The Maui Guest House is located between Lahaina and Kaanapali on the Hawaiian island of Maui. There are a total of four rooms that guests can stay in, with each room having a private bathroom, split-system air conditioning, and a TV and DVD player, among other amenities. Outside of the rooms, those staying at the house can also gather in the living room, family room, or the decks outside. The upper deck, in particular, offers a view of the ocean. Other amenities that guests have 24-hour access to include the saltwater pool and hot tub. There are also laundry facilities where the detergent is provided. Breakfast is not served on the property; however, guests are free to make their own meals in the relatively fully stocked kitchen. Tanna, the owner of the house, says, “my home is your home,” hoping that guests will feel like they are staying at a close friend or family member’s house.
Situated on the western side of the Hawaiian island of Maui is the Maui Guest House. The building itself has free parking in the front for guests with a bamboo fence facing the street and a surfboard with the property’s website, mauiguesthouse.com, written on it acting as a sign. Walking towards the house, one can find the establishment's saltwater pool and outdoor entertainment area with chairs and a propane barbecue. Within the building, there are more gathering areas to which guests have access, namely the living room and family room, which are located on opposite ends of the house. These common areas have tables and chairs, puzzles, a DVD library, and TVs that patrons can use at their leisure. Tanna, the owner of the home, notes that some guests will use these areas to watch videos they have recorded of their time spent in Hawaii.
There are a total of four rooms that are available for guests to reserve, with each room having its own unique style. Recently each room was renovated, with the main addition being stained glass windows depicting tropical flowers, underwater sea life, and island views. Each patron suite features a private bathroom, split-system air conditioning, a mini-fridge, a microwave, tables and chairs, and a TV and DVD player. Three of the four rooms also have both a queen and twin-size bed. Some rooms also have private entrances. For guests who require it, the property’s laundry facilities are available for use free of charge, with detergent provided for those who may need to wash something during their stay.
Breakfast is not served at the Maui Guest House. With that being said, guests have full access to the kitchen and can make their own meals there. People staying at the property can eat in the kitchen, dining area, or outside next to the pool. There is also an upper deck, where there is an additional table and chairs and a saltwater hot tub. From the upper deck’s vantage point, it is possible for guests to get a view of the ocean. The inn is relatively close to the nearby Wahikuli Wayside Beach Park, which has both grass and beach access. Tanna cites the park as being a place with good snorkeling for the area. Items typically brought to the beach, such as beach towels, chairs, umbrellas, snorkel equipment, boogie boards, coolers, and picnic supplies can be borrowed.
The location of the guest house places it between the town of Lahaina and the beach resorts of Kaanapali, both popular destinations with guests. In Lahaina, there are a number of local stores that people can shop at and additional beach access at Baby Beach and Puunoa Point. Tanna does recommend that other more popular attractions be booked about a month in advance. This includes some restaurants that she often directs her guests to try, namely Star Noodle, Frieda’s, and Cool Cats. Other popular attractions do not require a reservation, such as traveling the road of Hana, or viewing the sunset at Haleakala; however, sunrise viewing at Haleakala does require a permit and reservations.
One of the biggest hopes that Tanna, the owner of Maui Guest house, and her house caretakers have for those who stay at the inn is that they will feel like they are staying at a close friend or family member’s house. “My home is your home,” says Tanna when talking about how she wants her patrons to feel. The owner says that this feeling comes from living out the essence of aloha. "We love to 'talk story' here at the Maui Guest House, and in this way, we can educate our guests on how to take care of the land and the sea. It is not just the love that we have for this tiny island, it is the respect that we want to shower the island and its people with so that the natural beauty and the cultural richness can be shared for generations," comments Tanna.
Many visitors who stay at the guest house tend to also be repeat guests of the establishment, and a number of positive reviews have been left regarding their experiences there. Most often, these reviews mention the cleanliness of the property, with one past guest referring to it as a “clean, vibey guesthouse.” Other reviews have focused on the hospitality of the hosts. Said one former patron: “Everyone here is so friendly and helpful. The caretakers have been outstanding hosts, and they made us feel really welcome and just like at home.” According to Tanna, her favorite part of her job is getting to meet and befriend the people who stay at the guest house. A large portion of guests are international, and Tanna says that she has friends throughout the world because of her job.
Policies have been put in place at the Maui Guest House to ensure that the homey atmosphere, as mentioned above, is retained. One of the most notable is that due to county law, there is a quiet time at the guest house from 9:00 PM to 9:00 AM. Tanna clarifies that patrons are free to still be wherever they would like on the property at this time; they only need to keep their noise to a minimum. With that being said, both the pool and the hot tub can be used at any time by guests. Two other important policies are that no pets are allowed on the premises, as it is designated as an allergy-free property, and smoking is not permitted. Finally, patrons must be over the age of 12 to stay at the house. The property is open year-round, with the peak season often occurring between January and March as people tend to travel to the area from colder climates.
Prior to being an inn, the Maui Guest House was a smaller private home. The first five owners each added onto the structure during their time owning it, with the sixth owners opening it up as Jim and Lena’s Guest House in 1985. Tanna, the current owner, bought the property in 1988 and, after rebranding the business as the Maui Guest House, has run it ever since. She first moved to Hawaii in 1986 and was living in a smaller apartment. When her father wanted to 'pop in' on her at the last minute, they found it difficult to reserve a room in the local hotels. After some research, Tanna found Jim and Lena’s Guest House and saw that the establishment was for sale. She hadn’t considered running a guest house before, but Tana remarks that her "gut feeling" told her to run with it, and now, over three decades later, she says the "history speaks for itself."
Several renovations have been made to the business since the late 1980s. Upon acquiring it, a private bathroom was built into every suite and a saltwater pool, as well as an ocean-view deck, were added. Describing the completed work, Tanna says, “we did a lot of the things you would see in a commercial property.” The most recent renovations were to the suites themselves, with the relatively old louvered winders being replaced with stained glass, and the addition of hand-carved beds, headboards, and built-in dressers and cabinetry.
1620 Ainakea Rd
Lahaina, Hawaii 96761
United States
Bed and Breakfast
Tanna
