Romantic Cottage, Private Acre of Paradise, View! Pool!

• Everything you could want, desire and need! We adore this cottage & didn't want to go home!

  Everything you could want, desire and need! We adore this cottage & didn't want to go home!

  • Guest StrayCat
  • Date of stay 02/25/13
  • Review Submitted 03/15/13
  We ADORE your cottage….the design is not only charming, but so functional as well. We fell in love with the marble shower and the Capresso milk frother (which I just ordered today from Bed, Bath and Beyond). We were so comfortable because you have thought of everything (and beyond) that we could need. We’ve stayed at a lot of places over the years and your home is the most thoughtfully supplied place we’ve ever rented. And we love your paintings! I wondered early in our visit if your sell them locally, then John mentioned you did. Gorgeous, all of them. I had a particular fondness for the small painting of the red beach guard stand. Your gardens…..fabulous! We always tour the botanical gardens when we visit. I have a love of tropical flowers and always enjoy the gardens. But really your garden had more flowers than the garden we visited! The setting and view…..Not only did we enjoy the peace and quiet (we like crowing roosters…even at 1 in the morning), but I looked forward each night to coming off the beach and out of the sun to our lush and cool retreat. The tropical birds, crickets and bull frogs made for a relaxing soundtrack. And the stars! The beaches…..we found a few favorites and visited them every day. We seek out the least popular and the ones harder to get to. A favorite turned out to be Larsen (Larson?) Beach. No…not because we like sunning and swimming in the nude, but because the only people there were a few nudists and a few folks like us who don’t care about seeing nudists. Very gorgeous, unpopulated and quiet. Hanelai…..It’s been years but it doesn’t seem to have grown much larger, which made me happy. I can’t tell you how happy I was to find Harvest Market (the “health” food store). We are vegans (we did eat a little fish while there) so that made things easier. We enjoyed a delicious meal at Neidie’s Mexican and Brazilian Restaurant. It’s located in the brown building by Bar Acuda Lounge. It’s on the back side next to the Yellowfish Trading Co. We had Ahi tuna enchiladas and the vegetable stuffed burrito. REALLY yummy! And we had a Mai Tai of course. Even yummier. Sterm and all his friends…..It’s hard to go on a vacation and leave your pets at home. I always talk to everyone’s dogs and pet every animal I can find. How nice it was to have Sterm (short for The Exterminator) to take care of. And finally Koko. We were instantly charmed with Koko and felt comforted leaving each day knowing he was close.

  Recommended for: Age 55+, romantic getaway, families with teenagers, girls getaway, sightseeing.

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• Paradise Found

  Paradise Found

  • Guest Lisa J.
  • Date of stay 01/06/13
  • Review Submitted 01/19/13
  All I can say is unbelievable. The cottage was charming and the views absolutely breathtaking. We chose this place for our 25th wedding anniversary and we are definitely happy that we did. It was everything that was advertised and more. On top of that the owner provided us with so many recommendations of places to see and things to do that we felt as though we knew our way around. We didn't spend our vacation spinning our wheels trying to figure out what we wanted to do. We came during the rainy season on the North Shore which just made everything that much more lush and beautiful. We were also able to take in some sun by driving to the South Shore on those rainy days. You couldn't ask for a more beautiful setting for a romantic getaway. Yes there are neighbors but the landscaping is so profuse its like you have your own little piece of paradise. Mahalo Jeffrey for allowing the use of your home. Michael and Lisa Johnston Richmond, MI

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• Perfect spot to enjoy the best of Kauai!

  Perfect spot to enjoy the best of Kauai!

  • Guest Julie
  • Date of stay 02/22/12
  • Review Submitted 03/17/12
  This was a return trip to Kauai for my boyfriend and I so we knew this was the part of the island we wanted to stay. All of our favorite beaches were here and we wanted to hike the Napali trail. We found the perfect spot here in Wainiha. The house is just charming, it’s very quiet and private (we did a condo in Princeville last time, what a mistake). The house is perched on a hill on the beautiful property with the most amazing view of the incredibly green valley, lush with palm trees and tropical flowers and big mountains in the distance, covered with waterfalls, it really is stunning. And the proximity to so many great beaches cannot be beat. It was so great coming home and taking a dip in the pool. (I guess it’s new, we were not expecting it when we rented. What a treat!). Also the hot tub, especially great at night, looking at the stars. It is a very romantic spot. The house, though small, was really comfortable with a modern kitchen and all the creature comforts we love. And it was especially cozy on those rainy nights, and there were a few of them. We never did hike the Napali this trip, it was too wet, so we’ll have to come back next year. What a shameJ Julie Cooper, Eugene, Oregon

