go to your vacation rental should be easy. If you are renting a car, then staying at vacation rentals is more suitable for you since most of these properties offer free parking.
So weigh your options and decide which is more convenient for you in terms of amenities. If you want to stay at vacation rentals but would like to enjoy the services being offered at hotels, consider staying at serviced apartments.
3. Think of the Activities You Plan To Do
When planning your vacation in Maui, take some time to map out your holiday activities. The type of activities that you wanted to do is an important factor to consider when looking for a perfect place to stay in Maui. For instance, would you want to go whale watching in Maui? In this case, you should look for a place in Lahaina since most of the whale watching tours will depart from the Lahaina harbor. If you wanted to go surfing in Maui, the North Shore would be the perfect place to base yourself. It’s home to Ho’okipa Beach, a go-to surfing spot in Maui. The area is also home to some of the best surfing schools on the island. Know you and your family want to take in a cultural experience at a luau? Then both South Maui luaus and West Maui luaus would fit the bill and help you decide the perfect location.
How often you plan to be staying in your accommodation is also a big factor to consider in choosing the right place to stay. For instance, if you plan to use every hour of the day to walk around and take in the sights, then there’s no reason to spend a lot of money on your choice of accommodation since you will not be there very often. Moreover, if you want to spend most of your days in Maui lounging by the pool or on a beach, then look for a place that has access to a swimming pool or is close to the beach.
4. How Do You Plan To Eat
Some travelers would prefer eating out during their holiday in Maui. If you are like them, then you should look for a place that has easy access to the top dining spots in Maui. For instance, Lahaina Front Street is where you will find most of the best restaurants on the island. Therefore, you should consider staying in Lahaina. There are plenty of hotels in the area that are only a walking distance away from Front Street.
For travelers who wanted to cook their own meals, then staying at a vacation rental with a fully-equipped kitchen is the best choice. But make sure that the place is close to the local markets and supermarkets where you can buy fresh ingredients to cook. If you want to enjoy authentic homemade meals without spending a lot of money, book a room at bed and breakfast. These are affordable lodging establishments run by locals that offer overnight accommodation with delicious home-cooked meals.
By now, you should already have an idea of where you should stay on your holiday to Maui. The best thing that you can do is to come up with an itinerary that includes a list of all the places you want to visit and activities to do in Maui. From here, you can decide which areas in Maui you should base yourself on. Then decide on the type of accommodation according to your budget, length of stay, convenience, amenities, and all the other important factors mentioned above.