Vacation Rentals by Owner

Backyard Paradise!!

Guest: Sheri S.
Date of Stay: 03/09/12 Review Submitted: 03/20/12

Breathtaking view on ocean bluffs!Our family went to celebrate our parents 50th anniversary and they renewed their vows in the backyard.The house was large enough for all of us to have our own space.Kitchen fully equipped for cooking.The pool and jacuzzi were enjoyed every day of our stay.Close to downtown Farmers Market for fresh fruit and veggies.Zipline, volcanoes, Black Sand Beach and zoo are short drives from house.We went to Kona a few times (1 1/2 hrs.) but the scenery is beautiful.My grandfather spent his teen years down the road in Honoka'a so Hilo is a special place for my dad.It was fun for our generation to see and tour our family history.Thank you for making our trip so comfortable and enjoyable.Our parents vows included us all coming back for their 60th anniversary! I have a feeling it will be much sooner, we loved it so much!!

Owner response:What an honor that they renewed their vows in the backyard! The entire neighborhood is full of stories of long lasting love so it certainly makes sense. I've already penciled you in for their 60th! Aloha, Brian

Recommended for:

Absolutely Loved!

Guest: John and Rosie
Date of Stay: 03/03/12 Review Submitted: 03/29/12

Brian, We just got back to Minnesota yesterday. We absolutely loved your house and thank you for letting us stay there. It was roomy and terrifically decorated, compliments to you and your family. The other two couples staying with us also really enjoyed it. My wife and I really like to walk and doing a loop from your house to Kohoa Street down to Honoli’I Beach park was beautiful with the waterfalls and views.

Recommended for:

Hard to Leave!

Guest: Linda
Date of Stay: 02/16/12 Review Submitted: 03/29/12

We are trying to adjust to being home. It was incredibly hard to leave your beautiful home in Hilo. Everyone loved it and wants to come back next year. Thank you so much!!!

Recommended for:

Home away from home in Hilo

Guest: KonaPuppies (Victoria, BC, Canada)
Date of Stay: 02/07/12 Review Submitted: 03/23/12

We had a great stay in our 'home away from home' in Hilo. The sprawling house provided lots of room for all of us. The ocean view with whales in the background was fabulous. The house was well equipped and stocked with kitchen supplies, movies, games, towels, etc. The beds were high quality with good mattresses, so we slept well. The pool and hot tub were a hit every night. The neighbourhood was very quiet and we felt totally secure. The outdoor shower was a real hit and we wished every place we stayed at had this feature. The tree frogs and geckos were adorable. Not so adorable were the large cockroaches in the area, and occasionally one found its way into the house - yuk. The host was helpful and answered all our questions before and after our trip, and our deposit was refunded promptly. We will be looking to stay there again on our next trip to the Big Island.

Owner response:Mahalo, Marti! Glad you had such a great time. Looking forward to your return. A hui ho! Brian

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

Wonderful Family Home

Guest: Retired Innkeeper (Glenwood Springs, Colorado)
Date of Stay: 12/15/11 Review Submitted: 01/02/12

We chose this home so that our extended family could all be together for the University of Hawaii-Hilo's Dec. graduation. This was a great choice ! We all were very comfortable with plenty of room for the grandchildren to play. They loved the pool and slide, blocks, musical instruments and chess board....lots of available activities. One grandson especially enjoyed the books in his bedroom. We loved the outdoor shower and the entire family used it exclusively. I was delighted with the view from my master bed ....watching the waves hit the rocks and the boats going by. Any issues we had were immediately corrected - great guest service. I only mention this because all homes, including your own, have issues but it's the ability and quickness to remedy any situation that is important. Melanie did just that ! This home is very convenient to Hilo, located just a bit north of downtown. I highly recommend this property for anyone desiring a real Hilo family home vs. a hotel room. We ate most of our meals at the house which was a great $$$ saver. Mahalo for everything.

