Maui Seaside Hotel

I stayed one night at the Maui Seaside Hotel in Kahului, an $11 cab ride from the airport. It was recommended to me by a local and I highly recommend it for travelers who donʻt want to stay at a big resort complex.

Access: Because itʻs at the head of a T intersection with traffic lights at the entrance, itʻs very safe to get into and out of the driveway in a rental car, and the pedestrian crossing is right there if visitors want to walk along to the nearby covered mall, like I did. BTW, there is a cute tram at OGG to take visitors to the rental car lots!

Check-in: Along with their ID, visitors are asked for their quarantine exemption certificate upon check-in. Very friendly and helpful staff. If you are planning to use the pool, you need to make an appointment so that the hotel can keep travel parties separate and disinfect surfaces between users. At the moment, if you share on social media that you are going to stay at Maui Seaside Hotel, you will get an automatic room upgrade.

Room amenities: I booked the cheapest room, which had a really comfy king-sized bed with a fan above it, air conditioning, small refrigerator, cable TV, wifi, etc. However, it didnʻt have a coffee-maker, microwave, iron/ironing board or hairdryer. Not sure if theyʻve been removed because of COVID concerns but are available on request, or available anyway in other rooms. I didnʻt need any of them, so I didnʻt ask. The hotel has recently renovated its entire property, so everything was brand new. Great shower/bath with plenty of hot water and good pressure in the shower head. Also, a pull-out line above the bath for hanging "smalls" to dry.

Dining: Tanteʻs, attached to the hotel, does breakfast and lunch and specializes in Filipino cuisine but also has American and Hawaiian options. It is very popular with locals--the food is delicious and the service excellent. The 6-foot social distancing rule means that not all tables are usable at the same time, but it is a large restaurant. I didnʻt need to make a reservation for the lunch I had there after check-in.Read more