Destroyed: The 34-room Best Western Pioneer Inn, built in 1901 in an enviable perch between Front Street and Lahaina Harbor, had been a relatively affordable and convenient place to stay over the years, as well as home to popular watering holes and restaurants, before the wildfire. Top Chef star Lee Anne Wong operated Papa‘Aina, the hotel’s latest restaurant, which also burned down.
Not as historic, but beloved for its vintage style and adults-only ambiance, the 18-room Plantation Inn was also irreparably damaged by fire, about two weeks after Outrigger Resorts & Hotels had taken over ownership and operations.
Alternatives: It’s hard to match the history of the Pioneer Inn, but the Days Inn by Wyndham Maui Oceanfront hotel (pictured above) on Keawakapu Beach in Kihei at least comes close to its relative affordability and central location. For a secluded, adults-only atmosphere, albeit with more atmospheric prices than the Plantation Inn, check out Hotel Wailea.
Helping: The organizer of a GoFundMe page for Pioneer Inn employees is also providing for the inn’s iconic gray parrot, Alex, while Wong has set up a GoFundMe page for both restaurant and hotel staff, many of whom lost homes in the fire. The OutriggerCares Maui Host Relief Fund is distributing donations to Plantation Inn staff and affected employees of other Maui properties Outrigger owns or manages, including the now-destroyed 188-condominium resort Aina Nalu.