By Jim Byers
Member, Society of American Travel Writers (SATW)
KA’ANAPALI, MAUI, HAWAI’I – The Ka’anapali Beach Hotel is often voted the most Hawaiian hotel in the state. Now it’s even better and brighter than ever, and the food has been kicked up several notches.
I had a chance to stay in one of their renovated rooms last month, and it was terrific. The décor was light and bright, with restful taupe accents and restrained, pretty floral prints on the wall.
All the new rooms have works of art made by KBH employees, many of whom have been with the hotel for decades. Ours was a wall display that showed off a cool dog tooth anklet with woven fibre.
The room had a kettle and coffee maker, a small refrigerator, a very nice bed, lots of plugs and USB ports, and a good-size balcony overlooking the hotel’s expansive, deep green lawns and whale-shaped swimming pool. Our room had a partial view of fabled, golden Ka’anapali Beach and of the island of Molokai in the distance.
A renovated room at the Ka’anapali Beach Hotel on Maui. JIM BYERS PHOTO
February is humpback whale season in Hawai’i, when these massive, gentle creatures come down from Alaska to mate and give birth in warmer waters, and we could often see whales frolicking offshore, splashing their tails on the water and even leaping into the air on occasion.
The renovated rooms are terrific, but the big splash at KBH, as it were, is the waterfront restaurant, called Huihui. There’s a small, stone patio on the south side of the restaurant and a larger one on the west side, which provides fabulous views of the passersby walking on the Ka’anapali paved path, and of the famous west Maui sunsets. It’s also great if you want to check out the live music they have in the evening.
The covered portion of the restaurant is done in open-air style, so you can catch the sunset from pretty much any seat in the house.
The Huihui restaurant patio at the Ka’anapali Beach Hotel, Maui, Hawaii. JIM BYERS PHOTO
Near the back of the restaurant is a large wall that shows the famous double-hulled Hawaiian canoe, the Hokule’a. There’s also a message that explains how huihui means constellation in the Hawaiian language. The constellations were critical in the long-distance ocean canoe voyages that transported people to Hawai’I from Polynesia hundreds/thousands of years ago.
(The word huihui also means to gather or mingle, so it’s ideal for a restaurant.)
You’ll also find a large, glass display case with more works made by hotel staff, including tools, canoe sections, fish-hook necklaces, gleaming wood canoe paddles, and more.
The hotel always had good food, but they’re kicked things several notches with Huihui, which takes inspiration from the Polynesian migration, Hawaiian culture, and the marvelous ethnic mix that is today’s Hawai’i. They try to use elements of the sea and products brought by ancient voyagers.
Fresh fish wrapped in a taro leaf at Huihui restaurant, Maui, Hawaii. Photo Courtesy Ka’anapali Beach Hotel.
At dinner I tried a special “Li Hing” Margarita, a kiawe wood-smoked margarita with fresh-pressed Maui calamansi lime juice. the morning, One of the items my wife and I sampled was the smoked and wok seared venison fresh from Molokai with pickled ogo (seaweed) & onions, scallions, tomato, nīoi (Hawaiian chili pepper) lemon soy dressing. The hotel and restaurant have partnered with Molokai wildlife managment to cull the pesky mule deer population on Molokai, which allows them to make the venison poke and venison burgers and helps provide income for the people of Molokai.
We also enoyed the lobster dumplings and the fresh fish wrapped in a taro leaf and marvellous hand line-caught ahi with tomatoes, onions, watercress, scallions, nīoi (Hawaiian chili pepper) sauce, calamansi aioli and furikake. For dessert we sampled a sinful Banana Bread Ice Cream Sandwich.
As good as dinner is, breakfast is just as tasty. And inventive. You can opt for eggs with bacon or Portuguese sausage, a frequent breakfast staple in Hawai’i. But they also have two dishes that really stood out to me. The Hikina (sunrise) Bowl has Cocoa chia pudding, granola, chunks of fresh coconut, banana and macadamia nuts with additional seasonal fruits & berries, and is truly wonderful. The Huihui Breakfast is chef Tom Muromoto’s fabulous twist on avocado toast, using Maui avocado, salted salmon with onion and tomato, pickled seaweed and red onion with Hawaiian chili pepper sauce.
Avocado toast and fruit at Huihui restaurant, Maui, Hawaii. Photo Courtesy Ka’anapali Beach Hotel.
In addition to serving food and drinks, Huihui will also function as a sailing academy dedicated to the ancient Hawaiian art of voyaging, featuring a space to house the hotels’ Hawaiian paddling and sailing canoes. Meaning “the ocean that connects islands together,” the new Moanaku’inamoku Voyaging Academy will provide a true, authentic experience of Hawaiian wayfinding for guests and community members.
The hotel has always led the way with free programs for guests, and that continues to this day. Free activities include ukulele lessons, lei-making, and other programs. You’ll also find wonderful, historical photos in the lobby.
When you leave the hotel, they send you off with a Hawaiian chant and a special shell you’re supposed to bring when you come back.
“We’ve always provided our guests with Hawaiian culture, and we also give back to the island,” said John White, Director of Sales and Marketing.
Learning to make a lei at the Ka’anapali Beach Hotel, Maui, Hawaii. Photo Courtesy Ka’anapali Beach Hotel.
It was a rough time for the hotel during the pandemic, but White said they were able to keep providing full medical coverage for the staff.
The hotel also has a surf stand by the beach where you can rent stand-up paddleboards and other equipment. I had a paddleboard experience here a few years ago and loved it.
Ka’anapali is one of the world’s great beaches, and this one of the area’s best hotels.
