Travaasa Hana Rating: 4.0 Pearls

Maui, Hawaii, United States

Sunrise over the East Maui coast

Travaasa Hana's history reads like a recap of the baby-boomer generation. Born in 1946 when a Californian developer bought 14,000 acres of land for a ranch and six-room inn, it slowly expanded and developed a hippie ethos of sorts -- local, organic food, no clocks or TVs in rooms -- in the remote wilderness of East Maui. Under new owners, it emerged from a 2002 renovation as a hybrid of idealism and modern comforts: Guests can honor the earth's natural beauty and local community from the comfort of a Crate & Barrel-furnished room. At Travaasa Hana, you'll encounter a remote natural setting, a faithfulness to the local Hawaiian culture, freedom from modern conveniences -- and spiffy clean suites that are as big and well-furnished as those at any luxury Maui hotel. The service is arguably better than what other Maui luxury resorts deliver, and with only 70 units on the property, you won't bump into throngs of other guests thrashing around the pool or gym.

In the end, however, the location is everything, and it makes it or breaks it for visitors. Its secluded East Maui setting offers something not found anywhere else on the island: rainforest-like landscape along craggy coastal cliffs, with waterfalls and gulches within miles of the resort. For some, these surroundings, plus the resort's bare-bones technology (no TVs, alarms, or radios in the rooms), are worth the dizzying drive on Hana Highway's 37 miles of unyielding twists and turns. For others, the isolation, lack of direct access to a sandy, calm beach, and windier, rainier weather are enough to keep them on the other side of the island, basking in the unwavering sun with hundreds of others and sending the children off to the Xbox-filled rooms at the kids' club. For those who want it, this is an ideal blend of luxury and rustic.

Leis and a drink to welcome guests

Guests are truly honored here, but it's as if your grandmother is taking care of you, not a servant in a stiff uniform. The service is as good as you'll find at Maui's top luxury resorts: instant name recognition, a slew of free services, handwritten welcome notes, and fruit and snacks in the room. But the familiar staff -- some employees are second and third generation Hana employees, and your bellman's brother might be playing the music at the bar -- provides such hospitality so naturally that the word service never crosses your mind.

• Arrival aloha includes free leis and welcome drinks; personalized welcome card and gifts in room as well
• Free valet parking, bell service
• Free shuttle service from guest cottages to anywhere on the property
• Concierge desk open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. to book activities, provide area information, and assist with hotel services like free snorkeling gear and shuttles
• 24-hour front desk
• Room service available from 7:30 to 10:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.
• No poolside drink service

View on a Larger Map

Hana is in East Maui, on the island's windward coast, and is reachable only by a highway that's the island's most beautiful road -- and the most difficult to drive. This side of the island is greener, wetter, and windier than most of Maui, where almost all resorts stick to the leeward coast for its far dryer, more consistent weather. The Travaasa Hana wouldn't be what it is without its verdant, unspoiled natural surroundings (and Hana wouldn't be much without the hotel). The hotel isn't a beach resort in the tradition of most Maui hotels: It overlooks the ocean but its nearest swimmable beach is about 10 minutes by car, and guests are likely to spend as much time driving and hiking to the natural landmarks along the coast as going to the beach.

• Secluded location in East Maui is great for peace and quiet, but there's barely anything near the hotel in the way of businesses or restaurants (driving to larger towns like Paia takes at least two hours from here).
• Located on Hana Highway, a 37-mile road that curls along the side of a cliff, with blind curves, single-lane no-passing zones, and sickeningly tight switchbacks, but the stunning views reveal a completely different landscape from any other part of Maui.
• Two-hour drive (not accounting for sightseeing) on Hana Highway from Kahului Airport
• Five minutes from Hana Airport, an alternative to driving the road to Hana; only eight-seater commuter flights from Kahului Airport come here; hotel will arrange pickup.
• On Maui's windward side, so rainier and windier than the rest of the island (hence the vastly greener landscape)
• The Hana coast offers an abundance of hikes, waterfalls, and untouched beaches, but you need to know how to get to them -- ask a concierge or use a guidebook.
• Hamoa Beach is 10- to 15-minute drive away, and the hotel runs regular shuttles.

The rough surf at Hamoa Beach

Though the resort is located on Hana Bay, the property is on a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean, with no direct path to the beach or the water. Instead, the resort provides a free shuttle back and forth to Hamoa Beach, a beautiful but rugged sandy beach with rough waves. There are other beaches in the area (most are secluded, and conditions along all East Maui's beaches are generally rough), but the resort provides services and shuttles only to Hamoa Beach.

