Waikiki Vacation Rental condo

I read many reviews on this condo before deciding to rent it, and they all commented on how great Rodney was...... and though his communication was great with us before we got there I would like to say that he was great to us while we were there, but the truth is, we never had need to call on him! Everything in the condo was wonderful! It was exactly as advertised, very clean, open, comfortable and we didn't have any problems with it. The location was perfect, nice and central, there are restaurants within the same block, the beach and the Hilton lagoon less than a 3 minute walk,shopping and attractions within walking distance! There are surfing lessons right next door at the Hilton, and we even went Parasailing at the next park over! With the condo being right on Ala Moana it was very easy to navigate anywhere we wanted to go. We absolutely loved it and wouldn't stay anywhere else on any return trip we made! Keep as a hint, the hotel parking is pricey, but there is a public parking lot right behind the building and the parking there is very inexpensive, 24 hours is only 6 dollars!!! Also, if you have a gaming system (we have a WII) and can bring it, it will hook up to the huge TV and is a great way to keep kids occupied if you aren't going out. Was a great find and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to anyone!

We rented for a week, and had a blast. The location, facility, and amenities is very good (especially for the price). The kitchen had everything we needed, the beds were good. They even had some beach mats, beach towels, and boogie board. It's clean, decent size (the mirrored walls help give it an open feel), and had a TV/DVD player (good for the kid's DVDs in the evening). Rodney is most helpful with info as well. We would stay there again in a heartbeat.

Our group included my elderly parents, daughters (3 and 2 yo), my wife and myself.

Here are the negatives:
1. Parking is $25/day, but worth the price. The vallet service is very convinient. The $4/day parking in the beach lots are hard to find, and you loose it when you drive away.
2. The shower heads are low. Okay for me and my family, but I'm 5'5" not 6' Something to consider if you're tall.
3. Hauling everything up to the room (our luggage, bottled water and food for a week we bought at Costco, on the way from the airport). The hotel vallet is only $10 for all our luggage and food. Also well worth it.
4. The second room has accordian doors. Not the most private, but okay for a vacation.
5. The hotel next door is being remodeled. Some noise, but not bad.

Here are additional positives:
1. Close to the beach, you can walk over. Not the best snorkeling, but I saw some cuttle fish about 10 ft from shore.
2. Next to Hilton Hawaiian Village, we used their enclosed lagoon, and watched the Friday night show for free.
3. Todai and Wailana Coffee Shop is right across the street. And ABC is very close by (there's two close by), for souvenirs, snacks, sunglasses, or travel books (they pack a lot in a small store).
4. Walking distance to the Convention Center (about 1 mile).
5. Germaine's Luau pickup was right out front.
6. Enjoyed siting on the balcony watching the surfers arrive about 5-6am. Beautiful views of the ocean.

I used Google Map to get a bearing of the hotel (it's the Y shaped hotel). Nice way to see where things are in relation to the hotel. We drove almost every day, and couldn't have done it without our Garmin GPS from home.

I would highly reccommend this condo.

Rodney provided all the information about the property and its distances to various places. Positioned right beside the Grand Waikikian, renters can walk to the lagoon and view the fireworks on scheduled dates. If you walk an extra minute, you will see the Hilton Waikiki.

The property has an excellent view of the marina and the beach. You can catch surfers at around 6 a.m. We have sunrise and sunset photos that make the experience memorable.

The property has towels, dinnerware, and cookware. We cooked our breakfast everyday and had dinner most of the time except for 3 nights. You can shop at Safeway or Foodland located about 15 minutes from the property. They also have a Costco about 25 minutes away, with traffic

You can dispose of your trash everyday using the trash door close to the elevators. Hawaii takes recycling seriously.

My family and I purchased the 5-day Go Oahu card which allows you to go to certain attractions and activities such as Germaine's Luau, Makani boat ride, Hanauma Bay snorkling, and otheres. Outside the Go Oahu card, we also purchased the following must dos:

1. Parasailing
2. Jet-skiing
3. ATV (all terrain vehicle)

Most of the attractions provide transportation from Waikiki so you will need to book your reservations in advance. Otherwise, you risk not getting spots on certain times and dates.

I hope you find this review useful. Mahalo