Great Condo

Guest: Mike (Corvallis, OR)
Date of Stay: 04/22/11 Review Submitted: 05/09/11

The first thing we noticed when we walked in was the large size of the condo. Also immediately impressive is how bright and cheery it is. The corner unit with windows on the south and west side makes for some fantastic light throughout the space. The condo was spotless and looked newly painted and remodeled with comfortable new furniture. The layout is spacious with a separate bedroom, fairly open to the living area with large sliding doors. The kitchen is separate from the living area and is well equipped with everything you need. We enjoyed many meals in the condo. With the windows and lanai door open there is great ventilation throughout the unit. The area is quiet enough to sleep with everything open and we never needed to use the A/C. The Waikiki Banyan is in an excellent location at the Diamond Head end of Waikiki. Kapiolani Park, with all sorts of interesting activities and functions is only a short walk away, as is Queen's Beach, a good swimming, surfing and beginning snorkeling beach. The zoo and Aquarium are also just a short walk away. The building also has a very nice recreation deck on the 6th floor with a swimming pool, hot tub, putting green, BBQ area, tennis court and a snack shop that serves some interesting looking dishes, although we didn't try any. The ground floor has a small convenience store that has a surprisingly varied selection, including the cheapest beer we could find in Waikiki. There is also a small cafe with a variety of snacks. It also has wifi and a couple of computers and a printer. We printed our boarding passes there. We had marginal wifi in the condo from Shakanet, a free ISP. A couple of choices of paid wifi are available. The condo has a free inside parking available, which is not that common in Waikiki. We didn't have a car but used the bus extensively. The bus system is one of the best in the world and there are bus stops within a block or two where you can catch a bus to almost anywhere on Oahu for a nominal fee ($1 per ride or $5 per month if you're over 64, $2.50 per ride otherwise). All-in-all, this is a great condo and the best floor plan in a splendid building. We recommend this building and particularly this unit for an exceptional vacation in Hawaii.

Recommended for:Tourists without a car, age 55+, families with young children.

Wonderful Unit

Guest: Bill (Vancouver BC)
Date of Stay: 03/09/11 Review Submitted: 04/20/11

I have stayed at the Waikiki Banyan many times in many different condos and this was by far the largest and best equipped of those in which I stayed. The place was spotless when I arrived and, though I didn't need them, there were extra blankets, sheets and towels. The kitchen is very well stocked with cutlery, crockery and utensils for cooking. The unit faces west so it did not become too hot and I rarely had need of the air conditioning. The huge bed is comfortable and there is plenty of closet space. The owners called me to see if all was as it should be, a courtesy I very much appreciated and I would recommend this unit to anyone and shall stay here again if it is available on my next visit to Hawai'i.

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Great beach unit!!

Guest: George (California)
Date of Stay: 02/03/11 Review Submitted: 04/10/11

Thank you for renting us your great beach unit. My girlfriend and I spent every day surfing or snorkeling in front of the unit. It really was a comfortable unit and the remodeled unit was 10 times better than 2 of the older units we stayed in. Very clean and everything you need in the kitchen. We will be back next year! Aloha-The Greeensheilds

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, adventure seekers, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers.

Great views, luxury accomodations!!

Guest: Bird (California)
Date of Stay: 01/01/11 Review Submitted: 04/08/11

Thank you for renting your amazing condo to last month. Our stay was perfect. We the luxurious accomodations, great pool and BBQ area and being able to see the surfers and beach goers at Waikiki beach. The family did not want to leave. Aloha-The Tollivers

Recommended for:Tourists without a car, sightseeing, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers.

Awesome unit and location

Guest: Jer (LA)
Date of Stay: 12/14/09 Review Submitted: 04/06/11

My family and I stay in unit for 3 weeks and loved the ameneities, location and unit itself. Everything was brand new and clean. The BBQ area and pools were also and everyone was so nice. We would definitely stay in this unit again and would reccomend it.

Recommended for:Age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers.

Very dissatisfied, March 2010

Guest: Ms. Lead (Denver, Colorado)
Date of Stay: 03/22/10 Review Submitted: 04/21/10

After reading the write-up on this property we were expecting to see a “recently updated and remodeled throughout” condo with “full kitchen” and “washer & dryer”. All of these items are listed under the “Vacation Rental Features”. When we opened the door for the first time, we quickly realized this unit had not been “recently updated and remodeled”. You could immediately see the carpet has a ripple in it and the sofa was well used. Both were soiled and in need of replacement. Walking back to the bathroom area made us want to leave and book another place to spend our vacation. We would have if we wouldn’t have already pre-paid for this unit. We found one-half of a roll of TP. Really? Is it too much to ask that TP be provided? The bathroom had mold & mildew in the grout/caulk lines of the shower, on the shower curtain, and around the sink. The property listed the capability of sleeping 4 to 6. That being the case, we’d expect it to be well stocked with fresh towels and washcloths. They too were disgusting- musty smelling and the 4 washcloths which were provided were stained. Since this unit doesn’t have maid service, we went to Costco and purchased new wash cloths for the unit. The washer & dryer were coin operated and located across the hall for the entire 15th floor to share. Although the unit’s contract requested the users start a load of laundry before vacating, we couldn’t do that since the washer was not exclusive to the unit. The pillows were flat and hard. Our son slept on an air mattress that we brought along. We found an extra sheet, but no blankets. The contract we signed mentioned that “dishes would need to be placed in the dishwasher and ran before we depart”. What dishwasher? Although we were on the corner of the building and on the 15th floor, we were awoken by the street traffic every morning. Our windows were closed and the air conditioning was running but you couldn’t tell. Except for the issues mentioned above, this property is basically as listed. The pictures are very accurate. We did receive a full return of our security deposit, after I called to inquire about it. It was suppose to be within 14-days but it was more like 3 weeks. We would stay at the Waikiki Banyan again, just not this unit!

Owner response:In 7 years of operating this vacation rental, this is the ONLY bad review of our beautiful upgraded unit. Please look at the pictures. This guest was not speaking honestly and has hurt this rental due to her review because she felt like she overpaid, therefore submitting a review about the unit with untrue comments. Unit has had a complete $40,000 remodel (December 2010) with high end materials, new carpet, new furniture. We, as owners, always have cleaners give ample linens, and an adequate supply of toilet paper and paper towels. Please disregard this review as this lady was only causing problems because she wanted a discount after she occupied unit. She called me and said that she found other units for 1/3 as much, which was untrue even for not comparable units condition or view. Please feel free to call us as owners or email to view unit or get honest information about unit. Aloha and Mahalo!!

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