Maui Vacation Advisors

What Maui Vacation Advisors does

Maui Vacation Advisors is a privately held, direct-to-consumer vacation rental advisory firm headquartered in Paia, Maui, Hawaii. Founded in the early 1990s by Cary Ritt, the company has operated for over 30 years curating and managing a portfolio of vacation rental properties across Maui's northshore (Paia, Sprecklesville, Haiku) and southshore (Wailea, Kihei, Makena). The inventory spans budget cottages, condos, private homes, villas, and luxury estates with nightly rates ranging from approximately $175 to $1,500+, and includes a specialty cohort of windsurfing and kiteboarding-access properties in Sprecklesville. The firm functions as a boutique booking agent and property curator rather than a technology platform — distribution is entirely direct-to-consumer through the MauiVacationAdvisors.com website, a 1-800 phone line (1-800-736-MAUI), and email inquiries, with no third-party booking platform, mobile app, or public API.

The revenue model is commission-based: property owners pay Maui Vacation Advisors for booking guests, allowing the firm to advertise that guests "won't pay a dime more" beyond published nightly rates plus Hawaii's 18.712% state hotel and accommodations tax. Pricing tiers span budget cottages ($175-$250/night), mid-range condos and homes ($300-$450/night), premium properties ($500-$750/night), and luxury estates ($800-$1,200/night and up to $1,500+/night for top-end stock such as Makani Akau), with windsurf-access properties typically $525-$1,000/night. Customer segments include families and sports enthusiasts as primary personas and couples and independent travelers as secondary segments; testimonials indicate inbound demand spanning the U.S. (NY, CA), Canada (BC, AB), and Europe (Germany).

The team is small — described as a "small team" with at least two named active advisors (Ke'ala Storm and Jymmie-Ann Asuncion) and founder Cary Ritt honored posthumously — supporting a high-touch, advisory-driven operating model anchored on local expertise rather than scale. Marketing relies on word-of-mouth referrals, a content-rich website with property listings and area guides, dedicated activity pages (windsurfing, cycling, paddling), and a cross-promotional partnership with Alamo Rental Cars. The source material shows no evidence of external investment, technology platform development, M&A activity, or geographic expansion beyond Maui.

Name

Maui Vacation Advisors

Legal name

Maui Vacation Advisors

Website

https://mauivacationadvisors.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Maui Vacation Advisors is a boutique Maui-based vacation rental advisory firm curating cottages, condos, villas, and estates for worldwide leisure travelers. Operating 30+ years, it provides personalized booking via phone, email, and website using a commission-paid-by-owners model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Haiku

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Vacation Rental Commission: Commission-based model where property owners pay Maui Vacation Advisors for booking guests. The company states 'you won't pay a dime more since property owners pay our commission.'

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Maui Vacation Advisors is a Maui-based vacation rental advisory and booking service that curates a portfolio of condos, villas, estates, cottages, and bungalows across Maui's northshore and southshore. The company provides personalized consultation to match individual travelers with personally vetted vacation rental properties, leveraging over 30 years of local expertise. Guests do not pay a premium for the advisory service; the commission is paid by property owners when bookings are made through the company.

Product overview

Maui Vacation Advisors is a vacation rental management company offering a curated portfolio of rental properties across Maui, Hawaii. The company operates a multi-product portfolio organized into three main categories: Condo Vacation Accommodations (including the Makena Surf property), Estates and Villas (luxury oceanfront properties), and Cottage & Bungalow Vacation Rentals. Properties span Maui's northshore (Paia, Sprecklesville, Haiku) and southshore (Wailea, Kihei, Makena) regions. The service provides personalized vacation rental booking assistance with over 30 years of local expertise, featuring property search support, honest recommendations, and on-island advisory services. Individual products include specific named properties like Hale Ola, Makena Surf units, Coconut Cove properties, Nellie's Surf Bungalows, Sugar Cove, and Baby Beach Home, each with distinct bedroom configurations, amenities, and price points ranging from $425 to $1500 per night.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Condo Vacation Accommodations Condo rental properties across Maui's southshore including Wailea and Kihei areas, offering fully equipped units with kitchens, lanais, and ocean views. Targeted at travelers seeking condo-style accommodations.
• Estates and Villas Vacation Rentals Luxury oceanfront estate and villa properties offering private home rentals with premium amenities including pools, hot tubs, and direct beach access. Targeted at travelers seeking high-end vacation estates.
• Cottage and Bungalow Vacation Rentals Cottage and bungalow vacation rentals offering intimate accommodations in residential settings across Maui's northshore and southshore. Targeted at travelers seeking charming, smaller-scale lodging.
• Personalized Maui Vacation Consultation Personalized vacation rental advisory service with over 30 years of local expertise, offering curated property selection, honest recommendations, and on-island support for travelers seeking Maui accommodations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Saves guests hours or days of searching online

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Alamo Rental CarsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAlamo Rental Cars partnership offering 'great rates' for Maui Vacation Advisors clients. Cross-promotional arrangement where the vacation rental company refers car rental needs to Alamo.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Tropical Hawaii Vacations: Vacation rental management and advisory service operating in Hawaii. Comparable in offering concierge-style booking assistance for Maui travelers and competing for both owner management contracts and guest bookings.
• Maui Resort Rentals: Maui-based vacation rental management company offering condos, homes, and estates across the island. Directly competes with Maui Vacation Advisors for the same Wailea, Kihei, and northshore traveler and property-owner relationships.
• Hawaii Vacation Rentals: Direct-to-consumer vacation rental agency offering properties across the Hawaiian islands including Maui. Comparable in providing curated, advisor-assisted bookings similar to Maui Vacation Advisors' personalized consultation model.
• Beachfront Vacations Hawaii: Maui-focused vacation rental company specializing in beachfront properties. Overlaps with Maui Vacation Advisors' oceanfront and beachfront portfolio (Wailea, Sprecklesville) and serves the same family and luxury traveler segments.
• Coldwell Banker Island Vacations: Hawaii-focused vacation rental brand affiliated with Coldwell Banker, offering managed properties across Maui and other islands. Competes directly with Maui Vacation Advisors for both property owners seeking management and travelers seeking curated Maui stays.

Broad incumbents

• Airbnb: Global vacation rental marketplace with significant Maui inventory. Directly competes for the same leisure travelers Maui Vacation Advisors serves, but offers self-serve booking versus the company's personalized advisory approach.
• Vrbo (Expedia): Major online travel agency for vacation rentals, providing a global marketplace where Maui property owners can list and travelers can book short-term accommodations. Comparable as a distribution channel competing with Maui Vacation Advisors' direct-consultation model for the same guest demand pool.
• Evolve Vacation Rental: National vacation rental management company that partners with homeowners for short-term rental operations. Comparable in serving property owners with a hands-off management model and competing for the same Maui homeowner inventory.
• Vacasa: Large professional vacation rental management company operating across many U.S. destinations. Comparable in providing full-service property management for owners, though it lacks Maui Vacation Advisors' local-advisor specialization and consultative sales approach.

Others

• Quirkybnb / Hawaii之家: Broader vacation rental aggregators (e.g., Booking.com) where Maui properties are listed. Adjacent comparison point for how travelers discover and book Maui short-term rentals versus the company's offline advisory channel.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses3 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/mauiadvisors
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/maui-vacation-advisors

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Maui Vacation Advisors