Great spot for families

Guest: Emp (Los Angeles ca )
Date of Stay: 01/20/12 Review Submitted: 01/28/12

We had a wonderful time. The townhouse is spacious, and the master suite and bath were lovely. We were traveling with our one year old, so the washer dryer and dishwasher were key. We were able to walk to the Orchid for breakfast and went to the Mauni lani for lunch and beach. Thanks, Jan and Michael, for a lovely place to stay.

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

Christmas with the family.

Guest: Shelly (San Francisco,CA)
Date of Stay: 12/15/11 Review Submitted: 01/18/12

We returned to Jan's wonderful condo for a family Christmas holiday. We had 3 codos at the Fairways and I must say ours was by far the best equipped . Tons of dishware, glasses, kitchen gadgets and appliances, as well as an abundance of towels and beach toys.We love the island decor. The wide expanse of lawn in front of the condo makes for an ideal place for the children to play. This year, in the spirit of giving, we sponsored families moving into a new housing facility near Costco. We played games, crafts and enjoyed lunch with the parents and their children. We treated ourselves to a wonderful Xmas eve dinner at Napua, the dinner restaurant at the Beach Club. Some of us spent a day zip lining with Kohala zip line. A real thrill. The Fairways is an ideal place for a family gathering .We can't wait to return!

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

Excellent choice in Fairways

Guest: Tara (San Francisco)
Date of Stay: 11/06/11 Review Submitted: 12/09/11

I traveled here with my mom and young son in November 2011. The condo was perfect. Tastefully decorated yet child-friendly in a great location in the complex. It was stocked with pretty much everything we could ever think of needing on our vacation, including kitchen gadgets and sand toys for my son. The owner was very helpful and friendly. Highly recommended. Thanks for the great experience!

Owner response:Thanks Tara. We're empty nesters with grandchildren so we love to make our home "casually elegant" for our friends and yet child friendly when the kids arrived. We appreciate the respect our guests have given the care of our home so that all can enjoy it.

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

Relaxing Family Vacation

Guest: Liz (Tacoma, WA)
Date of Stay: 10/12/11 Review Submitted: 11/13/11

We stayed in the Fairways condo for three weeks this October and had the best family vacation ever! We have two little ones-a two year old and a three and a half year old, both small enough where most vacations aren't relaxing, except for this one! We had everything we needed-the condo is close enough to walk to beaches, great pool, kitchen for cooking all of our meals, washer/dryer, great shopping nearby and more. We met so many families staying at resorts that couldn't believe they were staying at a resort and not at this condo after we told them about it! They were miserable in the resorts because they couldn't cook for their kids and take care of them in a home environment while on vacation. Our favorite night event was walking to the Fairmont Orchid with our flashlights and resting on the beach while the sun was setting. The best snorkeling was at the Owner's Beach where we could use the cabanas and chairs right on the beach! Since Owner's Beach isn't in any guide book we saw, it wasn't swarmed with people. Great beach! We saw countless turtles and tropical fish at this beach. The walk between the Owner's Beach, Mauna Lani and Fairmont Orchid was breathtaking and all within walking distance with little ones (we are very active people). We ended most days with cocktails made in the condo and dining on fresh sashimi from Foodland Farms, the best store for convenient eating, and homemade mac & cheese for the kid. We also found the amazing fish shop up the road and dined on very rare spiny lobster and local fish. What a treat! If you aren't staying in a resort, at least you can make the best cocktails and dine on local fish at reasonable prices. Plus the kids can run around the yard and have fun while you relax. We never even went to Kona or Hilo in three weeks, there was enough to do on this coast to keep us and two little ones happy. The condo is perfect-beautifully decorated, well setup, great location and great owners. Thank you Jan for the best family vacation we have ever taken! It's going to be hard to top this one, so we may need to do it again sometime. Other plus-my husband worked for a week while we were there, the technology/internet access was great, no problems getting setup or online (we've had that issue at other places before). The sunset at Hapuna Beach and the snorkeling at Mauna Kea were both unbelievable! Everything was five minutes away! LOVED IT!!!

Owner response:Some of our best memories come from family vacations. We're very happy that our home help provide you with some good ones. Come back again. Jan

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

Excellent spot for families

Guest: Virginia Traveler (Virginia)
Date of Stay: 08/10/11 Review Submitted: 10/18/11

My family rented 2 units side by side in this complex and had a wonderful stay. This unit's kitchen is very-well stocked and patio with grill and lanai that looks toward pool is a plus. We loved being near the Fairmont Orchid and Mauna Lani. We would definitely come back!

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

Mahalo

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 08/16/11 Review Submitted: 08/29/11

We felt right at home in Jan’s beautifully decorated Big Island home. My wife and I couldn’t ask for a nicer place to relax in tropical comfort. Outside our sliding door lay the lush, Hawaiian gardens and inviting, refreshing pool. The VRBO pictures do not capture the distinctive quality of this special townhouse. It has to be experienced. Dave Goldson, Valley Village Ca.

Owner response:Mahalo, Dave We love the tropical garden right off our lanai. Our wonderful gardeners have transformed what previously was just black lava rock into a habitat for mango, papaya and avocado trees. Just a few weeks ago, I helped my grandson pick papayas just steps from our door. If our guests don't care for tropical fruit, they usually enjoy the 3 plumeria trees that we had planted around our lanai. They bring the tropics right to our door. Jan and Michael

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

Lovely townhome... Great Value!

