Name: Hale Ho'o Maha Bed & Breakfast
Address: 7083 Alamihi Road , Hanalei, HI 96714, United States of America, Wainiha, Wainiha, Wainiha, HI 96714, United States of America
Rating: 9

Elevator/lift

Smoke-free property

Heating

Garden

Terrace

All Spaces Non-Smoking (public and private)

General

Non-smoking rooms

Family room

Smoke Detector

Cable TV

Hairdryer

Wardrobe/Closet

Slippers

Rooms

Iron and board

Laundry

Luggage storage

Services and amenities

Free Wi-Fi

Internet access

Internet

Library

Barbecue grill(s)

Hiking

Fishing

Sun Deck

Recreation

Parking

Parking nearby

Business center

Fax and copy machine

Business

Cycling

Sports

Location

At the hotel

Room amenities

Kepuhi Point Beach

Wainiha Beach Park

Makua Beach

Tunnels Beach

Lumahai Beach

Haena Beach Park

Lihue Airport

Hale Ho'o Maha Bed & Breakfast

Wainiha

My partner and I recently visited Kauai, and stumbled upon the website for Hale Ho’o Maha while seeking accommodations for our stay.  After reviewing, it seemed like a great option based on the location, price, and what’s included.  We had never stayed in a BnB before.

Fast forward to our arrival.  The BnB is located about 15 min or so up the Kuhio Highway from the next main point of interest, which is Hanalei.  Our initial impression driving in was that the location is more or less in a neighborhood, and while the owner certainly maintains his home and property, the same cannot be said for the neighbors.   You can get an idea from Google street view, but even after looking at Google, it was worse when we were there.  So, point being, this is not located in town or near other Hanalei based accommodations.  You’ll get the experience of living like a local.

Next up is our impressions of the actual BnB.  While searching, we were very attracted by the list of amenities that came with our booking.  I think our biggest challenges were:

Many of the amenities are either overstated, or non-existent:  The Jacuzzi isn’t there, or if it is, it’s not in plain sight or was shown to us at arrival.  All of the beach gear advertised as available is there, however when we found it, it is located outside in a storage area, and doesn’t look well maintained.  All of the chairs are very weathered, and the masks/snorkels were kept in a storage bin that looked like it hadn’t been opened since the early 2000’s.  We were hesitant to use any of these items.  The elevator is there as-stated, and we chose to use it in order to bring up our luggage, however we felt a bit embarrassed as it is extremely loud and feels a bit shaky going up.  I would never want to be trapped in there.  The beach is a short walk up the street and across the Kuhio Highway – although important to note that this is not a beach frequented by anyone really.  It’s very secluded and typically empty.  I don’t know that I’d feel safe swimming here, especially with children.

The photos are accurate. The house is in very good condition, however it’s important to note that we thought the furniture in the rooms seemed a little dated. If you enjoy clean, pristine, well cared for accommodations, this BnB may not be what you are looking for.  There is no cleaning/tidying between the time you arrive and the time you leave (again, this may be common at BnBs).  Important to note that there is no A/C, so it can get warm in there.  Our ceiling fan wasn’t working, and the downside of leaving the windows/door wall open throughout the night is the chicken that lives outside crows all night, beginning at 3 AM, ALL MORNING LONG.  We brought this up to the host, as did other guests, but he simply acknowledged that it is normal.  We actually stayed in a different room than what we had booked, but they all seem to be the same from a layout/space perspective.  The power went out for a few hours while we were there too, so keep your flashlight handy.

Toby was the only host we encountered while there.  He is a very nice man.  Sometimes we felt like we’d get mixed reactions to questions, requests, etc., but overall he was very kind.  We definitely felt like we were guests in his house.  We encountered a scenario that had us questioning our bill, and it was a bit awkward.  Toby is very by the book with this, and not really willing to budge based on the circumstances of the island and his guests.  At the end of the day, while a bit of flexibility would have been nice, we booked what we booked so we understand his stance.  

