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• Heads-up Communication from the Owners, Great Views, Convenience!

  Heads-up Communication from the Owners, Great Views, Convenience!

  • Guest Atsushi M.
  • Date of stay 05/29/13
  • Review Submitted 06/13/13
  About a week before our visit, the owners contacted us to let us know that the lanai would be closed for the duration of our stay due to maintenance work. They gave us two options: a discount or a full refund. We opted for the discount, and although the lanai closure was unfortunate, it was clearly out of their control and we appreciated the upfront contact and thoughtful offer. The place is on the 28th floor of the Waikiki Banyan Tower 2, immediately across from the leftmost elevator. We were slightly concerned about hallway and elevator noise, but it was not a problem. Actually it was nice to be able to hear the elevator ding from just inside the door, so we wouldn't miss it as we were getting ready to leave. Usually the elevators were fast, but sometimes in mid-day during high-traffic times, it might take two minutes for it to arrive -- ah the pains of being on the 28th Floor. ;) More about the actual room: the king bed was SUPER-comfortable; bathroom was indeed a bit dated and small (I had read that in another review) but worked fine with good water pressure on the showers; sliding doors between living room/bedroom were a bit clunky but we mostly left them open anyway; all other room amenities like A/C, fridge, microwave, TV, lamps, etc. were good and we had no problems. Wi-Fi was great, no issues. The view was indeed incredible. Nothing is more motivating to get out to enjoy your day, than to wake up to that bright blue water with the gentle Waikiki surf rolling in. I appreciated the fact that the Banyan was one big noise-buffering block away from the madness of Kalakaua Ave. The rental also conveniently lets you borrow beach mats, chairs, boogie boards, umbrellas, etc. from the Koko office in Tower 1 5th Floor -- nothing to sign out, pure honor system. Nice! They even had an English & Japanese magazine/book library for beachtime reading. The best thing about the rental was the parking with full in-out privileges. Having easy access to the car, as well as being on Kuhio/Ala Wai for zipping in/out of Waikiki was perhaps the singlemost important thing for us. It helped us easily and conveniently get out of the tourist-packed busy areas and fully enjoy all that O'ahu offered us. But we were also able to take quick walks to the Waikiki beach for evening strolls, Friday fireworks, drinks on the beach, people-watching, etc. It was the best of both worlds. Thanks to Jeff & Kim for a memorable stay, hope the lanai re-opens soon! :-)

  Recommended for: Families with young children, romantic getaway, families with teenagers, adventure seekers, tourists without a car, sightseeing.

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• Great value, Great view... just bad timing

  Great value, Great view... just bad timing

  • Guest Kgcoyne
  • Date of stay 05/04/13
  • Review Submitted 05/24/13
  We loved staying at this condo! Having our own place without dealing with maids etc. was very relaxing. The views were great, and floor to ceiling windows let you take advantage of that view. However, the biggest disappointment was that the lanai (balcony) was locked the entire 11 days we stayed here, due to maintenance on the outside of the building. Had I know there would be no lanai to use, I would not of booked this condo, as I was looking forward to spending every morning on it with coffee, and just sitting there enjoying the breeze in the evening. Having no access was a real let down. I informed the owner, who said he had no knowledge of this but has said he will compensate us for this inconveniece, which I really appreciate. The condo itself is dated, but I knew that going in, and it made no difference to me, Im not there for the decor. The king size bed was newer, and super comfortable. All the kitchen supplies you need are there, as well as a full size fridge, microwave etc. All came in very handy. We also used the laundry facilities, which was a big plus when you are on vacation for 2 weeks. Loved the keyless entry system, this made things so much easier having no key to deal with. We had a rental car for the entire stay and the fact that we had free parking was a real plus, as parking is hard to come by. The free internet worked great. The location is as stated, one block off the beach, which is totally fine, its still in the heart of Waikiki. There is a little store on the first floor of the Banyan for things you may need, pricey mind you. There is also a little coffee shop as well. We did not use the pool or bbq areas, as we chose to eat out, but they looked fine. There are so many stores within a 2 minute walk, that you will want for nothing. Restaurants galore, & convenience stores are so close you could certainly make due without a car. We also got free beach towels and beach chairs through the resort company that is available with this unit. Kept them the entire 11 days. I would certainly recommend this unit to others!

  Recommended for: People with disabilities, families with young children, age 55+, pet owners, romantic getaway, families with teenagers, girls getaway, adventure seekers, tourists without a car, sightseeing.

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• Great View

  Great View

  • Guest Susan K.
  • Date of stay 03/19/13
  • Review Submitted 04/26/13
  Upon arriving at the unit, we used the code given to us by the owners and the door opened. Much to our surprise, the view was unbelievable. It was exactly what was shown in the pictures. Upon further inspection, we noticed that the unit was very clean. The bathroom and kitchen cabinets could stand to be updated but considering the price we paid for a week, it was something we could overlook. All in all, we had a good stay. We were a little disappointed that there was no blender in the unit or little things like spices (salt and pepper would have been nice). We would recommend Kim and Jeff's unit for the budget minded traveller.

  Recommended for: Families with young children, tourists without a car.