Guest: Renergize (Bay Area, CA)
Date of Stay: 07/15/11 Review Submitted: 07/30/11

My husband and I had a delightful and peaceful stay in this lovely townhome. We usually rent only vacation homes because we do not like the noise and crowds in condos. We decided to give the Fairways a try and were glad we did. It was absolute peace and privacy. I was quite amazed by the beauty of the grounds and the tranquility of the area. The townhome is wonderfully equipped- especially the kitchen. We had a great time snorkeling in the area. I very much enjoyed the jacuzzi bathtub in the huge bathroom. So relaxing after a day of walking or snorkeling. We barbecued a couple of nights and that was easy and fun. Thank you to the hosts for a wonderful stay. Snorkelers tip: If it's windy, as Kohala sometimes is... try nearby Mau'umae Beach. We snorkeled there on a windy day and the waters were calm and clear. Lovely coral and fish! When it's calm, the Beach Club at the Mauna Lani has incredible snorkeling. The snorkeling at the Orchid (within walking distance of the townhome) is fun because there are turtles there.

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

Great place, Great location!

Guest: Jen and Mark (West Vancouver, BC)
Date of Stay: 05/30/11 Review Submitted: 06/13/11

My husband and I stayed with our 5 year old and 9 month old at this property. It is definitely kid friendly (we only had to put a few smaller items out of reach from an exploring 9 month old!) and our daughter loved having her own bedroom with a bathroom and a window seat. This was probably the most well stocked and well equipped vacation rental we have ever stayed at - down to little swimmer diapers under the sink, laundry detergent in the laundry room and an ice maker on the fridge. It was lovely taking a 6:00 am stroll to the grocery store (which opens at 6:00 am) just a short walk away, which is well stocked and reasonably priced. You cannot hear any neighbours and despite so many places close by, you definitely felt you had privacy even when on the lanai. Lots of suggestions in the guest book to head off for dinner. We highly recommend the Blue Dragon in Kawaihae where we caught an evening of big band jazz with the Olliephonics and had great food. Even the kids menu was terrific, our daughter had her favourite fish and rice. Head to Waimea to the KTA Market to do your grocery shopping - good selection and inexpensive compared to other markets. This townhome was also an excellent choice for participating in the Honu Half and I was a 7 minute walk to the Fairmont Orchid where the race was based to register, do training rides and runs, catch shuttles and finish the race. The location of the townhome puts you in a decent range to head to Hawi, Kona, Waimea and the eastern shore. Thank you for sharing your home Jan and Michael! Oh and one more foodie tip, the The Old Hawaiian Style Cafe in Waimea is fantastic for breakfast and for a traditional mixed plate lunch. A great local place!

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

Relaxing Combination of Local Adventures and Resort Activities

Guest: Bilbo Baggins (San Mateo, CA, USA)
Date of Stay: 05/07/11 Review Submitted: 05/19/11

We couldn't have asked for a more delightful respite from our work-a-day life. This condo is more than comfortable. I won't soon forget sleeping with the windows open to the perfect night temperature of Hawaii and waking briefly to watch the sunrise paint the clouds all the shades of gray, blue, and pink. The Mauna Lani Resort complex turned out to be a great resort for us. We did two SCUBA dives, learned how to paddle board, lounged and ate at the Beach Club, had pupus at the Fairmont Orchid - twice, walked the fish ponds, the archeological and petroglyph parks, and I played a round of the golf on the North Course. All on the Mauna Lani property. The location of the Mauna Lani worked well for us too. We got a lot of local "old Hawaii" time in; dinner at Luke's in Hawi about 25 minutes up the road with live music our first night and dinner at the Blue Dragon about 10 minutes up the road with live music on our last night. Being on the Big Island for a whole week gave us the luxury of spending a couple days driving to the far reaches. We visited Hawi, Honakaa, Hilo, Halualoa, Keolakakua, Captain Cook, and South Point. We drove the saddle road back from Hilo one evening at sunset and drove out of a cloud just in time to avoid 100 wild sheep crossing the road. We rarely vacation to the same place twice but the Big Island and this condo at the Mauna Lani might become an exception. We still need to get to the green sand beach and Volcano House.

Recommended for:Sightseeing, families with young children, age 55+, families with teenagers.

Spectacular Mauna Lani Getaway - Spring Break 2011!

Guest: Greg and Marni (Seattle, WA)
Date of Stay: 03/30/11 Review Submitted: 05/15/11

While the Big Island is always incredible, our recent trip to Mauna Lani was truly one of the best because of our gorgeous accommodations in Jan's Fairway Villas condo. The pictures and descriptions can't capture the quality, ambiance and location of this property. The accommodations are well decorated with attention to detail (pictures, furniture, kitchen amenities, electronics including TV, Music, etc) and you truly feel like you are at a "home away from home". Jan helped with the details of our stay and so many great suggestions for the surrounding area including food, beaches and activities. We've been to Mauna Lani many times without our children and the condo proved to be a perfect combination of luxury and location. We easily fit our family of four with room for at least two more if necessary. I highly recommend this property and we booked our trip for next year BEFORE we left the last day. Truly a paradise made even better by the accommodations and hospitality!

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