Common Questions
Q: Do you provide boogie boards or snorkel gear?
A: We provide beach towels, beach chairs, beach umbrellas, as well as large and small coolers. We don’t supply snorkel gear, boogie boards, or any “sporting or activity gear”. To be honest, it is just way too much of a liability issue for us to do so (according to our insurance agent). There are a couple of places to rent gear very near our condo. There is a Maui Dive Shop (http://www.mauidiveshop.com/) in the Shops at Wailea (a fancy-fancy outdoor mall) which is a very short walk from the condo. There is also a Snorkel Bob’s (http://www.snorkelbob.com/) right across the street from “The Shops” at 100 Wailea Ike Drive. In fact, you will drive right by it when you are heading to our place from the airport.
Q: How do we check-in and where do we go to pick up keys?
A: You will drive directly to Wailea Elua Village and check in at the Security Gate/Office. The office will have a record of your reservation, reservation date, and arrival time. The guard will provide you a parking pass for your car, a welcome information package, and directions to our condo. The front door of our home has a keyless lock. The unique door code for your stay in our condo will be provided shortly before your arrival. Please note, this code is TIME SENSITIVE! It is in effect from 3:00PM on your arrival day until 11:00AM on your departure day ONLY.
Q: My flight doesn’t leave until late in the evening. Can I get a late check-out?
A: Our published check-out time is 11:00 AM. Checking out any time after 11:00 AM requires a previously-arranged “late check-out”. Late check-outs must be pre-arranged, and we require a ½-day charge to guarantee and reserve a late check-out. This will allow you to stay in the unit as late as you like on your day of departure. Essentially, rather than bringing the cleaning crew in immediately after the normal check out time of 11:00 AM, we schedule them for first thing the following morning. Since we lose the opportunity to rent the unit for that night, but you retain the ability to stay in the unit for as long as you like on your departure day, we feel a ½-day charge is fair for us as well as you.
Q: My flight arrives in the morning. Can I get an early check-in?
A: Our published check-in time is 3:00 PM, and there are no exceptions. Our cleaning crew requires the entire day up until 3:00PM to clean and sanitize the unit to the standards we require, and to prepare the condo for your arrival. We also do not allow guests to “come in early to drop luggage and groceries”, as it is too difficult for our cleaning crew to work around luggage piled on the floor, as well as food in the cabinets and refrigerator. This simply makes their job even more difficult than it already is.
Q: Is Elua 701 an upstairs or downstairs unit?
A: Technically our condo is a ground floor unit. Our building at Elua is rather unique in that we are on a highly sloped portion of the property. There is a parking area on the uphill side of the building that provides direct access to our unit via two small concrete steps down. However, when you look at our building from the downhill (or beach) side of the property, there are two garages under our unit, then our unit on top of the garages, then a unit above ours. Thus, our place has the benefit of direct access from the parking area, but when you step out on to the lanai (which is on the downhill or beach side), you are “up high” and have a nice ocean view. On the “downhill” side of the building there is a staircase that runs from the level of our unit down to the level of the garages and the small access road in front of the garages. Frankly, the whole “having direct access from the parking lot while still being up high on the beach side of the unit” is one of the main reasons Julie and I purchased this particular unit, as we plan on retiring to this unit someday and we didn’t want to have to deal with stairs.
Q: I understand Elua 701 has a garage. Is use of the garage available to renter?
A: No, access to the garage is not available to renters.
Q: How “clean” do we need to leave the condo when we depart?
A: Regarding cleaning, we don't expect you to return the unit to the same level of cleanliness it was when you arrived, but we also expect it not to be excessively dirty. Rather we expect our guests to leave our home "reasonably clean, and lightly used". Essentially, we expect our guests to treat and honor our home as they would their own. Regarding laundry, we expect our cleaning crew to have to wash one complete set of sheets for each bed and one set of towels for each bathroom after your departure. Essentially this comprises the sheets that were on the beds and the towels left out for your use in the bathrooms upon your arrival. If you chose to change sheets midway through your stay or use extra towels from the guest linen closet, we expect you to wash, dry, fold and the old set of sheets or the extra towels you used and return them to the linen closet. We also expect you to take the trash and recycle items down to the dumpsters before you leave. Please also load and run the dishwasher.
Q: Do you provide daily maid service?
A: No, we do not provide daily maid service. For stays of 14 nights or more, mid-stay cleanings will be conducted on a nominal 7-day interval.
Q: What does a mid-stay cleaning entail?
A: The mid-stay cleaning service consists of the following:
The sheets are stripped from the beds and exchanged for the fresh, spare set that is in the unit. The bath towels are changed similarly. These linens are then taken offsite for laundering and then returned to the unit the next day.
The beach towels will be run through the washer and dryer in the unit while the cleaning crew is there.
The bathrooms are cleaned, except the crew will not open any of the cabinets or drawers due to the presence of your personal items.
The kitchen will be cleaned, dishes loaded into the dishwasher (if necessary) and the washer is started.
The floors cleaned and area rugs vacuumed throughout.
The cleaning crew will not open bedroom closets or dresser drawers (again due to the presence of personal items).
Finally, the lanai will be cleaned up and swept
Essentially, it is a nearly complete cleaning of the unit.
Q: What sort of supplies can I expect to be in the condo when I arrive?
A: Regarding toilet paper, paper towels, trash bags, cleaning supplies, etc., we only provide “starter supplies” for our guests. Since this is a privately owned condo (not a hotel), and we don’t offer daily maid service (where these things are refreshed every day), we expect our guests to pick up these items for themselves when they go shopping for the groceries for their stay. I guess we see it as the difference between staying one of the resort hotels or in a private residence like ours. In a hotel, you pay for daily maid service and for someone to come in every day to clean up after you and refresh these supplies. When renting a private residence like ours, we are able to provide our guests a much better rate than a resort hotel, as well as the opportunity to further save money by having their own kitchen and cooking some of their own meals rather than eating out all the time. In return, we expect our guests to provide their own basic housekeeping services like making their own beds, putting dirty dishes in the dishwasher, and generally cleaning up after themselves, things like that.