The host, Anna, is awesome! She is quick to respond and gave us very detailed directions for access to the keys and parking prior to our check-in. The condo location inside the Royal Aloha building is basically right across the Ala Wai Canal from Hawaii Convention Center and Ala Moana Shopping Center. Can't get much closer than that! It's at the beginning of the Waikiki area - pretty easy to get to without having to battle too much Waikiki resort/hotel area traffic which is further into the beachfront Waikiki area.
We really appreciated the free parking in the Waikiki Landmark garage across the street - much better than paying for expensive parking at a Waikiki hotel or struggling to find street parking. Just be careful: the assigned parking stall is tight between two other stalls! (We had a Nissan Altima 4-door mid-size sedan.) So if you are renting a car - smaller is better! The garage is monitored by on-site security and there is a locking access door and entry/exit gates (the keychain fob will give you easy touchless access for both). We didn't mind crossing the street to get to and from the parking garage since it was free and the garage is safe.
The lockbox was very easy to locate in front the lobby and convenient since we checked in late in the evening. The building is older but secured by a locking lobby security door and sometimes a front desk attendant (mostly nighttime). The keychain fob opens the lobby security door as well as the pool gate and must be used to operate the elevator which also makes the building feel more safe.
Overall the inside of the condo is what we expected from the pictures and the description. It was enough space for us (three people) and the two separate bedroom was nice. The beds were very clean and comfortable and although the condo is older it has been partially upgraded. The WiFi was fast and easy to connect to. There was also an electronic sitting/standing desk with a surface touch charger and power plug-ins/USB ports in one of the rooms which was cool - easy to do some work while we were vacationing. There is central A/C in the unit which kept the temperature comfortable, but it is a little noisy especially in the bathroom (shaky vent fan?). The bathroom ceiling tiles and the vent/fan was the only area that we felt needs a little more upgrading. Besides that, there was instant hot water in the shower was surprising and great!
The windows are screened-in glass jalousies which keeps the bugs and rain out but not all the noise out. So there was some street noise throughout the day and night, which was expected. Besides that the building itself was mostly quiet. We only heard a few people walking and talking to/from the elevator since it's right around the corner (along with the laundry room and trash chute - but no elevator/laundry/etc. noise heard from inside the condo).
The condo is on the 12th floor so the view of the city was nice. You can see a little bit of the Ala Wai Canal and some of the mountains in the background. The breeze was refreshing and we even saw a rainbow along the mountains at one point! The balcony has a small table and two chairs and it overlooks the pool below and across the street to the interesting and unique Waikiki Landmark building (where the parking garage is). You'll see the glass elevator go up and down the inside of the peek-a-boo hollow center of that building (you can look it up and you'll see what I mean!). From afar, it's easy to spot that building and find your way back to the condo.
The pool was decent and clean, nothing fancy, but nice for a quick dip to cool off in the warmer afternoons. There are beach/pool towels provided in the condo as well as the regular bath towels which was nice. There is a full-size fridge and a microwave with ample silverware/cookware in the kitchen (we didn't really use the kitchen much since we eating out often). We mostly took short quick drives to get food, but there seemed to be many places to eat within walking distance from the condo.
Next time we need a two-bedroom affordable condo close to the Convention Center for an event or we want to shop in Ala Moana and Waikiki for the weekend we will remember this place! Mahalo nui and a hui hou, Anna!