GT and family

Guest: Trag (Sparta, NJ)
Date of Stay: 11/23/11 Review Submitted: 01/01/12

We had a great stay. The house is comfy and well equipped. Lots of room for our gang. We loved the kitchen and front porch. The baby beach was nice for our little ones, the other beaches near by were great for everyone. Lygate close and real nice. Kappa is a good town to be in, all you'll need and more. The owner is so friendly and helpful. Really great place.

Owner response:Gary So glad you and your family enjoyed staying at Hale Niu. I know it would be much easier(and less expensive)for you to go to the Caribbean so we really appreciate you coming all the way to Kauai. In my opinion there's no place like Kauai so come back soon and enjoy the unique pleasures that only Kauai has. Warmest Aloha Tim

Recommended for:Families with young children.

Great Relaxing Spot/ Very Kid Friendly

Guest: JJLO (Agoura Hills, Ca)
Date of Stay: 11/05/11 Review Submitted: 12/05/11

This was our 4th trip to Kauai and this was probably the most comfortable relaxed place we've been .At the baby beach kids get a feel for what swimming is like in the ocean without the worry! the market, shops and little places to eat all within walking distance. the front lawn with all the palm trees was a great space for the kids to run around. we did most of our own cooking/bbq'ing and had a fantastic trip. the house was great and all the rooms were good size especially the master upstairs. We would definitely stay here again!!

Owner response:Hi Jennifer I'm so happy you and your family enjoyed your stay at Hale Niu. We are always grateful to hear when someone's expectations of what their visit will be are met or exceeded. It is our goal to make sure our guest's visit to Kauai is a wonderful experiance and we hope to see you again in the near future. Warmst Aloha Tim

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

Perfect home away from home

Guest: Joy (California)
Date of Stay: 10/10/11 Review Submitted: 12/05/11

My husband and I stayed here in October. It is a fantastic house. It was like being at our own vacation home. The house is roomy and comfortable. It is perfect for a family or group, there is that much room. A nice beach is just a short walk away. Who doesn't mind walking a block or two, you're in Hawaii! Shops are also a walk away. The beds are comfortable, the rooms are nicely decorated and there's a great yard. We will definitely be back.

Owner response:Aloha Brenda Thank you so much for your nice review, it's always good to hear when a guest enjoys their stay at Hale Niu. It's our primary concern that our guests enjoy their visit to Kauai and we hope you will visit our little piece of Paradise again soon. Mahalo Nui Loa Tim

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

No Betta

Guest: Ace (Calif)
Date of Stay: 08/04/08 Review Submitted: 11/10/11

Perfect for big family. Yard is huge. Location ideal. No place like it.

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, pet owners, adventure seekers, age 55+, families with young children.

Three times and all were charming

Guest: Terry (California)
Date of Stay: 07/03/09 Review Submitted: 11/10/11

My wife and I feel like Hale Niu is our second home. A week into our first visit one of our daughters and her family (husband and four kids) joined us for another ten days. The next year it was the same only it was a different daughter and her family (husband and five kids) The next year was a repeat with daughter #1 for a full month. And if it weren't for the state of the economy we'd be there now. There's no place like it. As someone who was born and spent the first twenty years living in Hawaii and vacationed on all the main islands I can say with authority that there is a place like home, it's Hale Niu. Comfortable, spacious and just the perfect location. The owner has the Aloha spirit.

Owner response:Terry Thanks so much for the review. It's so rewarding when our guests have a wonderful time at Hale Niu but it's doubley rewarding when our guests come back multiple times. Mahalo Nui Loa Tim

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

Pictures and Info not entirely accurate

Guest: Traveller (Oregon)
Date of Stay: 08/23/11 Review Submitted: 10/16/11

House is nice enough. Roomy living space. 2 bedrooms downstairs are very small but both have their own bathroom. A few things you should know:The house is not near a beach you can get to, you will have to drive to a beach, or walk 7 or 8 mins to a strip "baby beach" which is not very clean and very, very small. There is no vacant lot as the info states, in fact we had bulldozers outside. The kitchen counter was entrely black with mold. We fixed the ice machine in the fridge which was blocked. The two sets of patio doors do not have locks, you are supplied with pvc pipe to put in the track for a lock. Good luck with the upstairs shower. Owner dissed all of these complaints as "only 3 people have complained" and Kauai Rentals never call you back. By the way, there is no hammock either. This was our 10th trip to Hawaii, our 4th to Kauai, and this is the first time I have ever had a need to complain.

