Hotel prices are for two people in a standard double room in high season, including tax and service.

Maui has the highest percentage of upscale hotel rooms and the highest average accommodation cost of any Hawaiian island. The quality level -- and the opulence quotient -- is way up there, making this one of the best places in the world to indulge in a first-class resort vacation. Maui also has the state's highest concentration of condominium units; many are oceanfront and offer the amenities of a hotel suite without the cost.

The county officially sanctions relatively few B&Bs, not wanting to siphon business from the hotels. However, many alternative accommodations offer seclusion and a countryside experience, especially Upcountry and in Hana. Most of these are better described as guest cottages -- or guest houses -- that skip the breakfast part of B&B and offer instead provisions and privacy. Rates for most B&Bs range from $40 to as much as $150 per night.