Unusual Hotels of the World: Hale Malu Guesthouse – Moloaka’i
About Unusual Hotels of The World
The Hawaiian island of Moloka’i is visited by an estimated 1% of all visitors to Hawaii. Due to this there aren’t a lot of choices for lodging on the island and none of it would be considered “budget” accommodation by many travelers. Nonetheless, a google search for lodging on Moloka’i will yield a bevy of guesthouses, vacation condo rentals and one hotel. Included in this list is the Hale Malu guesthouse. This guesthouse was the least expensive of any accommodation I was able to find and it boasts that “It overlooks the surf crashing against the Moomomi sea cliffs” and has “…spectacular forest and ocean views”
As you can see from the picture, the view may not be exactly as described.
The guesthouse itself isn’t so bad and is in fact a bargain compared to other lodging options on Moloka’i. To access the “private” guesthouse you must go through the main house. There are also two rooms in the main house that rent for less than the private cottage. The main house has a kitchen, living room and library which guests are welcome to use. There is also a campground on the property which was incorporated into the grounds in preparation for Father Damien’s sainthood.
The hosts/owners have lived on the island for many years and love the place they live. They are very sweet and seem to want to do their level best to make the stay of their guests an enjoyable one. If you’re looking for accommodation where you can spend your days lounging around the room this probably isn’t the best choice for you as it is in a residential area and all of the residential noise can be heard from the cottage as well as rural type noises (roosters crowing from 4A.M. until..late at night). If you aren’t comfortable with staying in hostels and/or guesthouses this probably isn’t the best introduction into that world but if you requirements are basic and you don’t want to pay hotel rates ($180/night) you might want to look into the Hale Malu guesthouse on Moloka’i.
