The location is wonderful; however the cleanliness was very poor. The unit came clean, but only at the surface level, and it was obvious that a good deep cleaning was overdue. The bedroom curtains were caked in dust. The reverse side appeared to be white, but was streaked brown by all the dust and hair. There were many hair/dust balls under the bed and furniture, as well as the dresser drawers, and there was black mold on the shower curtain, as well as in the cracked caulk of the bathtub. There appeared to be a vent in the bathroom, but no fan circulating the air, so the bathroom got very humid, aggregating the moldy smell. My husband suffers from asthma, so this was very concerning. The shower head is very rusted, and the walls of the shower had significant lime scale build up. There was also no light above the shower, so when the moldy shower curtain was closed, we’d be showering in darkness, which made shaving a challenge. The unit has many fans, which come in handy for the warm afternoons facing west, but they were incredibly coated in dust - one of them so badly coated that it struggled to spin, and ended up being useless to us. There was also a box fan with the incorrect chord, so we were unable to use it. The kitchen supplies were also gross, and many dishes had food traces and scum on them. From what I gathered in the handbook, the guests themselves are responsible for cleaning the dishes, and no service or owner checks on them to ensure that they’re actually clean. The owner had the cabinets neatly labeled, but most items were shoved into cabinets so you couldn’t easily find what you needed. It was irritating to not feel clean and organized in the unit, and marred what would have otherwise been a wonderful accommodation. The WiFi was also very slow, and wasn’t able to stream movies and night.
Honokowai was a wonderful town to stay in, however, and I recommend it over the touristy spots in Lahaina because of how peaceful it was. There was a much more local vibe, and an overall quiet feel to it, and lacked the snobbiness of Lahaina.The market across the street had fresh tropical fruits and various picnic-appropriate items. My husband and I went daily to pick up snacks for our hikes and beach trips. There’s also a fabulous arepa place across the street. The town had everything you could need, but was also a short drive to Lahaina if you wanted a little more. Since there’s no beach or boardwalk in front of the unit, sunsets were very quiet and relaxing. The unit had a great view of the water, and the water was so clear that you could see turtles from the balcony on a sunny day. Neighbors were hit or miss - many were quiet, but we did have a few who blared music or slammed doors. However, you’d probably get that at any vacation rental.
Overall, I would come back to this town just for the non-pretentious, relaxing vibe. The unit has a lot of potential, but the owners need to put some love into it and improve the overall cleanliness.