Banana Bungalow Maui Hostel — Attraction in Maui

In my situation, the management regarding policies is the antonym to the Aloha spirit. A harsh situation left me without a home for four days. I work in native habitat restoration, and flew here in August. Gratefully I found places to camp for ~ $25 a night at Kipahulu, Waiʻānapanapa State Park and there's other places like Hosmer Grove, Polipoli and many other places when you search - with hiking, waterfalls immersed in nature, the ocean, wildlife - not in a rough part of the town of Kahului. You can also rent a car for close to $200 for a week from Maui Cruisers Cheap Car Rental at 808-283-0688.

I was referred to by Howzit Hostel to go to Banana Bungalow, because I didn't have a flight leaving the island. Howzit Hostel stated that Banana Bungalow has accepted every person they referred to go there in this situation - proof is attached to the review. I was exhausted, had endured vandalism, lack of sleep and an attempt of a tenant at my house to attack me. My boss recommended I stay at a hostel until I could move into a new home in four days.

The staff at the desk would not take me in. He kept repeating the same thing, which also happened in the email. I understand, that he won't accept someone without a flight out. The problem is he wouldn't give me a refund, even with the harsh events and a referral from another hostel - in which all people were accepted here that were previously referred.

I explained to management it was Thanksgiving, I needed a place to stay. I asked if they wouldn't provide the room I had already paid for, to please refund me the money. Humanity wasn't present in this situation. There was no reply to my email.

The representative had said the flight out/backpacker rule was 'everywhere' on the website and it clearly isn't. If you scroll just to the book now buttons, you will see a person can easily book a room without seeing the rule that its a backpacker/proof of flight out - only hostel. I was exhausted and was going off a recommendation - and quickly booked the room having faith in people. You have to scroll down beyond booking a room to see this rule. I asked for them to put it at the top of the website. They didn't respond to that suggestion, which would clarify the rules to potential customers.

Even here, I'm asking - please refund me the money for my room. If anyone in management is kind of enough to over turn this harsh attitude - please state it for everyone to see here. A kind heart in this situation would still be gratefully accepted here.

Its so sad to read another person who was here to help in rebuilding Lahaina was also left with no place to stay on his birthday during Christmas because of the management here. So...

I am not usually one to write negative reviews, but my experience at the Banana Bungalow came short of my expectations in many ways.

I have given two stars for, A. The fantastic people we met at this hostel that we were able to spend our days with exploring what Maui has to offer, and B. The fantastic tour guides Mason and Hannah made the daily tours unforgettable.

I visited the Bungalow in August, and from the start the experience was a bit jarring. When we checked in, we were told that despite booking the same shared room through Hostelworld they were “overbooked” and there were no two available beds available in the same room. This was unpleasant as we had specifically booked two beds in one 4 person mixed room. Upon asking if we could be switched to the same room in the next few days, the guy working at the front desk said it would work because a group of travellers was leaving the next day. We checked at the front desk every day after that and as it turned out, they had allowed new travellers to move in and despite saying we would be able to get into the same room they had “overbooked” once again.

The rooms at the Bungalow, were in the least, filthy and disgusting. The floor was always grimey, the room smelled of mildew and to top it off there was nothing but an old rickety fan in place of air conditioning in the Hawaiian heat. The bunk beds were super squeaky and there were no charging ports whatsoever for the top bunks to use unless they wanted to plug in their phone overnight with strangers on the floor.

Additionally, a towel was provided at the beginning of our stay. The first towel I got was stained and dirty. When I asked to replace it, the front desk reluctantly gave me a new one but said that they don’t give new towels and it’s on us to wash them in the laundry machine and dryer which cost additional money to use. Since there was no air circulation in the rooms the towel would never dry completely either.

Finally, the majority of the staff working at the Bungalow during our visit were extremely unpleasant, nonchalant, and patronizing. It was also uncomfortable to enter shared spaces where some of them would be actively engaging in PDA. I would like to exclude Mason and Hannah from this as I have only good things to say about them, they were extremely kind, helpful, and passionate in their work.

Since I travelled last August, there may have been changes to hygiene or staff and my hope is that they may have changed...

My stay at Banana Bungalow in Wailuku / Happy Valley left me with a range of emotions in May 2023. While there were certainly positive aspects to my experience, there were also some notable downsides that I can't ignore. Firstly, it seemed like the atmosphere in Wailuku wasn't as welcoming as I had hoped. It felt like tourists weren't exactly the acceptance, and this created a somewhat uncomfortable vibe. The ambiance left much to be desired, making it difficult to feel truly comfortable during my stay. The room I was given had a rather unpleasant odor reminiscent of sweaty socks. This was quite off-putting and definitely impacted my overall enjoyment of the stay. On a positive note, I found the breakfast to be a highlight. The option to make your own pancakes was a fun and interactive touch. One incident that stood out was a guest who was randomly shot in the shoulder with a BB-Gun from a passing vehicle. This was a shocking and concerning event that highlighted some security issues in the vicinity of the hostel. It left me feeling uneasy about the safety of the area.

The owner of the hostel, who is undoubtedly a kind-hearted individual, was friendly and accommodating. However, it seemed like there was an excessive number of assistant managers present, which gave the impression of a disorganized management structure.

One positive aspect of Banana Bungalow as the availability of complimentary excursions. These outings were a great way to explore the area without incurring extra costs. The parties organized by the hostel were also enjoyable and added a vibrant touch to the stay.

Unfortunately, I encountered significant issues when trying to receive a refund for a canceled night. Despite multiple attempts, the hostel staff continuously postponed addressing the matter and seemed to ignore my requests. Frustrated with the lack of progress, I eventually requested that the refund for the canceled night be donated to a charitable cause in Lahaina. I really hope they did it!

In conclusion, my experience at Banana Bungalow Hostel had its ups and downs. While there were positive elements like the friendly owner, free excursions, a funny guy called Jim, and lively parties, the negative aspects such as the unwelcoming atmosphere, room odor, security concerns, and refund issues left me with a less than stellar impression. There's definitely room for improvement, and I hope the hostel takes steps to address these concerns for...