Simply amazing

Guest: Matt & Nicki (Cincinnati, Ohio)
Date of Stay: 01/24/12 Review Submitted: 02/02/12

We just returned from a one week stay in the ocean view unit, and we are already missing it terribly. These units are beautifully decorated, with very comfortable beds. (Several of our friends stayed in nearby Kailua rentals and complained of horrible bedding). The ocean is literally steps away, and while it is a rocky beach area, it is stunning. Kailua Beach and Lanikai Beach are a few minutes drive away, though, so sandy beach access is easily accessible. There was some construction/maintenance being done during our stay but it was not disruptive. It's a great deal of work to maintain a home on the ocean, and frankly-- it's a sign that these property owners take pride in their home. We did not get much opportunity to use the pool as most of our time was spent touring the island, but the pool is beautiful, private, and surrounded with lovely tropical plants. The entire property is clean and wonderful. If you decide to stay here, we recommend eating nearby at Buzz's Steakhouse, Haleiwa Joe's, and the Lanikai Shrimp Shack located at the Kailua Beach Park. There's a Safeway grocery store nearby, so grab some coffee and enjoy the amazing sunrises you will get to see here. In case it isn't obvious, we highly recommend this property. You will not be disappointed. Mahalo!!

Owner response:We're very happy to hear you enjoyed your stay so much in our rentals. Especially good to know the beds are proving to be a "one size fits all"--we went with medium firmness in both units and it seems to be working for our guests. I would also recommend the restaurants you visited, plus Baci and Zias are also wonderful choices.Mahalo for staying with us!

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, people with disabilities, sightseeing, adventure seekers, girls getaway, age 55+.

Wonderful stay!

Guest: Amy (Connecticut)
Date of Stay: 05/23/11 Review Submitted: 08/24/11

We stayed here for a week on our honeymoon in May and loved every minute! Beautiful, convenient location, very clean & comfortable, newly renovated bathroom, off-street parking, wifi, beach chairs provided - everything we wanted! The owners were lovely and helpful, and gave us great advice about local activities. Plenty of room for two, plus a mini kitchen to store some snacks and two lanais for outdoor breakfasts. Our stay was so relaxing; the pool was gorgeous and the windswept beach backyard was perfect when we didn't feel like contending with crowds on other nearby beaches. Kailua is a fantastic little town filled with great restaurants and beaches, and we much preferred it to the commercial bustle of Honolulu. We explored so much of Oahu and can't wait to come back some day - when we do, we'll certainly be staying here again!

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, sightseeing.

PARADISE FOUND

Guest: Lee (Burmingham, AL)
Date of Stay: 01/18/11 Review Submitted: 03/05/11

My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed this vacation rental paradise. The memory foam bed was beyond comfortable and we've never slept so deeply or so well. The trade winds and sound of the ocean lulled us to sleep each night. The accommodation was beautifully decorated in an upscale beach cottage way--not tacky or overdone. We found it well cared for well supplied in the kitchenette--everything you needed to cook a light snack to a gourmet meal. There was also a grill by the pool which we used often and enjoyed eating dinner on the pool deck with the garden lights and pool waterfalls--very romantic! Lucinda and Tom were very helpful in providing us with restaurant and sightseeing information as well as a lot of knowledge about the islands in general and off the map places to visit.

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

Lovely location, poorly equipped

Guest: Hula (Canada)
Date of Stay: 01/26/11 Review Submitted: 02/09/11

Kailua is a beautiful town and I would stay there again. This home is located driving distance from the actual town but close to a Safeway, in a beautiful neighbourhood. The property was fine, we had both suites. The Mountainview Suite is nicer but doesn't overlook the ocean. The suites are poorly equipped for cooking-in terms of appliances and utensils. The owners entered our suite with contractors when we were out for the day without letting us know. We realized it because they left a pair of sunglasses inside. They told us it was their right and that it was an "emergeny measurement" they had to take for a future renovation. Further, there were people doing renovations just outside the suites (on the stairs leading to them) the entire time we were there. We were not advised in advance that renovations would be in process during our stay. We had booked the stay 5 months before our arrival. It was very noisy and disruptive. The people working were very nice, but it was still quite inconvenient. We would definitely not stay here again or reccomend that anyone else stay here. It is not appropriate for small children. Our trip was still amazing and we would highly recommend Kailua as a great place for families to stay.

Owner response:The Mountain View studio unit faces the mountains. There is an ocean view from one of the dining lanais attached to this unit. I'm not sure how anyone could miss seeing the ocean from this dining lanai. The kitchenettes in both rental units were explained in detail to guest in emails along with a list of kitchen amenities in initial correspondence. When the coffee maker stopped working and they needed extra trash bags, extra supplies were brought to them, including a new coffee maker. On the first day the guests arrival, an attempt was made to call them on the cell phone number they provided to let them know they could check-in early, as the cleaning was completed a couple of hours before the normal check-in time of 3 p.m., but they did not answer the phone. This was mentioned to them upon their arrival and the woman that made the reservation explained that their cell phone could not receive calls on Oahu. When owner realized he needed to remeasure a bathroom wall in their unit, he did not call to let them know because there was no way to call them. He was the only one who spoke to them about being in their unit to take a measurement--no one else spoke to them about it, so there was no "they". Yes, it was an emergency. A granite order had been placed with wrong measurement and it was imperative that the wall was remeasured and correct information given to granite company so that thousands of dollars did not go to waste. The owner had no other agenda other than to take a quick measurement and to jiggle the toilet handle to stop the water from running, which he noticed while he was measuring. The stair repair was not planned prior to their arrival. Oahu had been plagued with rain and flash floods in January, 2011, and it created a loss of grout in the stair grout lines, which in turn created rain leaking into a lower floor closet and laundry room. Anyone that owns a home should understand that emergency situations come up and require repair as soon repair can be done. The stair repair work was never ongoing while they were here. The material that the stairs are made out of did change during their stay, but the workmen were careful to begin the work process after the guest had vacated the property each day and made sure the stairs were accessible and cleaned up before they returned each day. If the guests had issues with this they should have mentioned it during their stay and we would have worked to resolve this or any other issues.

Recommended for:

Ocean View perfect for our vacation

Guest: Lou and Dayle (Independence, Kentucky)
Date of Stay: 01/30/04 Review Submitted: 12/30/10

Located in a residential area, this location offered the convenience of nearby dining and shopping with the ambience of the Pacific right outside the window. We found the drive to either the North side of the island or the Honolulu / Pearl Harbor area an easy drive. We thoroughly enjoyed safe and comfortable walks each morning on the sidewalks and the kitchenette allowed us to stay-in for economical snacks when we wanted to relax. We had no problems in making arrangements for a late arrival. We would love to stay here again on our next visit.

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