SAD TO LEAVE

Guest: Doreen and family (-)
Date of Stay: 11/30/11 Review Submitted: 12/24/11

Aloha Margaret, Sad to say, but our Hawaiian vacation is now behind us. We had a lovely time, made better because of the great accommodation, and look forward to going back again to see all the things we didn't have time for. We spent so much time on the balcony and around the pool and it was very relaxing, but we did take in some of the sights. One highlight was seeing the surfing and the huge waves on the north shore--unbelievable!--especially for us "prairie" people. I will be passing your info on to a friend of mine who is interested in going to Ko Olina again and is looking for a condo to rent. Thanks again, and we look forward to our next visit.

Recommended for:

Hawaii Wedding

Guest: Barb (Minnesota)
Date of Stay: 08/29/11 Review Submitted: 09/07/11

We just returned after attending my son's wedding in Hawaii. The Beach Villas worked out perfectly for our family. Some days we were out exploring the island and it was good to come back to such a wonderful condo. Other days, we hung out at the Beach Villas. This was my first experience renting through VRBO and Margaret's description was completely accurate. All of the rooms are beautiful and no detail was spared. Anything you would ever need is in the unit. The grounds of the Beach Villas are beautiful and we found ourselves taking the long way to stroll past all of the pools and the koi ponds. The landscaping is breathtaking. Margaret is very professional and wonderful to work with. Consider yourself lucky if she has weeks available for you to rent!

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

The best vacation ever!

Guest: Kristen (Scottsdale, AZ)
Date of Stay: 07/28/11 Review Submitted: 08/11/11

My family of 5 just returned from one of the best vacations we have ever had. Unfortunately, we were only able to stay a week in Oahu at Margaret's condo, but we are still reveling from the experience. Aside from the fun that we had exploring the island and visiting all of the beautiful beaches, staying at this condo made our trip. It is a beautiful, comfortable, detailed space and there was nothing that anyone in my family felt was lacking. We hosted a dinner for 12 one evening and there were plenty of seats, utensils, pots and pans, and items to cook with. Even a pizza cutter!!! The bedrooms and bathrooms are over the top comfortable and my children (13, 10, and 5) never got in each other's hair. There were beach toys and chairs for our use, music and televisions in every room, a gorgeous lanai for soaking it all in.....it is a perfect place. My husband and I even wound up renewing our vows in a beach wedding on Paradise Cove Beach with dinner afterwards at the Paradise Cove Luau. It is within walking distance of the condo, and was fantastic. Margaret was wonderful to work with; professional all the way. The staff at the resort was likewise very friendly and accommodating. After a busy day of sightseeing around the island, it was always wonderful to come back to the condo to relax with a swim in the pool or lagoon, a drink from the bar, and a gorgeous sunset. This is the place to be.

Owner response:I've been to the Paradise Cove luau and thought it great fun but--what a wonderful idea to have a "vow renewal" there!!

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, tourists without a car, age 55+, girls getaway, sightseeing, people with disabilities, families with young children.

Guest: Family of 5 (-)
Date of Stay: 07/28/11 Review Submitted: 08/10/11

Hi Margaret, I just wanted to thank you so much for the use of your condo. It was an absolutely perfect size for our family and is so comfortable and beautiful. Also, I couldn't believe how thoroughly you thought through what would be needed as it came to the kitchen. The pizza cutter, even!! :) We all agreed that this was the best vacation we have ever taken. Our days were busy exploring the island, then we would come back to the condo and exhale. The pools were relaxing, the bar was a perfect touch, and the sunsets were stunning. My husband and I even wound up renewing our vows at Paradise Cove Beach (15 years!), with our reception being the luau! Some good friends of ours and their children wound up making their vacation at the same time, so they were able to join us along with our sister and brother in law who live in Kapolei. All in all, it just couldn't have been better. Thank you.

Recommended for:

Two Weeks in Paradise

Guest: Canadians (Alberta Canada)
Date of Stay: 07/14/11 Review Submitted: 08/03/11

Our family of five had a wonderful stay in this beautiful unit. We loved the set up of the condo and the wonderful kitchen as we did prepare most of our own meals. We took full advantage of the fitness facility and the pools. We also loved our lagoon and went snorkeling several times. We saw turtles right in the lagoon on several occasions during our two week stay. We also tried stand up paddle surfing in lagoon four - very easy and very fun! Also lots of nice restaurants within walking distance and a short drive to some great beaches for boogie boarding and bigger waves. The staff at the Beach Villas was wonderful- so helpful and friendly. We also had great communication with Margaret. I would highly recommend this unit at the Beach Villas!! The Bosch Family

Owner response:Love that you enjoyed yourselves. That's what vacations are for! I am particularly happy to hear that you made excellent use of all of our beautiful lagoons. There's nothing like them. I will pass along your compliments to our wonderful staff.

