didn't want to leave

Guest: Lisa (Phoenix, AZ)
Date of Stay: 01/01/12 Review Submitted: 01/08/12

So much of Oahu is overcrowded, busy, noisy, and just plain obnoxious - but this place was PERFECT! The beaches never had more than 5-10 people on them, the locals were friendly and helpful, and it FELT like we'd truly stepped out of the 'fast lane'. The beds were really comfortable (4 of us had plenty of room), the kitchen was well stocked, and the 'little' things such as dish and laundry soap were SO nice! We see no reason to ever look further for a place to call home on Oahu. THANK YOU LANI!

Owner response:As always, we loved having a new family to share our place and enjoy the fabulous beach and Ocean that we call ours. Lisa and her family were great guests. We loved that you came over and visited on our lanai! Lani and Kent

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

The only place to stay on O'ahu!

Guest: Andrew (Cleveland, OH)
Date of Stay: 10/05/10 Review Submitted: 05/08/11

If you are debating staying anywhere other than here, stop what you are doing. Honolulu and Waikiki are great and are only a short 45 minute drive away. But if you want true Hawaii. If you want to experience the 'Aloha Spirit.' If you want to live the North Shore lifestyle, then stay here in Laie at this gorgeous home. These is so much room and so many beautiful design elements, you truly feel that you transplanted your own home to this delightful island escape. The home is huge. More than enough room to spread out luggage, clothing, gifts, etc., and the amenities are spectacular. I love where this house is located because I am away from the hustle and bustle of the city, but can pretty much get anywhere on the island in a short car ride. My wife and I visited Maui and Oahu for over two weeks in October 2010. We stayed here for 11 nights and while we were here, we had our wedding on 10-10-10 with our friends and family. The Richards family knew how important our stay was and they made every effort to make this the most enjoyable vacation of our lives. The home and the Richards family are so welcoming and accommodating, that my new bride and I are planning a 2012 trip to Oahu. And guess where we are staying? The only place to stay in this majestic and treasured island!

Owner response:We love preparing our vacation suite to suite the special needs and desires of our guests. Our honeymooners are especially loved because we remember our total thrill at coming to Hawaii for the first time. These are memories that can never be replaced so we value being part of your experience here and setting the stage for your dreams to come true! Lani and Kent

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, adventure seekers, families with young children, sightseeing.

Great vacation rental for my family

Guest: Mango (Montréal, Canada)
Date of Stay: 08/01/10 Review Submitted: 08/28/10

Initially we chose this house because it seemed to contain everything we wanted to have during our vacation in Oahu. I can now say that we have made an excellent choice. We arrived at this home around 9 pm and the owner Lani and Kent waited for us in the house. Immediately, we knew it was going to be a really good holiday, the house was very clean, in fact it was even better than we had imagined. The descriptions and photos on VBRO corresponds to what has been seen on site. Our two children loved the house, there were small toys inside, beach toys and boogie boards. We really enjoyed the outdoor terrace with shower and also love the beach chairs and the BBQ. We found that the house is very well located, it is about one hour from the airport and Waikiki, about 1h45 from Yokohama Beach, about 45 minutes from the Dole Plantation and approximately 25 minutes from Waimea Bay. We made a complete loop around the island and we had a different beach every day and that for 19 days. The Polynesian Cultural Center is not to be missed and it is only 3 minutes by car. For grocery shopping, I went to Tamura Market which is three minutes walk, it's much cheaper than Foodland in La'ie. We also did a lot of take-out at the Papa Ole's Kitchen restaurant, its was excellent and very affordable. In summary, we had a great house and wonderful vacation on Oahu. We really hope to return soon.

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

Perfect for Young Families

Guest: Joel (South Korea)
Date of Stay: 06/15/10 Review Submitted: 07/08/10

We have three young children, and this home suited us perfectly in every way. Great space, very clean, and an excellent location if you prefer the quieter north side of the island to the bustle of Waikiki. The owners were extremely hospitable and helpful, and I think the rates are more than a good deal. We will definitely hope to stay here again on our next trip!

Recommended for:Families with young children, sightseeing, age 55+.

A Rare Find

Guest: Diana in L.A. (Tarzana, CA)
Date of Stay: 05/19/10 Review Submitted: 06/07/10

Because of the title of my review, I almost hesitate to write it because I simply am too selfish to want to share this delightful rental....I'd like to know it will be available the next time I want to return. But word manages to get out about something this good so no doubt I simply will have to get in line next time. I have stayed in many VRBO rentals around the island of Oahu but this was truly superlative in every way. Kent and Lani and their lovely family were so kind and supportive, especially since I was travelling alone this time, and I was made to feel so welcome but never intruded upon. The large unit is simply breathtaking and so comfortable with everything you could possibly want or need including LOTS of towels and beach towels (which I appreciated) and the washer and dryer were most convenient. I loved having an ice maker in the fridge door, too. Read the list of amenities, everything is there. I could go on and on but I just want to say THANK YOU again to hte Richards for such a wonderful stay. Highly recommended.

Owner response:How wonderful to have the most delightful guests from Honeymooners, couples, families with children and single gals traveling on their own. It is a pleasure to host all of you and especially Diana who brought a new dimension of interest to our already enchanted lives. Hawaii brings gifts to us through our vacation suites and we share our Aloha and gifts of love with them. Truly a mutual exchange of Alo Ha!

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

Great family vacation in Hawaiian paradise!

