Hotel Molokai is the only hotel on the entire island of Molokai. When looking into visiting Molokai there is not a lot of information or Hotel Molokai Reviews out there. Hopefully this Review of Hotel Molokai can help clarify what visiting Molokai is really like. It’s not a popular destination and that’s pretty much by design, Molokai is not a tourist destination and the residents like the piece and quiet. Molokai is very rural, there’s not even a single stop light on the whole island.
When looking for a place to stay, I didn’t want to use AirBnB or a condo rental. In places like Molokai, vacation rental houses can drive up the housing costs for local residents. Hotel Molokai is locally owned and staffed, it’s also right on the water with a lovely pool area. What’s not to love about that.
Let’s get into Hotel Moloaki.
In This Trip
Hotel Molokai Location
Hotel Molokai is located on the south side of the island. Just outside of Kaunakakai which is pretty much the only town on the island. Hotel Molokai is on Kamehameha V Hwy, the main road that runs from the center of the island all the way to the most eastern point.
Hotel Molokai Lobby and Check In
We arrived to Hotel Molokai and parked out front. I love the 1960s vibe from the architecture of the lobby and other hotel buildings. Just seems so old school Hawaii to me.
The lobby is another outdoor area that had a little shop along with decorations for Halloween.
The check in desk was on the left hand side. We quickly checked in and were given our keys and directions to our room. There was a closer parking area that we could use.
Hotel Molokai Rooms
This building was where our room was. We’re on the top floor on the right hand side.
In our king sized room here at Hotel Molokai. This isn’t a huge room but is perfectly acceptable for two people. The only downside was there was a lack of outlets next to the bed. There were some on the left side, but not the right.
There is a desk with a chair, coffee maker, and lamp. Didn’t use the desk for work, just prepping for the days.
Nice large TV. There’s also a DVD player.
Near the door is also a fridge and microwave. We used the fridge to keep drinks and leftovers cold. Always pre chill anything that’s going into a cooler and always bring a cooler to Hawaii.
These are air conditioned rooms, but it’s not anything fancy just a wall unit. It was just fine at keeping this small room at a pleasant temperature.
Nothing fancy for controls here, we found it comfortable at a setting of 5.5 with the fan on low for overnight. During the daytime we weren’t in the room so just set it to a higher temperature to save energy.
These high vaulted ceilings and windows look great, but there’s no blinds so in the morning there’s a good amount of sun that gets let in. So if you want to sleep in, maybe bring an eye mask.
Hotel Molokai Bathrooms
The bathrooms at Hotel Molokai are nothing fancy, but it was very clean with all the amenities that you would expect.
Perfectly serviceable but don’t expect wall to wall marble. Another thing to note is the bathroom isn’t air conditioned, just uses a window to have a nice breeze. I really liked it, the weather in Hawaii is great for this type of thing.
Hotel Molokai Room View
This is the reason for booking Hotel Molokai. Look at that view just amazing to wake up and look out and see Lanai in the distance from our balcony.
A nice little table and chairs were outside for us to enjoy. We had our breakfasts out here in the mornings and enjoyed our evenings here as well. The view could not be beat.
Hotel Molokai Pool and Public Areas
We only spent a few hours here at the Hotel Molokai pool, but again, look at that view. That’s Lanai in the background!
The grounds of Hotel Molokai are impeccably maintained with great flowers and plants. There are not any indoor public areas at the hotel, it’s all outdoors and wonderful.
I love the uniqueness of the plants and trees here in Hawaii.
There were plenty of chairs and tables around the grounds. We sat by the pool for a few hours before dinner one afternoon.
There were also waterside hammocks that we saw several people making use of. I’m not a huge fan of hammocks, I prefer lounge chairs, and there were plenty of those too.
There was an ice machine that was great for filling the cooler. This was a real ice machine too with a scoop and everything.
Hotel Molokai Hiro’s Ohana Grill
The Hotel Molokai is home to one of the few restaurants on the Molokai. It’s such a nice place though, they had live music and super great food and staff.
Great drinks by the pool while enjoying the sunset. This place is pretty popular in the evenings and we were lucky to get a table, reservations are recommended, but for reasons I won’t digress into, I refuse to make reservations for meals.
Final Thoughts
Hotel Molokai is a great hotel. It’s also the only hotel on Molokai but that’s ok. The rooms were clean and comfortable with all the needed amenities. There’s nothing fancy here, but that’s ok, it’s Molokai. The views from the room and pool are incredible some of the best I’ve ever seen. At night it’s especially incredible as there’s very little light pollution.
The hotel grounds and pool area are classic 1960s hotel. I loved every second of it. Hiro’s Ohana Grill was excellent food and great entertainment. My kalbi beef, in particular, was one of my favorite meals during our trip.
All in, I love Hotel Molokai. It’s cute and old-school, just what I was wanting. Molokai isn’t a tourist destination and Hotel Molokai isn’t a resort. I’m glad for both things and would gladly stay here again.