Reviews for Haena Vacation Rental - VRBO 10930 - 3 BR North Shore House in HI, 2 Master Suites! Now Booking Fall 2013 and Spring/Summer 2014

No longer ocean view

Guest Anonymous
Date of stay 04/28/13
Review Submitted 05/06/13

This is a nice house in a quiet residential area, but unfortunately for us it is no longer as advertised. The vacant lot between the house and the beach is now a full-fledged construction site within a few feet from the house, and you can no longer access the beach from this lot (as the advertisement says) and the view you see in the photo above no longer exists. The entire lot between the house and the beach is fenced off and from the porch you see in the photo, you will now be looking straight down into the construction site, and the workers will be looking straight up at you. They have started to put in a foundation and this work may go on for quite awhile. You can access the beach from two other points if you walk up or down the road a little ways. The house is very comfortable and is close to several nice restaurants. However, the main road is very slow going with 7 one-way bridges to cross so plan plenty of time for travelling out. The famous Kalalau trail is only two miles away. There is a storage room that has lots of handy beach supplies, such as chairs and umbrellas, boogie boards and foot wear. The beach along this area ranges from rock/coral reef to fine sand as you walk up and down, and lots of people were snorkeling. This could have been a perfect spot for our once-in-a-lifetime 35th wedding anniversary trip, but unfortunately, the constuction site was a real disappointment. We had made this reservation several months in advance, and the owners were nice enough to warn us about the construction a few weeks before our rental, but at that point it was too late for us to do anything about it. In all fairness, this listing and the photos should be changed to reflect the reality of the new situation. We're not saying you shouldn't rent this property, some may not be as bothered by the construction site as we were. The owners may need to consider putting curtains up along the large windows so the construction workers can't see directly into the kitchen/dining area.

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First Time

Guest Howard
Date of stay 03/18/13
Review Submitted 03/31/13

The home is beautiful and large, with spacious rooms. The fixtures and furniture is medium grade, and the place is well kept, and well thought through from a design standpoint. My disappointment had to do with what was going on behind the house. The view of the ocean was partially blocked (and will soon be blocked) by the construction of a new home behind this one. Direct access to the beach, as advertised, was also cut off. There was considerable noise during the day due to the new construction as they assembled what was to be what appears to be 12' high screening around the construction site. We contended with generators and hammering going on from 9 to 6 (even in the rain) so we had to leave to avoid the noise. My biggest gripe over this was the lack of warning by the owner who knew this was taking place. One should be prepared for a muddy and rutted road, when raining, that leads to house. Beyond this, the area is beautiful.

Owner response: We appreciate guest feedback good or bad because it helps us provide a better guest experience in the long run. In this instance the issue was somewhat out of our control - I want to discuss the construction next door; It is unfortunate that we, as owners, were not notified of the construction taking place on the lot adjoining Hale Aloha (because we do not live on the island we are sometimes further down on the “information” chain than we like to be.) That said the information I have recently received from our HOA is that the current owner is constructing the foundation only at this point so that his building permit will not expire. When the foundation is complete he will be able to retain an “active permit” status for another 2 years and sell the lot as originally planned. How long will the foundation process take? We are hoping just a few more weeks. We have known all along that someone might build a home on the vacant lot in front of our house and that yes, some of our view would then be obstructed. We also know that ocean front homes on our street rent for much more than our house which has always been modestly priced so that the average family can take a vacation in paradise and enjoy all the "aloha" Kauai has to offer. Keeping all this in mind, our goal is to give each guest of Hale Aloha the best vacation experience possible knowing that sometimes it will rain and because our road is off the highway and on the North Shore that generally means roads are gravel and/or dirt. Most who travel to the North Shore know it as a magical place full of tropical jungle wonders, crystal clear blue water and a bounty of rainbows on any given day! If you have any questions about Hale Aloha or the area in general I urge you to contact me via the VRBO owners contact link. With the warmest aloha ~

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Hale Aloha Kauai

Guest Bonnie
Date of stay 03/07/13
Review Submitted 03/18/13

We throughly enjoyed our stay, I would highly recommend this house. It was exactly as descibed in the listing and the photographs were very accurate. It is set up perfectly for couples.The house was very clean and well stocked with everything you would need for cooking and the beach. I enjoyed working with the owner Laurie Marie,she was nice and extremely helpful. Kauai North Shore was absoluetly beautiful.So much to do we couldn't fit it all in.We loved Tunnels Beach and the Hanelea River was great for paddleboard or kayaking.

Recommended for: Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

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octobre famille stay

Guest Chrs
Date of stay 10/17/12
Review Submitted 11/02/12

Hello from France, I have spend a lot of time to select a property for our Kaui stay. There are so many houses available that is it difficult to decide which one depending our your budget, your style and your confort need. This property is just fabulous. It is located in one of the best location in Noth shore and the house is great. it is so good to feel that the owners have done their best to make sure we have a good stay. Thanks for this wonderfull week.

Recommended for: Age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

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Two Weeks in Paradise

Guest Judi S.
Date of stay 09/16/12
Review Submitted 10/12/12

Although this was our 9th visit to Kauai we had always stayed in condos located on the north shore of the island. This year we opted for something different and decided to rent a house on the beach. I believe it was about three hours after we arrived that we all agreed that we were ruined forever and would never go back to the condo. This house was wonderful and was perfect for our needs. The two master arrangement afforded us the privacy we wanted, the views were gorgeous -- ocean, jungle, or mountain -- and we just had to walk across the yard to reach the beach to watch the sunset or sunrise. The kitchen was gourmet in class -- a real plus with our group, and all of the amenities were exactly as described. We would love to revisit this house and will certainly recommend it to our friends who visit the island. Mahalo for making a wonderful vacation absolutely perfect!

