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Where to Stay in Maui (2027): The Best Areas, 12 Hotels and Tax of up to 18.712%

By Casey, Gently Yonder editor

Kaanapali, Kapalua and Napili, Wailea, Kihei and Paia: 12 hotels, Hawaii's 11% state tax plus Maui County's 3% and up to 4.712% excise tax, and Kahului Airport.

Last updated · 13 min read

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In this guide13 sections
  1. The short answer
  2. Maui’s hotel tax
  3. Getting in from the airport, and around
  4. Kaanapali: the first-trip base
  5. Kapalua and Napili: a small bay
  6. Wailea: polished resorts and calm water
  7. Kihei: kitchens and a lower price
  8. Paia and Upcountry: surf-town streets and the road to Hana
  9. Lahaina, and what the recovery means for a visit
  10. How to book Maui
  11. All 12 at a glance
  12. Before you go
  13. Frequently asked questions

A Maui hotel room can carry up to 18.712% in tax: Hawaii’s 11% state tax, Maui County’s 3% tax and up to 4.712% in general excise tax. On a $300 room that is $56.14 a night, before any resort fee. Where you stay decides the rest of the bill, because Maui is a driving island and its resort areas are far apart.

This guide covers five areas, from Kaanapali to Paia and Upcountry, 12 hotels, the airport and the tax, with a careful note on Lahaina. The hotels are researched picks, chosen for location, what each property publishes and consistent guest feedback, and each was checked as operating at the start of November 2026. No hotel pays to appear here.

The short answer

If you want… Stay in Why
a first trip, with a long beach and resorts on it Kaanapali A resort strip on Kaanapali Beach in West Maui
a small bay and a quieter coast Kapalua and Napili Napili Bay, with the Kapalua Coastal Trail nearby
polished resorts and calm water Wailea South Maui’s resort district, with big and small hotels
a kitchen and a lower price Kihei A long run of beaches and apartment-style hotels
surf-town streets and the road to Hana Paia and Upcountry The North Shore town of Paia, and Makawao on the slopes inland

Not sure which area? Rank these areas for your trip: pick what matters and see the reasons.

Aerial view of white resort towers on a curving, tree-lined shore, with a brown mountain ridge and clouds behind
Resort towers along Kaanapali Beach, as titled on Pexels. Photo: Jashith G / Pexels

Maui’s hotel tax

Three taxes apply to a hotel room on Maui:

Charge Rate
Hawaii transient accommodations tax (state) 11% of the room rate, from 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2030
Maui County transient accommodations tax 3% of the room rate
General excise tax, with the Maui surcharge 4.5% a hotel owes; at most 4.712% may be added to your bill

The state rate was 10.25% until the end of 2025; Act 96 of 2025, known as the “green fee”, raised it. Maui County has charged its own 3% tax since 1 November 2021, and the County says it may be visibly passed on to the guest. The general excise tax is a business tax: it is 4% plus a 0.5% Maui County surcharge, in force from 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2030, and 4.712% is the most a business may add to your bill. These are the same three layers as in our Honolulu guide, with a county tax of the same size.

Our arithmetic for a $300 room, if the hotel passes on everything: $33.00 state tax, $9.00 Maui County tax and $14.14 general excise tax, $56.14 in all, so $356.14 a night. Resort fees and parking are extra, and hotels are not required to list them in the same place as the room rate, so read the total.

Getting in from the airport, and around

The sun at the top right of the frame above red and purple volcanic slopes, with cloud lying in the valleys below
Sunrise over Haleakala crater, as titled on Pexels. Photo: James Wheeler / Pexels

Kaanapali: the first-trip base

Kaanapali is a resort strip along one long beach in West Maui. The hotels here carry Lahaina postal addresses, but they sit along the coast, not in the town itself. It is the easiest area for a first trip: the beach is at the door, and the resorts have their own restaurants.

Where to stay in Kaanapali

How the hotel links work: a hotel’s name goes to its own website. “Check rates” opens it on Booking.com through our partner Stay22, which pays us a commission if you book, at no extra cost to you.

Kapalua and Napili: a small bay

North of Kaanapali, Napili Bay has small resorts on it, with the Kapalua Coastal Trail and the Kapalua golf courses close by. It is a small-resort area, not a strip of big hotels.

Where to stay in Kapalua and Napili

Wailea: polished resorts and calm water

Aerial view of a green coastline with a sandy beach and houses, above deep blue water, with a small hill on the horizon
The Wailea–Makena coast in South Maui, as titled on Pexels. Photo: Griffin Wooldridge / Pexels

Wailea is South Maui’s resort district, with large and small hotels along the coast.

