Hana-Maui Resort, a Destination by Hyatt Residence

Plan to spend several days here if you're making it part of the Road to Hana. Getting to the resort takes effort: you can drive the Road to Hana, using Shaka Maui for a full tour and offline maps, or fly from Kahului to the local airport. Food and drink are the main drawback. They're good, but basic and expensive, since everything has to come down the barely two-lane road and there's no local commercial port. Try the Mochiko Pancakes for breakfast; food trucks here and elsewhere on the island range from good to excellent. Hana is beautiful and relatively underdeveloped, which I liked. It's a remote town on Maui's eastern side, while most hotels, resorts, and services are between the two volcanoes or on the western coast. This resort has been there for years, built by the owner of the Hana Ranch. It can feel dated, though they were updating rooms during our stay. Even the basic rooms are large suites with separate bedrooms and living rooms. The property stretches from the map pin to the peninsula, and most buildings have just two rooms. For a peaceful, remote stay in this area, this is the only resort choice.

We used a GOH certificate and lucked into an oceanfront bungalow. The suite was huge and comfortable, but the seaside view is what made the stay feel magical: waves, cliffs, lawns, and little white chairs. After a full day driving the Road to Hana, Hana Maui resort felt like a retreat that made the trip worthwhile. The à la carte breakfast was wonderful too.

The oceanfront bungalow had lovely renovated bathrooms, and the ocean views and sounds were incredible. We also had great massages at the spa, then enjoyed the courtyard with its hot tub and lounge all to ourselves. We were told occupancy was 75%, but hardly saw anyone during our stay. This old-school cabin retreat is a lovely fit if you want a slower pace and time in nature. Its sunrises are unmatched, especially from an ocean-view bungalow. We spent two nights here for part of our honeymoon. We booked a standard room with points and, as a Discoverist, were upgraded to an ocean-view bungalow. The hotel had missed my request for a paid oceanfront bungalow upgrade, but honored the rate they'd previously promised. Skylar at guest services was great throughout and took care of all our requests.

We woke up to sunrise from our deck, then walked over to the food trucks next door for coffee. Hunter was a huge help and shared excellent local tips for exploring. We'll recommend the property to family and friends and come back soon. Getting here on the Road to Hana was an experience in itself. I'd read comments saying the rooms were dated, but ours was gorgeous. We had a garden room suite and got an upgrade to an ocean-view bungalow at a discounted price. Worth every penny.