Now four reopening dates for West Maui travel have been floated. But there are still more questions than answers.
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155 thoughts on “West Maui Travel Reopening In October Updated”
Now four reopening dates for West Maui travel have been floated. But there are still more questions than answers.
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Our hearts are broken for the people of Maui. We come every two years. Our reservation is October 24th at Kaanapali Beach Club. We hope we can still come. Our prayers and thoughts on the process of healing.
One thing I’ve learned about government is they can’t create a good economy, but they are damned good at tearing one down.
So great to hear that (North)West Maui is opening back up slowly and welcoming a cash infusion and business from (respectful) tourism. We do not want to lose our people, and many will have no choice but to leave if they do not have work! Another coming need for workers will be in construction. Able bodied people are able to be fairly quickly trained in various skills and trades to help. It’s not rocket science! 🙂 I am a General Contractor nd intend to help in this regard.
Big question will be will you be able to find a willing workforce. Or just some looking for a handout.
Hello, we have plans to visit Kahana in Ocotber and support as many local businesses as possible while there. We do understand there is a fine line with those who want people to come and those who do not – our goal is to support the community and do hope they welcome us with open arms, not hostility.
We need customers in our restaurants, shops and other small businesses. We laid off half the staff with the hopes of bringing them back but not if we don’t have customers. Small businesses like Joeys Kitchen in Napili, a great local restaurant is struggling to stay in business, the governor will cause many to lose the businesses, more jobs losses and local people moving to the mainland for work.
We will be visiting the first week of October. We plan to go to Joeys, Papi’s Ohana, The Coffee Store in Napili, The Snorkel Store in Kaanapali, Kitchen 5315 and any other locally owned shop and restaurant we can visit. Every little bit will help.
John,
Because of your post, I will keep my reservation in West Maui for the end of September. We will also come to Joeys Kitchen to support you all! If you are there when we come in I will say hi.
Posts from property owners like LeeAnn are also impactful and helpful to read. We will visit because our money is needed. We get it. Your government does not.
It is a travesty that resorts like Napili Kai Beach Resort are closing for no good reason just because they are blindly following the governor’s guidance. Shame on them and shame on the governor for hurting real people who own property and businesses.
BOE,
Confused. Will be in Waikiki from Sep 14 -30. I’d like to take a day trip to Maui – no idea where to go. Mostly, what I want to do is overpay for things that will help small business owners and their employees. I’ve already made a contribution to the Maui Salvation Army. This is more on the personal level – say having lunch and leaving a $50 or $100 tip for me alone. Similar tip for the taxi driver to “town.” Etc. Any ideas.
Mahalo
Hi Rod.
Thanks for asking. I’m sure Maui aficionados here will give you some great ideas.
Aloha.
BOE,
I’m sure you’re right.
Mahalo
Hi Rod, Yes go to Napili-Honokowai area and hit some great restaurants and amazing beaches there! It sounds like you’ll be welcomed from the comments here! The Sea House on Napili Beach is one of my fav’s!
As soon as the HI-30 is open to tourists, the upper Westside is a great place to visit. Kaanapali, Napili, Kahana, and Kapalua were (and are) amazing places to vacation. Aside from that, the Southside, as well as the east coast both have a lot to offer. Rates are going to be down, and as was the case with COVID, the island will be free from the wear and tear that comes with the constant flow of tourists.
We just returned from a week on Maui, and yes we took the bypass and went into West Maui. Whalers village was open with just a handful of shops open and struggling. On Tuesday three restaurants opened up. There is no reason that places can not open. The entire island is suffering, however unlike COVID there is no money being given to the people or the businesses. They need the Tourist. Go and enjoy the island, respect the island. The locals were very excited to see us.
Maui Hawaii what the islands need most is new leadership Governor Josh Green is in way over his head the people of the islands deserve better. Let me see the island is closed …no they want visitors now… no not until Oct. 17th…..no maybe December or maybe never for some of us !!!!!!
Let the cruise ships to stop and help the economy. We won’t need hotels.
I know I’m going to catch a lot of heat for this but for the life of me I can’t understand why everyone thinks that people who own property (air b n b, timeshares, rentals and the like) should forgo their income and give all displaced persons their income. Mortgages are real. This is a Fema problem and they will figure it out. There are plenty of Places with Kitchenettes available for rent by the government.