Guest: volcanomom (Bethesda, MD)
Date of Stay: 04/05/10 Review Submitted: 04/11/10

My two teen sons and I spent a fabulous 5 days at Kent and Lani's large and comfortable guest suite. It was so private, we actually never even ran into Kent or Lani until we called them. The beds are great, the suite is clean and well decorated and outfitted exactly as described. We especially appreciated the washer and dryer, internet access & big screen TV with cable! Lani was great on phone and e-mail prior to our arrival with suggestions for things to see and do. The alligator pond tide pool on the beach, steps away from the house is fabulous at all times of day-at sunrise, sunset and mid-afternoon. I sat in the water to observe the fish nibbling the rocks in the pond. Lani and Kent have boogie boards, beach chairs, beach mats, beach towels. All you need is your swimsuit! Tamura's Market is a short walk away and is a full local grocery, and also sells beer, wine and liquor. Dominos Pizza and Papa Ole's Kitchen are in the same shopping center. There is another larger supermarket in Laie (closed on Sunday and dry because the town is LDS). The drive from Honolulu is spectacular. The H3 is one of the most beautiful interstates in the country, as it goes through the Pali to Kaneohe Bay, Kualoa Beach Park and Ranch (with Chinaman's Hat offshore island) are jaw-droppingly beautiful. We returned to Kualoa to walk to Chinaman's Hat island across the sunken island reef at low tide. Be sure to visit Laie Point for incredible pounding surf, wonderful vistas, and to see the hole punched in the rock by a tsunami. Pounder's beach, at Laie Beach Park, is great for boogie boarding (but rough!) We went to the PCC to see the villages, luau & Ha show, visited the shrimp trucks in Kahuku, saw the surfers at Banzai Pipeline (there was a women's surfing competition going on), the green sea turtles at the turtle beach (Lani will tell you exactly how to get there), and visited Haleiwa for dinner two nights (Cholos for Mexican and Kua'Aina Sandwich- get the Mahi Mahi grilled sandwich- it is superb!), and went back again for shave ice (Matsumoto) and ice cream (Scoop of Paradise) on our last day. We also spent half a day kayaking at Kailua Bay, a beautiful beach with windsurfers and kiteboarders on the bay. You can kayak to some offshore islands. Kailua Bay is about 35 minute drive. Haleiwa is a 35 minute drive in the other direction. Nearly every beach in-between is gorgeous in its own way. Thanks Lani & Kent for a great rental!

Owner response:We LOVE our guests. To see the joy and adventurous anticipation in their faces reminds us almost daily of our first experiences in coming to Hawaii. You will always keep a piece of the islands in your heart when you leave us, the islands always calls you back! Thanks and Mahalo for your amazing spirit and Aloha. Kent and Lani

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, adventure seekers, families with young children.

nice vacation rental

Guest: bama100878 (oklahoma city)
Date of Stay: 03/11/10 Review Submitted: 03/23/10

We just returned from an 11 day vacation here. Myself and 4 others. Lani and Kent were very helpful, always nice. Would recommend to others to stay here. Is a little far from honolulu, about 30 min drive if you plan to go there often. As for the beach rental itself, its great.

Recommended for:Girls getaway, families with teenagers, romantic getaway, adventure seekers, families with young children, sightseeing.

Guest: Danny Wright (Liberty, Utah)
Date of Stay: 02/28/09 Review Submitted: 02/28/09

We had a very enjoyable time staying in Kent and Lani's place. What kind people they are. We really loved being so close to the beach. With a two minute walk we were there! The place was very clean and organized. We were far away from the hustle and bustle of the big city. Plenty to do on this side of the island. Thank you to Kent and Lani for making this such an enjoyable two weeks.

Recommended for:

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 10/12/08 Review Submitted: 10/12/08

We have a great reality to come home to but we knew we were leaving Paradise when our pilot on our flight home announced that the air temp in SLC was "just above freezing" (35 degs)! Thank you Lani, Kent and Mike and the rest of your family (including Simon and CJ) for making us feel at home and for providing such clean and comfortable accommodations as well as being our own personal tour guides. We were able to do all we wanted and more because of your help. I recommend this suite to everyone and encourage all to inquire about the plane tour service. Mike is a very accomplished pilot and we felt perfectly safe as we flew to Kaua'i and back, even while I was steering the plane! It was all wonderful and we hope to visit you again.

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Guest: Susan & Shawn (-)
Date of Stay: 08/17/08 Review Submitted: 08/17/08

Aloha Lani, Thank you again for your hospitality and the wonderful vacation on Oahu. Our family really enjoyed your suite which fit our needs very well. It is decorated very tastefully to fit the Hawaiian theme. We found the floorplan very open and spacious with ample room for 4 of us. The beds were comfortable, and we loved the large mirrors on the closet which helped us three women apply make-up when the bathroom was occupied. We visited during the Olympics and really enjoyed watching the events on the large, flat-screen TV. It was especially helpful to have some of the basics like flour and sugar, ketchup, etc. in the cupboards and refrigerator when it came time to cook a little. The washer and dryer were a big plus especially with the ocean so near. We could wash the sand and surf off outside under warm water on the lanai before entering. We have wonderful memories of our walks down the beach with the surf coming in and children throwing balls out so they could watch them come back in. We enjoyed staying so near the Polynesian Cultural Center which allowed us to return more than once and really get a better understanding of the various Pacific Island cultures. We were glad we chose to stay away from the busy downtown area with all its traffic and crowds. The mountains and views are tremendous on the east side of Oahu. Thank you again for your suggestions on places to see and eat while there. Always, Susan and Shawn

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