one-month stay in November 2020: this is a great compact space for one person (or a very close couple) with a spectacular lanai ocean view (sunrises and sunsets) across from a beautiful sandy beach park with calm water. you'll see and hear crashing waves from the lanai and loveseat --the loveseat is a dual electronic recliner. the bed is memory foam and very soft (if you need a firm mattress this may not work for you). there's a near-constant crossbreeze with the front door window and sliding glass door open. there is an effective a/c unit (a bit noisy) but i only used it a few times in the middle of the day. a ceiling fan over the bed kept me comfortable overnight with the windows open.
pros: great view, remodeled, safe and secure, uncrowded beaches. cons: neighborhood noise, limited shopping, northbound traffic -- HI-93 is notoriously bad. delays from 3pm til 7pm. southbound is no problem. and you have a beautiful coastline view the whole way.
about the building: mostly permanent residents. very social and friendly -- lots of aloha here! there were COVID19 precautions and i felt like the building was very safe. and secure -- it's surrounded by a fence and you use a fob to enter the gate, building, and elevator. the entire 8th floor (one flight of stairs up from the unit) is a common recreation/kitchen/laundry/lanai area. i do want to note that there is a noticeable amount of coming and going from the elevator right outside the unit because people are headed to/from the 8th floor. i could also hear someone exercising/jumping above the unit's ceiling, but i could not hear anything else coming from the 8th floor, and there is only one other unit sharing a wall.
about the neighborhood: waianae is a world away from the touristy areas of the island. i was familiar with the area before choosing this location, and you should be too. it's great if you want to live as the locals do. the westside beaches are the best on the island in my opinion, and significantly less windy/rainy than the east (windward) side. however -- waianae is the polar opposite of waikiki. this is a working class neighborhood with none of the tourism/vacation amenities. get a rental car and drive to other parts of the island for that. within walking distance are some restaurants, a large grocery store, and drug store. kapolei (30 min drive/50 min bus ride) has "city" stuff like foodland and target. i want to note that you will hear neighborhood noise -- bus stop, cars with loud stereos/mufflers, occasional sirens, dogs barking, of course roosters, and yes there is a small homeless population so you will hear strange things related to that. personally i'm sensitive to noise, and i wasn't too bothered. in many cases it kept the day interesting! i was working remotely so i'd just shut the sliding door when doing video meetings.
beaches: pokai bay directly across the street with virtually no waves. makaha is a short drive north with bigger surf. makua beach further north has large rolling swells with a more gentle surf break, and fantastic snorkeling. ka'ena point even further north has dramatic lava cliffs and blowholes when the tide is right. going south: nanakuli beach (park at zablan beach) has large rolling waves like makua, and there are some lava cliffs at the south end of the beach. there are a few beaches near the power plant where the warm water outflow makes it great for snorkeling. beachgoers on the west side are mostly locals and some knowledgeable tourists. ko olina is more touristy but definitely worth seeing the beautiful lagoons (snorkeling there too). lagoon 4 has public parking, and you will probably have to wait up to 20 min at midday for a spot to open up, but it's worth it. for beaches to the south: stay for sunset and go get dinner while traffic clears up.