*Review from a couple who stayed for a month*
LOCATION: The location is ideal especially if you are not planning to rent a car for the entire trip because you can choose to stay in Waikiki or walk a mile or so across the Ala Wai to try more affordable local foods. (Ono Seafood, Rainbow Drive-In, Leonard's, Waiola Shave Ice are walkable distances and much cheaper than Waikiki)
PRICE: We paid $4500 total for a month in unit 3208, which isn't bad for Hawaii prices. The balcony was the best part of the unit because it was enclosed and we had lots of privacy. The view from our particular unit was beautiful and I spent a lot of time hanging out there. However, we were duped by the photographs of the inside as the space was a lot smaller than the pictures make it look. There wasn't a whole lot of room to move around. The furniture was a bit outdated; the couch was super uncomfortable and pretty much impossible to lie on. The kitchen is super narrow and right by the entrance so if you're planning to cook, it's not a lot of space. They do provide you with a portable stove as well as cups and utensils though.
PARKING: If you rent a car, which we did for five days, don't park in the parking lot because it's $35 a day--almost the price of a parking ticket! Instead, park along the Ala Wai on either side. You have to wake up early to move your car on Mondays and Fridays for the parking on the side closest to the apartment (Ala Wai Blvd) but it was worth it because we were doing outdoor activities in the morning anyway. If you park along Kapiolani, you still have to wake up early to move your car but the walk there is quite nice. Finding parking isn't as bad as you'd think. We would drive around the Ala Wai and find a space after a few rounds. There is also metered street parking a few blocks away where you can park for two hours. Just drive around and read the parking signs carefully. Even though it's Waikiki, it's easy to find a spot that's not ridiculously expensive because tourists are always coming and leaving.
SECURITY: The security here is very inconsistent. A young security guard named Ryan stopped my boyfriend and me when we were trying to go up to our unit and demanded that we show proof that we were staying there. After showing him that I clearly had the fob key, he said that that wasn't enough proof and stepped outside. Naturally, we headed up the elevator with the key that we had, along with another couple who happened to be in the lobby. Ryan comes back to the lobby to find that we are no longer there and forces the elevator down (I think he had a remote of some sort?) Back in the lobby, he let the other couple go up without any hassle but got visibly upset that we went up to the unit we paid for. Eventually, I pulled up the booking confirmation to show to him (why didn't he just ask for this earlier instead of disappearing?) but he still asked us for our identifications. We are still not sure why he targeted us only, but he was overly hostile for no reason. We were masked and not causing any trouble in the lobby--just simply walking in. Other security guards paid no mind to us on other days.
AMENITIES:
Laundry: The washer/dryer downstairs on the sixth floor was super convenient and quite cheap, around $2 each. I liked that the machines took card. There are always enough machines open that you can do your laundry whenever you wish.
Pool Area: It was nice to be able to swim in the pool while we waited for our clothes to dry. The jacuzzi was always crowded, though, and security didn't enforce the two people only rule at all. One night, I saw a group of five or so people eating ice cream in the jacuzzi, which is not only unsanitary but also not covid safe.
Gym: The gym only cost us $5 entry for the entire month. You can pay the receptionist on the sixth floor when you get your fob key. She was the nicest most helpful staff member we encountered.
Overall, the experience was on the better side assuming the security incident was a one time thing. The location, balcony and amenities made up for the few negative attributes I mentioned.