We loved that this condo was SUPER close to the beach. Literally steps away. You can use the beach in front of the hotel because all beaches are public access. We loved our morning walks on the beach. If you walk all the way down the beach toward Diamond Head, there's a great place to snorkel. There are also fish at times around the nearby rocks. It's a really nice condo. Plenty of space and a perfect setup for our family of 4. Three of us worked or did school from the condo 5 days a week, and there were enough separate spaces. The washer and dryer are in the unit and free to use. Trees right outside the lanai with so many beautiful birds. (No birds came into the condo.) The AC was really helpful on hotter days. We loved the location so much that we extended our trip.
The first day the neighbor downstairs came upstairs and knocked on our door the day we moved in. We arrived around 5:30 p.m. and he was upset by the "clunking." I assume it was just the suitcases and whatnot, although the drawers are not smooth and one of the bedroom doors slams easily. Either he or someone else complained that my kids were running, but they weren't, and the complaints stopped once some other kids (who had been running down the halls) went home.
The hardest part was that every time we needed to communicate with Jay or he needed to with us, he required a phone call. We don't mind a phone call to introduce ourselves or work out a detail, but it was endless phone calls before and throughout the stay. When he left a voicemail it would just say, "Please call me back." I think some people, like maybe my parents, might prefer that "personal touch," but it used up a lot of our vacation and was very frustrating that we couldn't just text over small matters. In the end we got to check out with one of the owners, and, thank God, she just texted to communicate and didn't overemphasized the walk-through at the end.
There were a bunch of plants and a small note to water them weekly that I didn't see until a couple of weeks in. We would have preferred clearer instructions about how to water them (were we supposed to water the plants with just water and no soil?). In general, we would have preferred clearer expectations. There were a LOT of breakables around the apartment, and I think we made it through without breaking anything, but I recommend clearing out anything breakable before future guests arrive.
Even though there were some things we had to get used to, Jay and the owners were super nice and hospitable. I think if they'll make a couple of adjustments, this will be a pretty perfect stay for most people.