Stay here! The location is a little off the beaten path, but let's be honest, you'll be driving the Road to Hana anyway (If you are looking to do the back half of the Road to Hana, this location is great for an early start going counter-clockwise [stop at Grandma's Coffee House]).
The drive to Kahului, Lower Paia, Kihei, and the vistas on the way are all worth it. Please, stay here and enjoy the retreat. My fiancé and I stayed here for four nights on the first half of a trip to Maui with my parents before their arrival, and if we could have stayed here the whole time, we both agree we would have.
Lori was kind, communicative, tidy, and made us feel like we were family. Our pantry was stocked, the grill was always ready for us to use when we made breakfast in the cool morning breeze, the cozy space was spruced up when we left in a hurry in the mornings to explore Kula and Keokea and the rest of Maui. At the higher altitude, mornings & evenings are comfortably cool, allowing you to keep your windows open and enjoy a breeze, no air conditioning required (November visit).
The upcountry areas are rich with history, people, culture, and explorable areas. Pukalani, Makawao, and Paia all provided unique places to discover outside of the well-traversed Kihei. While we were here, we found several locations for Live Music (all genres), creative spaces & studios, distilleries & wineries, local theatre, & lesser social-media'd but still incredible food.
Thank you again, Lori!