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Makai Inn: Traveler Reviews

1415 Front St., Lahaina, Maui, HI
Hotel amenities
Makai Inn
Ranked #10 of 12 Lahaina B&B and Inns
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62 reviews from our community

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Traveler rating
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Date Rating
Lahaina, Hawaii
Reviewer
4 reviews 4 reviews
3 hotel reviews
Reviews in 3 cities Reviews in 3 cities
9 helpful votes 9 helpful votes
“Filthiest, trashiest and unfriendliest place I've EVER stayed!”
1 of 5 stars Reviewed November 18, 2012

I have travelled extensively for business and I have stayed in hundreds of motels, hotels and inns. This is the absolute I have ever seen. I have never seen such filth in one room. I arrived at 9:30 pm on a Saturday night. My first choice was booked up so I asked for suggestions and ended up at The Maikai Inn. The moment I arrived, the innkeeper (whom I have nicknamed "Suzie Saurus") came down the stairs and already had a bad attitude about me and was downright surly as she took my cash payment. Once in the room, I couldn't believe it. The floors looked like they hadn't been vacuumed in weeks. The bathroom had two dead cockroaches on the floor in plain view. The tub had lots of dirt and particles of who knows what in it. And ants everywhere crawling all over the place. I had to agree to read a 10 page book of rules that were beyond strict, they were downright severe. They want you to be quiet as a mouse all day. No phone and no TV in room. Refrigerator with big rust spots and leftover food inside. Smells funny and dust is piled up everywhere. Then to top it off, I was up late out by their seawall (away from all the other units) and I made the fatal mistake of smoking a cigarette and talking on a cell phone. The owner, Suzie, came out in her bathrobe with a flashlight and read me the riot act. I felt like a third grader getting their knuckles rapped by a nun in parochial school. Don't complain about the bugs or dirt, either. Suzie will tell you to take your business elsewhere as she has no need for pesky complainers. Hot water? Available only during certain times of the day so you better plan ahead or it's cold shower for you. Wow- the whole experience at this place was negative in every way from the moment I set foot on the property. The place is cheap for a reason. If you're looking for cheap lodging in Lahaina it's hard to do but after my experience there it reminded me that you always get what you pay for. You can do better than this. STAY AWAY!!!

  • Stayed November 2012, traveled solo
    • 1 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 1 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 1 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 1 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 1 of 5 stars Service
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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
San Diego, California
Contributor
17 reviews 17 reviews
3 hotel reviews
Reviews in 4 cities Reviews in 4 cities
7 helpful votes 7 helpful votes
“Great service, decent location”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed November 16, 2012

This is a really great place ( I can't think of more positive adjectives). We rented what was essentially a small one bedroom flat for a few days' stay on Lahaina. The service was very personal, but not invasive in any way. The proprietors are an older couple who provided us with a large carton of salt when we didn't find any in the apartment ( we would later find a small salt shaker!). There is a computer and printer available for use by guests, and that was where I printed our boarding passes for our return flight home. Overall, I'd rate this place excellent. There is about a half mile or so walk to get to the touristy part of town, but that was all right for us. Good place, great proprietors.

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  • Stayed April 2012, traveled with family
    • 4 of 5 stars Value
    • 3 of 5 stars Location
    • 5 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 3 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 4 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
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Ask Nancyuen about Makai Inn
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Senior Reviewer
10 reviews 10 reviews
7 hotel reviews
Reviews in 2 cities Reviews in 2 cities
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
“Very friendly, charming and clean”
4 of 5 stars Reviewed October 20, 2012 via mobile

Not too close to lahaina center but we would definately go back the place is so charming and the owners uncomplicated and friendly. Thanks a lot

Free wifi is offered and there is a shopping center 5 min walking distance. The small kitchenette was well equiped

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Ask Romano_CH about Makai Inn
This review is the subjective opinion of an individual traveler and not of TripAdvisor LLC nor of its partners.
Montreal, Canada
Senior Contributor
27 reviews 27 reviews
5 hotel reviews
Reviews in 10 cities Reviews in 10 cities
15 helpful votes 15 helpful votes
“Very dirty but good location and price: choose your priority!”
2 of 5 stars Reviewed September 21, 2012

Well situated in Lahaina, 5 minute driving distance from downtown Lahaina. From outside, this hotel looks nice and welcoming. But once inside, it doesn't smell good, everything is old and dirty. Toilet brush full of hair, mold and mildew stains on ceiling,, bathroom counter with tiny ants, fridge with rust spots on outside, couch that looks 100 years old and never cleaned. It's a chance we brang our own sheets. Everything looked contaminated. The air conditioning isn't so efficient and very noisy and the shower has only cold water (and has yellow stains inside bathtub). The wifi works well and there's free parking. The place could be nice, but needs update, renovation and cleaning. And what's up with the 1 million pools full of red big fishes and hydroponic plants in the interior backyard?...

  • Stayed September 2012
    • 2 of 5 stars Value
    • 4 of 5 stars Location
    • 2 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 1 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 2 of 5 stars Service
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Richardson, Texas
Senior Contributor
33 reviews 33 reviews
7 hotel reviews
Reviews in 12 cities Reviews in 12 cities
9 helpful votes 9 helpful votes
“Should I have really put a 2 dot review? OK, the gardens and view are quite beautiful.”
2 of 5 stars Reviewed September 16, 2012

We stayed here for 2 nights, in September, and stayed in one of the larger apts w/lanais upstairs with our friends in the matching one just below us. We didn't cook but the kitchen was well worn with not much to use to cook with and old drinks/leftovers from previous visitors. It really felt like a place that hasn’t been updated in 25 or 30 years. Normally I love a quirky place with a bit of character, but it just didn’t feel clean and the furniture and beds were not comfortable. EVERYTHING was well worn and just dirty. The bathroom facet looked like it hadn’t been cleaned in months just like the kitchen. I know this is trivial but the toilet paper was like using a fine grade of sand paper (I purchased my own). Like others have said, this is a quiet place, but I personally was offended with the pages and pages of rules and how we were not to take over the place so others couldn’t have their quiet space. I really felt that Suzie wanted the income but not the inconvenience of us at the property. We were there for a little R & R ourselves but this was beyond that. The price is really the only appeal. We went to Kihei and stayed in a 2 bed 2 bath condo for $120 per night and had a perfectly peaceful quiet time. I will never plan a return trip here. It's a just out of walking distance to the town of Lahaina (although we did walk it) so you will need to drive if you're planning to spend time in the town proper. A great place to eat and walking distance is the Aloha Mixed Plates which is a place for good, cheap food. We come here when we are in Lahaina (this was our 4th time).

  • Stayed September 2012, traveled as a couple
    • 4 of 5 stars Value
    • 3 of 5 stars Location
    • 2 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 1 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 1 of 5 stars Cleanliness
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See 5 more reviews by Nancee411 for Lahaina
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Additional Information about Makai Inn

Also Known As:
Makai Hotel
Makai Hotel Lahaina
Makai Inn Maui/Lahaina
Address: 1415 Front St., Lahaina, Maui, HI
Region: United States > Hawaii > Maui > Lahaina
Amenities:
Free Parking
Hotel Style:
Ranked #10 of 12 B&Bs / Inns in Lahaina
Price Range: $$
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