Power outage shutters hotels outside Lahaina
Almost half the hotel rooms on Maui are shut down for at least two weeks because of power outages related to wildfires that destroyed two Lahaina hotels, razed a historic commercial power center and continue to take a staggering human toll.
Prior to the wildfires, the Lahaina-Ka‘anapali-Napili- Kapalua region had the most hotel units of any area of Maui. Its 3,552 hotel units spread across 10 hotels comprised about 48% of the 7,372 hotel units on the Valley Isle, according to the latest Visitor Plant Inventory report from the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism.
The wildfires obliterated the 34-room Best Western Pioneer Inn, which was built in 1901 by George Alan Freeland and was one of nine buildings that constitute the Lahaina Historic District. Also destroyed was The Plantation Inn, an 18-room bed-and-breakfast style hotel, which housed Gerard’s Restaurant. Outrigger Hospitality Group had only purchased the property last month.