All in all, for the price, this place isn’t bad.  If you are on a honeymoon, or really looking for a special experience, I think you may be best looking elsewhere.  This place seems to be more geared toward a younger, backpacker-friendly crowd.  I don’t think we’d stay here again, based on our circumstances.

The Truth Is In The Details

This B&B had recently re-opened when we stayed just after Christmas 2019. Over the course of our 3-day visit we learned a lot about the extent of the flood and landslide damage in the vicinity. Everything is up and running now, but the community is still recovering. 

There aren't many places to stay on this part of the island, which is a few miles past Hanalei and Princeville.  That's both good and bad.  Good if you like the feeling of being away from it all; bad if you don't like to drive, especially at night.  

Getting around might be a bit of an issue for some, so I'll address that first. There are a number of one-lane bridges you have to cross to get back to Hanalei.  The shopping center is about 5 miles away; Princeville Resort about 9 miles.  The bridges are really not too bad once you figure out the system.  Basically, if you're really close to the car in front, just do what they do.  If there's a significant space, consider stopping and letting the cars on the other side of the bridge cross. I noticed that the locals tended to do this more than the tourists.  At any rate, I'm not the world's most confident driver, but I did okay! 

There is one restaurant within walking distance from the B&B. (Bring a flashlight or use a flashlight app if you're walking the road at night - drivers will have a hard time seeing you!) The restaurant, the Opakapaka, is part of the Hanalei Colony Resort, the only real 'hotel' in the immediate area. It's not fine dining by any means, but the burgers and salads we had were really well cooked and presented. There was live music during one of the nights we were there, and lots of locals at the bar.  We later learned that the restaurant was used as the meeting center when the community was recovering from the flood.

The B&B has bikes you can use for free.  My partner cycled one day to Tunnels beach, only about a mile away.  During the winter the ocean there is rough (but it's a great place to watch surfers!). Apparently it's a good swimming beach during the summer.  There's also a really cool cave to explore there - hence the name. 

There's a beach within 100 feet of the B&B, but it didn't look much like a swimming beach. Nice to walk on, though.  We walked about a mile of it one day - very pleasant. 

Now for the B&B itself.  Our room (Mango) was spacious and clean, with a small lanai that overlooked the jungle and mountains beyond. The bathroom had a good shower but no bathtub.  Overall, we had no complaints about the room.  

We thought breakfast was a real treat, especially when Toby made blueberry waffles.  Even now, we keep saying that we'd struggle to find waffles that well made again! There's a large common area with a TV, but we never saw anyone use it.  We and all of the other guests were in Kauai for only a short period, so of course we were out of the house most of the time.

I see from previous reviews that part of the appeal of the house was Kirby, Toby's wife.  She seemed to have been a very friendly, interesting, go-getter.  She did everything from racing cars when she was younger to making award-winning leis later in her life.  Sadly, we learned from Toby that she had passed away two weeks earlier.  

We really liked Toby.  He's a fellow New Englander, after all, so I got his humor!  He said he cooked a lot of breakfasts for the various people who helped with the cleanup after the flooding.  That was months of cooking breakfast while the B&B was closed.  Anyway, much aloha to you, Toby, and long may your unique B&B continue! 

So, yes, overall we liked it.  Definitely one we'll remember for a long time to come.

