Travel in county Maui

Visitors have been flocking to the Thai island of Koh Samui for more than three decades, but it is about to get even more popular. Why? Because the third season of Mike White’s HBO hit ‘The White Lotus’ is expected to begin filming there next month.

As a child, I eagerly awaited the annual road trips across the US with my parents and two siblings. Those childhood adventures ignited my wanderlust and inspired me to visit all 50 states, a journey I completed more than a decade ago. My parents often tease me about the time my 6-year-old self declared during one of our cross-country trips, "This isn't a vacation. We're just driving!" But little did I know that those seemingly endless miles would leave an indelible imprint, filled with laughter, bonding, and unforgettable memories, shaping me into the avid traveler I am today.

If you’re seeking a special place for a vacation, honeymoon or business conference, you may just want to consider Maui in 2024. Always a spectacular destination, there is a reason for the saying “Maui No Ka Oi,” which means “Maui is the best.”

-18.1 percentage points vs. 2019 for November. Occupancy for Hawai‘i’s hotels was 72.9 percent in November 2023.

New Year’s Day is traditionally a day for resolutions. For many of us, that means taking a break from alcohol, and it’s why Dry January has become so popular. But going sober for a month or more can be even more challenging if you’ve got travel plans.

Wellness used to be as one-dimensional as a spin class and a smoothie. Diet and exercise are of course still fundamental, but we’ve finally started to embrace a more holistic approach to achieving better health. This means focusing on long neglected areas like a solid sex life, socializing, rest and recovery, and emotional and mental wellbeing. Feeling good now trumps looking good and healthspan—the quality of our years—has become just as important as lifespan. Longevity, the concept of living a longer and healthier life, will be the biggest buzzword of 2024, with wellness clinics as well as sybaritic beach retreats offering the latest biohacks (cryotherapy, infrared light treatments, poolside vitamin IV drips) to optimize our performance. Tantra gurus and sex therapists will be the new must-have in-house expert and artificial-intelligence empowered smart beds are fast becoming an expected amenity.

“More people seem to have discovered Hāna,” explained the staff member of Hāna-Maui Resort in this eastern Maui town. “They used to go to Lahaina but lately they’ve been coming here.” Since the wildfire that destroyed the historic town in West Maui, tourism has been filtering back to the island even to West Maui after it reopened on November 1st. But this town: serene, remote, one of the few remaining vestiges of old Hawaii surrounded by swaths of stunning nature uninterrupted by large developments has become even more of a draw.

Hawaii Governor Josh Green has asked for 3,000 condos and homes operating as short-term rentals to be converted into long-term housing for those displaced by this summer’s wildfire in Lahaina.

Hawaii Governor Josh Green said he is ready to “drop the hammer” or go “nuclear” on short-term housing rentals on Maui.

It appears American Express' pilot program of a luxury vacation home rental platform is doing well enough to expand to new destinations and invite more members into the mix.

The ‘Airbnbust’ debacle, which saw one short-term rental data vendor showing plunging host revenue way deeper than its peers, went viral.  However, it does call for some introspection and interrogation (on my part) to understand the data I get from different vendors that often is a bedrock for any story. 

Vrbo reversed its longstanding guest-refund policy for the wildfires in Maui – for the first time, guests would be entitled to full refunds. But that won’t be the case with Hurricane/Tropical Storm Hilary, which this week ripped through Baja California, Mexico, and then turned to Southern California and elsewhere in the U.S. Southwest.

Few issues are as divisive among short-term rental hosts, property managers, online travel agencies and guests as refund policies following hurricanes, wildfires, and pandemics. The issue will only get more heated as the earth does likewise.

Whale season is ramping up in Hawaiʻi, and when you go on a whale watching tour or start reading about it online, you will probably encounter the knowledge that the humpback whales do not eat while in Hawaiian waters.

Hawaiian Airlines is saying aloha to its 16th destination on the U.S. mainland.

One way or another, you probably won’t be renting an Airbnb or VRBO on Maui anytime soon.

If you are a tourist looking to rent a vacation home in Hawaii, you have a difficult dilemma.

With a design reflecting a voyaging canoe and honoring the Hawaiian culture, the state-of-the-art. Aloha Garden Pavilion is set to help meetings and events sail to success

While the crowds bring their wallets and appetites, giving local economies a boost, they also create challenges. Visitors have to sleep somewhere, and short-term rentals (STRs) have become increasingly popular in the era of Airbnb and Vrbo. For local hosts, who transform just about any rentable space to supplement their income, the events are an opportunity.

The ADR for vacation rental units statewide in October was $265 (-8.5% vs. 2022, +38.0% vs. 2019). By comparison, the ADR for hotels was $347 in October 2023. It is important to note that unlike hotels, units in vacation rentals are not necessarily available year-round or each day of the month and often accommodate a larger number of guests than traditional hotel rooms.

Statewide Hawai‘i hotel room revenues totaled $447.8 million (+5.7% vs. 2022, +32.7% vs. 2019) in October 2023. Room demand was 1.3 million room nights (+3.6% vs. 2022, -2.4% vs. 2019) and room supply was 1.7 million room nights (+0.4% vs. 2022, +4.2% vs. 2019).