I am baffled by Kim R.'s 10/19/2015 review. I have lived in the Mott-Smith Laniloa for many years, and my experience has been completely different...and it's my understanding that I am not alone in my high regard for the building, which I'm told, and have read, is one of the island's most desirable.
The most confusing thing of all for me is the comment about the noise, since one of the reasons I would dread moving is that I feel I've been so spoiled by the quiet and serenity I've experienced maybe 99% of the time I've lived here-- and the rare times that quiet has been disrupted have been mostly by the happy sounds of a few visiting grandchildren in high spirits, laughing and running as they make their way from the grandparents' apartments to the elevator. Certainly nothing I'd complain about, or even change if I could.
Although it's true we've had some unsatisfactory building managers in past years, I've never experienced any ill effects of this, since the manager doesn't create building policy, and anything I've wanted or needed done, or to find out about, etc., I've just gone downstairs and handled with Claudette, the office manager, who's been here for years and, as mentioned in the previous review, is a gem. So the building manager is a non-issue for me in terms of my experience of living in the condo.
As far as people saying leaving is lucky, all I can say is that through the years I've seen a number of folks move out for, only to return...and, come to that, there are many residents who must like it here, because they, like me, have been here for years.
Some of the things I love about this building besides the almost absolute silence and serenity I enjoy once I close my apartment door behind me (and, for that matter, the rest of the building has always been quiet and peaceful too): the warm helpfulness, courtesy and friendliness of residents and employees, the continual attention to upkeep and upgrading (e.g., new fire alarm system, lobby re-do, bookshare in lobby, the institution of a program whereby the building handles regular checks & routine maintenance of apartment a/c units and valves); the feeling of complete safety from the security system (doors, parking garage, security desk), the constant attentiveness to cleanliness (e.g., regularly scheduled carpet cleaning on all floors), the convenience and even luxury of having pool, tennis courts, and a car wash bay available, and of being able to receive packages and have them held downstairs until it's convenient for me to pick them up, the recycling bins on the way to my parking space, and the notification system for residents which, yes, includes notices in the elevator but also email copies of all such notices to residents who want such notice.
All in all, if things continue at the Mott-Smith Laniloa as they've been since I moved in lo, those many years ago, I don't expect to leave so long as I'm living in Hawaii!
So...just another perspective, of a longtime resident, for what it's worth. read more