Vacation Rentals by Owner

Fantastic!

Guest: alg1963 (Queen Charlotte, BC, Canada)
Date of Stay: 11/20/11 Review Submitted: 11/30/11

We had such a wonderful stay at the Ohia Paniolo. The cottage is very comfortable, very private, with a fully stocked kitchen with everything we needed to make home cooked meals. The hot tub is a special treat, also very private, and we spent a lot of time out there after our busy days. Bernie and Cliff have thought of all the little things that make a place feel like home, and we were greeted with fresh pineapple and papaya. We would gladly stay here again next time we are in the area.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, girls getaway, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Very private and well maintained cottage.

Guest: grandma99 (Woodside, CA)
Date of Stay: 09/29/11 Review Submitted: 10/10/11

My husband and I spent 4 days in the Ohia Paniolo cottage. We very much enjoyed this very cozy home away from home. The beds are very comfortable, the kitchen is well equipped. The nice touches including beautiful fresh orchids made us feel very welcome. And the hot tub...! It was so relaxing to soak in it after a day of serious hiking in the National Park. We also enjoyed the nice barbecue. Many thanks to Bernie and Cliff. You are doing a great job. We hope to return and will also recommend your properties to family and friends. One piece of advice for future guests: Buy ALL your groceries either in Kona or Hilo. The General Store in Volcano has very little to offer( no fruits or vegetables while we were there) and is very expensive. We had dinner at Thai Thai restaurant and the food was very good.

Owner response:Aloha Gerda, Cliff and I would like to say "Mahalo" for your wonderful comments. But most of all for choosing Ohia Paniolo Cottage as your home it Volcano.Providing our guests with a home that they can relax and enjoy is very important to us.I'm glad that you had a wonderful vacation. Mahalo, Bernie & Cliff

Recommended for:Age 55+, sightseeing.

Peaceful stay and great value

Guest: Kris (Worcester, MA)
Date of Stay: 09/04/11 Review Submitted: 05/02/12

My husband and I spent several night here while exploring Volcano national park and the southeastern area of the island. Although the houses in this neighborhood are close together you have complete privacy thanks to some thoughtful landscaping. The beds were comfortable, everything was clean and in good condition and the hot tub was great after a day of hiking. The National park was a very quick drive which made viewing the caldera at night very easy, Hilo was also an easy drive, about 30 min away. This house could easily fit 6 and was a much better value than any motel I found in the area. A few reviews I read mentioned pastries, fruit, and juice for breakfast but I would caution against relying on this. It is native themed, which means nuts in many things so people with allergies should beware and although some of the fruit was good a lot of it was rotting so I was glad that we had brought breakfast items with us from the target in Kona.

Owner response:Thank you for your comments and I would like to apologize for the fruits and native themed complimentary self-service breakfast. The breakfast that we provide for our guest 1st morning contains local grown fruits (2 papayas, 1 pineapple and bananas), and bread item such as sweet bread, croissants or a cinnamon loaf. These items are purchased the night before or the day of our guest’s arrival. I personally go to the market to purchase them myself to make sure that they are fresh for our guests. Included along with this there is frozen orange juice, a bag of banana pancake mix, Instant oatmeal, hot chocolate, teas, coffee, sugar, creamer, butter, jelly and syrup for your pancakes. As for the native themed, Hawaii is a multicultural state and the food here represents that. It is what makes Hawaii the special place that it is. We do our very best to provide our guests with the best accommodations that we can and hope that we can satisfy everyone’s needs. We have pride in our home and the services that we provide our guests. Your satisfaction, comfort and enjoyment are important to us. I hope that you will stay with us again in the future. Mahalo!