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

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• Not quite as wonderful as we had hoped

  Not quite as wonderful as we had hoped

  • Guest Judy N.
  • Date of stay 02/05/12
  • Review Submitted 03/11/12
  Staying at Hale Wainiha was a little like staying at a friend's cottage with a lot of "terrifics" and some not so.... Let's start with all the good news--and there's a lot of it. Jeffrey, the owner, is an excellent communicator, who responded quickly to emails and provided a lot of valuable information about the area. Altho' we never met him, he sounds like a really nice guy. The cottage has excellent equipment from top-notch appliances to kitchenware to electronic equipment to snorkelling equipment to "beach stuff." It is also very comfortable. Our not-so-terrifics come in part from having weather that was coolish and greyish, and sometimes very wet, meaning that we could almost never use the lanai or dipping pool and enjoy the beautiful outdoor environment. The other not-so-terrifics came from expectations and comparisons with the other four vacation rentals we stayed in on Kauai. One of our expecations had to do with the fact the owner was an architect. We had assumed that architect owner=good design. There is almost nothing in the cottage that would suggest that the owner was an architect. No care has been take to make sure that colors are harmonious, that counters work well with the flooring, etc. I fully realize that this won't make a bit of difference to most people, but it did to us. It also felt a bit messy, due partly to the space restrictions. For example, the outdoor shower shares space with coolers and snorkelling equipment; extra linens are shoved into a cupboard without being folded properly; windows aren't really clean, and the screens in the bathroom are clogged. Again, some people wouldn't care about this, but the standards were definitely below those of other vacation rentals we stayed in. Quite possibly the owner just hasn't got around to making interior and maintenance improvements, but they are next on his To Do list. Looking at the photo, know that the cottage isn't as private as it appears to be. The photo is taken from a place you really don't have access to as it's on a neighboring property. The palm tree in the foreground cleverly conceals the view of a neighbor's house, which is completely visible from the cotage's lanai and pool. There is another house to the other side, but it is set behind the cottage so is really of no concern. The main road is actually behind the cottage. Altho' the cottage is quite private, it isn't quite as away-from-it-all as we had expected.

  Recommended for: Age 55+, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

  Owner response: Hi Judy, I'm sorry the place didn't live up to your expectations. I'm sure your week of rain put a damper on your visit. It's been an unusually stormy winter, one storm after another. The big one dropped 36 inches of rain in 3 days which caused massive flooding and landslides and road closures, so admittedly there were issues that needed to be dealt with on the property. I've been doing what I can between rentals. Spring cleaning has come early and the annual power washing of the house has been done, the storm cleanup is nearly complete and Kauai seems to finally be drying out a bit. Several large mango limbs fell in one of the early storms before your visit and I was forced to do a dramatic trimming of some of these giant trees for safety reasons. This has created some temporary holes in the privacy landscaping along the property line with my neighbor(250'away, a quiet couple, hardly home, kids away at college). Nature does her work quickly in the jungle and I'm sure the layered landscaping will fill in within a couple of months and my neighbors will be as invisible as they have been always been. There was no attempt at deception in my photos, the neighbor's house has always been totally obscured by the jungle landscaping and will be again soon. Regarding my house's design, I didn't design the house, just bought it. It's probably not the way I would have approached it if I had designed it, I'm more of a modernist. But I think its Hawaiian Plantation style is quite charming and romantic and island appropriate and I've grown to love it. I'm sorry if it clashed with your more sophisticated sensibilities. I'm fully aware of how important a week in Hawaii is to my guests. Many are honeymooners or celebrating a special occasion, and I always try to do everything in my power to create and maintain the appropriate private and romantic setting for a memorable trip. Usually the island make's this easy, her natural beauty is astounding and the beaches are unparalleled. But occasionally the winter storms come and force a different perhaps more introverted experience. But that is a little out of my control. Most don't let it damper their trip, without the rain there would be no rainbows. However, I understand it may have bummed you out a bit and forced you to obsess over improperly folded sheets in the cupboard. I would recommend coming again in the summer or fall for a greater likelihood of good weather and an overall sunnier experience. Mahalo.