Recommended for:

Memorial Day Vacation 2011

Guest: JB (Austin, Texas)
Date of Stay: 05/28/11 Review Submitted: 06/13/11

We REALLY enjoyed our 10 day stay at the Beach Villas at Ko Olina! What a wonderful place to stay. The complex is extremely secure and we felt right at home. The pool area and beach were our morning paradise every day and the kids couldn't get enough of it. We utilized the poolside grills. The support staff were very helpful. The gym was a great place to get that workout in, as well as the lap pool. Ko Olina is a very close drive to all the major attractions on Oahu. We had a 12th anniversary dinner at Roy's on the golf course and the food was extraordinary! Margaret was very attentive to us before and during the trip and communication was probably better than anywhere we have stayed. Thank you very much for helping us have such a memorable vacation! We would definitely book this property again, and recommend to others without hesitation. Mahalo, The Barkley Family

Owner response:So very glad that you and your family enjoyed your stay. We are fortunate that our guests have full access to the front desk staff as well as our wonderful fitness center. My mouth is watering as I read about your special dinner at Roys!! Hope you can come to see us again.

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, romantic getaway, sightseeing, families with young children.

April 16 review

Guest: Marcia (Washington, DC)
Date of Stay: 04/16/11 Review Submitted: 04/23/11

My 2 adult children and I had an excellent time. Very nice private accomodation with every amenity. We also highly recommend Waikiki.com Tours & Travel, also known as Ko Olina Activities, which is owned by a nice young couple who gave us excellent personalized service arranging a private island tour, scuba and parasailing. We will definintely come back, hopefully next January.

Owner response:We look forward to seeing you in January!

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

Barbara and friends (Snohomish, Wa.)

Guest: Barb (Snohomish, Wa.)
Date of Stay: 04/02/11 Review Submitted: 04/13/11

My four friends and I thoroughly enjoyed our stay at Margaret and John's Beach Villa at Ko Olina. The accomodations were airy, clean, well decorated, and very spacious. We slept well in very comfortable beds and three bathrooms for 5 females was greatly appreciated. I wish we were more high tech for those awesome appliances but we managed to eat well while we were there. We snorkeled in the lagoon with the turtles every morning and basked by the pools in the afternoons when not exploring the Island. The Staff were very friendly and assisted us in anything we needed. It was also nice to have housekeeping do a mid-week cleaning to freshen up the place. The experience was amazing and only have high praise for Margaret who kept in contact with us to make sure we had all the information we needed to make our stay enjoyable. Thank you Margaret! I highly recommend this experience to anyone who wants a quiet, restful experience at Ko Olina. We had a wonderful time and hope to return some day soon - Aloha!

Owner response:Thanks for writing. I love hearing about swimming with the turtles!

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

A luxury vacation

Guest: Jennifer (California)
Date of Stay: 12/08/10 Review Submitted: 03/04/11

We stayed at Margaret's place this past December and had a great time. The unit is by far the nicest rental that we've ever had the pleasure to stay in. Very roomy- plenty of space for 4 adults and 2 kids. Everything totally up to date. The location is fantastic- beautiful beach on a calm lagoon. Very quiet and peaceful. The staff at the resort were friendly and helpful. Nice restaurants within walking distance- Roy's is amazing, of course. We took a snorkeling trip from the nearby marina, where the Black Pearl is docked (from Pirates of the Caribbean- this is where they film the movies!). The photos and description are right on and Margaret was so friendly and easy to work with. I would recommend this rental to anyone and I hope that we can go back someday!

Owner response:Jennifer--it was a pleaure to work with you as well. Thank you for your kind words and I am so glad you were able to take advantage of our nearby snorkeling as it is a real treat. Come see again when you can.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, families with young children.

Best family vacation!

Guest: Sarah (Victoria, B.C. Canada)
Date of Stay: 10/25/10 Review Submitted: 11/13/10

We just returned from our week stay at Ko Olina, and wish we could go back. The condo was the perfect option for my husband and I, our two kids (ages 6 and 8) and my brother and sister in law. There was lots of room for privacy, and the lanai was a great spot to chat and enjoy each others company. The condo exceeded our expectations, and we all fantasized about moving to the Beach villas. The beds were more comfortable than ours at home, and it was great to be able to have use of the washer and dryer. The pools and beach were quiet and clean and we got lots of use of the water toys that were made available to us. We felt extremely safe at the resort, and enjoyed eating at Roy's and Just Tacos, as well as we used the market several times. The weather in Waikiki was rainy for most of the week, but not at Ko Olina! The best part of the Leeward side of the island is that it is so dry, so we enjoyed being on the beach or at the pool every day. My kids were upset that we would miss Halloween back home, but the local Kapolei mall had trick or treating, so the kids were thrilled to dress up in Hawaii! Kapolei had every store any good suburban family could want, Costco, Target, Safeway, as well as a multitude of fast food chains and a couple of Starbucks. The Wet n Wild water park is just one exit away, which was great for my thrill seeking son. We will definitely return to the Beach Villas. Thank you Margaret for all of your help and your great directions and instructions in the information booklet. Your condo is beautiful and well taken care of. We couldn't have asked for a better home away from home.

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