I was skeptical about the high ratings on TripAdvisor for Haiku Cannery Inn. But after five nights there in late January, I agree with nearly all the previous reviewers. This place deserves a 5.
We reached the Inn by driving up the road from Haiku village, where we saw an unassuming sign by the side of the road. We drove through a tree-and-vines tunnel and beheld a beautiful, well-maintained plantation-style home – it used to be the cannery manager's home in the old days.
Cannery manager was a nice gig. The grounds were as beautiful as the house itself – many fruit trees, birds, lawns, vines, coconut palms, and a view out to the ocean below.
We had the Sunrise Room, which was very spacious and pleasant, with a king-size bed (convertible to two doubles if needed), a big walk-in closet, a futon-style sofa and a window-side table for writing, knick-knacks, etc. The bathroom was big and nicely appointed, with a tiled shower and modern fixtures.
B&B’s on Maui are not allowed to give you a “cooked” breakfast, but the owner here, Benni D’Enbeau, did a great job putting out coffee/tea, yogurt, cereal, freshly-baked breads, and a lovely fresh fruit entrée each day, in our case a Hawaiian papaya half filled with strawberries. You can enjoy this spread in the house’s common area or dining room, or – our choice – on the open-air veranda while admiring the view and drinking in that cleansing Hawaiian air.
Benni, a recently retired attorney who runs the place with a smile and easy-going efficiency, struck a perfect balance between taking care of us and leaving us alone. We always felt she was there if we needed her, but she was also unobtrusive and allowed us to just enjoy our stay – and we certainly did.
One thing, just to make you aware – like many Hawaiian B&Bs, this one does not offer daily maid service. We discussed this with Benni and she said that anytime we needed anything (fresh linens/towels, emptying the wastebasket, etc.), we just needed to ask and it would be done right away. It turned out to be very relaxing not to have to plan our day around the maids. No worrying whether the DND sign was on the door, or if the maids might miss us that day, or when the drone and bump-bump of vacuums in the next room would disturb us. And, of course, maid service would no doubt raise the rates here – and we loved paying only $105 a night, a terrific bargain.
Nights were quiet, just the rustling of trees in the breeze, and days – well, pretty much the same. When we left, I was inspired to comment in the guest book with a haiku: “A beautiful stay/The Haiku Cannery Inn/Five nights of full peace.”
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