Agree. If the owners are driven to bankruptcy the problem will be exacerbated, with a bunch of bankrupt properties going bad with no one keeping them up.
Number one issue in opening west Maui is affordable housing options for locals. The limited number of West Maui Units on the list are 2-5k per month with leases ranging between a month to a year. We know it will take longer to build homes than those rental periods and with the surviving businesses being closed, how are the workers going to able to pay that? How about a memorandum that stops short term rentals outside of until 2000 new units are completed and adds a rent ceiling so survivors can actually afford to stay in the area. We still have two current construction projects that if efforts are focused could offer most of those units in a year or two. I know short term rentals make a lot of money for their owners but right now is the time to cover your mortgage and help the community. Maybe the government can support by offering a tax break for those owners. My two cents is visit Maui. If you visit West Maui when we reopen stay in the hotels/timeshares, leave the homes/condos to the workforce and come with a compassionate attitude. I’m happy to welcome you and I love your business and generosity but I don’t want to hear about how our tragedy is ruining your vacation.
Melissa, you said “I know short term rentals make a lot of money for their owners”. Maybe you are not aware, but just maintenance fees for Hyatt /Marriott / Westin timeshares in West Maui are approximately $3,000 per Week that owners pay no matter what. That’s just mandatory current expenses and does not include mortgage.
And while we were there the west hotels and timeshares have been taken over by the emergency people. Sands of Kahana was taken over by Red Cross paying for room, and getting a donation letter while the owners are told to stay away. They are double dipping. Every hotel is being used. So there is no reason tourist can not stay there also
I don’t think the number one reason for closing West Maui is affordable options for locals. No one is staying in any of our privately owned condos at Napili Kai. In fact, I asked the resort if we could allow a relative of ours who lost their home in the fire to use our condo as a vacation getaway since they have small children & are living with relatives elsewhere on the island. We were told “No, the resort is not open to guests.” Therefore, we are receiving zero income, relatives, can’t use it, & our mortgage payments continue. To be fair, we should either be able to use our condo ourselves, or we should be able to receive income from letting the resort rent it out to whomever they want. I was told our building is closed & no amenities, like the pools, are open until Oct.17.
We own a condo in West Maui & our rental income often does not cover our mortgage so we can’t possibly participate in these long-term, rent-controlled plans that Melissa is proposing. For instance, right now, & ever since mid-August, we are receiving $0 in rent because the governor has ordered West Maui resorts to be closed until October 17. During covid, same thing: $0 rents for almost a year. No govt subsidies are ever offered to us, & now someone like Melissa comes along & proposes we, once again, lose money so someone else can use our condo long-term, which means I can’t use my own condo, AND I’m losing money every month by letting someone else use it! It is a ridiculous idea & she needs to get a clue how mortgages and rents work. Obviously, we are not making any money by owning our condo, even when things are going well. She has no idea of the costs involved in owning a condo.
Melissa, you said “I know short term rentals make a lot of money for their owners”. We have been running short term rentals in Maui for 15 years. Not once have we made money in all those years. We barely cover the mortgage, taxes, condo fees of $1000/month, and the GET and TAT tax. We have paid a massive amount of tax to the govt (and to you). Our guests and us pay into businesses that then support the economy of Maui and I am sure you as well. We do the short term rentals to survive, and maybe get to use it once in a while. I know many are in the same boat.
We had reservations for end of september – first week of October. We want to change to much later. We want to help but also dont want to impose or not be welcome. Its a difficult decision. Our stay will be at the Hyatt Residence club.
The fire In Lahaina is devastating to locals and visitors alike. My heart aches for the people displaced. My prayers and thoughts are with everyone as they try to put the pieces of their lives back together. As a long time visitor to Maui, I feel it would be best for those with bookings to go.. visit, eat out as often as your budget allows and try to replenish the finances of those trying to keep afloat. It will take time for things to return to as normal as they can be but to stop an influx of money to the economy is not the way to go as those of who love Maui and frequent it want to do what we can to restore some semblance of normalcy to the local people and their economy. It will take time and we know that but let us help as best we are able.
Aloha,
My husband and I have reservations at the Whaler on Kaanapali pkwy in Lahaina from late October through the first week of November.
