Papakea was a great resort and we loved the location, however as many of the other reviews state, Jan's condo could use some TLC.
Pros:
Jan is a friendly, communicative host and offers a condo with all the necessities for a great vacation.
The kitchenette and 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms were great for our family of 4.
The master bed was very comfortable and the condo was clean and ready for us when we arrived.
Check-in at Papakea is a smooth and easy process.
We appreciated the ample free parking- especially when all the nearby resorts charge a daily fee as well as the free, in-unit washer/dryer.
The grounds are lovely and the pool, barbecue grills, and outdoor dining pagodas are great.
While there is no direct beach access, you can walk a short distance and visit the tide pools in the morning or hop in the ocean for a swim (you should drive elsewhere if you plan to lay out on the beach all day.)
The condo has all you need for a day at the beach- chairs, towels, umbrella, boogie and skim boards, a cooler (with a broken lid, but it still is functional) and even snorkel gear.
I loved being on the ground floor so that our kids could run out and play and come and go as they pleased.
Cons:
The condo definitely could use some updating, especially the kitchen where the refrigerator and dishwasher are literally being held together with tape (although they still work). Our relatives were staying in an updated unit a few doors down from us, and it was amazing, so if Jan refreshed her condo it would really be a special place.
The front bedroom (on the parking lot side of the condo) is super noisy and it was hard for my kids to sleep.
The condo was really hot and it that also made it hard to sleep. There is a small, noisy window AC unit in the living room, but it didn't really cool down the condo enough and it definitely didn't reach the bedrooms. Thankfully there were some standing fans provided, but we had to switch them all out with other fans because they were so loud. If you are someone that likes to sleep in a cool, quiet bedroom, then I definitely wouldn't recommend staying here.
The online pictures need to be updated- some of the furniture and appliances are different than what is posted.
Overall we really enjoyed our stay and appreciated all of the ammenities and supplies that Jan provides in her condo, however for the price we paid, I would probably look for a different unit at Papakea next time. Mahalo!