Billy and I live in Paia on the North Shore of Maui. It is located away from the island’s primary resorts in South and West Maui. Despite the lack of resort amenities, the area has become a popular draw for island visitors. The area’s appeal to visitors grew tremendously in the early to mid 1980s. People from all over the world were drawn to what is arguably the best wind surfing on the planet. It has since been recognized as a premier destination for other water sports including kite surfing, paddle boarding, surfing and tow surfing. Demand has grown beyond the water sport crowd as people have come to appreciate Paia’s charming shops and restaurants and the natural beauty of the surrounding area. Arthur Fromer’s even called Paia one of the ten coolest small towns in America.
With a lack of resorts on this side of the island, visitor accommodations started to sprout organically. Demand exceeded the limited number of permitted rental options. Residents began to rent guest cottages and small apartments in Paia and the associated communities of Spreckelsville and Kuau. Second home owners rented out their homes when they weren’t on island. Many of these accommodations were opened without official county permits. The county was struggling with a cumbersome with an arduous permit process that was difficult for both county administrators and potential rental owners. As a result, the local government allowed many of the rentals to operate without permits. That changed in mid 2007 when a new county administration began to actively enforce zoning laws. The majority of the non-permitted rentals were shut down.
The end result is that it is much more difficult to find places to stay in the Paia area. That being said, there are some permitted options available for those that want short term rentals. The links below will provide an overview of some of the current permitted rentals, hotels and bed and breakfasts in the greater Paia area.
- The Paia Inn is a new boutique hotel in the heart of town. It features five rooms and one suite. The rooms are luxuriously appointed with 500 thread count sheets, flat screen HD tvs, beautiful artwork from Avi Kiriaty, and high speed Internet. The Inn has a beautiful lobby area with leather couches, wireless Internet, a 60″ flat screen TV and a state of the art audio system. There is a great patio area for morning coffee or evening drinks. Room rates run from roughly $199-$289 per night for the suite.
- The other hotel accommodation in Paia is Nalu Kai Lodge. Nalu Kai is also right in the heart of Paia town. It offers 8 hotel rooms and one larger one bedroom apartment. The rooms are clean, bright and cozy. There is a great little bamboo gated court yard with tiki bar and water feature. This area also has wireless Internet access. Room rates run from roughly $125 per night to $175 per night.
- The Kuau Inn is a nice bed and breakfast less than a mile east of downtown Paia. It is a short walk to Mama’s Fish House, Mama’s Beach, Tavares Bay and Ho’okipa Beach Park. The house has a lot of old plantation style charm. The common areas give guests access to wireless Internet, a flat screen tv, barbecue areas and an outdoor area for sun and relaxing. Breakfasts of juice, fruit, bagels and cereals are included every morning. There are four rooms available. Rates are $100 a night with a three night minimum.
- Mama’s Fish House is arguably the finest dining experience on Maui. The food is outstanding and the setting is incomparable. Mama’s also offers a few cottages available for short term rental. The luxurious two bedroom beachfront cottage offers a beautiful setting with a full kitchen and a great lanai area that opens to Mama’s Beach. There are also three garden cottages available including a two bedroom, a one bedroom and a studio. It is hard to beat the setting at Mama’s not to mention you are right next to world class dining. Prices range from $175 per night for the studio up to $575 per night for the beachfront cottage.
- Kaiholo Hale is a beautiful legal Vacation Rental Home located in the same area as Mama’s Fish House. The home may be rented in its entirety or it can be rented as four separate one or two bedroom suites. Prices range from $700 a night for the whole house down to $175 a night for the lowest priced individual suites.
- The Cane Cottage is a new cute little bed and breakfast on Baldwin Avenue in Paia. The bed and breakfast is a charming plantation style home. It offers two rooms for rent with a shared bath. There is also a suite with separate entrance and private bath available. Accommodations include wireless Internet, cable TV, laundry facilities and a continental breakfast. Rooms are $109 a night plus tax or $179 a night plus tax for the suite.
- Kuau Plaza is a modest condo complex located close to Mama’s and Ho’okipa Beach Park. There are rentals available in this complex through VRBO. Here is a Two bedroom condo that I found listed for vacation rentals at Kuau Plaza. Here is a one bedroom condo listed in the same complex and one more Kuau Plaza one bedroom. Rates start at around $105 a night.
The county debate over vacation rentals remains dynamic. Some applications for rentals have recently been approved as new rules for vacation rentals and bed and breakfasts continue to be debated in county council. If you are interested in staying in the Paia area, but none of the above rentals fit your needs or you find that they do not have occupancy, you may be best served by contacting some of the local travel companies. They may know of some other accommodations available in Paia. Here are a couple of agents to contact.
- Maui Surf and Turf handles vacation rentals all over the island, but they are quite familiar with the North Shore. They may be able to help find newly permitted accommodations.
- Ho’okipa Haven is another North Shore based vacation rental company that may have leads for places to stay in Paia, Kuau and Spreckelsville.
Of course, you can always contact the Jalbert brothers if you are interested in buying a vacation home along Maui’s beautiful North Shore.