We booked through an owner on Vrbo.
The owner has stayed in open communication with us, and informed that we are able to keep our reservations.
Other information that we are reading from Hawaii contradicts this.
When we called the Whaler for more accurate information, they informed that they could only give information to those who are booked through the Whaler not through Vrbo.
We are just wanting to know what amenities are open there at the property and that we have access in and out of the area to other parts of the island without any issues. We have heard the pleas for help directly from small business owners from other parts of the island, and would love to come and show our support to those areas.
It’s a hard decision to make when we aren’t receiving clear information…
We want to do what’s best for the people of Maui.
🤙🏽🌺❤️🙏🏽❤️🌺
We’re also staying at The Whaler during that time. I haven’t reached out to The Whaler yet as to access to the pool, accessibility to the area around it. We also want to be respectful to those who might be staying there for temporary housing.Guess now I’ll wait for the governor’s next move. Very confusing!!!
We own a condo on Napili Bay but we can’t visit or let our friends use it because the governor refuses to allow the resort where it’s located to open. I have a family reunion planned for early November there but if it’s closed we can’t go. I’ve also had to cancel my friends’ reservations in September and October for the same reason. We’d love to go but are not allowed. Is this even legal when we own the condo?
Some of the Napili resorts are saying that they are now open and inviting visitors, so I don’t think there is a prohibition by the Govt. Whether a resort is open or not is up to the owners. Some are obviously heeding the Gov’s request to not open based on his guidance. Others aren’t. The problem is that the govt changes it’s position everyday. I suspect that more and more resorts will ignore the govt if the uncertainty remains.
Is your condo currently being used to house displaced persons from the fire? Is your condo rented through an onsite property management company? I’m not sure why you would not be allowed to use your own condo.
We also own a condo in Kaanapali but have offered it up (through our management company) to staff who have lost their homes. So we will not be going to Maui for some time – instead just trying to help by donating to local organizations.
We love Maui and just praying for all those who have lost loved ones, homes, businesses, jobs, pets and so much cultural history.
No, my condo is not being used to house anyone, but a few units owned by our resort are being used for displaced persons and emergency workers. Our condo is managed by the resort where it is located: Napili Kai Beach Resort. It is an unusual situation that a few of us own condos on a resort property, but that is the case.
If you actually hold the title to your condo and are being denied fair use by the resort management, I believe you have legal recourse for denial of use. Travel to West Maui is ‘discouraged’ by the proclamation, not prohibited. The resort has no legal authority to deny your access to your property. This all assumes you own the property outright.
This is a horrific disaster, what has occurred can’t be reversed, efforts need to focus on not making the disaster worse and harming those that were not directly impacted by the fire. Do no harm, don’t bankrupt the island, open immediately. You will find people are respectful and compassionate.
The info is so confusing. I have no intention of being disrespectful to any of the residents but have not canceled our month in February at Kahana. We are watching closely how things play out. I have been thru a lot of trauma and personal loss and my mom would always say that the sooner you got back to some level of normal, the better. I hope this can happen for the lovely people of Maui. We cry every day for them. Sending Aloha from Montana.
By the way BOH, have you seen the emails being sent out by Hawaiian introducing their new 787? They state that they will be initially servicing the SFO to HNL route followed later by LAX. The plane’s interior looks fantastic. Especially the new up front pods. Can’t wait to give it a try!
Cheers!
If West Maui wants to encourage visitors why don’t they do what every other business does when they need customers: lower prices. No sane vacationer is going to pay $400+ for a hotel room in a disaster area where they don’t now if they will even be able to go out to dinner without a big hassle. It seems even in a disaster scenario, corporate Maui doesn’t know how to do anything but rip visitors off.
I guess the question also has to be asked: If the rest of Maui is experiencing such a turndown in visitors in untouched areas, what happens when W Maui is fully “reopened” and people still don’t come?
A close pair of friends here who regularly visit both Maui (S side) and Oahu (my home island) have chosen to just stay on Oahu this time. Their stated reason? “It just doesn’t seem like a good time to visit right now”… Perhaps that sums up what many potential visitors are thinking?
