Lu is a great communicator and very friendly. She also has very good taste in decor, with beautiful boho touches throughout. Unfortunately, her good taste in accessories or decor just are not a substitute for real upkeep, which is majorly missing throughout the condo. It was dated, dingy, improvised, and not in line with other Kuilima Estates condos that rent at the same/similar price point.
I am a frequent renter of condos at Kuilima Estates, which in my opinion is the best location to stay on Oahu. I have stayed in several and was excited to stay in Lu’s because of its second story location and the vibe of her listing photos—the second story allows you to leave windows open and enjoy a really lovely breeze with no AC required. The location of Lu’s condo was indeed great- the lofted ceiling makes it feel spacious; the hammock is great and relaxing; You are close to the pool, which is convenient; there were nice bath towels; and also both mattresses are firm and comfortable.
Unfortunately, for me the positives end there. I was disappointed in the condition of the property as well as items like tableware (all mismatched, improvised) and sheets (extremely pilly). It all felt old and dingy—original condition, with many many signs of age, water damage, rust, broken things, etc. This was not visible in pictures or prior reviews and so it was unexpected and a disappointment for us.
The bathroom is original condition, and it has no ventilation (broken ceiling fan covered in dust), no privacy (huge gap between floor and bottom of door) and its sink/counter are super low and you have to really bend to hunch over it.
There is little-no space to store belongings and clothes- the one small freestanding clothes rack with shelves that was available as a closet was up in the loft with extremely steep stairs, and not large enough to accomodate more than 1 person or a very minimalist couple. No surfaces to set down a suitcase, no dresser or drawers. The two main floor closets were not available for guest use- 1 was repurposed as a pantry and the other was locked. We had to improvise and live out of suitcases, or drape our clothes on chairs, doorframes, and where we could (along with towels, wet bathing suits, etc—made it feel very messy).
Light fixtures and outlets were mismatched or missing covers; baseboards were mismatched; walls and floors had scuffs and stains aling with plaster and drywall damage; cabinets were missinng hardware and didn’t align or close properly. As someone who stays in the Kuilima condos in order to feel “at home,” save money by cooking, I am disappointed to say the kitchen condition led me to not cook a single thing the whole week—the only thing I used was the fridge to store drinks.
Bottom line is that Lu’s cute accessories and artwork cannot cover up the dire need for real maintenance and repairs to this very dated unit.
It was also missing beach conveniences that every other condo I’ve stayed in had- things like a cooler, beach umbrellas, boogie boards. To Lu’s credit, when I asked whether she provided beach chairs, she very graciously left two for us in the condo. But it was not “equipped” in the way these condos usually are. (Although it is all individual owners, they do tend to all have the same attention to this-usually having a whole Tommy Bahama Costco beach kit).
I do think this condo can be a good place to stay for someone less bothered with the interior quality, or solely focused on location, because as I said it is a great location with a nice breeze. Maybe at a lower price point that reflected its condition, or with more accurate listing and reviews, it would not be a disappointment.
For me, I have stayed in too many Kuilima condos (same complex) and this one does not meet the standard of the many others that rent at the same or similar (including lower) price points (10’s of others on AirBB). The listing and past 5* reviews for Lu’s place just did not accurately reflect the very worn, dayed condition and the many broken/missing things. I felt a bit duped.