Where to stay in Wailea

Kihei: kitchens and a lower price

Aerial view of a coastal town with streets and buildings beside a curving beach and blue water, under a pink morning sky
Kihei's coastline from above, as titled on Pexels. Photo: Griffin Wooldridge / Pexels

Kihei runs along South Kihei Road, on the south-western shore of Maui, with Wailea and Makena a short drive to the south by one hotel’s count. Several hotels here have kitchens.

Where to stay in Kihei

Paia and Upcountry: surf-town streets and the road to Hana

Waves breaking on a dark rocky shoreline under a blue sky with a faint rainbow over the water
The North Shore near Paia, as titled on Pexels. Photo: Peter Babel / Pexels

Paia is a surf town on the North Shore, on the way to the road to Hana, with galleries, boutiques and beaches. Makawao and Upcountry Maui sit inland. Neither has the resort strips of the south and west.

Where to stay in Paia and Upcountry

Lahaina, and what the recovery means for a visit

Lahaina is the town that burned in the August 2023 wildfire, and it is still being rebuilt. This guide names no hotel in the burned area. The County of Maui’s Office of Recovery said in July that Front Street would reopen to vehicles on 1 August 2026, from Pāpalaua to Shaw Street, with Dickenson and Prison streets. It also said Market Street, Papelekane Street and Mokuhinia Place would stay closed for ongoing work, including the state’s dredging of Lahaina Harbor.

The County says that rebuilding throughout the commercial district will continue, that temporary road closures may still be needed, and that for safety the public is encouraged to stay off private property and out of fenced-off areas. We have not seen a County update confirming how the reopening went, so check the County’s recovery site, Maui Recovers, before you go. Treat Lahaina as a town where people live and are rebuilding.

How to book Maui

All 12 at a glance

Hotel Area Tier Best for Watch out for
Royal Lahaina Resort & Bungalows Kaanapali Comfortable The beach and a bungalow Resort fee amount not shown
OUTRIGGER Kāʻanapali Beach Resort Kaanapali Good value The beach for less Rooms renovated in different years
OUTRIGGER Honua Kai Resort & Spa Kaanapali Comfortable Space and a kitchen More than one listing
Napili Kai Beach Resort Napili Comfortable A small beach resort Few places to eat on site
Napili Surf Beach Resort Napili Good value A kitchen by the beach Groceries to buy
Grand Wailea Wailea Splurge A big resort with everything Resort fee and valet parking extra
Hotel Wailea Wailea Splurge Quiet, adults only No children
Maui Coast Hotel Kihei Good value A pool near the beach Two towers differ
Mana Kai Maui Kihei Comfortable Keawakapu Beach at the door Renovation noise
Kohea Kai Maui Kihei Good value A kitchen at a fair price Listed as Kohea Kai Hotel Maui
Paia Inn Paia Comfortable The North Shore town Prices not shown
Lumeria Maui Makawao Comfortable A quiet inland stay A retreat centre, a drive to the beach

Before you go

Frequently asked questions

What is the best area to stay in Maui for a first trip?

Kaanapali, in West Maui: one long beach with resorts along it and restaurants on site. Choose Wailea for polished South Maui resorts, Kihei for a kitchen at a lower price, Kapalua and Napili for a small bay, and Paia for surf-town streets and the road to Hana.

How much is the hotel tax in Maui?

Up to 18.712% of the room rate: Hawaii's 11% state transient accommodations tax from 1 January 2026, Maui County's 3% tax, and general excise tax, at most 4.712% if the hotel passes it on. On a $300 room that is $56.14 a night, our arithmetic, before any resort fee.

Do you need a car on Maui?

Plan on one. The Maui Bus gives only limited service to Kahului Airport, on the Upcountry Islander and Haiku Islander routes every 90 minutes, with a luggage limit of one medium suitcase or bag. The airport lists nine car-rental companies.

Is Lahaina open to visitors?

The County of Maui said Front Street would reopen to vehicles on 1 August 2026, while some streets near the harbour would stay closed for work. Rebuilding continues, and the County asks the public to stay off private property and out of fenced-off areas. Check Maui Recovers before you go.

Do you need a reservation for the Haleakala sunrise?

Yes, to reach the summit between 3am and 7am. It costs $1.00 per vehicle on top of the park entrance fee, is booked on recreation.gov, and opens 60 days ahead at 7am Hawaii time. Without one, cars cannot enter the park until 7am.

Do Maui hotels charge resort fees?

Some do. Grand Wailea says its rates exclude a daily resort fee and valet parking, and Royal Lahaina mentions resort fees in its offers; neither page shows the amount. Ask every hotel what is charged on arrival and compare totals.

Sources & further reading

Prices, fares and hotel terms change. Every detail here was checked at the start of November 2026; confirm rates, room types, fees and cancellation terms with the hotel before booking. These are researched picks, not reviews. This article contains affiliate links: hotel rates on Booking.com and other booking sites through Stay22, and tours, transfers and eSIMs through our partners; if you book through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. No hotel pays to be included.

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