My wife and I recently spent four days on Maui, seeing how things are going in the wake of the devastating Lahaina fires and checking out new (to us) hotels and restaurants.
I’m happy to say things are moving along, although not at the pace some would hope. New homes are being built in Lahaina, and there’s a new restaurant in the north end of town, where a cluster of waterfront buildings and the Lahaina Cannery Mall escaped the deadly fires.
The second night of our visit, we ate dinner at the wonderful Star Noodle, which has a new space on the waterfront north of downtown Lahaina. The place was packed on a Friday night, and when we left we could see people milling about and hear the echoes of music from the Old Lahaina Luau next door. Close to the shore, a woman and her child were silhouetted against a deep orange sunset, with the peaceful island of Lana’i in the background.
It was only a minute or two, but it infused us both with a sense of optimism about Maui’s recovery.
With perhaps a few exceptions, all hotels, resorts and restaurants in the Ka’anapali, Honokowai, Kahana, Napili and Kapalua areas of West Maui are fully operational, as are several in north and south Lahaina. The main town of Lahaina will take years to rebuild, of course.
“Maui’s recovery since the Lahaina fire is progressing, albeit slowly,” said Gregg Nelson, General Manager of the Napili Kai Beach Resort, which is roughly 15 minutes from the north end of Lahaina and was never in any fire danger.
Nelson told Open Jaw one of Maui’s biggest challenges to tourism recovery are the mixed and confusing messages in the media about the island.
“Many travellers remain unclear as to whether or not they are welcome back to Maui yet,” said Nelson, whose resort is fully open. “I can tell you and anyone considering a vacation here on our island that Maui is very much ready to welcome you back as only Maui can do.”
“The road to recovery is well underway on Maui and we are happy to say that new home construction has started,” said Chef Peter Merriman, who runs several restaurants in West Maui. “Our visitor industry infrastructure is 95% in place and we’re seeing more people return to Maui.”
“As Maui continues its journey of regeneration, our message to Canadian travellers is rooted in aloha and resilience,” said Sherry Duong, Executive Director Maui Visitors & Convention Bureau. “We warmly welcome visitors to experience the island’s unique charm while supporting local businesses and communities.
“In 2025, our efforts will focus on attracting culinary enthusiasts, cultural explorers, and soft adventure seekers. Visitors can immerse themselves in breathtaking natural wonders, discover charming small towns with family-owned shops and eateries, and explore iconic sites like Haleakalā National Park and ʻĪao Valley State Monument,” Duong said.
“I think it’s time to forget about the ‘recovery’ and ‘we’re open’ angles and just encourage people to come,” one Maui hotel manager told me. “That’s the message now. Just come.”
Later on the second night of our stay, I woke up around 2:30 a.m. and wandered onto our 12th floor balcony at the Aston Mahana resort on Ka’anapali Beach. The sky was ablaze with twinkling lights, and I could feel a warm, soft breeze off the Pacific that rustled the leaves on the darkened palm trees below my feet. For some reason, I felt compelled to write a not particularly great (but very heartfelt) poem:
“Waves roll endlessly under a canopy of stars,
White foam gently thunders and rolls to shore,
There is endless work to be done here, and unending pain still to come,
But there is hope in the ceaseless waves and the twinkling light from the heavens above.”
I’ve been coming to this dot of land in the Pacific since 1968, and I don’t think there are many places on earth that can match Maui for things to do; everything from silky, golden-sand beaches to fresh, local food, and from scenic drives to sensational sunsets.
Here’s a look at our most recent trip, which included a fine whale-watching tour, a visit to the Sentry golf championship in Kapalua, a first-time visit to the Maui Ocean Center, and a brief walk around fun and funky downtown Wailuku
Here are two Maui resorts that travel advisors should know about.
ASTON MAHANA
For this trip, we were put up at the Aston Mahana on north Ka’anapali Beach for our first two nights. We had a lovely one-bedroom unit on the top floor, with fabulous ocean views that included the islands of Lana’i and Molokai. We also had a full kitchen, a dining area and a large patio overlooking the Pacific. The reef comes too close to the sand for comfortable swimming directly in front of the hotel, but there are open spaces for swimming a few yards south or north. The Aston has a nice pool and a large hot tub, as well as bbq grills and shuffleboard. There’s plenty of space for lounging under a towering palm tree, with the blue Pacific just inches away. One advantage is that you’re a very short walk to the food trucks of Honokowai, as well as to several restaurants and shops, and the Times Supermarket.
HYATT REGENCY
We also stayed two nights at the Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa on the south end of Ka’anapali. It’s a large, stylish hotel with an open atrium, several restaurants and nice shops. The on-site Japengo restaurant is one of my faves on Maui.
This time we tried rich Korean seafood pancakes, as well as terrific seafood Yaki Udon noodles. There are tropical gardens with waterfalls, a waterslide and kids’ water park, brilliant white swans, and a nice main pool. They’re doing extensive renovations around the main pool, so we missed the famous swim-up bar. Other offerings include the Drums of the Pacific luau, and a full spa.
The resort also offers mixology classes, free whale information sessions and, from April to September, a “Nashville Nights” program with live country music. Kids will love the display of South African penguins, which get a regular feeding that’s fun to watch. One great offering (extra cost) is the rooftop Tour of the Stars program, where a trained, engaging astronomer will help you use powerful telescopes to gaze at the moon and the stars, and explain a little Hawaiian history at the same time. Again, the swimming here isn’t the best, but a 10-minute walk takes you to the best part of Ka’anapali Beach. There’s also a good swimming area to the east of the hotel at Hanako’o Park. The Ka’anapali Golf Course is a one-minute drive from the hotel, and you’re within walking distance of the Whalers Village outdoor shopping complex on Ka’anapali Beach.
