Hale Akua Garden Farm & Eco-Retreat — Hotel in Maui

I've been sitting on this review for entirely too long. Why - because I'm afraid others will discover Pali Uli? It's not like we will be going back again soon (not because we don't want to, but because it was just so wonderful). It's also a l-o-n-g way from North Carolina, and for us the Caribbean is so much closer and more convenient. Nevertheless, for us it was the trip of a lifetime.||||My wife and I stayed in the Cliffhouse for seven nights, the middle week of our three week honeymoon. We are in our late 40s and this was the second time around for both of us. We felt we deserved a long, romantic vacation. Did we ever get it.||||I did a lot of homework before choosing Pali Uli. Our first week was spent at a huge Hilton resort on the big island, and I wanted something smaller and more intimate next. I zeroed in on the inns and resorts on the Huelo coast of Maui with my research, and eventually picked Pali Uli. ||||One of my concerns was the remote location of the property. With a little planning (something I am {pat-pat} pretty good at) we made that work to our advantage. What we ended up doing was being "home" every night for dinner, and going out during the day to explore (that is, some days - others we stayed in).||||I corresponded with the gal managing Pali Uli several times before the trip, inquiring about everything from what kind of coffee pot and filters they had to whether there was a blender (yes) to what kind of barbeque grill (gas) they provided. Prior to flying to Hawaii I made arrangements with a prepared food company to pick up several premade fresh frozen meals, and on arrival in Maui our first stop was the Safeway grocery store where we stocked up on steaks, snacks and stuff for the blender. In mid week we got some wine and gourmet take out from Mana Foods in Paia, all of which allowed us to stay in every night, which was fine with us. We reveled in the seclusion.||||And my oh my are you ever secluded. The Cliffhouse is off the main road off a side road behind a gate at the driveway and through another gate into your own private paradise. Standing on the deck overlooking the cliff and ocean you can see one other house, sort of. If you lean out you can see the deck of Pali Uli's other rental home, the Waterfall House. The staff cannot see you, will not bother you, and will not enter the Cliffhouse unit unless they call on the telephone. If you want total seclusion, this is it.||||And that is not what some folks want. If people watching, a lively bar, walking or a taxi ride to restaurants, nightclubs and attractions is what you seek, then Pali Uli is not the place for you. It's not real close to a beach. But if total quiet and a self contained paradise are enough to make you happy, then Pali Uli is your nirvana.||||The setting is totally lush. You enter the Cliffhouse by walking up a rain forest lined path and pass through a hand carved door into your private sanctuary. There you enter a garden with a small pool and a single roomed luxury bedroom hut that opens with French doors to the pool. There are two separate outdoor sitting areas; one slightly elevated and more open to the sun, and the other, next to the grill, more "jungle" like under an umbrella at an outdoor dining table. The second, larger building contains another bed in the center, an ornate bathroom with a wonderful outdoor shower, a small but well equiped kitchen, an entertainment nook with TV, satellite radio and DVD player, a tiny dining area that opens onto the deck that overlooks the cliff and ocean, and a multi level deck with a hot tub sunk into the floor. The pictures on their website are truly representative of the property.||||The gal who checked us in was very friendly, helpful and informative. The guy who does the daily maintenance showed up the next day, after he called first, and asked us when we would like the hot tub the warmest and then set it to cycle on our schedule (sunrise and sunset). Through a recommendation from Pali Uli we arranged for his and hers massages and two masseuses came, with tables, and rubbed us down there in the entrance to the deck. We arrived at the Cliffhouse at 7 pm on a Sunday and the first time we left was mid-morning on Wednesday.||||The location is right at the start of the Hana highway, a curvy, meandering road to the town of Hana. We drove about halfway one morning, stopping to walk at some of the parks and overlooks along the way, before heading back past the property to go shopping in Paia. Another day we went all the way to Hana, and on Saturday we went to the swap meet in Kahului (highly recommended). We ate out for lunch several times, but other than those trips we stayed in at Pali Uli, and were entirely content to do so. Some might get bored; we loved being alone together.||||Pali Uli certainly isn't the kind of place to go with kids. It is an unbelievable honeymoon destination, or if you want to sit back, recharge, refresh and revitalize, you can do that here. I would recommend it in a heartbeat, and truth be told, am dreaming of going back again someday.||||I have checked the "willing to be contacted" box on this review, and so am available for...

Beautiful grounds with some setbacks.

Access here is via a small residential road, the last stretch is filled with uneven terrain, DIY road bumps peeling off the road, some local residents giving you the stinkeye for intruding, and very large potholes. Parking may be a little limited on nights with events, and hard to maneuver into. Location wise it marks a great place to setup basecamp for Road to Hana, despite the somewhat inconvenient accessibility.

This farm/retreat houses a collection of approx. 9 rooms and 3 houses. I imagine most of the 5 star reviews are of the 3 houses due to better and private amenities (grounds to these are offlimits).

