My experience was a little different than most other guests. We were off to a rough start right off the bat: when we got to the building, we checked in with the front desk and provided the lockbox location and code to obtain the key fob. However, after two unsuccessful attempts at opening, I called Florencia. She didn't answer the phone and her mailbox was full (you should always leave room in your mailbox when you're running a business where people may need to contact you). I then messaged her on Airbnb saying that the code didn't work and got a response within 10 minutes saying "not possible." At this point, I asked the front desk to kindly check it a third time and he still wasn't able to open it. We decided to grab food and wait out the situation, thinking that perhaps Florencia would contact the front desk or figure out why the lockbox wasn't working. Nope. We came back an hour later and didn't receive further instructions, and neither did the guy at the front desk, so I asked him to try one more time and this time it popped open. It turns out that the black key tab jammed the lockbox and prevented it from opening easily. Communication with the host during this time was horrible, and it was clear she didn't care if we were able to get in or not. This is by far the worst customer service I've experience at an Airbnb, and certainly not a reflection of the kokua you usually expect in Hawai'i.
The first thing we saw when we got into the apartment was a cockroach hanging out on the fridge. To make matters worse, we had thrown our leftover food in the fridge and were planning to eat it for dinner the next night, but when we opened the fridge the next day, we noticed a smell - it turns out our food had spoiled because the fridge wasn't even on in the first place! This is completely unacceptable. I've never stayed at a hotel/Airbnb where the fridge was not on for the guests. Because we opened and closed it so quickly, we didn't notice if it was cold or not. We ended up snacking on chips and calling it a night.
We were also asked to take out our trash at the end of the stay, which, after staying at so many Airbnbs around the world, I have not yet encountered. What's the point of paying the cleaning fee if you have to throw out your own trash? Would this be expected of you at a hotel? No. Even at other Airbnbs, no. Just no. Thankfully, the trash is just down the hall near the elevators, but based on principle, this just seems wrong.
Some other negatives: the shower curtain tends to blow towards you and stick to your body when showering, and it's a pain in the ass to get the sliding balcony door to close most of the time. The kitchen and bathroom area also look a bit dated and there is a lot of rusting on the outside of the fridge and scuff marks on the counters. Understandable, as it seems like an old building.
Now for the good. We really enjoyed the location, as it's smack in the middle of Ala Moana and central Waikiki (about a 15-20 minute walk in either direction). Because of this, it's usually also nice and quiet at night. The bed was also comfortable, and the pillows were nice and plush, definitely a plus for side sleepers. We also enjoyed the smart TV, as you can basically just stream movies and shows from your phone. Such a HUGE bonus.
I'm sure most won't have the same experience I did, as it seems like a fluke that the key was stuck in the box. Also remember to check that the fridge is on when you use it. Other than that, I'm sure it'll be a much more positive experience for most who stay here.