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

Great Location - Minutes To Hawaii Volcanoes Nat'l Park

Guest: K, L, C & B (Seattle, WA)
Date of Stay: 07/25/11 Review Submitted: 08/08/11

Great care & thought went into the Ohia Paniolo Cottage from the generous breakfast items of bread, fruit, hot chocolate & coffee to the well stocked kitchen to the hot tub/BBQ area complete with counter & sink. The washer & dryer came in handy, too. It was a nice surprise to see laundry detergent, dishwashing soap and shampoo/conditioner provided. The beds, pillows & comforters were wonderful. When you laid in bed, it felt as though you were on a cloud. The addition of the luggage racks in each bedroom was a bonus. The location of the Ohia Paniolo Cottage was great. It's minutes to the small town of Volcano as well as to Hawaii Volcanoes Nat'l Park. Be sure to drive up at night to the Jaggar Museum in the nat'l park to see the glow of the lava. Don't forget to look up into the sky. The brightness and the amount of stars is breathtaking! Bring flashlights - it's pitch black walking the short distance from the Jaggar Museum's parking lot to the view point. What a great place to stay!

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NOT JUST A PLACE TO LAY YOUR HEAD

Guest: The Girls (Oahu/Chicago)
Date of Stay: 06/30/11 Review Submitted: 07/02/11

The Paniolo Cottage is absolutely gorgeous. It has all the charm you would expect a cottage to have and the owners Bernie and Cliff go well out of their way to make sure you are comfortable and have all the traveler information you need to make your vacation complete. All the unexpected amenities and breakfast items were truly just another of the many things that made the cottage a home for us, not just a place to lay our head for the night. The beds and pillows were something out of this world, like falling into a cloud of softness. I could go on and on, so I'll just say there couldn't be a better place to stay, except maybe Cliff and Bernie's other home if you need more space. Thank you Cliff and Bernie for the Aloha you showed us and for sharing your beautiful cottage. Grandma Jan, Donna, Kaitlyn and Malia

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

Perect cottage, lovely hosts

Guest: California Mark (Oakland, CA)
Date of Stay: 12/31/10 Review Submitted: 01/28/11

My wife, myself, and our 6 year old son stayed in this charming and comfortable cottage for 3 nights in January 2011 and were amazed and delighted with the thoughtfulness and care with which Bernie & Cliff had prepared it. We had been to the Big Island before, and wanted to have some time to enjoy seeing Volcano park without trying to cram it into a single rushed day. I'm so glad we did, and even happier that we stumbled upon the Paniolo cottage. Inside, you have every comfort you might wish for, including a generous welcome gift of bread and fruit. Outside, you're nestled in a private lush fern forest - a very soothing contrast to the endless sunshine of the western side. Our stay here provided a perfect balance to our trip. A calm, quiet oasis of rain forest adjacent to the spectacular Volcano park. I've stayed at a number of VRBO listings. By a wide margin, this one was the best. Stay here - you'll always cherish it!

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

Definitely our best stay in the Big Island!

Guest: runningman (Grapevine, TX)
Date of Stay: 12/18/10 Review Submitted: 01/16/11

My wife and I stayed for two nights at the The Ohia Paniolo Cottage last December, and we fell in love with this place! The cottage is really lovely and tastefully designed. The property is densely covered with rain-forest trees and bushes, you won't feel you have neighbors around. It has everything you need, full kitchen & washer/dryer (with all the things you need), very comfortable feather bed, and the best of all, is the private jetted hot-tub which is perfect after a tiring day of hiking at Volcano National Park. Bernie, the owner, also made sure that everything is in order during our stay. Our stay here is truly the highlight of our trip in the Big Island!!! We love it and really recommend all of you to stay here, such a gem in such a special place!

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

Absolutely Perfect!

Guest: SCUBA Girl (Seattle, WA)
Date of Stay: 11/13/10 Review Submitted: 12/15/10

We spent 2 nights here and it just wasn't long enough. This cottage is absolutely perfect. We didn't want to leave. Besides being spotlessly clean, it was so homey and comfortable. Bernie truly thinks of everything. I've never felt so welcome at a rental property. From the OJ in the fridge, to the Hawaiian Sweet Bread, to the oatmeal and pancake mix, to the spices and even booze in the cupboard this place is perfect. The beds are HEAVEN and the hot tub is a perfect place to start and end your day. The property is lush, private, beautiful and so peaceful. It was really hard to make ourselves leave to visit the volcano! This really is the perfect base to do that though. Just minutes from the park entrance, yet still close enough to explore Hilo and the surrounding area too. I just don't think you could find a better place to stay. Period. I just can't say enough good things. We loved this cottage.

