3 Best Hotels in Maui, Hawaii

If you don't need everything to be totally modern, consider setting up house at this great value condominium-by-the-sea. Three different room plans cater to couples, families, or friends traveling together; make sure to request a unit with air-conditioning—a must for hot, dry Kihei. The heated pool and deck is a social place, with gas grills, a full outdoor kitchen, hot tub, sauna rooms, and shuffleboard court.

Entry to the property, which is in a residential area, is through a courtyard overflowing with colorful flowers and featuring a koi pond. Each of the four rooms has plantation-style furniture, well-equipped kitchenettes, private bathrooms and lanais, and either full or partial ocean views; the separate two-bedroom cottage is ideal for families.

Convenient, comfortable, and affordable, this Polynesian-style pole house provides a good base for exploring the area, as it's only a ½-mile from beaches, five minutes from golf courses, and close to restaurants and shopping. There's a feeling of old Hawaii here: the covered lanai is decorated with original tiki-style wood carvings by local artists, there are Hawaiian quilts on the beds, and stately palms shade the patio area, where you can barbecue or just relax next to a burbling fountain.