Amazing Sand Beach, Best On The Island!

Guest: Sun Seaker (British Columbia, Canada)
Date of Stay: 08/21/11 Review Submitted: 09/17/11

Our family of four stayed in the Cabana for two weeks. This unit is on the top floor and has a breath taking views in all directions. We watched surfers on the waves, dolphins jumping in the bay and turtles swimming along the shore daily. Watching the sunset never got tiring! The beach is almost private. Our family enjoyed swimming with the turtles, playing in the waves, snorkeling in the bay and relaxing on the beach while the kids built sand castles. I was told by more than one local that we picked the best beach on the island to vacation at. The sand was amazingly soft. During our two week stay we visited many other beaches on the island and always said that our beach was the best! A lot of the Cabana’s are owned by locals, who are very friendly. The security guards are also friendly and helpful. We felt safe and well cared for during our stay. The Cabana was clean and well stocked with anything that you could ever need on a vacation. The trade winds blew through the cabana daily, keeping the air inside cool and fresh. We made good use of the free high speed internet (it did go out for a few days). Cindy & Nels are very helpful and easy to deal with. I highly recommend staying in this cabana! I would suggest bringing a few rolls of quarters for the washer/dryer on the main floor. It cost $1.50 to wash a load and $1.00 to dry.

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

wouldn't recommend

Guest: AK gal (Soldotna, AK)
Date of Stay: 11/20/11 Review Submitted: 12/09/11

There is no air conditioning, only 1 little electic fan. It isn't a place to take kids. The residents who stay there are not helpful nor friendly. There was no information for us when we got there. We were unaware of the policies, where the laundry was, where the garbage shoot was, and other general policies. etc. The beach was nice, but not good for kids who are non-swimmers there is a strong current. Having no air conditioning, it was neccessary to leave the bedroom window open at night, only to be overcome with the smell of pot. Our first night there we have cockroaches, and lots of little fruit fly creatues in all cracks. I wouldn't recommend this to anyone, friend, family or enemy.

Owner response:It’s heartbreaking to have a review like this. We have rented our unit to 100’s of guests & have never had a dissatisfied guest. We pride ourselves in our guest satisfaction; it is our focus & priority. Our 1st concern with these guests was a call asking us how to lock the deadbolt from the inside, to keep their children locked in because they were “escaping”. Our reply was the deadbolt opens on the inside as a safety feature. Our concern was why they were not managing their children. The 2nd call from these guests was about a letter that was slid under the door to them. This stated that their children were running up and down the walkways, disturbing other residents and that the guests were dumping their garbage in the wastebasket by the elevators. There is a trash shoot for garbage on the floor, and 2 dumpsters in the parking lot. Other complaints from the guest said that we do not have AC. We never stated that we have AC, nor is it needed in the unit because the sea breezes keep the unit very comfortable. We have 2 fans for our guests if they like. The residents in the Cabanas are very friendly as shown in our other reviews. These guests were unusually offensive to the other residents. They complain of roaches; I have never seen one in the unit in 4 1/2 years. Fruit flies are not common either; however, both roaches & fruit flies follow food in from grocery markets & we have no control over that. The guests speak of strong currents; there are strong ocean currents around all the islands. Some areas, like Waikiki and Haleiwa have breakwaters to provide lake-like conditions. They do not exist anywhere else. The complaint about the smell of pot - I have never experienced smelling pot while there, nor have any other guests complained of the same. “Paka lolo” is common on the islands; it is part of the island lifestyle. We kept the guest’s damage deposit since the cleaning crew spent 2X their normal to clean the unit and a set of sheets & a blanket needed to be replaced from excessive stains. This depleted and cost more than the damage deposit collected from these guests. Also, this is the 1st time we have not issued a refund. Actions Taken: A book was placed in the unit giving more details for the residence, about trash shoots, laundry, etc. We are updating our listing to include a statement to say: If cleaning is excessive, it will be paid from the damage deposit. We are also listing strong ocean currents. Nels and Cindy Henrickson - Owners

Recommended for:

Truly enjoying

Guest: Mark (Parry Sound.Ontario)
Date of Stay: 01/17/11 Review Submitted: 03/27/11

We spent 46 days at the condo .excellent beach ,whales ,turtles and the sun,what more could one ask.The unit is on top floor,would't have it any other way,well prepared for your stay. Car maybe essential,we used local bus service to Waikiki and Ala Moana,just to see climpse of inside things,Owners,Cindy and Nels are more than helpful to assist in anything that might arrise in consern.Most of our cooking was done "home" but one can find fancy eateries with in 20-30 min.Golfing nearby with good restaurant. We'll keep this place in mind for the next trip to Makaha Mahalo Cindy & Nels

Recommended for:Girls getaway, age 55+.

Perfect for a quiet, relaxing holiday

Guest: ximinez (saskatoon, canada)
Date of Stay: 11/24/10 Review Submitted: 01/13/11

Thoroughly enjoyed ourselves staying at the Makaha Beach Cabanas. The amazing beach is right outside the door. We snorkled every day, the cove is great for swimming. If you like nightlife, don't stay in Makaha, but it's perfect for getting away from it all. Literally there were never more than 40 people on the beach at any time, plenty of room. You cant find that in Waikiki. A vehicle is obviously necessary. There aren't a lot of restaurants around but plenty of grocery stores. There's even a good Luau place at Ko Olina, so there's no real reason to stay in Honolulu if all you want is the beach. the condo had everything you could possibly need; beach chairs, utensils (though could use some better knives, or at least a sharpener), etc. The bed was a bit soft for our liking, so we slept on the futon. Plenty of sheets and towels available. Very nice place to stay for the price, wouldn't hesitate to return if staying on Oahu again. Thanks!

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, sightseeing, age 55+, families with young children.

Fantastic!

Guest: Julie (Arizona)
Date of Stay: 06/10/10 Review Submitted: 06/23/10

This is a beautiful condo and is just as described in the listing. We had a wonderful time snorkeling, exploring the area and just relaxing on the beach. Everyone we met locally was very friendly and helpful (especially the Paradise Isle rental shop). Nels and Cindy were very easy to work with and very helpful answering my questions. All in all, it was the perfect place for us to be in Hawaii.

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

Quiet Get-Away

Guest: Hank & Evelyn (Wisconsin)
Date of Stay: 04/28/10 Review Submitted: 06/02/10

We were very happy with our choice of the Cabana. It was much more to our liking than the Waikiki crowds. The beach was very nice and not crowded at all. The Cabana was also very well supplied with beach items and other misc. things that a person takes for granted. We loved sleeping with the ocean sound outside. Would definately recommend this place. Owners are eager to please their tenants.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, age 55+.

We enjoyed our stay.

Guest: Roger & Jaki (Vancouver B.C. Canada)
Date of Stay: 04/17/10 Review Submitted: 05/12/10

The description and photo's are very accurate. This was probably one of the best equipped condo's we have ever stayed in. The view and beach are amazing, We have stayed at other wonderful condo's in the Cabanna complex and so far they have all been great. The owner is very easy to deal with, the residents and staff at the building are all friendly. The condo is secure (gated) and there is either a manager or security guard on staff at all times. Makha is very different than Waikiki, but if you are looking for a very serene, quiet place to spend some time then this is it. There is not much to do in the area itself as far as shopping or resturants or nightlife. We would recommend this condo to anyone that is just looking for a relaxing time out. Swim with the turtles and lay on a beautiful secluded beach that has about 20 people on it on a busy day!!! Only thing I can complain about is that there were no drapes or shutters on the bedroom window---not that anyone could see in on the 9th floor, but I didn't want to wake up quite so early!!! I believe the owner is going to add some soon!! All in all a great vacation. Jaki & Roger. Vancouver B.C. Canada

Owner response:We heard your concerns and are glad to say that drapes were installed on July 3rd, 2010. We count on our guests to help us keep our Cabana the delight that everyone enjoys!

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, girls getaway, age 55+, families with young children.