I truly felt like I had a home to come home to while staying at Makoto's condo. In terms of location, the place is perfectly situated in the heart of waikiki with only a 5-10 minute walk to nearby beaches, shops, grocery stores, and restaurants. Although there isn't an assigned parking spot, we were alwas able to find free street parking on Ala Wai. A security guard was at the building's entrance at all times, and a key fob was required to enter the building and utilize the elevators. I felt very safe here, not only in the building but also walking around the surrounded areas.
The condo was beautiful, and had a charming, homey feel. I honestly really loved it! Although the building itself is a little dated, Makoto did an amazing job decorating the condo with modern furniture to make it feel bright and airy. The photos dont do it justice! I greatly highly appreciated that the furniture and wall paint had a subtle reference to Hawaiian beaches without being cheesy or overbearing.
The kitchen was fully stocked with pots and pans, plates, wine/champaigne glasses, bowls, forks and spoons, knives- everything needed to cook a meal, except for food and spices of course. Everything was so clean and neatly organized that I felt moreso inclined to keep eveything in order. Makoto also provided extra beach towels and a cooler for beach excursions. The bathroom also came with shampoo, conditioner- even sun block! We also hooked up our chromecast to the large TV in the living room during our stay, which was definitely enjoyable after a long day. We ended up crashing there the first night since the big, comfy couch was so appealing. But then we slept on the bed and realized we missed out!
Situated on the 11th floor, the condo stayed cool by the breeze when the windows were open. I'd like to think you can even hear the ocean if you listen carefully, though it's muddled by street noise. You can definitely hear the conversations taking place outside, Friday nights being the most boisterous (I'm pretty sure it lasted until 3-4am). But coming from LA, it wasn't enough to keep me from having a full night of rest.
The check in/out process was extremely easy. Although Makoto was not in town during my stay, he was still very helpful and responded to all of my inquiries within 20 minutes time. He also left Japanese snacks on the counter for our arrival, which was a very pleasant surprise! The only difficulty that I had during my stay was at the beginning when I was having issues with the key fob. I was worried that I would have had to wait until the evening to check in, but Shelley (since Makoto was out) came by literally within minutes to assist me!
Overall, I had a lovely time at Makoto's condo. It was my first time using airbnb, and I'm very, very glad that I stayed here.