Vacation Rentals by Owner

Felt like home

Guest: JSM22 (Kent, WA)
Date of Stay: 01/19/12 Review Submitted: 02/04/12

I was a little nervous, having never done the vacation rental thing before; however, everything went smoothly. The location of the home was perfect for my kamaaina family returning to the island. It's close to all the conveniences, including beautiful Kailua beach. Everything you need is there. We would definitely use VRBO again and likely stay at this same lovely home.

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

Guest: George and Cheryl
Date of Stay: 05/30/11 Review Submitted: 07/09/11

This wonderful home was the icing on the cake for a great first time visit to Hawaii. It's so comfortable , clean, the view is outstanding. Everything we needed was right here for us. Would definately return!!

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Guest: Holly and Jason
Date of Stay: 05/23/11 Review Submitted: 07/09/11

We had a great time and loved relaxing and catching up w/Jason's parents in the hilltop House. Beautiful views, comfortable breezes- glad we picked this over a huge resort!

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Fantastic family home rental

Guest: kbigelow (Santa Cruz, CA)
Date of Stay: 12/26/10 Review Submitted: 01/08/11

We are a family of four, with two boys 10 and 13. The views at this place are spectacular, with gorgeous ocean views from the master bedroom, dining, and living areas. The trade winds keep it comfortable in the afternoon and evenings with ceiling fans to keep air circulating nicely. There is a nice separation of space / bedrooms, which means that adults can stay up late and kids can go to bed early [or vice versa if you have teenagers!]. The master is upstairs, and the bedrooms are downstairs. The rooms are well appointed, with comfortable beds and lots of linens / towels (for both bath and beach). There are TVs in every room, and my boys rated this a big plus. Regarding shopping, there is a Safeway within 2 minutes, so getting groceries is easy. Restaurant-wise, we have very picky kids, so going out for a meal is challenging. We succeeded quite well at Island Snow (west Kailua shave ice extraordinaire), and did fine at the plate lunch places [L&L near the rental, K&K near Island Snow]. Finally, there is lots of beach equipment at this rental for the kids [boogie boards, snorkel gear, footballs, etc.]. We added to the collection, as our kids had outgrown one snorkel set. Per other reviews, this is not a luxury home, and it has not been remodeled in the last couple of years, so it is true that there is not fresh paint / brand new carpets. However, this did not impact our stay at all and we found the home very comfortable.

Owner response:Fresh paint inside and out. Everything looking good!!!

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, families with teenagers, families with young children, sightseeing.

Seaside House

Guest: Canadian Traveller (Victoria, BC, Canada)
Date of Stay: 12/16/10 Review Submitted: 12/26/10

My family spent 10 days at this property during Christmas 2010. The house is spacious; light and airy; and has tremendous views across the beach and Kailua. (On one occasion I saw a whale breaching in the distance!). There is a Marine base close by and you will wake up to revellie in the morning (8 am) and taps at night. We had a car and could easily travel to the beaches, Kailua town for shopping, Honolulu on Hwy 61, and the coast road to the north end of the island. The beaches on this side are great: long and sandy, great parks and much less crowded than Waikiki. The house itself has a good sized kitchen, a dining area and a living area with large windows allowing views across the tree tops. The previous reviewer sounds a little disappointed, but to be fair the criticisms could be made about any house in Hawaii. The climate is tropical (hot and humid) and so most homes have some corrosion and discovering creepy crawlies in the bathroom is going to happen everywhere in this part of the world. If you are looking for a sterile and air-conditioned environment, the windward side of a tropical island is not for you! The neighbors are really friendly and even our teenage daughter loved this location and was reluctant to leave for the hustle and bustle of Waikiki.

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, families with young children, pet owners, sightseeing.