  Owner response: Dear Susan: Thank you for your stay and your review. We will add a blender to our kitchen accessories, as we always want our guests to feel right at home on their Waikiki vacation. We generally furnish salt & pepper, and apologize for them not being there for your stay. We look forward to having you stay again. Sincerely, Kim & Jeff Thoma, Property Owners

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• Stayed January 2012

  Stayed January 2012

  • Guest calgaryyyc
  • Date of stay 01/27/12
  • Review Submitted 06/15/12
  Great location. Reasonable price for our stay. Parking pass was a nice bonus as most hotels charge 20$+ plus per night for parking. Everything in the unit was ok for us. The only that I would recommend is supply guests with beach chairs. A little warm in afternoon but A/C cooled it off for sleeping. WIFI was really nice. Banyan coffee shop served a pretty good cup of coffee. Building is 35 years old and the unit is a little dated but did not bother us as the price was below all others for rent. Would stay again

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

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• Great Stay

  Great Stay

  • Guest aloha anna
  • Date of stay 03/16/12
  • Review Submitted 06/08/12
  My husband, daughter and I stayed here for 2 weeks during spring break. We had a great time. Kim and Jeff were very helpful and organized. The Condo has everything you would need as well as laundry down the hall, which is great. The view is exceptional. We really liked not having a key to lose at the beach. The keyless system is a great idea. We also have stayed at other rooms here and love this one as it has a separate entrance to the washroom for the kids.

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

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• Great view/great location

  Great view/great location

  • Guest sunchaser69
  • Date of stay 04/20/12
  • Review Submitted 04/30/12
  We just returned from a week at this property and our 3rd trip to Waikiki for my wife was very enjoyable. Like previous reviews, the condo itself is very nice with a fantastic view from the 28th floor. The pool area is decent, the location is very good even though it's not in the heart of Waikiki, and the free long distance and parking really added to the value overall.The only negatives for us happened on the night of arrival when we could not enter the condo with the code we were given by the owners. It was a bit stressful having to deal with security and finally the property management company, as the manager was able to let us choose another code which finally got us in after about 40 minutes. We both felt we were let down somewhat in the communication department with the owners who never gave us the information about the property management company and had we had that, getting in would have been quicker and less stressful especially due to the fact we were not able to contact the owners and only heard back from them via e-mail when we got back home.They have apologized, but this never should have happened in the first place. Other than that, the condo is nice, but it would have been nice to have more than one extra roll of toilet paper to last a week, so we ended up having to buy some to get us through. One extra set of towels would also be nice, but we did get buy with just one each.We never used the barbeques near the pool area, but were surprised to see that they were coin operated which is something we have never seen. Finally, the positives far outweighed the negatives and we would book this condo again.

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

  Owner response: We are sincerely very sorry for the problem our guests had the night of their arrival. It is a new keyless entry system that appears to have failed but has now been repaired. However, we do give our guests an emergency number for after-hours emergencies, and a location in the complex to go during business hours for any requests they might have. Also, as we offer free phone calls throughout the United States and Canada, and free high-speed internet service, we thought the guest might contact us with any problems or issues, including supply issues as mentioned, but will keep these concerns in mind for guests who are staying with us for a substantial period. We did email them within a few hours to inquire about the problem to make certain their entry issue had been resolved, but never heard back from them until they had arrived back home from their stay and simultaneously submitted this review, although upon following up with our on-site managers we were assured that they had addressed the problem as quickly and satisfactorily as possible under the circumstances. We sincerely regret their wait and inconvenience, and understand their frustration, as your first night of your vacation should be relaxing, not stressful. We appreciate the overall positive nature of this review, and will continue to work hard at communication, to make certain this problem never occurs again.

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• Waikiki Vacation - April 2010

  Waikiki Vacation - April 2010

  • Guest Lucas Family
  • Date of stay 04/18/10
  • Review Submitted 05/07/10
  My family of 3 stayed in this condo for 1 week in April and we could not have been more pleased with our decision to stay here. The condo was exactly as pictured, so we knew what to expect once we arrived. The kitchen was well-stocked and the bathroom had plenty of towels. However, we had a few pleasant surprises: the condo had a nice king-size bed and was stocked with beach equipment (3 boogie boards, 2 beach umbrellas, 1 beach chair). Also, the photos don’t do the view of Waikiki Beach justice! The view from the lanai was gorgeous! That alone would be worth the rental price. Another thing we enjoyed about this condo was its location. We liked that it’s located on the quieter side of Waikiki, yet so close to the beach, restaurants, stores, and freeway access. We also enjoyed this condo’s location within the Waikiki Banyan – directly across the bank of elevators. We found it quick and convenient to be close to the elevators. There was never a long wait for the elevators, and we were never bothered by elevator noise or traffic. With free parking, free wi-fi internet, and an awesome beach view, this condo was a great value. There’s no way you’d be able to find a comparable deal at any of the neighboring hotels. The condo owners were easy and pleasant to work with and responsive to emails. Staying at this condo added to the enjoyment of our vacation. We would definitely come back!

  Recommended for: Families with young children.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 4/4

Additional information about rental rates

$200 USD reservation deposit, applied towards rental cost

Additional Fees and Taxes:

13.75% Hawaiian taxes