Best Regards
What needs to happen Now, is for Maui to relax rules for “tiny homes on wheels”. These movable homes could be placed on people’s lots once they are safe. Power them with solar, have water trucked in to site tanks, and tie in to the undamaged sewer system. Then people could live on their properties while the new permanent homes are built. Once the new homes are built, these tiny homes can be repurposed as affordable housing.
Tiny homes on wheels can either be shipped in, or built locally on trailers shipped in, providing employment for locals. Some of both would be ideal.
FEMA and other government agencies should help with the costs of this work.
Good morning. My wife and I are scheduled to visit Maui on 11/30/23. We will arrive via cruise ship at Kapului. We would love to support businesses in the affected area. We are scheduled for a luau at the Old Lahaina Luau on the 30th and we’re just wondering if they think they will be ready. We are willing to support them, we just need to know if they are going to try and reopen. They have not responded to email’s. Our prayers are with you.
Hi Paul,
I am travelling to and staying in Kahana on the 21st, to survey the remains of our family home in Lahaina, and try to help plan for the future for us and the community. You can try and call the Luau, but they may not be answering yet. Their compound survived but not sure about access and operability.
I doubt Old Lahaina Luau will be up and running by then.
I live in Kahana just north of Kaanapali alot of businesses are opening everyday. Our beaches are empty and it’s as beautiful as ever. We need support for our restaurants and many other businesses. The hiway has no restrictions please come and stay.
It is past time for the people of Hawaii to take control. The government has no right to keep businesses closed. If there is water and electricity, business should be open now. Yes, people are still grieving and that process will take years for some. Keeping things shut down until everyone goes through that process is not possible.
I have a booking in Kaanapali for the last week in October, the 27th. Just very confused on whether or not we will be welcomed or able to use the kaanapali beach. We do plan on volunteering one of the days we are there, if we do go.
Ellie, I live in Kihei, it is not closed, it is open and will love to have you visit. All services are open, a few restaurants are in desperate need of visitors…..so come please come.
Maui and Kaanapali is like my second home I’ve been there so many times married twice stayed at the same Hyatt Regency in Maui in Kaanapali. I would stay there again I have a lot of points so I could stay there for a week. I would love to be there and help all of the businesses that need helping. I would do anything to help you guys you’re amazing people and an amazing island and I love you my name is Sharman.
We were just in Maui locals are begging for tourists to come and spend money. We did not go to the affected area and there is still plenty to do and they are more then welcoming. Please go you will be happy and locals will love you. Tourism is all they have. Go!
We heard that the Marriott Ocean club is confirming reservations 30 days out so people booked for October 6th are being told to come.
Very confusing situation on Maui…government decisions seem to be making things worse, not better! You can actively restrict tourists out of Lahaina & be respectful to residents that continue to grieve & work on restoring their homes there …but open all other areas of Maui / West Maui to tourists & get on with restoring the economy!
I couldn’t help but smile somewhat ‘wistfully’, reading “Nita’s” comment, ” . . We need tourists for better or worse, “. Ah, the ‘love/hate’ relationship. I agree that people need to get back to Work first, worry about ‘housing’ second. No money, there is (in many/most cases) no housing. Hawaii as a whole is a mess, with over tourism and what comes with it. But how do you ‘put the Genie back in the bottle?’. Hotels were over-built to Draw the tourists! These in turn provided ‘jobs’ for locals, though not well-paying ones. How to make the locals ‘happy’, employed and housed? I don’t have an answer, nor does the Governor. I don’t know that there is one.
As timeshare owners at Westin Kaanapali Ocean Shores North and South, we have to cancel a personal trip, plus cancel the first rental of our timeshare. Wanting to support our favorite place on Earth, we looked into booking an early December trip to Wailea. Sadly, the Residence Inn Wailea is asking $820 per night, a shockingly exorbitant rate.
I own a time share at the Westin and just canceled that as well as flights . I would love to know when I can take my family back? I’m not sure of the air quality , water, internet. Most importantly,I want to respect the loss of Lahaina . Mixed messages are coming from everywhere !
We are a tiny island in the middle of the great Pacific Ocean! Every nail board concrete and shingle comes over on slow boats. We are not connected to any land base. Shipping prices are 10 fold and that’s the beginning of why we will have a much slower build time. This national disaster is unprecedented in ability to get things here and once on Oahu to Maui and then a long one lane highway coming into West Maui.. if you think traffic of visitors coming and going before fire was slow.. just wait til visitors get stuck in traffic when opening and rebuild persists for years to come.
