Mark Bartleman
Google
AVOID Unit 413 -- Beware Booking Short-Term Rentals via Casago Kona.
Hale Kona Kai condominiums are available for short-term vacation rentals with rentals and property management now handled by Casago Kona.
Booked into Hale Kona Kai December 2023 for 10 nights, condo unit 413 with its oceanfront higher-cost wrap-around lanai as a treat. Upon arrival it became clear I’d been had … by truly deceptive marketing -- condo’s interior is rather dumpy-dilapidated, my heart sank, my mood soured, and my vacation was quite ruined. The photos of this condo on Casago Kona’s website must be at least 20 years old -or- cleverly edited ... nearly every interior surface is extremely worn/faded (cracked tile floors; stained/dirty carpet; old deteriorating cabinetry; old/dull lighting in kitchen; ‘popcorn’ ceiling peeling and flaking off; when was the last time the unit saw fresh paint?; worn/dirty-stained bathtub; as a health concern, ventilation cover in bathroom tub/shower area looks disgustingly corroded and dirty, and vent cover in ceiling above bathroom sink full of dust/dirt; damaged/defective glass in a bedroom window pane so ‘cloudy’ you can’t see through it). This condo unit is just tired and run down, suffering from lack of ownership pride and associated maintenance/upkeep.
Surprised there’s not more professionalism and higher standards for units managed/represented by Casago Kona. They should be ashamed of complicity with the unit owner’s short-term rental income greed through inflated marketing utilizing misleading photos of the condo and deceitful text included on the Casago Kona’s website, e.g., “Updated kitchen and updated bathroom …” and “… chaise on the lanai” (yes, there’s a vinyl-strap chaise -- albeit deteriorating and with a dangerous-to-use broken middle support crosspiece … and no cushion for it; not what’s shown in its website image). Website includes a photo of a BBQ grill and text, “… you will find … a barbeque at the south end of the complex”, but the condo unit itself doesn’t possess any grilling utensils (not even a long-handled metal spatula); ridiculous.
Hale Kona Kai has been a favorite condo complex for our Hawaii vacations since 2009 where we stayed numerous times in the same unit and thoroughly enjoyed it -- always exceptionally well maintained, updated and cared for, and extremely well provisioned all-around (e.g., kitchen items, cleaning supplies) for weeklong+ stays. That unit no longer appears in the short-term rental inventory. As this current stay was intended as a special celebration of my 65th birthday, thought we’d $plurge a bit and ‘upgrade’ our stay to a corner unit with wrap-around lanai, and selected unit 413 from the Casago Kona website based on its pictures … imagine being so utterly disappointed. And the audacity of a member of Casago’s staff contacting us our first day on-site with, “We hope you find Hale Kona Kai 413 suitable for your five-star stay here in Kona!” … adding insult to injury, as condo unit at most garners a 2-star rating. Imagine being misled and spending thousands of dollars on a special vacation only to be so bitterly discontented.
Casago Kona should also be embarrassed for failing their Mission Statement’s bold claims, “… ensuring all of our residents have the best quality, most comforting living experience possible” and touting “core beliefs of honesty, integrity, professionalism, …”