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• The best vacation I have ever taken

  The best vacation I have ever taken

  • Guest nanster
  • Date of stay 07/17/11
  • Review Submitted 12/25/11
  Fantastic Vacation! This property was amazing; so much better than staying in a condo or a hotel. The view were unbelievable, so much green everywhere, full of tropical flowers, bananas, papayas, mountains, even waterfalls in the distance. So much to explore on the property alone. We saw a rainbow one evening from the back porch. It really is paradise. You feel really far away, like you’re in the middle of some magical jungle, but you’re only minutes from the most incredible beaches and the Napali trail, which is a must do!! And the house had everything we needed. Great kitchen and loved having a washer dryer right there. The owner had great recommendations. We did a different beach every day and we loved all his restaurant choices in Hanalei. We can’t wait to plan another visit.

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

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• PERFECT FOR OUR HONEYMOON

  PERFECT FOR OUR HONEYMOON

  • Guest jay
  • Date of stay 09/08/10
  • Review Submitted 12/20/11
  My wife and I celebrated our honeymoon at the Halewainiha. It couldn't have been more perfect. The veiw was just so beautiful. The setting so romantic. The property really exceeded our expectations. While we did spend alot of time at the house, it was great that the best beaches were all so close. The town of Hanalei was cute and fun. All of Jeffrey's recommendations were really useful. Thanks for the memorable time. We will definately be back.

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

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• wonderful house in paradise

  wonderful house in paradise

  • Guest Petrov .
  • Date of stay 08/29/11
  • Review Submitted 12/13/11
  amazing house, beautiful view, tucked away at a great location on Kauai. the location is just perfect, we were close to the best beaches of the island, near Hanalei Town. the appliances (especially the dryer, which ripped holes in our clothes) could be updated, but even despite this small issue, i would go back to this house any time.

  Owner response: I did buy a new washer and dryer in September, shortly after your visit. Front loaders, water efficient, so quiet you barely know they're on, they're great!! The old w/d was only 7 years, but the jungle climate and frequent power surges do a number on appliances. I just had to replace the 3 year old dishwasher in November. I try to keep on top of things in order to offer a great experience for my guests. BTW, the new dipping pool and hot tub will be installed and fully operational by February 2012!! I cant wait.

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• Wonderful honeymoon spot

  Wonderful honeymoon spot

  • Guest Holly
  • Date of stay 10/16/10
  • Review Submitted 09/02/11
  It's been almost a year since we honeymoooned at Hale Wainiha and I've been discussing a return trip. My husband and I honeymooned here and found it to be a wonderful secluded getaway. Although the square footage may be small, we never felt cramped. The cottage is light and airy, clean, well equipped, and the view is spectacular. We would certainly return.

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

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• Ideal Cozy Bungalow

  Ideal Cozy Bungalow

  • Guest Eve F.
  • Date of stay 07/08/11
  • Review Submitted 07/20/11
  Nestled in a majestic valley and close to the foothills of the Na Pali Coast this is the ideal cozy bungalow for a couple or small family wishing to explore Kauai and its natural beauty. My husband and I and our two children (ages 6 and 9--wouldn't work as well for folks with babies or toddlers) couldn't have been happier in this location in close proximity to the town Hanalei (our favorite community in Kauai) and close to some of its most revered beaches: Ke'e and Tunnels Beaches. This bungalow offers a small and intimate space to relax after you daily adventures and look out on panoramic views. The homeowner couldn't be more helpful and accommodating--a great deal!

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

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• Soul soothing hideaway!

  Soul soothing hideaway!

  • Guest itzmelo
  • Date of stay 02/23/11
  • Review Submitted 05/11/11
  My time here in your cottage is at an end, and it has been all too short. I came here for a quick tour of Kauai before a wedding I am attending on Oahu next week. Well, the island tour never happened, because I never left Hanalei. What I found here was so peaceful and soothing to the soul that I found myself doing things I normally never take time to do: observe nature, and rest. I practiced yoga every day, meditated at least twice a day, and read a couple of great books. I was able to completely decompress, had no schedule or even sense of time, and felt so comfortable and safe in the little cottage that I am having a bit of separation anxiety at the thought of leaving this morning! Thank you so much for allowing me to stay here. I most certainly will return, hopefully next time for several weeks instead of a measly couple of days. Mahalo!!

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

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Fees:

• Refundable Damage Deposit: $150
• Tax Rate 13.25%

Cancellation policy:

If you have any questions please contact the owner.