Owner response:We love hearing about families having fun. That's what makes 47 Honoli'i so special to ours. It has many years of collective experiences and memories that we hold dear. We know the nephew of a woman who grew up in the house and married the boy next door! We also remember with great fondness Auntie Katherine, that woman's mother. She grew up in a plantation village and then lived nearly sixty years next door. She was a treasure and an inspiration. Another Hawaii blessing .

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

Great Location and Spectacular View

Guest: Barb (Snohomish, Washington)
Date of Stay: 10/13/11 Review Submitted: 12/26/11

The house is beautiful. There are sweeping views from the master bedroom, family room and lanai. The pictures in the ad were just what you see even in October. We were in Hilo for a wedding and chose to stay in this house, due to location and so our family of six adults would have enough space. This home was the perfect choice with its many rooms, large lanai and comfortable furniture. One indoor shower was not operational, however it didn't matter because the outdoor shower was fantastic As Brian stated, the outdoor shower gave us the true Hawaiian experience - we loved it. The only downside to our stay was that it took awhile to get our deposit back, but it was returned in full without incident. I would return to this house in a minute and recommend it to any family staying in Hilo.

Owner response:Thanks for taking the time to share your experience. I apologize that it took as long as it did to refund your deposit. Our goal is to have it mailed out within four weeks but sometimes it does take six. The second indoor shower has been repaired and Please come visit us again! Aloha! Brian

Recommended for:People with disabilities, families with teenagers, families with young children.

Family vacation July 16 to July 23,2011

Guest: Maryanne (Mobile, Alabama)
Date of Stay: 07/16/11 Review Submitted: 08/04/11

Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful paradise home with our family. My husband and I met there in 1974, married and had our first child. This was our first trip back, and an amazing family reunion. There was amble room for the 8 of us. The house was lovely and the grounds were beautiful. We enjoyed the pool and spa every day. The view is breathtaking, and we never got tired of sitting on the porch overlooking the ocean. I loved the master bedroom with the french doors and the amazing view at sunrise and sunset. We enjoyed a variety of fruit every day fresh from the yard. It was great having a washer and dryer. Actually the house had everything we needed, and was close to shopping, airport, town and the great flea market where we found the best deals not only for fruit and vegetables, but terrific gifts to bring home. We had two rental cars and went off every day to different places. My son-in-law went surfing daily which was within walking distance. We ate at Ken's Pancakes twice and loved the choice of local foods. All in all we would love to come again, and would certainly recommend this Hawaiian paradise to anyone who is thinking of vacationing on the islands. Mahalo!

Owner response:So glad you felt at home and found so many of our special places. Ken's is a real Hilo institution which I should add to our list of favorite restaurants. Unfortunately I can't share your review with my family here in Germany as it would make everyone too homesick! We look forward to your visiting again. Aloha, Brian and family

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

Great Place to Relax! We're coming back for two weeks in October!

Guest: DaFlyinHawaiian (Portland)
Date of Stay: 06/02/11 Review Submitted: 06/10/11

In total contrast to the recent comments below, we had an OUTSTANDING time at this home. It's just as described and both owner and manager were very responsive. I smell sour grapes from others. And even at slightly more than the recession special price that we paid, it was a great deal. The pool was sparkling and spa just fine. Melanie said they had changed pool servicing companies so that there would be no more issues. The art and furnishings are all authentic and interesting. Some could be updated, but hey, this is a home not a hotel. Can't recommend highly enough.

Owner response:Thanks for your comments. We are always happy to have friendly guests with realistic expectations that understand what Hawaii is truly about. Thanks for planning your return in October. We will have that special "Poke" from Ocean Sushi Deli in the fridge for you! Aloha, Brian and Melanie

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

Lovely location, but a very "tired" property.