Owner response:In response to this review I just want to say that we try our best to make all our guests happy but it seems we fell short with this guest. The house is approx. 100 feet from the ocean but since they built the house across the street you have to walk to the south one block to access it. The beach there is narrow but has never been trashy when I've been there. To the north about a 5 min. walk is "Baby Beach" and although it's not a huge beach it is definitely not "small and trashy". And it is the safest beach for children in the area. Aparentely since I was there in May doing maintenance, the wood butcher block counter top on each side of the sink has become stained due to it getting dried off and mold developed. We appreciate the guest letting us know this has happened and to prevent this from happening again I've replaced the counter top with a material that won't be suseptable to mold and put in a new sink and faucet. It is true that one of the lanai's sliding glass door's lock was broken, but it's fixed now and the PVC pipe actually provides added security. The refrig is only one year old but guests not familiar with the Tropics don't realize keeping the freezer door open creates condensation that freezes and then blocks the chute that delivers the ice to the outside of the door, which unfortunately happend when this guest was there. As a vacation rental owner we want all our guests to be happy with their stay, so in that hope I offered her some free nights but never got a response. Warmest Aloha Tim

Recommended for:

Good for groups and Centrally Located

Guest: Emily (San Francisco, CA)
Date of Stay: 03/26/11 Review Submitted: 05/04/11

We recently stayed with a group of friends and a toddler at Hale Niu for 1 week. The house was a good layout for our group, with the kitchen serving as the gathering point. The house is in okay shape, but you can tell it hasn't been updated in a while and shows signs of the constant sea wind on the outside. The property description should be updated to reflect that there used to be an empty lot across the street, offering direct sea view and access, but now there is a house under construction there, blocking the view. 100ft to the ocean is not really accurate -- it's a 5-10 minute walk down the street to beach access. You can also walk from the house into town along a paved seashore path, which is nice. Kapa'a has some nice restaurants and shops for browsing.

Owner response:I'm sorry you felt the ad was misleading all the photos of that lot were taken off the listing months ago because we didn't want to be misleading. There is still a white water view to the north east that is very nice. As far as beach access is conserned, it's true you can no longer go through where the empty lot used to be, but if you walk to the south end of the block, which is about 100 yards, there is access there. And like you said, to the north about a 5min walk is Baby Beach, which is wonderful. Living on the windward side of any tropical island is challenging because of the constant trade winds and salt air, so believe it or not the house was painted just 5 years ago and although it isn't pure white anymore (due to the red soil) I wouldn't call it unsightly. The house was completely refurnished 6 years ago and a new sofa bed 2 years ago and a new refrigerator just last year. Because of the constant salt water breeze, appliances don't last very long. Warmest Aloha Tim

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, families with young children.

Perfect location, Great Lanai & so close to the ocean.

Guest: Bunnykeep5 (Phoenix, az)
Date of Stay: 03/12/11 Review Submitted: 04/17/11

Love staying on the east side of the island. This house was great for our group of 8. Comfortable beds and kitchen was stocked with every thing (gadget, utensils, etc) you needed to prepare meals. Walking distance to Safeway grocery, the Kapaa scenic sidewalk and down town. The lanai is large and enviting. The front yard is grassy & full of coconut palms. Quick walk across the street to the ocean and a short walk to the beach. They had boogie boards & beach chairs available for us to use. Nice to have the washer / dryer available for us. House is nicely decorated and not too "fancy" it's just perfect. Mahalo!

Owner response:Shannon Mahalo Nui Loa for the great review and we hope you will come visit again soon. Warmest Aloha Tim

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, tourists without a car, adventure seekers, families with young children.