In a few months, when I reflect upon our stay in Kapaa, I will scarce be able to remember whether we stayed at an AirBnB or a cheap hotel. This stay was so reminiscent of the latter that I’m surprised this place is listed on AirBnB at all. We like staying at AirBnB’s for the unique personal touches and local advice; this location offered neither.
Weeks before our trip to Kauai, I reached out to Mary looking for local advice about things to do as the Kalalau trail was closed and she never bothered to respond. The only communication we received from her was logistical: check-in and check-out info and a housekeeping survey was sent by a property management service (NOT AirBnB); when we indicated that the room was less-than-tidy, she quickly responded to check up on her cleaning lady. Had we not indicted that there was an issue, I am certain we would not have heard from Mary at all. She did not seem concerned about whether or not we enjoyed our stay, and was more worried about whether or not she should pay her housekeeper.
The room is filled with random ocean decor (with the Marshall’s stickers still visible on some items) but contains ZERO information about the property or the island. Not even a simple form welcome note. Every other place we have ever stayed had personal touches: restaurant advice, local tips, amenities (there was coffee but no condiments and a hotel-sized bottle of shampoo) etc; this place offered nothing else. The cleanliness was the LEAST disappointing aspect; sandy floors and ants would have been tolerable if other aspects had met our expectations.
As advertised, the space is adjacent to the beach; but it is also a corner unit next to the resort pool and bar, so it is a high-traffic location with little privacy; a security light shines outside the sliding door all night. Proximal parking is not guaranteed, and often unavailable, but “you can park anywhere at the resort” per the house manual. The listing has been updated since we booked, it was not clear that this was a resort property when we originally reserved. Had we known, we would not have booked this place at all. It had all the personality, charm and welcome as a budget hotel. There was a hole in the sheets, flat pillows, and the shower took 10 minutes to warm up in the morning. If your only criteria is cheap, stay here, but if you are looking for MORE, stay ANYWHERE else. This was one of the stops on our honeymoon and we were sorely disappointed.