Inn-Sider's Maui
Far from the island's resort-filled beaches is a largely untouched landscape dotted with romantic inns just waiting to embrace you.
Honeymooners love Hawai’i, and Maui tops the list of the state’s treasured islands. With 120 miles of shoreline, it’s no surprise that Maui offers hundreds of beach hotels and resorts to choose from for your honeymoon. But, if you’re looking for a quieter experience, away from the crowds that pack the coast, consider booking a room at one of the island’s inns. A small hotel may be on a cliff overlooking a waterfall, or it may have a pick-your-own fruit garden and a bamboo-lined lanai with a whirlpool tub. These four inns offer a real sense of Maui’s unforgettable style, as well as plenty of privacy.
Island Oasis
If you’re looking for picturesque beaches lined with palm trees, then West Maui is for you. The area’s main town of Lahaina offers shopping and restaurants, as well as close proximity to Black Rock Beach, one of the island’s prettiest stretches of sand. There, in the middle of this sleepy port town, is the 19-room Plantation Inn.
This two-story turn-of-the-century bed-and-breakfast is trimmed with whitewashed balconies, and its air-conditioned guest rooms stretch around a courtyard with a pool and a breakfast area. The superior guest rooms, with their Victorian styling and elegant brass beds, are lovely, but consider upgrading to one of the honeymoon suites, each of which has a lanai, a kitchenette, a living room and a bedroom with a four-poster canopy bed—and still costs less than a standard double room at many of the island’s posh resorts.
In the morning, you can take your breakfast by the pool and enjoy a mug of local Kona coffee, presented with house-made yogurt and hand-tossed muesli, as well as French toast topped with pineapple—all served up with a view of the mountains.
This quiet oasis is less than two blocks from the waterfront, where you can set off from the dock on whale-watching or dinner cruises, or snorkel around Black Rock Beach. Best of all, as a guest of the inn, you'll have full access to its sister property, the massive 430-room Kaanapali Beach Hotel, which is just three miles away and has its own gorgeous strand of sand, as well as a large pool and a whole lineup of Hawaiian culture classes, such as hula-dancing and lei-making lessons.
But you'll want to head back to the inn by dinnertime so that you can get a table at Gerard's, the property's award-winning French-Hawaiian fusion restaurant. Sure, the seafood (which is caught daily by Lahaina fishermen) can be pricey, but you'll remember the ahi tartare and roasted Hawaiian snapper, not to mention the macadamia-nut-coconut cake, for years to come (174 Lahainaluna Road, Lahaina; theplantationinn.com).
Head for the Hills
If you and your husband prefer hustle and bustle to quiet, head to central Maui, a residential area that's conveniently located near beaches and historic sights. With antiques shops, pineapple and papaya plantations and museums, including a Frank Lloyd Wright-style home, you'll have plenty to do. When you want to get out into nature, you can visit Iao Valley State Park, which is made up of six acres of lush, green fields and trails, as well as streams and swimming holes, all located in the remains of a volcanic crater.
At the end of a busy day of sightseeing, check into the 10-room Old Wailuku Inn at Ulupono, which is made up of several buildings located on a garden estate in the historic town of Wailuku. The inn is filled with antique Asian furniture, including headboards salvaged from Buddhist temples. Consider booking one of the Veranda rooms. Some of these feature king-size beds and whirlpool tubs. They're all located in the Main House, which also has a front yard and a vine-covered lanai—the perfect place to enjoy the refreshing evening breezes. If you want more privacy, be sure to stay in the newer Vagabond's House, which has stunning floors of dark marble and bamboo, and locally designed linens. Some rooms even have multijet showers—the ideal way to wake up in the morning.
Before you head out for a day of exploration, set aside some time for the inn's sumptuous breakfast. You'll sit down to a meal of Belgian waffles with mango and caramel sauce, or rich banana pancakes. Either way, it's a truly unforgettable taste of the island (2199 Kahookele Street, Wailuku; mauiinn.com).
Cliff Dwellers
One of the best things about the four-room Huelo Point Flower Farm inn is its location, off the famously twisting Hana Highway, on the north shore of Maui. And—best of all—it sits atop a 300-foot cliff overlooking the ocean. The inn is convenient to most of the island's major sites, as well as to the stunning northern beaches.
Huelo has four secluded guest houses. Of these, you'll want to book the Gazebo Cottage, which not only offers the most privacy on the estate but also has the best bay view. This one-room studio features a kitchenette, a flat-screen television, and a private bath with an outdoor shower and floor-to-ceiling glass walls that offers views of Waipio Bay. Step out onto your own patio to stargaze, whale-watch from your hot tub or take a dip in the inn's pool.
Because Huelo is in the middle of the rain forest, a good drive away from the island's many restaurants, you will want to buy and cook your own food. Fortunately, grocers in nearby towns make this easy, and the inn's rooms come stocked with a grill and barbecue supplies. You can pick your own fruit from the property's garden—from papaya, starfruit and breadfruit to mangos, depending on the season. No matter what you make for dinner, you can finish it off with a spectacular fruit salad—or feed each other fruit that's warm from the sun (Paia; auiflowerfarm.com).
Country Time
You may not think "country" when you think of Maui—but the middle region of the island, known as Upcountry, is truly rural. In fact, many second- and third-generation locals reminisce about the "real Maui," and will tell you that Upcountry is what most of the island was like before it was developed.
You can immerse yourselves in this old-world Hawai'i at the Olinda Country Cottages and Inn, located on the western side of Haleakala, the world's largest dormant volcano, high up in the mountains, where the air is cool. Located at the end of a road just north of a eucalyptus forest, the inn's eight-and-a-half acres of sloping meadows look out over the West Maui Mountains all the way to the shore.
While the Tudor-style inn's five standard cottages provide ample space, they are better suited to families than couples, so you'll want to stay in the property's Hidden Cottage, located away from the main inn. The cottage is so private, it feels as if it was built just for honeymooners. At the 950-square-foot villa, you can cuddle up by the fireplace or soak in the outdoor whirlpool tub. There are three decks to choose from, each with views of tropical flowers and trees.
Because the inn is in Upcountry, guests can beat the crowds to the top of the volcano in Haleakala National Park, a mere two-hour drive away. Also nearby are the Tedeschi Vineyards and the Alii Kula Lavender Farm, in the town of Kula. Sure, you'll love exploring the volcano and breathing in the fresh scent of the lavender fields—but you'll also be glad when you're heading back to your hideaway, knowing you won't see anyone else but each other until morning (2660 Olinda Road, Makawao; mauibnbcottages.com).





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