FlipKey

Manager Response to barry

Aloha Barry:


I am very sorry to hear you had a terrible stay on your recent trip to Maui. Our records show you stayed in Maui Kai 301 over two years ago in 2006 (from 11/27- 12/13 for $225/nt to be exact) not just a few months ago in 12/2008 as stated in your review. The timing difference somewhat reassures me that you must not have been thinking of our unit (or our Resort!) when you wrote this review.


Because we are located directly on Ka'anapali Beach, three miles long, I do not understand your comment about 'no beach access'. Just for the record, for those who may not have visited our website, we have posted aerial photographs that show our resort is practically IN the water! Of course we provide beach access! There are two sets of stairs: one set is directly out the lobby doors, the other set is at the north end of our sundeck. Maui Kai Resort also provides water spigots at the top of each set of stairs for rinsing the sand off of your feet (or easy rinsing of all the 'beach goodies' we provide in our unit including: snorkel gear, boogie boards and beach chairs!). Our gorgeous sandy beach, is not only world famous, swimmable and offers great snorkeling, but was recognized with top honors by Dr. Beach as 'Best Beach in America' on his top ten list.


I don't know what you mean by "The condo was misrepresented". With dozens of photos posted online as well as multiple 360 degree virtual tours it seems impossible for us to misrepresent any aspect of our accommodations. You can visit Maui Kai 301 'virtually' before you ever step foot in our Resort- including full 360 degree tours of our master bedroom, living room and our spacious corner balcony. In fact, we include Resort tours of our beachfront as well as our cabana area with its BBQ grills, heated pool, hot Jacuzzi, public kitchen and community computer too! Our virtual tours are not a succession of photos on a slideshow that could potentially hide something from the viewer. Our tours are taken by a professional and are actual stitched images of each location. Our high quality tours can be enlarged to full screen on your computer offering great detail and allow you to move the mouse around to view what we offer as if you were truly there.


I also have never heard anything remotely close to your statement that "the condo was barely livable" in all these years. Of course, you might not even recognize Maui Kai 301 anymore. We upgrade our unit every year as we live on island and are always interested in improving our accommodations. We hired a professional team to completely remodel our kitchen and bath the last two weeks of December 2006- just days after you left. We built a magnificent custom bathroom with a hand-made shower folks come back for! This custom turtle inlaid natural stone shower has custom designed 'wavy glass' enclosure that is big enough for two! (We are now a real favorite for Honeymooners and special Anniversary celebrations, as you can imagine...)


We completely opened up the kitchen and installed sapphire granite and stainless steel full size appliances too. We also upgraded our outdoor furniture to a custom teak barstool set crafted in Bali- the bar height allows you to enjoy the 180 degree oceanfront view without the railing getting in your line of sight like regular chairs will do- it's magnificent! We have since added a top end Select Comfort adjustable 'Sleep Number' King sized bed (allows each side of the bed to adjust separately to achieve perfect personalized firmness for a fantastic night's sleep) and added lots of original art from Window To Paradise. These gorgeous fine art giclees are huge! Our newest addition is a 5 foot by 7 foot Hawaiian canoe scene that adds an amazing ambiance to the kitchen, augmenting its already incredible oceanfront location.


I wish you had contacted us back in 2006 (if this is truly your honest review of your stay in Maui Kai 301?!) instead of waiting two and a half years to inform me of your 'disappointing' stay. We live on island, and personally maintain and manage our condos. We are always a phone call away to help support our guests in getting oriented to their new 'Island Home'. We certainly would have helped you understand how to reach the beach... and would have been happy to augment our Orientation Book (provided inside the condo to help you feel like a 'local' right away!), with more tips about our favorite things to do and places to eat across the island for a truly memorable island vacation.


With kind regards-
Shayla Middleton
Owner, Maui Kai 301
Maui, HI