Upper Veranda Casabellas info

[JeanieJeans]

Hi!

My family of 4 is heading to Aulani this summer for the first time! I just called to reserve a cabana and they are all booked! The only premium pool seating left was the Ama'Ama upper veranda casabellas, so I reserved it.

We are checking out this day but have a very late flight so we were hoping to have the comfort of a cabana or at least the executive lanai to lounge in for our last day, no such luck So what I'm wondering is, how do the upper veranda casabellas compare to cabanas? Can a family of 4 with 2 kids under 12 be able to utilize this area or should I just keep calling everyday for a cabana reservation hoping for a cancellation?! Thank you so much in advance for your help!

P.S. If you have a cabana reserved for July 2nd and find you no longer want it, I'll gladly take that reservation off your hands

 

[gregf71]

My family and I (3 of us total) very much enjoyed a day on the ‘AMA‘AMA Upper Veranda during our August visit. Point of clarification though...it is not poolside seating whatsoever. I mean the pools are not far away, but they are not within eye shot. The verandas are closer to the beach versus any of the pools, which played perfectly into our plans for that day. Each casabella provides two covered adjustable "recliners", so with two of them on the upper veranda, there will be comfortable seating for your family of four. The verandas really are very different from the cabanas. The cabanas include several amenities, such as a TV, a ceiling fan, a refrigerator, a fruit bowl, and complimentary bottled water, etc....none of these things came with the veranda. We enjoyed excellent waiter service from Off the Hook, through which we ordered drinks and eventually lunch. The only real negative from our experience was that they were doing construction work on the wedding pavilion immediately next door. At times it was rather loud with the banging and sawing, not to mention the language of the workmen (to be clear not Aulani CMs) got a tad colorful too. I wish I had known about that noise ahead of time. I mentioned it to the Aulani Guest Services staff and they graciously gave us a $100 credit on our room account.

 

[JeanieJeans]

Thanks for the info. Will definitely help us figure out if we want to follow through with the reservation.

 

[nkereina]

DH and I reserved the upper veranda on our honeymoon. We got there at 9am to check in and take full advantage of it. By 9:30, we were back at the stand requesting a refund. It was not for us.

We did not like it because it was off the beaten path on the very edge of the resort property. At the far end of Ama Ama, on the other side of the deck in front of Ama Ama. It was very quiet which may be a benefit for some, but we felt secluded and doubted whether waiter service would be frequent since we were the only ones in the vicinity. To walk to the pool or bar or restrooms or drink refill stand, you'd have to walk across the deck and down the pathway. Nothing at Aulani is a far walk, but I would not say these things were convenient to the upper veranda. It was an easy walk down the stairs to the beach and lagoon though.

The other thing we didn't like is that it was almost 100% shaded. There were trees overhead and it appeared that the area wouldn't get any sun until very late in the day. Because of this, the umbrellas were not necessary.

All of this said, a family of 4 would fit comfortably and its nice to have a reserved space that's yours, without being crowded by others or having to worry about your things being moved. If you're traveling during a busy time of year, it might be worth it. But after we gave up the upper veranda, we just found seats on the beach which there plentiful.

 

[cbnsoul]

We booked the upper casabella last year for our family of three and liked it. Yes, it is a bit more secluded and shaded but that's what we were looking for. We had initially booked a cabana but were assigned one near the Menehune bridge which we were not interested in being near so changed to this location. The waiter service was good but not super frequent - think they came by 4 times from 9-2 or so, when we left. There was a button to call the wait staff, though, if needed. We booked the same location twice for our trip this summer.

 

[JeanieJeans]

We booked the upper casabella last year for our family of three and liked it. Yes, it is a bit more secluded and shaded but that's what we were looking for. We had initially booked a cabana but were assigned one near the Menehune bridge which we were not interested in being near so changed to this location. The waiter service was good but not super frequent - think they came by 4 times from 9-2 or so, when we left. There was a button to call the wait staff, though, if needed. We booked the same location twice for our trip this summer.

We booked the upper casabella last year for our family of three and liked it. Yes, it is a bit more secluded and shaded but that's what we were looking for. We had initially booked a cabana but were assigned one near the Menehune bridge which we were not interested in being near so changed to this location. The waiter service was good but not super frequent - think they came by 4 times from 9-2 or so, when we left. There was a button to call the wait staff, though, if needed. We booked the same location twice for our trip this summer.

Is it a place that other guests can walk through or is it just accessible to the people renting it? We don't mind being a bit farther from the pools, but is it safe to leave valuables there while everyone is gone? Thanks

 

[cbnsoul]

People could access it but I don’t know that it’s any less secure overall than the cabanas although I’m not sure if the cabanas have a safe. There are stairs to the beach directly next to the casabella but since it’s off to the side, they were infrequently used. That being said, I wouldn’t leave anything of significant value in plain sight.

 

[JeanieJeans]

People could access it but I don’t know that it’s any less secure overall than the cabanas although I’m not sure if the cabanas have a safe. There are stairs to the beach directly next to the casabella but since it’s off to the side, they were infrequently used. That being said, I wouldn’t leave anything of significant value in plain sight.

Good to know. Thanks