Aston at Poipu Kai

The room and property were clean and nice, but the fees due at check-in were more than half of what I paid through the travel portal. I can’t tell whether the portal or hotel was responsible, but those charges should have appeared in the confirmation email. Had I known how high they’d be, I wouldn’t have booked. We also got just one coffee packet for four days and were charged for another, which left a bad impression. If booking through a third party, check for extra fees first.

We were assigned condo 511, but the room was in such poor shape that we decided not to stay. The carpet was old and smelled musty, the twin bed room looked dirty, and the beds were squashed down. The bathroom needed updating, and there was no air conditioning. When I returned the keys, the woman at check-in seemed put out, then only said “I’m sorry” without making eye contact. It was a terrible experience, so we moved to another hotel.

The location was great, but finding several cockroaches roaming around every night made the stay disgusting. We spent five nights there, and now we’re worried about bringing them home. The front desk eventually moved us to another building and said cockroaches are normal in Hawaii. I live on a neighboring island, and these weren’t the big outdoor American roaches. They looked like the kind that live in poorly maintained homes. The place felt unsanitary, and with no other last-minute options, we had to put up with it. We could have dealt with the old, dirty furniture, but the roaches were too much. The buildings are older, with no central AC, so it was extremely hot and humid. Sheets and towels were worn and discolored, and the furniture looked like it hadn’t been cleaned in years. The front desk staff were pleasant enough and gave us keys for the rental and information about the area. Afterward, we had to bleach everything, and I can’t help thinking it might have been easier to throw it all away. Save yourself the money and headache and stay at a proper hotel.

The spacious room stayed comfortable all day and evening thanks to the trade winds blowing through. Parking was easy, and the property opened onto a beautiful beach view. This was the final stop on our nine-day vacation, and the location worked perfectly. My only gripe: one of the two beds was very uncomfortable.