I would not recommend this place based on problems I had. However, all problems can be addressed with a bit of attention from Alex, and once they are addressed, I believe this unit is a fantastic value.
To start with, there are many upsides to this unit. The location is fantastic, and if you are going to rent a car while staying in Honolulu, I cannot emphasize about having a free and dedicated parking spot. Maytag washer and dryer in each floor is better than most commercial ones I have used in Honolulu. The air conditioning unit is small and noisy but is quite effective in cooling the unit.
Here are neutral factors that comes with territory. Given this unit's price, you should assume that you are not getting a new or newly renovation unit. Everything in the unit is functional but shows age. Not through a fault of Alex, there has been a lot of constructions around the area this unit is located. Combined with old windows, that means things can get loud. Because there is a bar on the first floor, things do get loud at nights and louder on weekend nights.
There are 3 factors that disappointed me.
- The first night I checked in with my son, I noticed 2 roaches in kitchen sink. Also, when I turned on hot water, water came out brown. I contacted Jeannie, Alex's partner, and she dispatched a pest control and a plumber promptly. She was kind enough to follow up with an explanation about the water - building had a problem and had to cut the water thus build up issue. Unfortunately, even after the pest control visit, I saw more bugs.
- There were more than few stains inside the refrigerator, and these things told me that the unit may be neglected and not well kept up.
- I had problems with the internet connection - cable modem kept rebooting every 10-15 minutes. I notified Jeannie and she tried to call the cable provider to resolve the issue. When the problem was not resolved the first time, I texted her again. At some point, she stopped replying to me. I understand that cable companies can be pain to deal with but not responding to an ongoing problem is bit difficult to understand.
Again, all 3 issues above can be addressed. If I did not have these issues, I would recommend this unit based on the price / value. However, if these problems persist, then this unit is not a good choice.