• No direct beach access, just views of Hana Bay
• Free shuttle service to Hamoa beach; departs hotel every other hour from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (return service runs 15 minutes past the hour during the same hours); its about 10 minutes away by car, and street parking is available.
• Travaasa Hana beach attendant at Hamoa Beach provides private lounge chairs and beach umbrellas for guests only.
• Hamoa beach is tucked within its lush surroundings, but its long crescent of sand is often rated one of Hawaii's best beaches.
• Surfable waves and strong currents can be dangerous; no lifeguard at the site

The Junior Suite Bay Cottage

Travaasa Hana's single-story cottages house everything from junior suites to three-bedroom, two-bath suites. All the units are spacious and every bit as modern (and large) as the rooms at a top Hawaiian luxury hotel like the the Fairmont Kea Lani are, but with one huge difference: no electronics (unless you count the coffeemakers that brew the organic Kona coffee that's provided). As the hotel website explains: "To preserve your tranquility, all rooms at Travaasa Hana are television and radio free." So guests will find nothing more than room phones to disrupt their peace.

• Units in the single-story cottages range from Junior Suite Bay Cottages to two-bedroom Plantation House and three-bedroom, two-bath Waikoloa Suite.
• Large lanais (decks) on every unit; Sea Ranch Cottages have outdoor hot tubs on theirs
• Rooms have virtually no electronics: just room phones and coffeemakers.
• Personalized welcome notes and gifts in rooms for guests' arrival (I received fresh and candied fruits along with a handwritten note)
• Beds have comfortable pillow-top mattresses, luxury eco brand Coyuchi organic cotton sheets
• Huge bathrooms almost all have separate stand-up showers and bathtubs, Coyuchi organic cotton towels, and a full set of Maui Island Formula toiletries
• Mini-fridge stocked with free beverages, Hana blend coffee, and Mighty Leaf teabags
• Conveniences like umbrellas, flashlights, and bug spray provided
• No Internet hookup

Fitness center overlooking the garden pool

Half the fun of being in Hana is exploring the area's lush verdant landscape and stunning coast -- inland hikes to the area's many waterfalls, gulches, and springs, or outings to find the many hidden beaches. That said, guests who tire of natural beauty (or just want a break from challenging Hana Highway driving) will find plenty to do on-site. With two pools, tennis courts, a fitness center, shops, and one of Hawaii's best spas, it offers nearly as much as any other Maui mega-resort. Spread over a huge property with less than a quarter of the typical number of guests rooms, the amenities here feel far less crowded and overwhelming than at most Maui resorts.

• Two pools and a Jacuzzi, including an infinity pool overlooking Hana Bay; towels are available.
• The Club Room with the only guest-accessible television, computer, printer, and Wi-Fi on the property is open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.
• Free yoga classes held daily at 7:30 a.m. in the Wellness Center
• Library in lobby has a comfortable couches and chairs for reading and an extensive collection of Hawaiian books.
• Fitness Center overlooking garden pool has up-to-date machines.
• Gift shops NoeNoe and Hana Trading Co. sell locally produced arts and crafts.
• Three-hole putt-putt golf overlooking Hana Bay
• Free shuttle within resort: Guests can call the front desk for a bellman to take them anywhere on the property by golf cart
• Manager's reception each Thursday from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. in the Hana Coast Gallery; free drinks and pupus (appetizers)

Spa facilities are free for hotel guests.

The Spa at Travaasa Hana, the newest addition to the resort, was completed in 2004. The treatment rooms, which all face the grounds, have their own private lounges as well as treatment areas. The reasonably priced treatments include a variety of massages and specialized body treatments: An aquatic therapy pool is one of only two in Hawaii, and massage options include a variety of special techniques. Hotel guests can use the facilities for free without buying a treatment.

• Free use of spa facilities for guests, including the outdoor, coed lava pool and locker rooms, which have a cold plunge bath, steam room, and outdoor shower; open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
• Treatments and services focus on Hawaiian techniques and local products, such as coconut oils and volcanic masks; priced reasonably, about $140 for most 50-minute body treatments
• The gift shop sells Hawaiian-made product lines that are used in the spa, as well as clothing and spa gifts.

The kind of family that goes camping could have a field day here. Parents and kids can spend the day hiking to waterfalls or exploring the coast's hidden beaches -- and then retreat to huge, comfortable rooms, order room service off the kids' menu, and lounge by the pools. But just like on a camping trip, there's no TV for entertainment, and the low-tech resort doesn't have an Xbox-filled kids' club, or a kids' club at all. Instead, they arrange excursions and outdoors activities for the whole family.

