While planning to visit Maui for the first time, I was perplexed at how few hotels there seemed to be on the island. Where did all the visitors stay?After three trips to Maui now, I understand the situation better. Maui lacks mom-&-pop motels & reasonably priced chain motels because it’s not the type of place you can drive to on the spur of the moment or where you need a place to stay for the night on the way to somewhere else.Just about everyone coming to Maui arrives by plane on a vacation planned in advance. They – & you – have three main options for a place to stay:1)Expensive resort hotels. These are quite well-equipped with features & amenities, & you pay accordingly. They offer water slides, undulating tropical swimming pools, luaus, fire lighting ceremonies, beach chairs, oceanside massages and yoga classes & even babysitting services for children. You can expect maid service here, concierge services, on-site eating facilities & all-around pampering.On Maui, some resorts are more family friendly than others, & some are well-known for their Hawaiian flavor. If you do opt for a resort, be sure you take advantage of activity & service options you wouldn’t get in other parts of the world, such as lomilomi massage, standup paddling, whale watching information kiosks, outrigger canoe lessons & on-site restaurants that offer Hawaiian dishes, like macadamia-crusted mahimahi.
2)Condotels (Condo hotels). These may advertise as if they’re hotels & offer “hotel rooms” as well as suites with fully equipped kitchens, but the units are actually individually owned & decorated according to the owner’s taste. Accordingly, one room may be somewhat run-down & old-fashioned in style while the one next door looks like something out of Home & Garden magazine. Condotels usually offer some of the resort amenities – swimming pools, hot tubs, barbecue grills, tennis courts, etc. – but at a more reasonable price. Throughout Maui, you may receive regular maid service here & maybe not; ask.In Maui, you’ll find the most number of condotels in south Maui – Kihei & Wailea, with prices ranging from $100 a night in the off season to $250 a night or more during the Christmas holidays. Be aware that “oceanfront” in Maui condotel listings doesn’t necessarily mean a beach, as some parts of the coast are rather rocky & that “ocean view” can mean you’re a hefty 15 minutes or more from the water’s edge.If you book with a condotel, you normally have more leverage & wiggle room than you would directly with the owner, in the form of a more generous cancellation policy, more payment options, the possibility of a shorter stay & some chance of a switch to another unit if you find fault with the unit to which you’re assigned.Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/5875972