Guest: ccc (manhattan beach)
Date of Stay: 05/08/11 Review Submitted: 05/16/11

We stayed at property #116922 for 6 days. General property maintenance seemed to be lacking. The "aging" pool and spa area is not particularly inviting and the murky pool water and the stench from the spa were appalling. After a call to Melanie (the local manager), the pool man did appear and throw chlorine into both pool and hot tub. The water clarity in both became better but the chlorine level was a bit toxic for the rest of our stay. When we left the murky pool water and spa stench were back. I don't know if the chipping green paint in the pool is an issue. Years of neglect in the pool area were evident, in fact, the slide collapsed with a young lady on it, exposing the compromised state of the slide equipment. Pictures on VRBO are a bit misleading. We used only two of four bedrooms and bedroom #4 is now purple, and had dolls in boxes on the dresser which my children described as "disturbing." The very inviting room in picture #2 is now furnished with a small old floral couch and two old wingback chairs with fabric pieces covering the frayed arms. This would have been an absolutely wonderful room to enjoy except for the fact that there was no comfortable place to relax. There is an outdoor shower, which is a great place for a warm shower, but there is no tub. Probably just an innocent error by the owner. As far as other amenities offered... because of the busy highway there is not really a spot to use the bikes unless you have the ability to transport them somewhere else. The availability of a pool table, hockey table, and ping pong table is a bit misleading. We purchased one of these "convertible" tables when our childen were 7, 5, and 3. The kitchen is fine, but needed a GOOD cleaning. The drawers, shelves, and cupboards show a lengthy period of neglect. I will never be remembered by ANYONE as a great housecleaner, but I have never been in a rental with a kitchen in this state. We rented the house to enjoy with the pool and spa as a great enticement. Unfortunately one of the neighbors asked that all outdoor activity cease at 6:00 p.m. The neighbor on the other side said we had been very respectful and everything had been quiet by 10:00p.m. I had to contact the Hilo Police Department regarding what I should do about the harassing neighbor and they were incredibly nice. I do not recommend this property for anyone wanting to use it for anything other than a nice base to explore the area.

Owner response:For the last nine months I have managed this property and numerous guests have come and gone, but in no way have we had such an experience as this: Our long time neighbors who have never complained about our vacationing guests contacted me at six a. m. on Friday 5/13 to say that this guest mistook our vacation rental as, “a frat house”. They stated that there was a wild party the night before with approximately 35 kids who were very loud. Although our neighbor walked over and asked them to please stop the “yelling, screaming, and cussing,” around 10 pm; there was still no change an hour later. So our neighbors decided to try again but were met with “nastiness from both a woman and kids”. As for the pool and Jacuzzi, the pool staff works diligently to maintain our facilities however they cannot control over use of the equipment, such is the case here. I am not clear at all in regard to the guests claim that there was a stench to the spa. The guests prior to their arrival and our housekeeper both confirmed that they did not have any problems with the state of the spa unit, bear in mind that it is our practice to flush the Jacuzzi after each guests’ departure. What I really don’t understand is how the guest’s communications with me did not include the so called “need for a good cleaning” in the kitchen, nor did she mention the, “disturbing dolls on display”, which are collector’s items, as they are authentic bisque porcelain dolls, or that the upkeep of room 4 having been painted purple was an issue. The slide did in fact collapse while these guests where on property, and it was due to their misuse which explains why they did not report the situation until they were checking out, which I found strange, especially since the guest and I had conversed several times in regard to our neighbors. Honoli’i is a community of cliff side homes, although there isn’t a biking path, my own children and those of other guests are and have been quite satisfied with biking in the area. Many of our guests and their children have spent lengthy amounts of time actively enjoying one another’s company while playing ping pong, pool, or hockey. I hope that those of you who are considering Honoli’i as your vacation destination will not allow one guests comments to diminish our reputation of providing a comfortable and relaxing environment for our guests. We look forward to hosting your stay with us. Mahalo, Melanie