Bait and Switch

Guest: Disappointed (California)
Date of Stay: 12/04/10 Review Submitted: 12/12/10

The claim was for a clean and well maintained home, which it wasn't. Broken furniture, rust stains,mold, carpet stains, burnt our or mismatched light bulbs, holes in the walls and empty nails, undermined what could have been a nice property. In addition, the extra key didn't fit a single door, they told us to use the garage door opener, but when our group was separated, this wasn't an option and the front door lock was frozen. When we called, multiple times since we couldn't get into the home, the landlord's father finally came to fix the lock. She finally gave us the garage exterior code to get in. Millipedes and centipedes were everywhere. When we sent an email with all the issues we felt should be addressed, the mother of the landlord finally called but offered no consideration, just defensiveness for back to back rentals..Tthe owner, has yet to call us and it has been three days since we sent our complaints to her. She knew of broken furniture and made no effort to repair or inform us of problems before we arrived. The one time we did speak, she said she knew about them, but made no effort to address them the entire time we were here. Unless these issues were addressed, I would not recommend this property.

Owner response:Any issues with the house have been resolved.

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Good Bye to Our Son

Guest: Shanna (The Woodlands Tx)
Date of Stay: 11/08/10 Review Submitted: 12/03/10

We stayed at this house for ten days with our son who is in the Marine Corp and have to say what a fabulous time. My husband and I went to see our son off on his first deployment to Afghanistan and staying at this house (him not on the base) was exactly what we all needed. It was such a beautiful experience waking up to the sound of the ocean, the constant breeze and going to bed with the numerous stars at night. I can't even describe how incredible the view is. We will be coming back and staying here again when he gets home. But be aware, you will get home sick to come back here again. As I go to bed every night thinking about my son in Afghanistan I just pull my thoughts back to our 10 days we got to spend together in a cozy, beautiful, and relaxing beach house. Mahala Lois - thank you so much Shanna & Peter Sanders LCpl Eron Clarke

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Guest: Jan, Mike and Flo
Date of Stay: 10/13/10 Review Submitted: 07/09/11

We had loads of laughter and conversation (and cooking) in this marvelous house with the magnificent view- and that is the legacy we leave in these walls- laughter and fun. Don't miss Pinky's, Lucy;s Moke's or Kimo's- wonderful food. Such a beautiful island with gorgeous blue water. Go to the Polynesian Cultural Center- its fabulous- but wear bug spray- I have 11 huge welts from the mosquitoes. We had a great time- here for Mom's 90th birthday, and she had a bleast! Aloha,thanks for a beautiful stay.

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Guest: Sandy and Dan
Date of Stay: 10/01/10 Review Submitted: 07/09/11

The Hilltop House is beautiful. Dnjoyed the oceeanvview. The Geclps. tje 3 leg one and the tailless one, seemed to enjoy our company. Our first meeting with a Gecko resulted in his watery grave which began in the bathroom. Just love the island. Thanks for the fun!

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Guest: AD and Christy
Date of Stay: 08/01/10 Review Submitted: 07/09/11

Your home is wonderful! Beautiful views and breezes made sleeping so comfortable. Came to Oahu to visit family and friends and for my fathers 60th birthday. Your house was in a perfect location for me- 10 minutes to Kaneohe and about the same to one of the most beautiful beaches in Hawaii and the world-Lankai! Aloha,

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4th of July 2010

Guest: CALI (California)
Date of Stay: 07/04/10 Review Submitted: 07/15/10

We booked this house online through VRBO. We arrived on the 4th of July afternoon and immediately loved the house. Its located in a really nice neighborhood close to a Safeway which made dinning in easy. That night we were able to see the fireworks form the balcony and living room over looking the beautiful Kailua beach. In the morning you wake up early due to the marvelous sunrises. The house was perfect for our family and its 25 min form Waikiki if you want to go there. The owner is extremely easy to work with. She was also very accommodating and wants to make sure that your stay is comfortable and enjoyable. I recommend this Hilltop home to anyone. Kailua beach and Lanaki are only minutes away, and in my opinion, so much nicer than Wailkiki's crowed beaches.

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

fantastic!