Owner response:Mahalo! for staying at Ohia Paniolo Cottage. It's really a pleasure having you as our guests and knowing that you had such an enjoyable vacation. Cliff and I really love giving our guests a special place in Volcano that they can call their home. Sharing the Aloha Spirit and our love with everyone that visit's our home. Aloha! Cliff & Bernie

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

Guest: Jill & Erich (Scottsdale, Arizona)
Date of Stay: 03/19/10 Review Submitted: 03/19/10

Thank you so much for a wonderful stay in Volcano! Your cottage was perfect for our family of four. Being so close to the National Park gave us the opportunity to explore the volcanos completely. We could not have asked for a better few days! Thank you!

Owner response:Aloha Jill, It was a great pleasure to have you and your family as our guests at Ohia Paniolo Cottage.I hope that you will be able to visit us again soon.. Mahalo! Bernie

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Guest: Florence3 (Toronto, Ontario, Canada)
Date of Stay: 01/21/10 Review Submitted: 01/21/10

Our family of 4 stayed for 3 nights & had a superb time. Bernie is great to work with. Loved the close proximity to the Volcano National Park, comfortable beds, hot tub, fruit & bagels, kitchen to make our own delicious meals, and much much more.

Owner response:Aloha Florence, I'm pleased to hear that you had a wonderful time at Ohia Paniolo Cottage. We hope that you will be back again. Mahalo! for your comment. Bernie

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Guest: Shanda & Jim (Chugiak, AK)
Date of Stay: 11/29/09 Review Submitted: 11/28/09

We spent 2 days here in November 2009. It is a large 2 bedroom with full kitchen, washer/dryer, cable flat screen TV, wired internet, and a soft bed in the blue bedroom. There is a front lanai and a back covered area with a table, sink, grill, and hot tub. Bernie called to make sure everything was ok and left us a nice fruit basket and bagels. Farmers market on sundays is a must! We met the nicest local folk there who gave us history on volcano village and were so kind. The thai place in town is good. Can't wait until our next visit!

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Guest: Christopher3 (Wailuku, HI)
Date of Stay: 04/26/09 Review Submitted: 04/26/09

Thank you for allowing me to have the pleasure of staying at yet another one of your beautiful homes. This home reflects the perfect balance of comfort and function and not one detail is overlooked. The hot tub is excellent and the covered area where it sits allowed me to enjoy the surrounding areas at the same time. Having stayed at both Ohia Plantation House and Ohia Paniolo Cottage I can honestly say that these are the best Vacation Homes on the island. I look forward to having the opportunity to stay with you again in the future. Mahalo!

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Guest: Jen28 (Kamuela, HI)
Date of Stay: 04/24/09 Review Submitted: 04/24/09

Aloha Bernie, Thank you again for providing such a fantastic home away from home for our week of fun! We had such a great time exploring Volcano and relaxing at Ohia Paniolo Cottage. We both agreed we have forgotten how much fun a staycation can be and were a bit hesitant to really take one as we are used to the best resorts and amenities. We had zero complaints and were continuously surprised at how very well appointed OPC is and what a gracious dream you are to work with. The hot tub, I have to admit, was the big draw to your property and it far exceeded our expectations. It was superb for warming up and easing away the complaints from my out of shape muscles. I also couldnt believe how HUGE it was and how fun the "light show" was in the pitch dark. I only wish we could have had more time to spend up there so that we could have taken advantage of the outdoor grill and cooked up a great dinner. Oh well, I guess this means we will be back very soon. Thank you again!

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Guest: Colleen14 (Honolulu, HI)
Date of Stay: 03/25/09 Review Submitted: 03/25/09

The Ohia Paniolo Cottage is a real gem of a getaway! My favorite aspect was the abundance of covered outside space to relax and read a book with a cup of tea and listen to the rain and the birdsong. When it gets chilly, you can jump into the hot tub and get warm and even more relaxed with the awesome jets and the "lightshow." The bed is so cozy that we had a hard time getting ourselves out of it in the morning, and the thick featherbed on top keeps you warm on the coldest of nights! We enjoy cooking and took advantage of both the full kitchen inside and the large barbeque (and kitchen sink!) outside on the covered lanai. Thanks so much for a great stay! We hope to see you again next year! Mahalo nui Bernie!

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