Why inflict an economic disaster on those already suffering?
Open west Maui as soon as possible.
I really appreciate all the information Beat of Hawaii offers, but I wish this one hadn’t been published until it was known for sure what the governor planned to do. This just adds to the confusion we already have & maybe even causing people to cancel when it isn’t even necessary. We have reservations in the kaanapali area end of October but I won’t cancel yet.
Of all the places I have visited and enjoyed in the Hawiian Islands Lahaina is by far the best place. Sadly this is where the most damage occured. I pray that somehow everyone working together can speed up the recovery. God Bless
We don’t need visitor. The rents for short term need to go way down to accommodate not only Lahaina fire survivors who are now homeless but all our local families on island.
With all the grieving and National disaster devastation that broke the hearts of our connective Maui families, the very least anyone could do is stay away.
How can we continue to serve with aloha a $25.00 hamburger to visitors when we are struggling to feed and house our own.
Dear Sophie, as owners of a short term rental condo in North Kaanapali, about 5 mi. from the northernmost border of the fire, I can understand your concerns. We’ve invested much $$ in this condo, purchasing and promoting it as a business. We hire a local cleaner, local handyman, local contractors, a local on-island rep. We will lower our rents when you can get our mortgage company, HOA, and assessments to lower their bills to us. Maui gains much in tax $$ when we generate income from tourists visiting our condo. Solving Maui’s long-term housing problems will not be resolved by taking away the STR markets, and the funding they provide to the state and county. This is a complicated long term problem, but allowing guests to infuse the economy with $$ will help now. Much aloha to you, and our beloved Maui.
Hi… My wife and I have been part-time residents in Kihei on Maui for the past 17 years. We own a residential condo in Kihei with a great tenant family where both Mom and Dad had good jobs working at one of the big luxury hotels in Wailea. Now with the government saying West Maui is closed to tourists and the previously confusing message of “don’t come to Maui now”, tourism around the island is way down and both my tenants have been told there is no work for them at their jobs. We are going to Maui tomorrow and plan to help spend some badly needed “tourist dollars” there. We want to honor those grieving from the devastation, but we still plan to drive through West Maui to go snorkeling at Honolua Bay. It’s actually hard to believe that the tourism board says that West Maui only represents 15% of the tourism dollars. I would think this is more like about 1/3rd, with South Maui and the “Rest of Maui” making up the remainder. I guess if you consider items like rental car money as being at the airport and not in “West Maui”, you can make the argument of only 15%. But, the ripple effects of this closure are being felt over the entire island. I’ve lived through several bad wildfires in Southern California over the years and we do need to protect the burned areas from lookie-loos and vandals. But, you don’t shut down Los Angeles when there’s a fire in San Bernardino. Protect Lahaina and support those who lost so much, but don’t go overboard.
I think everyone is being too hard on the Governor. If he opens up to tourist too early everyone will say he’s being insensitive to the families that have lost loved ones. What is a tourist to do anyhow? Except for eating at a restaurant, anything else that might be construed as “having fun” will be deemed disrespectful.
If he waits then those people will be happy (the “we don’t need no haole” group) but then all the businesses will fail, unemployment will go thru the roof and then they still wont be happy.
He’s in a no win situation.
I personally think that Covid was bad for the island. It showed how pleasant the island is with less tourists. The locals didn’t have to work around the traffic, the beaches were easy to access, it was paradise. But there was no financial penalty for not having tourists. I would also like to have my cake and eat it too.
I can’t believe the chaos ensuing the aftermath of the Lahaina fire. Everybody is suing everybody else. The embers are still hot and already the court system is being burdened with lawsuits! What happened to “the rest of Maui is still open?” As it was from the beginning, no one is on the same page. The right hand and left hand are engaged in a “winner take all” match. When chaos ensues from the top down, everyone below suffers from the fallout. Come’on, Maui County, get your act together!!
I’ve got reservations at the Maui Marriott in Kaanapali on Oct 28th.
Should I reschedule.
I would love to support the restaurants and shops at Kaanapali. But is that feasible at this time?