Why we love it: This entire historic, private estate is now yours to enjoy in complete seclusion and Hawaiian luxury
The Highlights:
- Estate sleeps 18 guests in 9 suites, a commodious Master Suite features ocean views
- Not a hotel but an estate, a guest rents the entire 20-acre estate of fruit and coconut trees, and mature Arboretum specimens
- Perfect location for vacation stays, corporate retreats, and families hosting a wedding elsewhere on Maui
The Review: Haiku House is a rare gem in Maui, Hawaii. This privately-owned, immaculately restored, historic, spacious home is yours to relax in, away from the tourists, yet close enough to enjoy all of the sights, natural beauty, and the beaches of Maui. If you wish, a professional concierge and experience planner will cater to your every whim. They can arrange excursions via Blue Hawaiian helicopter to site-see, chefs to cook a private dinner or barbecue at the estate, wine-tasting at Maui Wine on Maui’s only AVA, snorkel and sunset catamaran sails, en-suite massage and spa treatments, floral designers to fill the home with inspired bouquets, private car service and tours, caterers, personal photography and videography, Hawaiian musicians and entertainers, and cultural practitioners sharing Hawaiian experiences, can all be arranged through Haiku House.
The gracious plantation era home built in 1860 sits on a hill on part of the land parcel deeded by his majesty King Kamehameha III in 1849 to Reverend Richard Armstrong. It has passed through the hands of several owners through the years, most notably the co-founder of Alexander & Baldwin, Henry P. Baldwin, when it was known as the Baldwin Estate. It is now owned by the Chan family. Arriving at the gated entrance in Haiku and proceeding up the drive lined with stately Royal Palms, time and cares seem to slip away the closer you get to the porte cochere. The large white house is rimmed with white balustrades and a painted “plantation green” wrap-around lanai with graceful rocking chairs. The wide entry door opens to the grand hall with an immense display of fresh tropical flowers in the center of an exquisite Koa wood table. Following local custom, you remove your shoes and are greeted by the estate manager with fresh lei, a cooling sip of something, and are shown to your suites.
The interior redesign was done by The Vanguard Theory. You’ll soon notice that the tasteful and restrained palette of grey, beige and blue in your room is anchored by modern furnishings with simple lines, reflecting today’s aesthetic expectations but meshing seamlessly with the original architecture. In the screened lanai and bar, kitchen, living room with wet bar, study, and the dining room, the decor complements and enhances the original built-ins and layout of the home. Elegant, original Koa wood floors throughout the house, glow as new. Period pieces and important antiques add historical depth and tell the story of Haiku House; like the curvilinear, antique Koa bench in the entry hall, and the oil paintings of Haiku, Haleakala, and “upcountry” Maui. Objects of Hawaiiana like an ukulele, shell leis, and a model of a schooner that plied the Pacific are dotted about; finding these items and taking time to ponder the historical impact on Hawaii is akin to a grown-up treasure hunt. One precious treasure, framed and hung in the screened lanai is a typewritten letter from the Princess Abigail David Kawananakoa of Hawaii asking the Secretary of the Navy to consider naming a US battleship “Hawaii” in 1916. There is a great flow from inside the house to the grounds as all main floor rooms open to the outside. This is an intentional way of taking full advantage of the Hawaiian trade winds to cool the house, but for very still days you may wish to use the air conditioning. Zonal lighting and sound system can be controlled from each communal room.
But there is more. In addition to the grand house, there is a huge multi-story tree house; on-site estate manager; a fire pit for enjoying a cocktail and re-capping your day’s adventure; a full-sized heated pool with ocean view; a citrus orchard and coconut grove; and a large deck under the trees for yoga classes or dining experiences. But the living, breathing, soul of the estate are the centuries-old arboretum specimens everywhere; so be sure to take an uplifting, evening walk down the lighted paths under a silvery Maui moon.