Away from it all

If you’re a very serious hiker, this B&B may be good for you, but for most others, it’s not a good choice: It’s very isolated on a stretch of extremely dark and twisty road that’s really dangerous to drive after sunset. There’s one OK restaurant a short distance away but nothing else for miles—unless you’ve brought food, it’s you're only choice for dinner without having to drive on pitch-black winding roads for at least 30 minutes.
The beach that’s within walking distance really has little to offer for other than a brief visit so you’ll need to drive elsewhere if you want to enjoy a beach for a few hours. The description in the listing, while accurate, is a bit misleading.
The innkeeper, Kirby, is a bit of a crank, and his breakfasts are also something to think twice about before eating.: The fruit plate he served was left out for us with a paper towel over it which when lifted revealed hundreds of fruit flies feasting. We nearly puked and ate an unopened banana on our cereal instead. The eggs and waffles were OK but nothing special.
Our room was like an oven with no breeze despite fans and open windows.
For the price you can do much better—after 2 days, we moved on to the other side of the island to a much more comfortable resort and much better location, even though we already paid for 4 days here. Not worth the lack of comfort for our final days of vacation.

Think twice before staying here

Wanted to book the next trip as soon as we got back home... and if we did, we'd book a stay at this B&B.  Great stay and perfect place to being and end you day; the amenities and hosts were simply wonderful.

Perfect Stay in Hanalei!

This B&B is perfect for those who want to experience Hanalei life outside the large resorts. Great attention to details in the room (the Guava room is the best!) and lovely breakfasts expertly mastered by Toby. The beaches, within walkable distances, are yours more or less on your own. Full beach equipment is supplied at b&b. And then only about 10 mins drive down to Hanalei village, also easy to explore the rest of the island as this location as base. We felt at home and special at the same time. Handsome Cinnamon the cat is a bonus.

A piece of paradise

We feel so privileged to be Kirby and Toby's first guests after their B&B had been closed for 14 months due to the 2018 floods. And what a fantastic place it is! Meghan and I have never been as relaxed as we were there. People were still commenting on how relaxed we looked and sounded a week after being back in the office!
We stayed in the Pineapple Suite. It has magnificent views over the beach (that nobody uses!!! We basically had the beach to ourselves!), brilliant sunrises and sunsets, fantastic breakfasts from Toby, the best tea selection I've seen anywhere, extremely comfortable bed, great shower...I could go on and on.
It is a slice of heaven there. We rode bikes to the end of the road, swam and read on the beautiful beaches that are just across the street, enjoyed a few Kona Longboard Lagers at the restaurant and bar nearby, and had some fantastic conversations with Kirby and Toby.
We loved Hale Ho'o Maha and plan to be back. I highly recommend staying with Kirby and Toby if you plan to go to Kauai.

Perfect relaxation

A warm welcome from the owners, perfect breakfast... very clean and very quiet room... privacy respected by all. The location is perfect for walking to the beach or hiking. I'd be right back!!!

A dream vacation.

We‘ve been there in May 2015! This house Is made with so much love for details. Toby put all his experiences into this most beautiful accomodation. Kirby has been queen of lei day! She was very busy in it. Her work is excellent. In their house everything is so phantastic ans over the top is their homemade breakfast!!! We had the best room in the best Place. Thank you!!!


Best B&B 

My wife and I had a great experience with Hale Ho`o Maha B & B without actually getting the chance to stay there.  We had a reservation scheduled there while we honeymooned about the Hawaiian islands.  Unfortunately a month before our arrival their community was hit with severe storms which caused extreme regional flooding and mudslides.  

We knew that the B&B itself was fine, but we we expressed our concerns to them about being able to keep our reservation due to roads being washed out. Even though it negatively impacted their business, they were very direct and honest about the questionable recovery and road repair situation and advied us that unfortunately it would be best if we cancelled our reservation.  

We were very much looking forward to staying ther and upon returning to Kaua'i will definitely book with them out of respect for their professionalism and integrity. We wish them and their community the best during this recovery period.

Fantastic Customer Service

My husband and I were booked to stay here this week. We sadly had to cancel our trip due to the flooding that happened in Kauai. Although we didn't make it to enjoy our stay. I wanted to leave a review here because Kirby was kind and courteous enough to give us a full refund a day before we were due to arrive. We will be back to stay here when we finally make it back to Kauai.

Hale Ho'o Maha Bed & Breakfast

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