Recommended for: Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, sightseeing.

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Gorgeous home

Guest family
Date of stay 07/28/12
Review Submitted 08/28/12

We loved the beautiful home to come back to each night. Although we spent a lot of time off site boogie boarding, surfing, riding the helicopters, zip lining and snorkeling or just checking out Hanalei, we found the views from the home just perfect. walking out to see the sunset looking towards Tunnels beach was a wonderful experience. Thanks.

Recommended for: Families with teenagers, families with young children, romantic getaway.

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Hale Aloha Kauai is Amazing (but let's keep it our little secret)

Guest Dave & Theresa B.
Date of stay 02/25/11
Review Submitted 03/25/11

March 25, 2011 Aloha, We have intended on writing this review since we got home from our vacation at Hale Aloha Kauai. We didn’t want to write a long, boring, and redundant review. We am also torn between writing about a little bit of paradise and keeping it a secret so only a few will know and we can keep returning here year after year without worrying that it will be booked up years in advance. So here is the short and sweet review. The house is beautiful. The beach is gorgeous. The owners are marvelous. The island of Kauai is amazing. If you travel the world, we find it hard to fathom that you will ever find a more spectacular place. Mahalo to Laurie-Marie & Randy, Dave & Theresa Blanks Alvin, TX USA

Recommended for: Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 3/4

It Doesn't Get Any Better Than This

Guest Larry and Margie
Date of stay 11/30/10
Review Submitted 12/21/10

My wife and I celebrated our 43rd anniversary in this "Dream Hawaiian Vacation Home." We spent two weeks in this extremely clean, well-stocked and upscale home. We will definitely be back! There were creature comforts in every room. Everything you need is provided including boogie boards, ice-chests, sand toys, and beach towels. The large kitchen has everything the cook needs to create the perfect meal. Did I mention the BBQ? We had hot links, ribs, steaks and prime rib to die for. The beach is pretty close to being private with a gorgeous view and an area of calm water for swimming and snorkeling. There were just the two of us for this large home. With two hugh Master Suites and a third bedroom you could easily bring another couple and the kids with breathing room to spare. This home is more beautiful than described with location, location and location. You really don't need to go anyplace else. Everything you came to Kauai for is right here! Did I mention the BBQ? It exceeded our expectations in every way. If you are looking for the perfect vacation home, YOU HAVE FOUND IT!

Recommended for: Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, tourists without a car, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 4/5

Happy in Haena

Guest Tom
Date of stay 11/11/10
Review Submitted 12/17/10

Our family of four and our friends' family of four ( total 4 kids ages 9-11) combined to stay in this excellent rental. Well constructed home in very good condition. Large kitchen with large island was great for making dinners with our multiple cooks and kids flitting around and talking about the day's activities. Big dining table easily sat all 8 of us. Back deck was great for evening talk and drinks looking out on the Pacific. What a wonderful view of the beach out the back deck and the mountains out the kitchen window! Get fresh fish at the Dolphin in Hanalei, bring it back in one of the house-provided coolers with ice, and grill it on the propane grill on the back deck -- yummy/outstanding. Master suites are large w/great king beds, w/large master baths sporting nice, tiled, double showers. Larger kids can sleep in 2 single beds in 3rd BR, smaller kids on the pull out sofabed in the main living room. Plenty of parking underneath (house is raised on tall piers) for two or more vehicles (we had vans), with a handy lockable storage area for golf clubs, snorkel gear, etc. Just off the parking area is a basic outdoor shower to rinse off the beach gunk and a clothes line to dry your swim gear and towels. Laundry room in the house has all you need. It is about a 12-15 minute drive to Hanalei on the curvy road, but that didn't bother us since the scenery is so magnificent. And, you can do a morning run to Tunnels Beach on the road (maybe 3/4 mile), or walk out the back and do a beach walk to see the sunrise on the breakers. If you're a decent runner, its a great 2 mile run (one way) to Ke'e Beach, IMO one of the most beautiful spots on the planet. Stereo system is a bit tough to figure out for local FM, but we didn't sweat that too much. CDs and TV worked fine. You must be able to negotiate a good number of wide stairs to get up to the main (only) level of the house. Be careful if your kids play on the rope swing on the back lot near the beach, there are mosquitoes around those trees, they'll get bitten. Boogie boarding at Hanalei Bay recommended for the kids (and those young at heart) -- best boogie boarding beach in Kauai. All in all, you'll have to try hard to have a bad time here. HIGHLY Recommended. Aloha...

Recommended for: Families with young children

Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 6/6

Beautiful house with all the amenities and luxuries you need!

Guest Alison
Date of stay 08/27/10
Review Submitted 09/22/10

This house far exceeded our expectations and made our week in Kauai an absolute joy! What a pleasure to arrive late at night on our first day to this beautiful, clean, and welcoming home. It was the perfect home for our small family and left us wishing we could have encouraged another family to join us as the two master suites create a perfect set up for two couples or families wanting to vacation together. The beach is a close walk through a lovely trail across the empty lot. Tunnels beach is VERY close (although you need the car if you want to bring anything with you) and was by far my favorite beach of all the beaches we explored in the north shore. Great for kids of all ages! We will recommend it to anyone wanting to go to Kauai and hope to return again next year. :)

Recommended for: Adventure seekers, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, tourists without a car, sightseeing.

Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 5/5