First and foremost , lisa is definitely a Super host. She communicated to us from the day we booked and never really needed to reach out to her, if I she responded promptly.
She provided a great FAQ list, directions from the airport, shopping suggestions, hours to the local stores , how to get groceries delivered etc. Communication was a solid 10.
The condo is not “ on” the beach but walking distance, provably a 100 yards. We saw turtles at the pond every morning. The area seemed to be centrally located and close to mom and pop restaurant and stores within a mile and 20 miles to the Wailea area. I would describe the area as a working class ( which I am ) not a lush resort area. I was kind of shocked driving past all the brown landscape and some abandoned cars on the side of highway on the way there from the airport. It looked like Phx , not what I pictured Hawaii to look like. I imagined tropical , lush foliage everywhere in Maui but it’s not.
We spent most of our time in leheina which was between 25-45 minutes depending on the day.
Condo
The condo parking is free, the pool is simple but nice and has as awesome view of the ocean. We spend most of our days in the pool instead of the beach.
There are also some awesome tables and grills near the pool overlooking the ocean. We also grilled on the roof of the condo with a great view of the ocean but can get pretty windy.
The condo itself looked like the pics. There are two good sized room and AC in all the rooms which was needed as it was very humid. There is an patio that you can see the ocean from but we never used it as the exhaust heat from the AC unit made it too hot and uncomfortable. If you turn the AC off to prevent this then the people inside get hot.
The condo has a full size fridge and plenty of utensils for dining in and grilling. There was also a coffee pot and everything worked that we used.
I don’t want to sound negative but the condo seemed dated to us , outdated furniture, decorations and flooring. The carpet is slightly worn in dirty is some spots. I was a little embarrassed when I opened the door after telling my girlfriend the nice place I booked. If people are paying $320 a night, 10 k a month income , I’d think there could be a laminate floor , newer furniture and fresh paint.
The AC worked well and we never got hot even though it was very humid outside.
There is a tv and Roku on the living room and like a 22 inch tv in the master bedroom, WiFi worked very well.
If you don’t mind staying in a Desert looking area then kihei is great as it’s close to shops and restaurants
If your goal is to have a lush tropical feel like you see on Maui brochures, kihei may not be your destination. I was not impressed w any beach in kihei, but I go to the Virgin Islands a lot so it’s not a fair comparison.
We picked the condo as we went with another couple and it had two bedrooms and two bathrooms so the logistics was perfect if you don’t mind like a “ Quality Inn or “ Days Inn” vibe. A nice , cheap refresh and this place could be much better looking.
Again , out of all the Airbnbs I’ve been to , lisa was by far the best host , the check in process and communication could not have been better