My Favorite Vacation Condo

Guest: JJJJJCA (Irvine, Ca, USA)
Date of Stay: 08/16/11 Review Submitted: 09/12/11

I am a retired professional and make four or five trips to Waikiki a year. I have stayed at many of the vacation rentals at the Banyan and the other condo units. This is my second stay at this unit and I have already booked three more stays. This is a corner unit (more windows) with a very very nice direct ocean view from all the rooms. The owners are very friendly and very focused on their customers. They use a responsive and reliable local manager who is available by phone most any time during your stay. Local managers are important! The unit is clean and well equipped (best flat panel TV at the Banyan + bonus TV in bedroom). The unit is very "uncluttered." All of the bedroom drawers and most of the closet are available if you want to completely unpack.

Owner response:John We sure enjoyed meeting you & putting the face with the man that stays in our Condo more than us We really love that you enjoy it so much We really appreciate your business Jeff & Lisa

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, girls getaway, sightseeing, families with young children, people with disabilities, romantic getaway, age 55+, families with teenagers, tourists without a car.

Fantastic

Guest: Loves Hawaii (Sydney, Australia)
Date of Stay: 05/19/10 Review Submitted: 06/07/10

Hi Lisa, I would just like to say that me and my family loved the Waikiki Banyan. The condominium was exactly as described and we loved waking up to the beautiful views of the beach every morning. The Waikiki Banyan was very clean and well looked after and we felt like we were staying at a 5 star resort. The tour guide Bre-Ann was excellent and was responsible for making our stay at Hawaii a memorable one. My kids enjoyed going to the pool and catching the trolleys around the corner. We would definitely come back here. Thanks Lisa.

Owner response:WE are so Happy you enjoyed your stay.. The Waikiki Banyon is so Beautiful & great location If I do not say my self ,we do have one of the BEST OCEAN VIEWS!!! Lisa

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, girls getaway, sightseeing, families with young children, people with disabilities, romantic getaway, age 55+, families with teenagers, tourists without a car.

I would stay here again and again.....better than a hotel.

Guest: edenz (san francisco, california)
Date of Stay: 04/05/10 Review Submitted: 04/14/10

We were a party of 6 and the accommodations were perfect. All the pictures in this ad are exact and even better when you are there. I say that because sometimes postings only show you the nice angles and it's the angles not shown that worry you, which was our concern before we arrived. We had children 15,14,13 and 9 and they really enjoyed the rec area with swimming and playground. It's a hop and a skip to the beach. Saved some money on food making meals 3 nights out of 7 including grilling by the pool area. There is a snack bar by the pool with a great variety of choices and an internet cafe. This complex is a mix of condo and hotel and I would never recommend you stay in the hotel. We had to check in for one night of our stay because the day we wanted was already reserved for another party and hotel room was horrible. This isn't a review of the hotel but I mention that because on a scale of 1 to 10 in terms of staying in this condo and the hotel...I would give the condo a 10 and give the hotel a 1. The condo was also cheaper in price and your parking is included which with the hotel you pay $10.00 a day. Lisa was excellent with any questions we had about her condo. Hawaii is a great vacation spot but was even better because we really enjoyed our stay at the condo and all the amenities and feel of home it provided.

Owner response:Yes, I have to agree much better than a Hotel.. I am glad that it was just as I said, sounds like the kids had a great time Hope you can all return soon Jeff & Lisa

Recommended for:Families with young children, people with disabilities, romantic getaway, age 55+, families with teenagers, tourists without a car.

Guest: Kika34 (Torrance,CA)
Date of Stay: 07/03/09 Review Submitted: 07/03/09

My 3 kids and I attended a wedding June 27, 2009 for my cousin. They live near Diamond Head, and the reception was at the Royal Hawaiian. The Waikiki Banyan is centrally located with easy access to everything. We walked to the wedding reception. Unfortuantely my wife could not go with us, but even if she had, this condo would have been comfortable for 5 of us with no problem. The rooms are quite large and comfortable. I have never been able to sleep in a pullout sofa, but I must say, the pullout in this unit is the first one that I have been comfortable on. Waikiki beach is a very short walk, my kids rented surfboards and had the time of their lives. There are tons of activities close by. We have stayed in Waikiki several times previously, once right next to the International Market Place, which was extremely noisey. The Banyan is locate away from the noise, but is only a 10 minute walk to the center of Waikiki. I am so impressed and pleased with the Waikiki Banyan that I have contacted an agent to purchase my own unit. In the event that I don't, I will definitely contact Lisa the next time I travel to Honolulu. Mahalo.

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Guest: ArcticAndy (Anchorage, Alaska)
Date of Stay: 02/08/09 Review Submitted: 02/08/09

With a family of five, we were tired of cramming into small hotel rooms. For the same price we were delighted with our stay from 1/22/09 thru 2/1/09 in your great, corner unit, ocean view, air conditioned condo. About 3 times the size of a normal hotel room with lots more extras. With TVs in both the bedroom and the living room and a DVD library for all ages with plenty of new releases, the kids were thrilled! Big kitchen with loads of spices, condiments, etc. The parking pass saved us well over a hundred dollars in regular hotel parking fees. Every morning I sat on the lania with my coffee watching the surfers and boats before heading down to swim ourselves. Waikiki Beach was only two blocks away. The condo pool, two hot tubs, and sauna were fabulous. In the same area is a tennis court, basketball, mini-golf, playground and BBQ area. The Honolulu Zoo was great, its a 5 minute walk away. My 8 year old twins and I hiked up to the top of Diamond Head Crater and could see the entire south shore of Oahu. My teenager and I rented surf boards daily and we found a great snorkel spot right off Waikiki Beach. In the evening there is plenty to do in Waikiki. My wife loved to watch the dozens of street preformers, (musicians, magicians, artists, mimes, fortune tellers, etc). The twins liked eating in a different restaurant every evening just blocks from the condo. My teenager loved the shopping. My favorite in the evening was watching the sunset with a cold beer down the beach and walking back barefoot in the sand. After a long Alaskan winter this vacation was perfect!!! We will definately book your condo next year!!! Thanks, Andy Mullen

