Lumeria Maui Retreat is a yoga and wellness hotel in Makawao, Maui. It’s location in the upcountry of Maui allows for a perfect serene getaway for peaceful contemplation. The hotel features eight acres of quiet, tranquil grounds including a pool and, my personal favorite—hammock garden. I spent a lovely afternoon there reading a book in the light of the setting sun, a gentle breeze rocking me to sleep.

The Lumeria has a very unique #hipstorical heritage. Built in 1910, it is the oldest wooden structure on Maui. It was designed by Honolulu architect H.R. Kerr and built as the Fred C. Baldwin Memorial home by a local sugar cane family. Emily and Henry Baldwin built the home to house retired plantation workers and named it in honor of their son Fred who died at the age of 24 from appendicitis.

During WWII, retired residents were moved to the Pioneer Inn in Lahaina, and the property was used as a military hospital. When the home closed during WWII, the Fred Baldwin Memorial Foundation became a charitable grant foundation to support programs throughout the island of Maui.

Since then, the property has served as a dormitory for the nearby Maunaolu Women’s College and was owned by Maui Land + Pineapple Company to house summer workers in the 80s and 90s.

Lumeria has the details down—from leaving out televisions in the rooms to adding in rosemary mint Aveda soaps in the stone-floored showers. I loved exploring the quiet property and finding nooks where I could read and enjoy the sunshine.

The seven original buildings house 24 rooms with simplistic décor. Our adorable twin beds and the seven separate buildings almost made me feel like I was a kid at sleepaway summer camp—a rustic yet luxurious summer camp.

Lumeria offers daily classes– like meditation, yoga, Hawaiian heritage, and ecology– and spa treatments and healing sessions for total relaxation. Try a Lomi Lomi Hawaiian massage or a lava sea salt exfoliation to connect with the culture and nature of Maui.

Enjoy organic breakfasts, garden-to-table lunches, and communal dinners each evening at 6:30 at the Wooden Crate (the hotel’s kitchen). Their menu is constantly changing based on what’s fresh, but when we were there the chef was grilling up the fresh fish of the day with basil and lime and garden vegetables in a coconut curry sauce. Or head over to the Haliimaile General Store nearby for lunch or dinner—another Hipstorical landmark in Maui.

There is a calming energy that permeates the Lumeria retreat, and although we were only passing through for a one-night visit, we left feeling relaxed and reenergized for the rest of our week in Maui ahead.

Suggestions for more hipstorical places in Hawaii? Email me and help me build my archives!