My husband and I are celebrating 15 years this spring/summer (around late May or early June) and we are hoping to go to Hawaii for 7-9 days, leaving our children at home.

We are planning on going to Maui only but we are also, well, frugle is a fair word for us. We are not interested in staying a hotel for $150 a night, but if we could find a condo to rent in a good area of Maui, that would be more our style. We'd like to stay near the "action" of Maui, but we are open to anything. Any ideas out there about where to stay?

It's a good thing you are not interested in staying in a hotel for $150 a night because you would be lucky to get a hotel for $150 a night!!!

DW and I are going in March and I have a condo at Kahana Reef for $140.00. I think they are less expensive also in May / June. I understand it is waterfront but there is no beach. I am not sure too if it is close to the 'action' but it shouldn't be far from anything in West Maui.
We are spending the first three nights in Haiku - on the road to Hana - but that will be FAR from the action - as planned.

Condos at Napili Shores-- wonderful! But your price depends on who you book with-- be willing to search and search!

My husband and I stayed at the Nona Lani Cottages when we got married in Hawai`i in '04. nonalanicottages.com It's VERY no-frills, but clean and a real bargain. Kihei is, in my opinion, the ideal area in which to stay on Maui. No crowds/traffic of Lahina, close to the Kamaole beaches and cocktails at the fancy Wailea hotels, not far from the start of the road to Hana. It's a real "neighborhood." You could also try:

www.mauikamaolecondo.com
www.mauikamaole.com

Check out Lahaina Shores, a condo complex. Also (not a condo) Best Western Pioneer Inn. It's basically in downtown Lahaina, so very near the action. We liked staying there.

I can second Lahaina Shores-- we stayed there last June! The only drawback was not being able to walk to a beach. But we loved our time at the pool, listening to the waves. There was no a/c in our unit. Not that big a deal, but you can hear traffic in the bedroom near the street. Oh yeah-- and ants in the kitchen! It's no fancy place, but it was cheap and we loved sunsets on our deck!

I don't know if this will interest you or be within your budget, but look at the Kaanapali Beach Hotel at:

http://www.kbhmaui.com/resort/rates.html

We stayed there in 2003. It's a very nice hotel directly on Kaanapali Beach. Close to Lahaina, shopping, resturants and 2 malls. They offer vacation packages that includes some meals, excursions and a rental car depending on what package you choose.

We did the package with daily buffet breakfast, 2 dinners, 2 excursions (we picked the whale wacthing cruise and the Maui Ocean Center and a daily car rental for 7 nights, which was $1,927.00 for the both of us back in 2003. That did not include airfare though.

Our room had a frig and we went to the K-mart by the airport and purchased beer and snacks.

If you interested we have pics of the hotel and beach on our site at: www.community.webshots.com/user/kvrlvn

Very helpful hints given...thanks! I am having trouble picturing where all these little towns are in relation to beaches and "the main part of town" as my sister-in-law says. Keep the suggestions coming!

The guide book "Maui Reveled" was very helpful in researching our vacation. Lots of good info and detailed maps. You can buy at your local book store or at any on-line book store.