Down and Out (for just one night) in Maui

December 2, 2019 1:42 PM

We'll be having a short Hawaiian vacation between Christmas and New Years (yay!) We'll be there for five nights; unfortunately, our VRBO rental is for only four. And now, everything seems to be booked up (doh!) Any experience with 'sleeping rough' on Maui? Or how and where to arrange a night's lodging (ideally, near the airport) during the holiday crush, that's not ridiculously overpriced?
posted by Rash to Travel & Transportation around Hawaii (8 answers total)

i have no clue if there is availability but you could check on camping options? friends stayed at a state park on the north shore (i know - different island) two years ago and i think it was like 18 bucks a night? they got basically disposable camping gear at a walmart and i think left it with some unhoused folks on their way out.

state park camping website
posted by Exceptional_Hubris at 1:51 PM on December 2, 2019

So I mention this only as an option for you to explore, not something that will definitely work, but multiple people (tourists and those in the tourism industry, not necessarily locals) on Maui have told me that while camping on the beaches is prohibited, you can legally fish off the beach 24 hours so people will set up tarps with an open side facing the water, and set up a fishing pole in front of them so they can be "fishing" rather than camping. This is one of those stories that gets passed around as an amusing anecdote -- the stars of it are variously smart Hawaiians who don't care about the bullshit state laws that are bought and paid for by the big resorts or crafty tourists putting one over on local law enforcement -- so it might or might not actually be true or safe or a good idea.
posted by jacquilynne at 1:58 PM on December 2, 2019 [5 favorites]

Talking with a person could be helpful. Consider calling hotels directly instead of trying to find something online.
posted by ShooBoo at 3:58 PM on December 2, 2019 [2 favorites]

In my experience, hotels often retain a small number of rooms for 'walk in' traffic. You might try that before risking a fine for sleeping on the beach. If there are hotels right at the airport I'd try those, as they are less desirable usually due to the takeoff and landing noise, plus you have the added benefit of being right there at the airport when it's time to go.
posted by TimHare at 5:21 PM on December 2, 2019

My first suggestion would be to ask the VRBO owner about extending. Or Central Maui Hostel or Northshore Hostel.
posted by Snarl Furillo at 5:23 PM on December 2, 2019

Maui used to have a pretty active Couchsurfing community. I’d check that.
posted by mercredi at 2:04 AM on December 3, 2019

I was going to suggest sleeping at the airport - looks a bit rough, but doable.
posted by Vhanudux at 6:28 AM on December 3, 2019

Response by poster: Yeah, that's becoming a real possibility - out in the parking lot, in our rental car. Better I guess that it'll be our last night instead of the first.
posted by Rash at 5:36 PM on December 15, 2019