Banana Bungalow (Wailuku: rent, mattresses, hotel)

[Coney]

Hi! I've been reading reviews for the Banana Bungalow and it's very confusing. Some reviews claim that it is dirty and unsafe and some recent reviews have been very positive. I am more concerned about safety and cleanliness than noise. After searching this forum, I cannot find any posts about it newer than 2010. Can anyone provide me with information about this hostel and perhaps, the other one, Northshore? Thank you.

[Coney]

Yes, thank you. I looked at those and they are conflicting.

[CyberCity]

Originally was known as Hotel Riverview. It is in the Happy Valley area of Wailuku, which can be a ....challenging area. Yes, I've seen the building in person, but it was a couple of years ago, and it might have then been called a different name (and perhaps was a different owner). My impression of it then was that if you are in to a "very laid back communal" style of living, it might be OK. I'd ask for current photos of all the restrooms, and of the room you are trying to reserve. Last I saw, some rooms had mattresses on the floor. I'd want current photos .... perhaps it is fixed up a bit now, but maybe not?? New cel phone quality photos would suffice, but I'd not go by advertisement internet photos.

[hothulamaui]

as a tourist I would not stay in happy valley at all. I have driven by the northshore it is located closer to downtown. a better bet would be paia, kihei or lahaina

[OpenD]

Originally Posted by Coney

Hi! I've been reading reviews for the Banana Bungalow and it's very confusing. Some reviews claim that it is dirty and unsafe and some recent reviews have been very positive. I am more concerned about safety and cleanliness than noise.

Here's my take on hostels... some people are really easy going, and feel comfortable staying in hostels, and find them a great value, while most people just don't really get the concept at all.

A lot of the reviews on sites like Yelp and Tripadvisor seem to be written by people in the second group. Even the positive ones.

I mean, come on, how hard is it to understand hostels? You get a bed in a dormitory to sleep in with some strangers, you get the use of toilet and a shower with towel and a communal kitchen to use, and you and your stuff have to be out of the place for most of the daylight hours, and best of all, it doesn't cost very much money. That's it. That's the whole package. And anything else is a bonus.

Personally I wouldn't expect local residents to know much about the hostels in their area because they normally would not patronize them.

In the past i have find the major hostel organizations' rating systems to be the most accurate references.

[HiloDiver]

Originally Posted by opend

personally i wouldn't expect local residents to know much about the hostels in their area because they normally would not patronize them.

[CyberCity]

Originally Posted by OpenD

I mean, come on, how hard is it to understand hostels? You get a bed in a dormitory to sleep in with some strangers, you get the use of toilet and a shower with towel and a communal kitchen to use, and you and your stuff have to be out of the place for most of the daylight hours, and best of all, it doesn't cost very much money. That's it. That's the whole package. And anything else is a bonus.

That isn't how I would describe the setup there, at least when I saw it last. But it would be unfair for me to elaborate, since it might be better now than it was a few years ago. Still, such as we always tell people to NEVER RENT SIGHT UNSEEN, I'd extend that advice in this case to this place. Unless current photos can show that it has improved, then I suppose I might chance it .... as long as I had a written guarantee of a refund on my rental/deposit if the photos did not accurately portray the conditions.