Recommended for:Sightseeing

A great find in Hilo

Guest: Dennis and family (McLean, VA)
Date of Stay: 04/15/11 Review Submitted: 05/05/11

My wife and I come to Hilo regularly to visit my aged father and have in the past stayed at one of Hilo's better B&Bs. This time we brought our son, daughter-in-law, and, most critically, our 5-year-old grand daughter, so we needed something kid friendly with room to roam. The Crawford house fit the bill perfectly. It's worth mentioning that when we first arrived, we were a little hesitant. The view is spectacular, but the house very Hilo, which is shorthand for slightly worn around the edges. After a couple of hours of settling in we began to get a sense of the house's real character. By the end of our stay, we were looking for ways to extend and now cannot wait to return. The house is wonderfully comfortable and accommodating with views to kill for out of most windows, including the master bedroom. The kitchen is great, the pool just right for kids, and the jacuzzi hard to get out of once in. A couple of niggles just to keep this review balanced. The fourth bedroom is marginal (we did not use it). Small and a bit musty. There is some highway noise but mostly drowned out by the waves. Bottom line: we are already planning our return!

Owner response:Aloha Dennis! Thanks for your honest and thoughtful comments. It is indeed a Hilo house and anyone planning to stay with us should appreciate that fact. We're so glad that it met your needs so well and that you are planning to return. Mahalo, Brian

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

Lucky Find for a Family!!

Guest: Carleen (Eau Claire, WI)
Date of Stay: 03/28/11 Review Submitted: 05/01/11

Hi Brian. Just wanted to send a note (finally) to say thank-you for the opportunity to rent your home. It was truly wonderful to be someplace so beautiful and relaxing and feel so at home! We also enjoyed the collection of beautiful items/art from around the world (I think we recognized some Delft's Blau pieces, Indonesian/Thai pieces and African?). I assume you and your family have lived in a number of very interesting and exotic places. Must also say what a HUGE hit the pool/slide and trampoline were. Thank-you again for making this experience possible and inspiring us to really want to come back some day. Aloha to you and your family and stay well.

Owner response:Aloha Carleen and thanks for taking time to post this. We love it when families share our special place in paradise! Come see us again. The Crawfords

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

Returning Guests for the Past TWO years and STILL excited for next year!

Guest: Hoku of 808 Athletics (Waimanalo, Hawaii)
Date of Stay: 03/23/11 Review Submitted: 06/17/11

Likewise, in contrast to recent comments, our family and friends rented the property in March 2011, as we did the previous year in 2010. Yet, here I am again looking up the property for our planned vacation / trip in 2012! I cannot agree with the previous comments, as myself and my group are all in-state residents and absolutely LOVED the home! Being in this home, made us feel like we never left our own! We are from the country side in East Oahu and loved the welcoming open country feel of the home so familiar to the constant sound of the sea that we know. Neighbors were polite and very understanding of our young teammates that come and go through the property by day during the tournament and the kitchen, expansive property and setup of the house was very useful, entertaining and welcoming for our group!! We used the house as a base site for our club and ALL of our members (ages 1 - 60) who visited at various times, between games, during the week were delighted by its amenities and excited for our return again next year! Likewise, although our price was above the Half Price Recession price advertised, we still felt that the stay and ability to be close to the town and stores which added to the convenience was still fair for the price! NEver having to visit the long lines of restaurants and parking issues is a convenience.. now, Imagine having to host all of our club members in such a fashion in a hotel.. been there done that for the past 15 years.. this house is by far the best and a secret I wish I could keep to ourselves! Mahalo Brian and Melanie for such outstanding, quality accommodations that locals can truly appreciate :)

Owner response:Thanks, Hoku. Hawaii Volleyball Rocks! Looking forward to next year. Brian and Mel

