FOR THE VIRTUAL TOUR: 1. HIT THE PHOTOS TAB, 2. JUST ABOVE THE PICTURES THERE IS A SECTION CALLED "LINKS TO MORE INFORMATION" 3. HIT THE HOT LINK CALLED "VIRTUAL TOUR." I am certain that you have reviewed the listings of other units here at the Maui Banyan. Therefore, I am not going to be repetitious and tout all of the wonderful amenities that the Banyan has to offer which are common to the entire complex.
Instead, I want to provide information that I feel is relevant about MY unit, and why I feel that it is probably one of the finest units in the entire complex.
G-305, my unit, is a one bedroom and TWO BATH. Those familiar with the Maui Banyan know that the 'G' building is the most desirable as it is the closest to the beach without being on top of Kihei Rd. and the subsequent street noise. Some people who have 2 bedroom, 2 bath units do rent out a one bedroom part of their condo; however, when they split their unit and rent it out as a one bedroom you LOSE the second bath! I don't know about you; however, my wife loves it when she can have the master bath all to herself. For those of you who have children, it is a luxury to be able to enjoy the convenience and privacy of your own bathroom. Now, why my one bedroom two bathroom is so unique. Within the past year I have spent over $100,000 upgrading my unit. The final enhancement was the expansion of the lanai.
Unfortunately, the original size of the lanais of ALL the other one bedroom units at the Banyans were vastly undersized! So much so, that it was virtually impossible to have meals outside, as the width of the lanai was a mere 3 feet. The lanai's total function was to provide only standing room enjoyment. With my current lanai EXPANSION, 4 can now comfortably sit around a 36' diameter table, have a candlelight dinner while watching the sun set over your ocean view. NOW THAT IS SIGNIFICANT if you want to truly experience the utmost in ambiance.
The second improvement is the elimination of a common wall that separated the living room from the bedroom area. Instead of this wall, four beautiful Japanese sliding Shoji screens now provide privacy between these two areas. HOWEVER, when desired they all slide on their own individual tracks to make any combination of closures. Therefore, you now can make one big open area that joins the bedroom to the living room, and eliminate that boxy feel that was the original configuration, but still have all the privacy in your bedroom area as before. I am the original owner, and I wanted my 'home away from home' to be as comfortable as my home in Los Angeles. Therefore, there is not one piece of furniture that was originally provided by the builder that is still in my unit!
Unfortunately, this attitude is not shared by most of the other units that are available for rent. I am not trying to downgrade other units, however, there are differences, and the following list will inform you as to the amenities that are provided by my unit that were NOT the standard issue when these units were originally sold.
1. LOCATED IN THE G BUILDING (shortest walk to beach ...30 seconds, without being on top of Kihei Rd and its subsequent noise.
2. Located on the south side of the building giving a VIEW of the pool area, as well as a lovely OCEAN VIEW.
3. ALL NEW KITCHEN...including granite counters, new sink and fixtures, all new raised panel cabinetry, all new appliances, under cabinet dimable and recessed ceiling lighting.
4. ALL NEW FURNITURE, including an entertainment center that houses a Panasonic 42' plasma TV and DVD player. The new queen sofa bed has an upgraded $400 mattress that eliminates that annoying feel of the center bar. Just ask my 24 yr old 6'4', 215 lb. son how comfortable it is, as that is the bed he uses when he visits.
5. ALL NEW DINING ROOM FURNITURE, and a tropical ceiling fan in this area if you do not wish to use the air conditioner.
6. A desk for you to use if you brought with you some work from home, and a wonderful spot to set up your laptop, and enjoy the provided FREE WiFi connection.
7. Elimination in the bedroom of the original double bed which was replaced with a Simmons top of the line KING SIZE box spring and mattress.
8. Addition of a 26 ' CEILING MOUNTED TV IN THE BEDROOM for night time enjoyment as well as to give others the chance to view a different program from that of the plasma TV in the living room.
9. GRANITE COUNTER TOPS, new sinks and fixtures, and new raised panel cabinetry in both baths.
10. Addition of a SECOND AIR CONDITIONER AND CEILING FAN for the bedroom area.
11. EXPANSION OF THE LANAI off of the bedroom that has a 36' round table, seating for 4, as well as a reclining chaise lounge chair.
12. Extensive wall art and table pieces that make my unit feel as if you are in a beautiful island home, and NOT a boring stock hotel unit.
All of the above is true, and I can back it up by sending you a wonderful 3 minute e-mail attachment of a slide show that I made that will give you a complete idea of what I have accomplished to make your vacation as enjoyable as possible. People who have stayed in other units at the Banyan, and then have stayed in mine, repeatedly comment on the difference. That is why I rent my unit at a higher rental rate than some of the others. This may not be for everyone; however, for those of you who feel that the quality of your accommodations goes a long way towards making your Hawaiian vacation an EXCELLENT one instead of just a good one, then you will appreciate the phrase 'you get what you pay for.'
Keywords: See 'VIRTUAL TOUR' link below by clicking 'Rate Details' on the top of this page, and then scrolling down to 'LINK TO MORE INFORMATION.' The virtual tour is highlighted in blue, so click there.
