I've never written a negative review but I want to be honest so that future guests are informed. I relied on the positive reviews and booked Neil's place for some rest and relaxation. It was my third trip to Hawaii but the pictures made it look like an oasis and the private parking couldn't be beat.
Pros
I loved the programmable keypad. The views were just as described. Large, semi-comfortable bed and the couch was comfortable. The water pressure was good and the bathroom tissue was extremely soft Netflix was convenient and the Wi-Fi was solid. There’s a private, uncovered parking space and Safeway is about eight minutes away.
Cons
Check- in - I couldn't find the place because Neil had painted over the address numbers.
A/C - Although air conditioning is advertised, Neil kept trying to discourage me from using it. He said his family ‘hadn't turned on the air in 15 years’ and kept repeating that I should really open the windows. He asked if I was ‘allergic to air.’ But it was hot and muggy outside and inside when I checked in because he didn't turn it on. When I finally did open the windows one morning, a neighbor was outside smoking a cigarette which I'm allergic to.
Noise - I booked Neil's place because I wanted to avoid the street noise of a Waikiki hotel. However, they decided to replace the deck on my second day. They were literally drilling and hammering right outside of my door for five hours when I was jet-lagged and not feeling well. When I explained that I couldn't even hear the TV, Neil suggested that I go sight-see, saying, 'No-one comes to Hawaii to watch Netflix...' Of course, he'd informed me that everything was closed due to coronavirus.
Cleanliness- There were large stains on the mattress cover and mattress pad. The sheets and towels were heavily fragranced with cheap detergent if you have chemical sensitivities. He was also spray painting right outside which caused fumes if I opened the door.
Shower -there were no directions for the shower head. There's a motion sensor I wasn’t aware of so if you lift your arms, the pressure increases greatly and a torrent of water comes down. He had two wash cloths for a six day stay but provided more when I asked.
Kitchen - the cookware needs much improvement. There are two small saucepans, one large skillet which was rusted and one small skillet. There were no seasonings other than salt and pepper but he sent up canola oil when asked. He also has two tiny trash cans in the entire airbnb that constantly have to be emptied in the trash can outside because they're so small. All these things were manageable.
Ants - The worst problem was the ants and the hosts inconsideration about them. I initially saw a few ants and Neil minimized it saying 'This is Hawaii.' Well, I’ve stayed in Brazil and Belize and never had an ant problem like this. A few soon turned into an infestation. They literally took over the kitchen and covered the inside of the microwave. When I showed Neil, he said he didn't know where they came from, this has never happened and then tried to blame me. I showed him that the trash was sealed and that no food was left out anywhere. I felt too uncomfortable to cook because the ants were all over his dark counters. I had only heated up a piece of bread in the microwave and had a cup of juice. I then immediately wiped the counters and washed my plate and cup. He just kind of closed his eyes to the whole thing saying he'd never had a complaint in five years and he didn't believe in using chemicals. Instead, he kept wiping the counters with Lysol wipes. I explained that wipes wouldn’t kill ants or prevent them from entering. I showed him the constant influx by the front door. He then admitted that his construction caused the problem. Many excuses later, Neil finally put boric acid out which didn't work. They spread to the other rooms. Finally, after constantly emptying trash, having to go out to eat because I was unable to cook (despite purchasing groceries) and eating standing up because an ant crawled on my leg, I asked Neil to be let out of his Air BnB. I offered to pay for the night I'd stayed but said I needed to find another place. Even he could see at this point it was uninhabitable. Neil flatly refused to cooperate and told me to call AirBnB.
He put bait out but never followed up to see if it worked. It didn't. The ants only got worse. They continued to come in for the entire sixteen hours it took for me to get through on the phone to AirBnB. They were backed up with calls due to coronoavirus. After I showed them pictures of the ants and the unsanitary mattress pad and cover, they let me move to a new place. But those first two days were miserable. Unfortunately, I left my eyeglass case at Neil's place and even though I tried for four days to retrieve it, Neil kept making excuses saying the housekeeper wouldn't be in until 48 hours after my stay was supposed to end. I never got my case back. The entire stay was extremely stressful but his lack of consideration made it even worse. I cannot recommend Neil’s place and would not stay again.