Guest: Happy (OR/USA)
Date of Stay: 06/13/10 Review Submitted: 06/30/10

My family and I found ourselves in Oahu w/o a place to stay (our original accommodations did not work out). Using a hotel computer we found this listing and contacted the owner. She was fantastic to talk to, and quickly took care of us. Upon arrival we were ecstatic at how nice the house was, and clean! The view of the ocean from the huge windows was the icing on the cake. Being water sports fans, the washer and dryer came in handy, as well as the hooks and hangers in the garage to hang drying swimsuits and gear. Speaking of the garage, it was nice to have a secure place to store boogie boards, snorkel gear, and park the car. The abundance of beach towels, mats, and even a beach umbrella was a nice touch. The kitchen had everything we needed, including an insulated bag for picnics, and ice packs in the freezer. Did I mention there was a small window in the master bath shower which allowed you to gaze out at the ocean? The beds were comfortable, and the quiet ceiling fans were all we needed to cool. Thank you Hilltop House!

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

Two weeks in Heaven

Guest: Rod & Kerry (Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada)
Date of Stay: 05/31/10 Review Submitted: 06/24/10

Our two week vacation in Kailua at the Hilltop House was excellent. Both Nicole and Lois were great hosts and worked hard to make certain our stay was an enjoyable one. House was very clean and as advertised. A great location to call our headquarters with easy access to anywhere on the island. Will definitely consider this property again when next visiting Oahu.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, families with teenagers, families with young children.

Guest: Steve and Elaine (Aurora, CO)
Date of Stay: 02/11/10 Review Submitted: 02/11/10

The hilltop house was well located to all roads for our trips all over the island. Great size house for us as we get claustrophobic in hotel rooms. Kitchen had everything you could possible need. The fans in each room were perfect for the days when there were no tradewinds. Lois did a great job of making everything work out right when we had a couple of communication glitches. Nice neighbor next door. We recommend Hilltop House!

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Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 03/04/09 Review Submitted: 03/04/09

We had a wonderful stay at Hill Top House. The house was very family friendly with great views and relaxing atmosphere. We enjoyed the town and the local beaches. It truly was a memorable family vacation.

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Guest: John Anderson and family
Date of Stay: 02/14/09 Review Submitted: 02/13/09

Hi Lois, we are back in Austrailia. Just thought I would send you a note to say that we thoughly enjoyed our visit in Kailua and Ilikaa place was great. The view was fantastic, we had plenty of room,and the lovely breeze at night made it very comfortable for sleeping. Thanks for you help in making our trip a great experience. Regards

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Guest: Kristen36 (Silicon Valley, California)
Date of Stay: 02/22/08 Review Submitted: 02/22/08

Wonderful place to spend our vacation - house is spacious, clean and filled with light. Beautiful dawn each morning out on the lanai overlooking Kailua Bay...true paradise. and practical - grocery store is a 5 minute walk from the house.

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Guest: Mark146 (West Hollywood, CA)
Date of Stay: 02/03/08 Review Submitted: 02/03/08

You will want to wake up early every morning to see the spectacular and panoramic sunrise over the ocean. This place is spacious and well maintained. The washer and dryer came in very handy. I'm already looking into renting this place again!

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Guest: David Erhard
Date of Stay: 04/08/07 Review Submitted: 04/07/07

Like the house and location so much I talked the owner into renting it long term, over 8 months.

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Guest: David Erhard
Date of Stay: 04/08/07 Review Submitted: 04/07/07

Like the house and location so much I talked the owner into renting it long term, over 8 months.

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Guest: David DeFazio (Jackson, Wyoming)
Date of Stay: 12/19/06 Review Submitted: 12/19/06

We rolled into town for the U2 show and the Pipemasters Comp. Lois was had the house in great shape and the house was very clean, had a great view, and was very quiet. Overall a good experience.

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Guest: N/A
Date of Stay: 11/26/06 Review Submitted: 11/25/06

So far everyone has kept so busy having fun till the last minute they forget to sign the guest book. I have had many wonderful guest that have given me good feed back. The first group went to the U2 concert and surfed and kept up that pace the whole time. Had a great time. The next group is here for work. This is a newer rental on the market, we will have more comments coming shortly.

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