Wonderful place to stay

Guest: wannabe beach bum (Salt Lake City, UT, USA)
Date of Stay: 05/26/09 Review Submitted: 06/06/09

We stayed at this unit for about a week. The studio unit was nice, cozy and comfortable. View from lanai was to die for. Its location was perfect - close to the beach, park, ABC store, Waikiki nightlife, restaurants, 24-hour Fitness, Safeway, and Interstate access. Steve was nice enough to give us late check-out, which was very helpful since our flight was late in the evening. We'll definitely stay at this unit when we return to Waikiki.

Owner response:We appreciate all of our guests and try to bring value to their budgets. We perform maintenance issues on a regular basis. The photographs are all actual and accurate. The location speaks for itself, it is one of the most desirable in Waikiki. Let me know what your needs are and we will try our best to satisfy them. We know that consumers have many choices, we thank you for choosing to stay with us. Steve

Recommended for:Age 55+.

Cockroach Infestation!! BEWARE DO NOT STAY HERE!!

Guest: very disgusted (canada)
Date of Stay: 06/06/11 Review Submitted: 06/15/11

This listing is terrible DO NOT STAY here! We walked into a poorly maintained, very small space, with stained bed linens and an old spring mattress, broken doors and a very bad bug problem. We stayed one night (which i regret immensely) the next night i spent 4 hours killing insects which resembled cockroach of some sort, i squashed about 20, which didn’t make a dent. They were in the stove, behind the fridge and counters, under the toilet seat and in the BED, and then in our luggage and bags. We ended up leaving the room at 2 am and staying somewhere else because it was unimhabitual! The owner/manager, whatever he is, gave us a refund without question which leads me to believe this wasn’t the first time. We expressed our appreciation for the refund but the fact that we were then stranded without accommodations was still an issue and didn’t help our dissatisfaction with the room incident. He was very defensive and had quite the attitude during the conversation, stating "what you want me to pay for your whole trip?!" it was then that we wiped our hands clean and found some alternative accommodations. This whole situation caused us to lose about 3 days from our 7 day trip with the rooms changes and transferring our luggage around, we also ended up paying a great deal more since we had to book last minute somewhere else. Not a good experience, i would be very wary upon booking this room or any of the other properties owned by the same group. ps we are avid travelers and have used vrbo times before and have never had such an ordeal, do not lose faith in the program, please be wary and read the reviews! hope this helps!

Owner response:Aloha: We do our best to listen to the guests regarding their concerns, needs and any maintenance issues. I personally would not have waited until the second night in the unit to call the owner or property manager regarding the cockroach problem in the unit. We can help immediately when we hear immediately. There is no stove in this unit, however, the unit features: a coffee maker, toaster, toaster oven, microwave and a two burner cook-top built into the granite counter top. The unit is as exactly stated in the photographs, the photos are current and depict the unit as nothing more or less than what you see. This unit was painted less than a year ago, has some unique Island accessories and has beautiful dramatic views of the Ocean, Diamond Head and Kapiolani Park. We believe that your business is the backbone of our economy here in Waikiki. We completely appreciate that you have budgeted your time and resources to come and visit our little piece of paradise on earth for a short time and fully expect that you should have high expectations of your experience. After being offered an alternative unit in the same building while issues could be resolved then after offering to move to another unit in the same building, it does not seem the complete refund of all of your funds for your entire stay is an admission of guilt at all, because you did not like my alternative offers. It is simply meant to do what we believe was the right thing to do and treat people the way we would want to be treated. We believe in what we do so strongly, that I am willing to offer you 3 free nights the next time you would like to book this same unit for 7 nights. I am a licensed Real Estate professional in the State of Hawaii and feel that I am ethically obligated to make sure your experience in Waikiki is one to remember. I hope you view this as good business practice and ethics, if not, let me know what you think is fair. Respectfully. Steve High, Property Manager

Recommended for:

The icing on the cake

Guest: David (Chicago, IL)
Date of Stay: 10/01/10 Review Submitted: 10/13/10

Hawaii is an amazingly beautiful place and to have such an at-home-feeling to come back to each day is just the icing on the cake. From cozy dinners we were able to make and enjoy in our kitchenette to the awe-inspiring breakfasts we had on the lanai it was just more than perfect. With everything provided for you from boogie-boards to pots and pans, do not pass this up! I cannot wait to stay here again! Thanks for everything Steve! You truly are the best and most accommodating! Mahalo!

Owner response:Aloha: Thank you for all the kind words about our unit. This is truly one of the most unique and wonderful locations in Waikiki. The beautiful trees of Kapiolani Park set against a background of majestic Diamond Head and the sparkling Pacific Ocean and clean Kuhio Beach. We try to provide great value from a location that would not be affordable through a global hotelier. Thank you again, Steve

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

Perfect!

Guest: Paul & Tony (Sydney, Australia)
Date of Stay: 03/17/10 Review Submitted: 04/13/10

I heartily endorse other reviewers' comments here. This is a great unit in an excellent location; not the full-on Waikiki experience but near enough to stroll to. The monkeys chattering in the zoo opposite are an added bonus! The Waikiki Grand has new owners since last we stayed and full credit to them: the building is well maintained and much cleaner. Steve's unit was spotless (thanks, Clint) and well equipped for using the small but effective kitchenette. The views are stunning and the nearby beaches safe and uncrowded. It is a real pleasure to see the local family groups enjoying the beach and barbecuing dinner in the splendid parks. This is a perfect holiday pad. We will return!

Owner response: Thank you so much for your generous response. Many of the owners at the Waikiki Grand Hotel have gone to extraordinary measures to upgrade our rooms and pay more attention to details. Your business is very important to us here in Waikiki and you are the backbone of our economy and for that, we are eternally grateful. Please don't forget that returning guests receive one night free for every seven nights booked as a special thank you for your business. With Aloha, Steve

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, tourists without a car, sightseeing, age 55+.

Room with a View

Guest: Leisure (Los Angeles)
Date of Stay: 01/14/10 Review Submitted: 02/08/10

We loved our little beach pad. Perfect location: close enough to all the Waikiki tourist stuff, but far enough away to enjoy a little quiet. The kitchen was very user friendly for breakfast and small meals which helped our budget. And there are many local restaurants nearby that are really reasonable: Irifune for Japanese, Ono for traditional Hawaiian cuisine, Leonard's bakery for malasadas, Diamond Head Grill (which is a walk up window with a few tables outside) for coconut pancakes, great lunches and a small grocery with fresh baked goods (try the blueberry scones!) Great snorkel area 5-minute walk from the apartment. Steve really steered us in the right direction and Clint was standing by if needed. A memorable stay.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, tourists without a car.

great unit

Guest: Ipo (San Francisco)
Date of Stay: 04/21/09 Review Submitted: 04/29/09

My Hawaii vacation was amazing! The condo was perfect. The views from the Lani were spectacular. Diamond head, Kapiolani Park and of course the beach......it was amazing. The location was great. You are close to everything especially the beach. The Condo is located at the end of Waikiki which is nice because you fell like you are in a secluded area. The sunsets off the Lani were beautiful and romantic. The main reason we booked this condo was because it had a kitchen. We cooked several meals which was great for our pocket book. There is a Safeway right down the street. The condo was very clean. I highly recommend this unit and will definitely be returning here next year! Aloha

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, tourists without a car, sightseeing, adventure seekers, girls getaway, age 55+.