We are a family of 5 traveling with a 3 and 7 year old. This is our 4th trip to Hawaii with kids. We booked plane tickets only a month before departing, so were scrambling a bit to find suitable accommodations. TBH, we probably wouldn’t have booked this if there were more options available for our dates.
Pros: This property is in the Menehune Shores Condos in Kihei. It is very centrally located for driving around the island. The beach out front is really nice for kids, with the protected fish trap- rock barrier that creates a calm section. We enjoyed watching the outrigger canoes going through the surf to practice in the morning. The view is not directly oriented at the shore, but you do see the water and hills of northern Maui (the ridge with the windmills). There is a nice view from the master bedroom and lanai. The kitchen is updated and supplied with cooking utensils to make basic meals. Our kids used the room with the two twin beds, and it was nice to have black out curtains so they didn’t get up at 5am with the time change.
Cons: There was no kid stuff. No sand toys, no water or beach stuff (besides a few beach chairs- which was nice). There were no kids plastic plates or cups. The kitchen table was bar height, fine for adults but not great for kids. Our 3 year old fell off a chair trying to climb up. The beds were very hard. Not comfortable at all, had back pain each morning. The building itself is older and you will notice this in the bathrooms and in some of the details. Being one unit in a large complex, there will be noise from adjacent units. The walls are pretty thin. Also, the parking is a challenge. There are no assigned spots, so you are vying with others to get a spot, which is more difficult later in the evening . The spots are very narrow, and almost impossible to park a medium SUV in (and still be able to get in/out of the vehicle).
Overall, this condo worked for us. It was not perfect, but the hosts were very responsive when we needed assistance- bad smell in the kitchen our first day, then discovered a leak under the kitchen sink, and when we were missing linens for the pull out couch. It was more affordable than other options, especially for the ocean view and beach access. We enjoyed the rooftop area, which was a cool vantage point to see the night sky. Everyone at the condo space was very kind and friendly.