Owner response:Mullen Family I am so glad you enjoyed your stay in Waikiki& the condo fit your family needs You have such a beautiful family. I am sure it was a nice break from the cold weather & the Fire House.Thank You for all you do as Fire Fighter I hope you can make back next year Jeff & Lisa

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Guest: Kelly Liddle (-)
Date of Stay: 09/25/08 Review Submitted: 09/25/08

The condo was a perfect setting for our Waikiki stay. Having 5 in the family made it difficult to find affordable accomodation, but we found it at the Banyan. Our unit was very comfortable and had a great view of the beach. We were within walking distance of most attractions. It was also handy having condiments in the cupboards. I wouldn't hestitate in staying there again!

Owner response:Kelly I so glad your family enjoyed the condo I hope you will be back soon Lisa

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Guest: Family from Oz (Palm Beach Queensland Australia)
Date of Stay: 07/03/08 Review Submitted: 07/03/08

"THE HOLIDAY DREAMS ARE MADE OF" Your condo was just the most perfect starting point to our Hawaii holiday. From the moment we walked in we were blown away with how fantastic it was. The view was awesome and everything about the condo was just as you described and how it looked in photos. It was very clean and well maintained. We just loved having the snorkelling gear, boogie boards and beach umbrella and everything else that you just don't get when you rent from a hotel. The kitchen was awesome, stocked with heaps of stuff, so handy to have salt & pepper and all those kinds of pantry items. Found everything we needed in the kitchen. The blender came in very handy for whipping up cocktails to enjoy on the lanai! It was also very spacious, and the five of us had plenty of room to sprawl about. The sofa bed was extremely comfortable. The Waikiki Banyan was in the perfect location. We enjoyed the pool and spa and the kids had fun playing mini golf and basketball. We did so much while we were there. Obviously lots of time at the beach. Great surf and safe beach just out in front. We spent the day at the zoo. That was heaps of fun, the kids loved seeing animals they had never seen before. Went to Pearl Harbour and shopping at Waikele. Watched a movie on the beach and ate out at some lovely restaurants. I would certainly choose your condo over a hotel/resort anyday! Going from the condo to a hotel, we really missed all the extra comforts. Lisa was extremely helpful and friendly and answered all our questions very promptly. Everything was just perfect and wouldn't change a thing except maybe to book for longer next time! We will rave to everyone who asks about Hawaii and certainly recommend your condo to anyone who plans to visit. We would go back in an instant if it was possible! It really is Heaven on Earth!

Owner response:I am so glad you made use of all the things the condo has to offer, I so glad we keep in touch

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Guest: paj (Prince Albert)
Date of Stay: 03/02/08 Review Submitted: 03/02/08

Because this was our first family vacation together we wanted everything to go well incl. good accommodations. It was better than good it was great as we were close to many attractions, shopping, restaurants, and close to beach. At first I was a bit sceptical about booking on-line as you don't know what you're getting into and just wanted a place that was clean and wasn't crawling with cockroaches after hearing some horror stories. The condo was clean and didn't see one cockroach while we were there. We had a car rental for the week as we did alot of sightseeing on our own. If you are going to rent a car during your visit this is a very busy city and the major highways are 4-6 lanes at times and signs were not made for the average tourist but rather the locals. However, getting back to the condo, a parking pass did come with it during our stay. We loved the view of the ocean as well the recreation deck which was clearly visible. We didn't spend alot of time in the condo but at the end of the day our boys would come back and use the basketball court. One little thing was waiting for elevators and found that sometimes during the day it could get quite busy and we would have a bit of wait. There are four elevators and one was not in working order, and had they all been working we probably wouldn't have had to wait. Glad we were on the lower floor and not up higher up. Not to forget to mention the convenience of having a laundry area on each floor. All in all we had a great vacation and can honestly say that it was better than we expected.

Owner response:Thanks for the great response

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Guest: pathless (Cananda)
Date of Stay: 11/13/07 Review Submitted: 11/13/07

Had a wonderful time at the condo(Nov.2007). Our family of 4 found everything that we needed, including a great kitchen set-up, comfy beds, lots of beach toys (beach mats, air mattresses, beach chairs and towels) and a great lanai with an ocean view! The free parking was a bonus as was the two TV/DVD's in the unit. We'll be back and will recommend it to friends. Thanks for a great visit. The Richards family, Canada

Owner response:I am so glad we could help your family build memories in Waikiki

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Guest: Anne (Roseville Ca 95747)
Date of Stay: 10/24/07 Review Submitted: 10/24/07

Lisa, We would like to let you know we're really enjoy in your apartment during our trip. I know it will not a last time I will contact you because I will contact you every time if we will stay in Honolulu. also, I will also let our friends and family know when they need to stay in Honolulu. Your apartment have everything that what we need and it is super clean and convenience. Please keep in touch if you have another property in Hawaii because you will be the first person that we will contact. Mahalo...... anne

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