The resort was nice with several pools and snorkeling right out back of the resort. The unit was nice and equipped with the basics
This is my 6th stay (but who is counting) at Honua Kai. It’s fabulous for families, good size apartment, supermarket across the road, fully equipped kitchen. I don’t think there would be a bad apartment to stay in, just some that are less good. If you want views from bedrooms, make sure you check the apartment layout as there are some rooms that might not have a window to the outside. We did notice for the first time noise from the apartment above, but this could have been just particularly noisy people staying as I have never noticed this before. We also noticed in this apartment a noise (not terrible, just there!) from the lift around the corner.
This was our first time at Honua Kai. The resort is lovely and the kids enjoyed the pool.
Here’s what I wish I had known:
1. The beach is beautiful but very rocky and had strong undertow. I did not feel safe swimming there with kids and my husband badly scraped his foot on the rocks and was unable to fully enjoy hiking after. Bring water shoes or consider driving to a better beach.
2. The resort staff were attentive about calling me to book stuff but, as a Canadian answering the phone, it got pricy. Further, I had to email about things. There was no wifi in the main part of resort, just our unit. I didn’t really want to be glued to a phone in my condo to make arrangements when I’m supposed to be in paradise. I would have preferred to just have an in person concierge to speak. Make sure you have a good phone plan, especially if travelling from another country.
3. The unit was mostly clean…. Except for the dirty underwear I found from a previous guest.
4. The view from the lanai was lovely except for the giant cranes blocking the view as the building was being repainted and cleaned. FYI, power cleaning equipment is loud. It would be nice if this information was made available and was transparent when such maintenance is planned because I wouldn’t have chosen to stay there at this time had I known.
5. There were loud alarms going off for over an hour the night before we left. The alarms were confusing as they kept loudly saying the issue was resolved but there was no way to make them stop. We later learned that there had been a large flood in some neighbouring units but it was not clear that there ever was a safety issue that required the entire building to be woken for an hour.
Despite the above, I would consider staying at this resort again if the price was decent but I certainly would not pay a premium to stay at Honua Kai.
Overall our stay here was fantastic. We’ve stayed at Honua Kai before and we love this property and amenities. KBM was very proactive with communication but we had a couple areas of disappointment which KBM responded to quickly.
I suggest requesting extra bath towels in advance. We had 2 and although KBM was quick to respond, it took a day to get more bath towels. We improvised with resort pool towels.
There could be some basic cleaning supplies especially for the kitchen. There was nothing to clean the countertops, etc after cooking.
The TV is a little dated and doesn’t have steaming capability. We brought a Chromecast so we could watch movies, etc in the evening.
The “2nd bedroom” is ok for kids. There is no window and has a sliding barn door which doesn’t provide the privacy of a proper 2nd bedroom.
Otherwise I would not hesitate recommending this property to anyone in the future. Service was excellent, it was very clean and checking/checkout process was a breeze!
Love the location of Honua Kai, but it has taken a beating from STVR's. We have stayed at other units here since it opened and it has already reached the age of needing renovation. The bed was awful. The unit was clean and well stocked, but very tired and worn. We loved the location. Can't beat Duke's for breakfast. Good snorkeling was close with lots of fish and turtles just off shore.
This is everything you need to satisfy the whole family. Great pools and hot tubs, quiet pools for reading and relaxing. On-site convenience market. Beach access is right there with great sandy swimming and sunsets. Provided boogie boards and chairs was awesome. No complaints in anyways. Plenty of garage parking just an elevator ride away from room. Book it !
We have stayed at the Honua Kai property many times. This was the first time we rented through KBM. We appreciated the following benefits via KBM which aren't available through the main property rental agency: A bunch of laundry pods (instead of 2), a bunch of dishwasher detergent (as opposed to 2), nicer toiletries, two! boogie boards, two beach chairs, and two umbrellas in the closet. Our unit happened to be the source of a leak during our stay. These things happen. KBM responded right away. Someone was at the door within minutes of us reporting the leak. KB< kept us posted on the status of the repair and we knew exactly when to expect to be able to return to the room.
The customer service was excellent. I never really had an issue that needed following-up on but the check-in process and instructions were clear and went smoothly. Very happy with the service and would book through KBM again.
Excellent customer service! A company that cares for your family to have the best experience and quickly respond to your questions and needs!
Mahalo to all the staff at KBM!
This property is beautiful. Very well maintained and its nice to have a restaurant onsite. The room was above our expectations and the snorkeling off the beach is amazing.
