Hono Kai — Hotel in Maui

Let’s start with the parking process. Didn’t arrive till midnight and was directed to fill out paperwork for a parking permit. It was pitch dark and no pen in the area where you are expected to fill out the parking pass. We had to drive all the way to Kihei to get a pen because everything was closed and we did not have one on us. We only actually parked in the hono kai parking lot one time and when we did even though we had the pink slip hanging on our rearview mirror, we still got a notice requesting Information that I had already given. from that point on, we just took the chance and parked across the street as we did not want to get towed. I understand with the amount of homeless and drug addicts on the street being particular about who parks in the parking lot. I find it strange though they are very particular about guest parking, but there was literally a Chevy truck with a camper with no windows which looked to be a homeless person’s vehicle parked in the parking lot the entire time we were there. The property manager and the maid will literally spy on you, they know exactly when you arrive and leave. If you are caught smoking anywhere on the property except the designated areas, they will fine you and then harass you for the rest of your visit and make up lies about you. Yet one morning we were leaving and one of the property maintenance guys was in his car, smoking a cigarette. I was also told by our host we should not smoke or vape on the beach yet we saw several people smoking cigarettes and drinking coffee on the beach. We were told that the resort has no jurisdiction over the beach and cannot tell you what you can and can’t do on the beach. There were old water bottles, dirty Band-Aid stuck on the ground and just a gross feeling as you walk through the stairwells and walkways. The only thing that ever gets cleaned is around the pool..On our first morning we got a warning about hitting our vape near the grills at 12:30 AM after we had to drive all the way to Kihei to get a pen to fill out our parking information. It was strange the property manager noticed me hitting my vape twice by the grills, but I never saw him doing any maintenance, cleaning up the place, picking up the old Band-Aid or water bottle. We received lots of long messages on instructions and the day before we left we were required to respond what time we would be checking out. I clearly responded. We would not be checking out until 11 AM and we left at 10:25 to go plant a tree. When we got back at 10:45, the maid was already in our room cleaning. We still had belongings in there and we had not checked out. We left the kitchen impeccable, cleaning all the dirty dishes, filling the soap, which was watered down when we got there, and sweeping the floors. I left the maid a note to let her know what we had cleaned and to maybe focus on other things that were filthy when we arrived. When I went back in the condo at 10:45 she was extremely rude. Brought up the note and said she had seen us leave so she thought everything was good to come in. Once again, they literally spy on you here. Even if we did leave at 10:25 who is she to go in when we explained clearly we would be checking out at 11. The maid, then once again lied and told Angela the condo smelt like marijuana. This was an absolute lie. I told Angela she needed to check on her condo herself because her maid was completely untrustworthy and a liar. The maid seemed to falsely accuse us of something every time we mentioned her lack of ability to clean properly.. We have been to Maui two other times before this. The hospitality is literally what we loved and came back for. Hono Kai offers no hospitality. The permanent owners and residents of the condo will literally give you a dirty look and frown at you. The property manager seems to hate his life, and the maid is rude, grumpy and untrustworthy. The location was easy to get around Maui from but seems like a rougher area with drug addicts and homeless people all around. The island of Maui is beautiful! Just stay...

This is our 3rd time to Maui and although we really enjoyed the central location of Maalaea we would definitely NOT RECOMMEND THE HONO KAI. The property manager is more concerned about harassing the guests than actually keeping the place clean and welcoming. It was strange he reported me hitting my vape by the grills at 12:30am the night we got in but was never seen during the day doing any kind of maintenance or cleaning. The condo owner even had the nerve to say we should not vape or smoke on the beach in front of the condo or he might get mad. We were actually informed they have no right or jurisdiction over policing the beach and saw several people walking the beach drinking coffee and smoking cigarettes. We filled out the proper paperwork to park but still was left a warning on our windshield requesting information we had already given so we just parked across the street in fear he would have us towed or something. The walkways and staircases were filthy with water bottles sitting around for days and used bandaids stuck on the ground. The entry areas to the condos are mostly gross and unkept. The actual condo was dirty as well with every dish we pulled out being greasy, black hair all over the bathroom, super dusty bedroom and an extra blanket we tried to use had white crust on it. Then the maid came in while we were gone to leave another blanket which I definitely did not approve. We stayed at the Grand Wailea on our first visit and of course it was so welcoming and amazing. On our second visit, we stayed in Kaanapali at an older condominium resort but the employees were also very nice, very welcoming and the grounds and common areas were very clean.. the owners of the condos at Hono Kai should probably not be doing short term rentals because the other residents who live here literally will give you a dirty look and frown at you if they think you are a tourist. If you stay here, you definitely do not get the amazing experience and warm hospitality of staying at other places which is literally one of the reasons we come to Maui. Like I said don’t let this deter you from Maalaea as it was so easy to get around from there, just find another condo. The places around us seemed much nicer...

Hono Kai B8 Condo VRBO Property ID 253390||This condo was perfect for our family of four; the open floor plan was spacious enough to not feel cramped, even if there wasn’t a lot of privacy due to the open floor plan. Here’s a list, which is how I appreciate reviews to be organized: ||Pros:|-There are boogie boards, beach chairs, and beach towels available for use. The kitchen is well equipped, and there are beachside grills for guest use. |-AC was lovely. Yes, the tradewinds are cooling, but sometimes you just want some manufactured cold air. |-There are quarter laundry machines just down the hall. |-The best thing was the location: the balcony was the perfect place to enjoy my morning coffee, or to feel like I was on the beach, without being on the beach. -Ma’alaea is in the middle of the island, so we weren’t far from anything; it served as a perfect home base. Ma’alaea is the 2nd windiest harbor in the world, so expect some waves. It didn’t bother us at all, as it made for an enjoyable time. |-The beach here is sandy, so we didn’t need water shoes. |-I never had a reason to contact management, so I cannot comment on responsiveness. Owners were very accommodating and flexible to our changes due to varying airline schedules. ||Cons (take this with a grain of salt…I REALLY had to think about this in the spirit of a comprehensive review):|-The upstairs loft bed is the most comfortable. The “master” bed downstairs is tolerable, at best. The 3rd bed is a futon, so take from that what you will. |-The parking spaces are quite small, so if you have a large rental, prepare for squeeze! (This is not unique to the Hono Kai; parking spaces are small everywhere we went!)|-We were instructed via post-it note to not use the dishwasher. We did not inquire as to why, and it didn’t bother us to hand-wash. |-None of these “cons” matter because WE WERE IN MAUI!||I would 100% stay here again for the location, value, and accommodations. Mahalo for sharing this special place with us! We had the trip...