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

Wanted to rave about this place

Guest: Aly (Honoulu, Hawaii)
Date of Stay: 03/09/11 Review Submitted: 06/01/11

This is a beautiful home and the view is spectacular. It is decorated nicely and felt very cozy and comfortable. We enjoyed whale watching from the back deck. Drinking our morning coffee while watching the sun rise and feeling the fresh ocean breeze was also wonderful. The outdoor shower is awesome! We had fun in the pool and hot tub (although the reviewer below is right about the pool being in questionable condition - it was very green). The ping pong/air hockey table is a miniature one for young children so we didn't use it. Overall, I was looking forward to writing a great review and cherishing fond memories of our stay. However, we had two negative experiences that really affected my feelings about this property. # 1: The advertised price lists the house as sleeping eight. When we booked our stay for five nights (two nights with five adults and a toddler; three nights with six adults and a toddler), we were told that for a party of our size the price would be 40% more than the advertised price. That left a bad taste in my mouth because it seemed like false advertising. The house is advertised as sleeping eight adults but a group of five or six is considered especially large? # 2: We paid a security deposit and were told by the owner that it would be refunded 30-45 days after we left. We left the house in the exact same condition that we found it. It has been 79 days and we are still waiting for the deposit to be returned. It is very difficult to get in touch with the owner. We've been told that he travels extensively overseas and rarely has internet access. Despite repeated attempts to contact him, we have not heard a word in about six weeks ago. At this point we're not sure if we're ever going to see our deposit. For these reasons, I would be very hesitant to recommend this property to a friend or relative.

Owner response:Aloha Cheryl: The check was mailed from the Diplomatic Post Office in Frankfurt as soon as I returned from Yemen. I apologize again for the delay. As for your comments, I am sorry you felt I misrepresented the cost of your stay. Our recession special is only at specific times and not always for a full house. It says that in the listing and of course I would have explained it further had you asked. I am hoping that you might be willing to revise your comments to VRBO, given that you did actually have a great stay at our home. I hope you can appreciate the challenges my family faces in trying to maintain our home in Hawaii while I serve to protect the interests of our country in difficult, if not dangerous, places. Thank you and Mahalo, Brian Crawford

Recommended for:

The Real Hawaii - Adventure, excitement and hospitality

Guest: Brad L. (Boca Raton, FL)
Date of Stay: 06/05/10 Review Submitted: 06/28/10

We loved our trip seeing and doing things no tourist would do. Hiking up a river to multiple waterfalls, jumping off bridges, swing from a rope-swings into the ocean. I could go on, but you would have to experience it for yourself. And we this all with our 7 year old daughter and 6 year old son. Rent a Jeep as well - you will need it. The home is directly looking over Pacific with a perfect view and constant ocean breeze. The home is older but decorated nicely and would be appropriately considered a "beach house", but not luxurious. They have an outside shower, just outside the garage - which at first might seem odd. However, after your first shower with the only thing between you and the 2000 miles of pacific are 3 palm trees - you quickly appreciate how lucky you are. We had dinner with the owners and spent time with their family, not because we are long time friends (we just met on this trip), but because they were so nice and hospitable. The home is perfect for a family who wants to experience the island and is comfortable with a beach feel. Enjoy.

Owner response:Hey Guys! It's been over a year now and we are settled in Frankfurt where I have started a new career as a Diplomatic Courier for the Department of State. Any plans to come our way? Aloha, Brian and Family

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

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 03/20/10 Review Submitted: 03/20/10

Amazing house. Really loved our stay here and loved Hilo. Felt like we were house guests, there is so much in the house to enjoy- art, books, well stocked kitchen, pool, hot tub, toys for kids. My kids were in heaven. close to town (2 mi) in a nice neighborhood near surfing beach and old highway. rent this house, you won't regret it. Mahalo!

Recommended for:

Guest: Jim Kors
Date of Stay: 10/16/09 Review Submitted: 10/16/09

Enjoyed the great views and sounds of Honolii Place. You have a wonderful spot to appreciate the beauty of the Big Island and the Ocean. What a blessing it is to see the sunrise or moonrise from this clif each day. Mahalo!