The remaining rooms share a pool and hottub deck (the image featured on their site and listings). There is a shared kitchen with multiple fridges with designated spaces marked for you. You will likely be sharing these with residents from the other rooms. While there is plenty of chairs for everyone to hangout somewhere, it inevitably feels like you are infringing on someone else's privacy or someone else on yours. I imagine most choose a stay at a location like this (rather than the Hilton) for the true "retreat" getaway feel, however it can inevitably begin to feel somewhat like a hostel stay near the common spaces during busy times, which would be fine if you had a comfortable room to retreat back to.

Our room (Garden) was on the second floor of the community building, above the kitchen, and between the spa deck and pool. 50% of its western wall was single pane glass. From noon to early evening this caused the room to get to 90F-100+. The small portable air conditioner was ineffective, its vent held up with duct tape, providing gaps and no insulation to the hot air exiting this inefficient negative pressure machine. If it were me I would upgrade these windows to dual pane, add exterior shutters, provide radiant reflective curtains, and/or install a mini split AC. Otherwise the room is not really usable during a hot summer midday-afternoon.

The sliding doors in our room (and elsewhere) mostly fail to slide properly and was always difficult to lock. Easy fix would be to apply some WD-40 regularly, and possibly look into replacing old sliding doors here and below if the frames have become warped over time (they are very thin).

The outdoor shower for the room, while exotic and feels amazing if done right, was small and hard to maneuver in. Further there is no feeling of privacy as the grounds keeper lives directly above this unit, and access to and from the shower is in open space partially visible from the pool deck below and the only stairs going up to the unit above. Perhaps a bamboo hedge in planters or some other foliage just outside the balcony door to provide a partial divider/cover?

Also, an ABS drain line joint coming from the 3rd floor shower was visibly leaking onto your roof below, observable from this shower area.

The property (and everyone here) is very good about quiet hours after 9pm, and really all times. However the walls of the structure are thin, and you can hear conversation from your neighboring unit, as well as regular footsteps from the unit above.

The staff is amazing, incredibly friendly, and accommodating. Cleanliness is 10/10 in the rooms and in the grounds.

The amenities are good, and you are definitely able to catch some moments of privacy even in a shared room during high season. It was a nice touch to have a potable filtered water faucet on basically every sink, as well as a water fountain just behind the office.

All-in-all if you are able to snag a house, go for it, you absolutely won't regret it. Otherwise book if you are okay with just having an imperfect room to crash in after a long day on the road to Hana, which was what we used the space for.

Despite the cons the place still merits 4/5, a star is knocked off for the room discomfort and some simple items that should be upkept. I do hope the owners give some more thought and effort into further improving on their otherwise...

I’m writing this review with a heavy heart and a deep sense of responsibility to warn others. What was meant to be a sacred women’s retreat at Hale Akua Eco Retreat Centre in Maui became one of the most distressing experiences of my life—emotionally, spiritually, and financially.||||I booked the venue through a man named Vishal Dhandia, who falsely claimed to legally represent Hale Akua with the endorsement of the owner, Lori Grace. Only upon arrival did I discover that he is operating illegally from Canada without a valid U.S. work permit—yet has remote access to the retreat’s systems and finances. This is a major red flag and completely unacceptable for a U.S.-based wellness center.||||The property itself was grossly misrepresented. Instead of the clean, spiritually aligned, and professionally run sanctuary that was advertised, we were met with conditions that were unsafe, unsanitary, and emotionally damaging. Among the many issues:|| • Mold in guest rooms, kitchen sinks, and around the pool—posing serious health risks, especially to those with sensitivities.|| • Broken blinds, blocked toilets, and no hot water for three days.|| • Dirty carpets, stained bed linens, and visibly unclean interiors upon arrival.|| • Dangerous walkways with loose gutters—one piece even detached and struck a guest.|| • Poor lighting, lack of basic safety measures (like non-slip mats), and faulty kitchen equipment.|| • General neglect: dust, cobwebs, peeling paint, and untidy grounds.|| • Unauthorized men escorted through private women’s spaces during our retreat, including one incident where a guest was photographed while changing—completely inappropriate and deeply violating.|| • No visible security on-site to ensure guest safety.||||Beyond the physical issues, the energy and conduct of some staff members were unsettling. The atmosphere felt manipulative and cult-like at times. What was promised as a sanctuary felt more like a moldy trap.||||I paid over $14,000 expecting a high-standard, healing environment. What we received instead was substandard, spiritually disturbing, and unlawful. I have since taken legal steps and filed formal complaints with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the Hawaii Office of Consumer Protection, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.||||This was not just a disappointing experience—it was harmful. I strongly advise all future guests, retreat facilitators, and wellness professionals to stay away from Hale Akua until legal operations are verified, management is replaced, and guest safety and dignity are truly honored. Until then, this venue is not worthy of being called the...