• One television serves the entire resort.
• Rooms are low-tech, so kids will have to bring their own entertainment or find it in the natural surroundings.
• Large, quiet, comfortable rooms can accommodate families.
• Cribs are free; rollaways are $50 a day, not allowed in the Sea Ranch Cottages.
• No kids' club; babysitting can be arranged with advance notice.
• Concierge can organize excursions like horseback riding, kayak and snorkeling trips.
• Kids' menu on room service, but no kids' menus in restaurants

Like a diamond in the rough, Travaasa Hana's property shines, despite the wild, natural surroundings. Guests are warned to close screens in the rooms to keep out pests like ants, but even things like insects, rainy, windy weather, and a humid climate don't seem to make a mark on the hotel. You're in the wilderness when you come to East Maui, but you don't have to think about it while you're eating or sleeping at the Travaasa Hana.

Ka'Uiki favors local ingredients.

Travaasa Hana emphasizes local (and often organic) ingredients -- produce from upcountry and East Maui farms, locally caught fish, and Hana-raised beef -- and dishes are of gourmet quality with an island twist on most preparations. The hotel really has only one restaurant, and options are slim outside the hotel. But the variety and quality of dishes is likely to keep most guests happy, so long as they're not expecting BLTs and pizza, and they're not expecting to eat on the cheap. Ka'Uiki, the hotel's restaurant, has a genuinely awesome menu that features local produce, locally caught fish, and beef from the Maui Cattle Company. Alice Waters would approve.

• Ka'Uiki serves three meals a day (dinner entrees are $30 to $40; breakfast entrees about $20); offers Buffet Dinner & Hawaiian Show every Friday evening (hours are generally 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., closed between meals)
• Paniolo Lounge serves a great selection of locally inspired and traditional cocktails, with pupus and snacks in the evenings and with frequent performances by local musicians at night (open from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.).
• Nearby Hana Ranch restaurant is a five-minute walk from the lobby; serves typical pub food for lunch from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. (after that, it's open until 8 p.m. for happy hour but no food).

The gorgeous grounds

• Wedding Size: Up to 500 people; only one wedding per day

• Extra Fees and Restrictions: All couples must stay at the hotel at least two nights, purchase a wedding package, and make a $1,000 nonrefundable deposit in order to book a wedding (50 percent of all wedding costs are due 90 days prior to the wedding).

• Wedding Packages: The most basic wedding package, the Hana Wedding Package for $1,500, includes a wedding coordinator, bottle of sparkling wine, a choice of any of the outdoor ceremony locations, a license, an officiant, private transportation to and from the ceremony site for the bride and groom, a steaming of bride and groom's wedding attire, orchid petals scattered at the ceremony site and in the couple's room. Alternative packages range from $5,000 to $12,000.

• Ceremony Locations: Hamoa Beach, the Plantation House Lanai (the porch), the Plantation House Lawn, the Wellness Pool Torch Site, the Sea Ranch Cottage Bluff, the Sea Ranch Cottage Lawn, or, with a short walk, the historic Wananalua Congregational Church or St. Mary's Catholic Church

• Reception Locations: The Hamoa Beach Pavilion, the Plantation Guest House (the most private location), and the Wellness Pool Pavilion

• Photographers and Videographers: Photo packages from $1,250 for two hours of coverage and 100 prints to $4,500 for all day coverage, all printed images, and a 40-page coffee table album; video packages range from $625 for coverage of preceremony and ceremony without editing to $2,500 for more complete coverage, two cameras, and editing; outside vendors permitted at no extra fee.

• Music: A solo Hawaiian guitarist or vocalist from $325; a harpist from $375 to $450; a classical musician from $675; a hula dancer from $150; a sound system from $750; a DJ from $1,500; a live band from $3,200; outside vendors permitted at no extra fee

• Food: Plated dinners from $65 to $85 per person (vegan, kosher, and gluten-free diets can be accommodated); buffets from $70 to $95 per person

• Drinks: There's no standard open bar options, but you can buy beer for about $6 a glass, various wines (from $23) and champagne (from $38) by the bottle, and the average cocktail costs about $9 to $12. Also note that there's a $500 minimum at the bar, plus an extra $150 bartender fee.

• Cakes: Included in the wedding package, flavors include vanilla, chocolate, lemon, banana, and pineapple

• Extras: You can host your own private luau for about $4,200.

• Spa Treatments: Full menu of services from the on-site spa, including hair and makeup treatments for about $150 each

• Honeymoon Suite: No traditional honeymoon suite but the Sea Ranch Cottages with an ocean view and private hot tub come recommended to the bride and groom; all wedding packages include flower petals scattered in the room upon arrival

• Airport Transportation: The hotel provides shuttles to and from the nearby regional Hana Airport (HNM), but the closest international airport, Kahului Airport, is about a two-hour scenic drive away.