Hotel Moloka’i

Hotel Description

You know what? Hotel Moloka’i surprised me in the best possible way. I’ll be honest – when I first pulled up, I thought “okay, this is definitely not Maui levels of polish,” but that’s actually exactly what makes this place special. It sits right on Kaunakakai’s main drag (which, let’s be real, is basically the only drag), and you’re literally a two-minute walk from Friendly Market where the locals shop and Kanemitsu Bakery where you absolutely need to get the hot bread on Wednesday and Saturday nights.

The hotel itself has this wonderfully worn-in feel that somehow works perfectly with Moloka’i’s whole vibe. I mean, this isn’t the island where you come for fancy resort amenities anyway – it’s where you come to actually experience Hawaii without the tourist circus. My room faced the water, and honestly, waking up to that view of Lāna’i across the channel made up for any quirks the place might have. The pool area gets pretty quiet after sunset, which I loved, and you can hear the ocean from pretty much everywhere on the property. Parking was never an issue (shocking for Hawaii, right?), and the front desk folks were genuinely helpful with local recommendations – not the rehearsed stuff you get at bigger hotels, but real “oh, you should definitely check out the Saturday market” kind of advice.

What really sold me on this place was how it just fits into the rhythm of Moloka’i life. You’re not isolated in some resort bubble – you’re right there where things are happening, which on Moloka’i means everything moves at a pace that’ll slow your heart rate by about twenty beats per minute. The hotel’s restaurant serves decent local-style food, nothing fancy but solid, and you can grab a beer there while watching the sunset paint everything orange and pink. I actually ended up chatting with a few longtime residents who hang out there sometimes, which gave me way better insight into the island than any guidebook ever could. Sure, it’s a 3-star place and it shows in some ways – the rooms are pretty basic and you might hear your neighbors – but honestly, you’re spending most of your time outside anyway, exploring the island’s incredible coastline or hiking in the highlands. For the price and the location, especially with how hard it can be to find decent accommodation on Moloka’i, this place delivers exactly what it promises without any pretense.

Rooms

• Garden View King with 1 extra-large double bed for 2 adults
• Deluxe Garden View Family Room with 2 double beds and 1 extra-large double bed for 6 adults
• Garden View Full with 2 double beds for 4 adults
• Standard ADA Full with 1 double bed for 2 adults
• Deluxe Garden View King with 1 extra-large double bed for 2 adults
• Ocean Front King with 1 extra-large double bed for 2 adults
• Ocean View Suite with extra-large double bed, 1 extra-large double bed, sofa bed and 1 sofa bed for 4 adults
• Ocean Front Suite with extra-large double bed, 1 extra-large double bed, sofa bed and 1 sofa bed for 4 adults
• Deluxe Ocean View King with 1 extra-large double bed for 2 adults

Reviews

• Yuma from Japan (9/10)

  Cozy and true Hawaiian feelings
  Not like staying Waikiki as many tourists imagine, I loved staying with you
  and restaurant staff was really friendly. Saimon deluxe was so nice.

• Warwick from Australia (9/10)

  Great location… such a relaxed atmosphere with an old school island vibe. Brilliant sunset viewing spot. Super comfortable , friendly staff and a lovely place to stay.

• Houchens from United States (9/10)

  I like that it’s also a place where locals gather.

• Francesco from Italy (9/10)

• Piliokahe from United States (8/10)

  Staff, location, cleanliness was great—it is wonderful when the staff doesn’t give some kind of tourist hype–and just tells you honestly information.

• Piliokahe from United States (7/10)

  The staff –all were good problem solvers–and any question/any issue–they worked with me to resolve. And they never presented "it is not their job" attitude. The hotel is located right on the water with a magnificent view. The facility is dated BUT is pretty well maintained.

• Inge from Belgium (9/10)

  We had an ocean front room and we can recommend this very much. It gives you an ocean feel day and night. It has a terrace facing the ocean, great to have breakfast or an evening drink.
  The restaurant too has plenty of seating close to the waves. It has nice fresh food and drinks.

• Arfilis from United States (9/10)

  I liked this hotel. It is close to the town and has a nice restaurant with live music.

• Margrit from Germany (7/10)

  The room is equipped with air conditioning. WiFi is free. The entire complex is very well maintained and clean. There are many palm trees and flowers in the garden. There are hammocks available. The hotel is only 5 minutes from the nearest town and 5 minutes in the other direction to a beautiful sandy beach.
  The Restaurant for Dinner is an excellent one.

• Pamela from United States (8/10)

  The meals were well done. The atmosphere was beautiful.

SURROUNDINGS

Facilities