Maui
Hawaii


The Experience

A Hawaiian classic harking back to the days when visitors to the Aloha State were greeted with leis on the tarmac, this 60-year-old resort on the deliciously undeveloped east coast of Maui is not your standard Hawaiian beach hotel. Set on 66 lush acres of a 4,000-acre ranch, the cottage-style property of manicured gardens and grazing horses has the feel of a graceful Hawaiian plantation more than a Honolulu luau. Some well-heeled families have been coming here for generations, but since the resort's much-needed 2002 renovation, movers and shakers as well as serenity seekers have discovered it, coming for the natural Hawaiian setting, daily yoga and award-winning Honua Spa.

The Rooms

Standard cottages, though spacious at about 800 square feet, with sleeping and sitting areas and a wet bar, do not have distinctly separate rooms. Yet all offer bamboo floors, native Hawaiian wood furniture and Hawaiian quilts and fabrics inspired by ancient Kana cloth patterns, while massive marble baths have showers big enough for two (or more). With most cottages offering views of Hana Bay and the resort's equine residents, you may not even notice the lack of a TV (though you can request one if you do). Instead, guests find themselves drawn to their lanai -- so it's worth splurging on a Sea Ranch Cottage, which comes with an outdoor hot tub.

The Service

You'll quickly get to know the friendly, always-willing-to-assist staff who transport guests and luggage to cottages via golf cart. Because this is a sprawling property, service requests might take longer than in a conventional hotel.

The Highlights

One of the biggest downsides to the hotel is that swimmable Hanoa Beach is two miles away from the hotel (accessible by shuttle), so beach bunnies are inconvenienced. But there's plenty else to do, from horseback riding to Polynesian-flecked ranch eats. And while some Maui travelers might think to stay just one night, that's not enough for the true Hana experience. If you've already done the famous 55 miles of one-lane bridges, cascades, and rain forest that is the drive to Hana, carve out some more time by flying into the tiny Hana airport. That will also give you more time for treatments in the Honua Spa, which weaves local Hawaiian botanicals, a tropical setting and excellent therapists into pure heaven.

-- Sallie Brady

Find Hotel Deals on Yahoo Travel»