Recommended for:

Guest: Jon Rake
Date of Stay: 10/16/09 Review Submitted: 10/16/09

Thank you so much for sharing your beautiful and comfortable home with us for our vacation. The house enabled us to enjoy our time on your magnificent island so much more fully. We so enjoyed your kitchen- especially the powerful barbeque and potted herbs. The outdoor dinning was a delight, even sharing a few droppings with the cute geckos. We relished closing each evening with a dip in the hot tub while enjoying a sky full of bright stars. The entertainment system provided many hours of enjoyable viewing. At least two of us delighted in the outdoor shower with nature while the other opted for the more conventional showers. Lastly, your fine library offered many selections to peruse and share. Our time spent in Hawaii was so enhanced because of your beautiful view!! Thank you!!

Recommended for:

Guest: Ferrante Family
Date of Stay: 03/18/09 Review Submitted: 03/17/09

You've got sych a beautiful home, we love the unique art work and amazing views. Every decoration in this hous eis amazing and authentic! We escpecially admired your signed Andy Warhol painting and the all of the sculptures. It feels like we're locals. It was an amazing and a sanctuary. Thanks so much!

Recommended for:

Guest: Karen Sichi
Date of Stay: 12/31/08 Review Submitted: 12/30/08

We loved the views! This was the perfect location to start all of our activities. Enjoying the ocean was a constant pleasure.

Recommended for:

Guest: Lisa Sichi
Date of Stay: 12/21/08 Review Submitted: 12/20/08

Boy, talk about a refuge from the rat race! Even though the majority of the trip was hampered by rain, the house was still an enjoyable sanctuary. You have such a lovely family, we wish we could have met you! Thanks 4 everything.

Recommended for:

Guest: Diana Hice
Date of Stay: 06/08/08 Review Submitted: 06/07/08

Wow! Not only is your home beautiful with a magnificent view- we loved that we NEVER locked the door, every dish we needed was available, and it was so clear that it was the home of a loving and trusting family. Thank you for the wonderful hospitality via cyberspace. We had just the right amount of rain and sun! We had a lovely family reunion. Diana, Robin, Willie, Dennis, Lyes, Steve, Kaoru Ray, Lucy, Christuna, Scott and Willie.

Recommended for:

Guest: Bob Hollingsworth
Date of Stay: 02/08/08 Review Submitted: 02/07/08

Enjoyed our stay in your beautiful home in spite of the "gosh awful" weather we experienced pretty much the entire stay! What rotten luck!! What a great location and view from your home. The sound of the surf was just so spectacular!!! Outdoor shower with plenty of hot water was a big hit with everyone!! Hot tub was also nice!

Recommended for:

Guest: Ross Hutcherson (-)
Date of Stay: 08/10/07 Review Submitted: 08/09/07

This is an absolute gem of a property. My wife and I spent five glorious weeks in this charming home. The views of the surf beach and cruise ships entering Hilo Harbor are breathtaking, and some of the most memorable we have of any holiday in recent years. An extremely comfortable and practical house, and a great base from which to explore probably the most interesting of Hawaii's islands.

Recommended for:

Guest: Marianne Taylor
Date of Stay: 01/10/05 Review Submitted: 01/09/05

Thanks for renting us this great house. I second all the J&J have written and add that I appreciate all that you've left for us to enjoy including the great library. I could spend a lot of time her perusing all your interesting books. Also, fine fine furniture and especially the outdoor shower! Jan and I were the only two who dared! It is GREAT! I wish we could have an outdoor shower at home. The weather was rainy but did not spoil our good time. We spent lots of time exploring and doing Volcano related activities. I swear, it only rained when we were indoors or in the car. The hot tub was great. Enjoyed it nightly. I'm going to have one installed at home. Thanks again for entrusting us with your nice home and its contents. Happy New Year to you all.

Recommended for: