Top 10 places to book a hotel in Maui in 2026
For Maui in 2026, Booking.com is where we'd start. It carries the widest mix of Kāʻanapali and Wailea resorts alongside Kīhei condos, all in one search, and it wins on a tie-breaker: more Maui rates come with free cancellation and nothing paid upfront than you'll find on Expedia. If loyalty points matter more than price, book direct with Marriott or Hyatt.
We ranked each booking channel on three criteria. The first is how much Maui inventory it carries across the island's resort areas, from Kapalua and Kāʻanapali in the west to Kīhei and Wailea on the south shore. The second is how late you can cancel for free, which matters because rooms for whale season, roughly December to April, tend to sell out months ahead. The third is whether the full nightly price appears on the first screen, since many Wailea and Kāʻanapali resorts add a resort fee, often $35 to $60 a night. Since May 12, 2025, the FTC's fee rule has required lodging sites to include mandatory fees like these in the headline price, though taxes can still be added at checkout. Hawaii's state transient accommodations tax rose to 11% in January 2026 under the Green Fee law, and Maui County adds its own 3% on top, plus general excise tax, so a $400 room can cost close to $475 by checkout.
The most common mistake is booking on price and overlooking location. Kahului Airport (OGG) sits on the central isthmus, about 45 minutes by car from Kāʻanapali and about 30 from Wailea, while Kapalua Airport (JHM) handles only small commuter planes. Maui Bus routes run about once an hour at best and do not reach Hāna, so most visitors rent a car, and many Wailea resorts charge another $35 to $50 a night to park it. The second mistake is assuming West Maui is back to how it was in 2022. Most Kāʻanapali and Kapalua hotels have reopened since the August 2023 Lahaina fire, but Front Street is still being rebuilt, so check what you can walk to before paying extra for the location. The third mistake is treating a Kīhei condo listing like a hotel room. Cleaning fees of $150 to $300 and cancellation deadlines a week or more before arrival are common.
Booking.com is the wrong choice for points collectors. A stay at the Andaz Maui at Wailea or the Westin Maui booked through a third-party site usually earns no Hyatt or Marriott points, and you risk losing elite perks such as a later checkout. It is also weak for Upcountry stays in Kula and Makawao, where small inns near Holy Ghost Catholic Church and the road up to Haleakalā National Park often list only on their own websites or on Airbnb. Those inns suit people driving up for sunrise at the summit, which requires a timed reservation on Recreation.gov.
Maui scores 8.8/10 for family friendliness (see the TTDI Family-Friendliness Index). Families who want a full kitchen in Nāpili or Kīhei will usually find more two-bedroom units on Vrbo. If you plan to drive the Hāna Highway, a single night in Hāna saves a 5-hour round trip, and since Hāna has only a handful of lodgings, book those before you settle on a south shore base. Entry to Waiʻānapanapa State Park also needs an advance reservation.
The full list
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Booking.com
Its search is the broadest on Maui, pulling together Kāʻanapali beachfront towers, Wailea resorts and Kīhei condos in one pass. Many rates allow free cancellation up to a few days before arrival with no payment upfront, which matters when winter prices around Wailea shift week to week.
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Trip.com
It carries strong inventory across Kāʻanapali, Kapalua and the south shore, with filters that let you show only free-cancellation rates. Totals include all fees, and its flight-plus-hotel bundles into Kahului can undercut booking the two separately.
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Expedia
It has deep coverage of the big Wailea and Kāʻanapali resorts, plus bundles that add a rental car picked up at Kahului. That matters because most visitors need a car. Many of its cheapest Maui rates are prepaid and non-refundable, so read the cancellation line before you pay.
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Vrbo
It has the most whole-unit condos in Kīhei, Nāpili and Honokōwai, where a kitchen and lanai cost less than a resort room. Cleaning fees are shown in the total, but owners set their own cancellation rules, often stricter than a hotel's.
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Hotels.com
It shares Expedia's Maui inventory, so Wailea and Kāʻanapali coverage is strong, and it suits travelers who return every winter and want a simple rewards program. Refundable rates are common for stays outside the December holiday peak.
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Marriott Bonvoy (direct)
Marriott covers more of Maui's resort corridor than any other chain, with the Wailea Beach Resort, the Westin Maui in Kāʻanapali, and the Sheraton Maui at Black Rock all under its flags. Booking direct earns points and elite perks, and flexible rates typically cancel free until a few days before arrival. Its resort fees run among the highest on the island.
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World of Hyatt (direct)
Book directly if you want Hyatt points and suite upgrades at the Andaz Maui at Wailea or the Hyatt Regency Maui in Kāʻanapali. Prices already include the resort fee, and standard rates cancel free until 72 hours before arrival.
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Hilton Honors (direct)
Booking direct at the Grand Wailea, a Waldorf Astoria, earns Hilton points, and the property draws families for its pool complex. Points nights waive the resort fee for some elite members. Hilton has few properties elsewhere on Maui, so its coverage outside Wailea is thin.
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Costco Travel
Its Maui packages often bundle a Wailea or Kāʻanapali resort with a car picked up at Kahului and an extra driver at no charge, with clear pricing and generous cancellation terms. Members see only a few dozen properties, though.
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Google Hotels
It gives you a quick way to compare one Kāʻanapali or Kīhei property across several booking sites, and the map view shows each hotel's distance from Kahului or Kapalua airport. You book on the linked site, so cancellation terms depend on that site.
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