While Kahului is Maui’s largest settlement, it has a reputation for being the type of place you treat as a momentary base rather than a lasting stopover. As Kahului boasts Maui’s main airport, many vacationers arrive here, needing either a one-night stopover or easy connections for further travel. As such, Kahului hotels and Kahului motels are largely of the stop-and-go variety. Still, there’s a good tourist infrastructure in place here, and whether you’re looking for Kahului airport hotels or general Kahului lodging, finding a room for the night is never too hard.

The Maui Seaside Hotel is one of the higher-rated Kahului hotels. It’s a short drive from the airport and only two blocks away from Kahului Port, where the area's best shopping and dining options are to be found. A clean, efficient, and affordable place, it features standard, well-maintained rooms, a reception and dining area, and a pool with poolside lounge chairs. For people flying in late at night or out early in the morning, this is one of the better Kahului motels and Kahului airport hotels. What’s more, it offers easy access to the beach, so you can even relax for a bit, which is the perfect way to prepare for a long flight or to recover from one.

Another one of the Kahului hotels is the Maui Beach hotel. Again, while it exhibits none of the sheer luxury present at Kaanapali hotels or Kihei hotels, for example, the Maui Beach hotel is a perfectly adequate joint that offers comfortable, clean surroundings, good service, and a highly convenient location. Its name is a little misleading, however, for while the ocean is just next door, the hotel’s part of the coastline doesn't really have a sand beach to speak of. Still, with the windsurfer’s paradise of Hookipa Beach only a mile or so away, the lack of immediate sand doesn't matter too much.

Maui Map

If you're not interested in staying at one of the Kahului hotels or Kahului motels, fear not: The neighboring town of Wailuku offers excellent accommodations. The Old Wailuku Inn at Ulupono is one such option. An historic renovated inn run by knowledgeable and ardently helpful innkeepers, it features cozy, upscale decor, an awesome veranda, beautifully maintained gardens, and a charming ambience. Rooms here come with a private bath (some even include a whirlpool), TV, and modem, not to mention very comfortable mattresses.

While Wailuku is not Kahului according to the map, it is so close—roughly two miles away—that the differing names are almost a technicality. As such, accommodations in Kahului can practically be said to encompass the two. Thus, The Old Wailuku presents itself as one of the Kahului airport hotels as it’s only a ten-minute drive away. What’s more, the inn has a special deal with the car rental firms in the town. If you've booked a stay at the inn, use their special code to save money on a rental car if you want one while on the island.

Car rentals often prove worthwhile given the wide range of things to do in Maui. Golfers, for example, will want to experience Maui’s full portfolio of championship golf courses, and getting from one to another is easiest with your own car. Similarly, surfers wanting to experience the waves of various beaches or sightseers wanting to take in the island’s handful of museums will be best served by renting a car.