Staying at the Old Lahaina House in Maui can be described in various ways – island affordable, close-to-the-beach, close-to-downtown Lahaina, residential, low-security, animal-friendly, cluttered, and, perhaps most importantly, purposely non-corporate.

 

 

 

 

 

I know. I just described a lot of sea shells on this seashore. Here are the foremost un-fancy facts. It’s not a hotel, it’s a house. It’s in a residential neighborhood. There are four rooms to rent. There is no front desk, no elevators, no bellhops, and for a stay less than seven days, no maids. It’s as low-service and low-amenities as you can get.

There’s a ground-level swimming pool and lounging area just inside the main courtyard. The courtyard is accented by bougainvillea, palm trees, and native flora. Dogs and cats roam freely during business hours. Squeaky clean is not a priority. Adjacent to the pool is a pint-sized guesthouse (where the owner’s daughter lives) and a summer kitchen with a BBQ grill and large picnic table.

This three-story house on 407 Ilikahi Street is owned by Sherry Boonstra-Berbier. About 25 years ago, she moved from Chicago’s concrete jungle and bought this beachside villa for her family. Turns out there were more than enough rooms along with the guesthouse on the property. This led to the business decision of renting out certain rooms to travelers and making a breezy living.

 

 

 

 

 

In her own words, here’s how Sherry defines her sun-drenched digs: “Old Lahaina House is not a good match for everybody. We know that. It’s not a service place. We’re here for true travelers who want to see and explore the island and not sit by the pool and be served cocktails. This place is a lifetime fixer-upper where we’re always doing something and creating messes. Our bookings are steady, without utilizing travel sites. I enjoy meeting the guests who prefer to live with us and not stay with us, and are adventurous and want the total island experience.”

 

 

 

 

 

Sherry adds that her lodging price range is about $130-225 per night. That includes all taxes and an exit cleaning free. Parking is free. There is a private walkway (about a three-minute walk) to the beach. It’s takes about 10-12 minutes to walk down Front Street to get to the middle of downtown Lahaina and all its restaurants, shops, and harbor launch area.

 

 

 

 

 

Wife Elaine and I stayed at Old Lahaina House for three nights in early February 2017. We booked the Riviera Room with a second-floor lanai overlooking the pool. The brightly lit room had a king-size bed with mosquito netting, AC, small fridge, shower and tub, and beachy décor. Just remember, we used the same towels for three days and made our own bed. No one entered our room.

Word to the wise about booking Old Lahaina House. While looking for ideas and options, we combed a popular travel site. The site indicated OLH was sold out during our preferred dates. On a whim, I called OLH directly and got a reservation on the spot. No corporate mumbo jumbo. Thanks, Sherry.