Beautiful retreat

Guest: Teri & Dennis (Happy Valley, OR)
Date of Stay: 01/27/12 Review Submitted: 02/04/12

We stayed two nights in the middle of our 10 day vacation in Waikoloa and we are so glad we chose "Stay Ohia". We had been to the volcano many years ago during our 'Big Island in a day' trip and vowed we would return for longer stay so we could enjoy all the activities and sites we missed due to time constraints. We arrived a little early and were greeted by Mike and a warm fire. He graciously showed us around the house and pointed out the various amenities such as the lanai, the robes and slippers they provided, heaters in case the house got cold etc... We really appreciated the cleanliness and the luxurious bedding in the master. Not to mention all of the little touches souch as muffins, bagels, tea and coffee, chocolates, blankets and gas heater on the lanai, instructions on how to use the electronic equipment and so much more. We felt very comfortable and enjoyed our stay completely. We especially enjoyed going up to the Jagger Museum lookout both nights to view the glowing red Halema`uma`u Crater floor. Thanks for the jackets Liz, they came in handy! Dinner at the KilAuea Lodge was good but expensive so we ate at Thai Thai the next night and had excellent meals. We will definitely recommend Stay Ohia to friends and family traveling to this destination. Aloha!

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, sightseeing, adventure seekers, age 55+.

Charming and comfortable

Guest: Divabooks (Santa Fe, NM)
Date of Stay: 01/26/12 Review Submitted: 01/28/12

Lovely, charming, comfortable cabin minutes from the Volcano Park and about a half hour from Hilo. It's a "cabin" in the sense that it's made of wood, but this is a very high end cabin, with beautiful red wood floors, high ceilings, a lovely back porch with a heater (like the kind you see on the outdoor patios of restaurants) big screen tv and all the amenities. We rented it on very short notice through the recommendation of a friend and the owner was very accommodating. Would recommend it to anyone and would stay there again.

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

Perfect

Guest: Susan (Massachusetts)
Date of Stay: 01/02/12 Review Submitted: 01/15/12

Location, location, location… this “STAY OHIA” house in Volcano is a comfortable, clean, modern home conveniently located 3 miles from the National Park and 2 miles from the Kazumura Lava Tube caves. We (family of four) spent 3 nights here after four nights in Kona (we had a great snorkeling trip on the FairWind). It was a scenic drive over on Route 19, with a stop in Hilo for groceries. The listing was accurate and with a complete kitchen and grill we thankfully had all our meals at the house (except for one dinner at “Thai Thai”). We were at the volcano early am and came back to the house for lunch to eat and relax (plenty of space for a family of four), and then repeated to go back to see the Crater a glow after dinner. The 2 hour Kazumura lava cave tour was amazing and again so close to the house. The FREE Hilo bus to Kona is also amazing. My husband and son were invited to fish in Kona and took the bus back from Hilo while my daughter and I spent the 3rd day in Volcano. This home and location worked out well for the whole family. We hope to return to “STAY OHIA”, it’s a gem and it made our first trip to Hawaii a memorable experience. I have already sent the link to friends. Thank you to the owners for all their help.

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

Wonderful Stay in Volcano

Guest: Kerry (Boulder, CO)
Date of Stay: 01/05/12 Review Submitted: 01/15/12

We had a wonderful stay! Your home was the perfect mid-vacation stop for us. We tend to go-go-go on vacations. And though we spent plenty of time in Volcano's Nat'l Park, there are limited activities in the immediate area helping us to just relax, take our time and enjoy the surroundings as well as the park. Your home was so, so very comfortable... and quite beautiful. We ate meals in, wrote our postcards and mailed them in town, played cards, watched a movie, did laundry and were thrilled with how close we were to the park entrance as well as the grocery store. We also appreciated the recycling (as we hate to throw anything away). The beds are very, very comfortable so it's amazing we even made it out of bed each day! The fireplace is the coziest kind of heat and we warmed up every morning with it. Our favorite park activities were the lava tube, hiking down into and across Kilauea Iki crater and watching the steam and glow of the big Kilauea crater at dusk. Thanks for the great accommodations. We aren't able to get to the islands but every several years, though would love to stay again sometime. And will recommend your home to any friends and family who may be heading that way.

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

Wonderful stay at Ohia

Guest: James, Mary and family (Honolulu, Hawaii)
Date of Stay: 12/22/11 Review Submitted: 01/02/12

If you are looking for a good base to explore Volcanoes Nat. Park look no further. The owners have done a great job decorating this lovely home. The park and Volcano village are 5 min. drive away. We were very comfortable here. Aloha!

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

Cozy Cabin with Issues....

Guest: LA & AK (Arcata CA)
Date of Stay: 11/23/11 Review Submitted: 01/02/12

The first Impression as opening the front door is a wall of mold smell, overwhelming, and so much so, we cut our three nights down to two. Also, the owne'rs personal belongings are all over the house, so one feels as though one is a houseguest rather than staying at a true vacation property. A few personal touches are fine, however the owners shoes, notes and personal effects are found throughout the cabin. Other than the smell and the personal items, the place is fairly comfortable and pleasant.Unfortunateloy, the dank mold smell is the overriding impression we're left with.

Owner response:For the first time in two years of ownership there was an issue of mildew back in Nov 2011, due to an unusually rainy month. It came to our attention when we went out there to put up the Christmas decorations and found out others in the neighborhood had similar issues. After that, we did everything to fix the problem and see it does not happen again. We had 5 star comments right after that and continue to do so. We have robes, slippers, and backpacks for our guests use. Notes are there to be helpful for information. There are pamphlets with tourist information on the local area activities and restaurants. We have a clutter free vacation rental and only supply items that we think will be useful to our traveling guests. Our constant goal is to provide a clean and pleasant place for our guests to enjoy. We appreciate everyone’s feedback and do our best to keep suggestions and comments in mind when making changes for the better. We would appreciate a timely response if serious problems arise so they can be addressed as soon as possible.

Recommended for:

Great cabin!! Would definitely stay there again!

Guest: Christie (Marshall Islands)
Date of Stay: 12/05/11 Review Submitted: 12/09/11

Had lots of extras (robes, slippers, firewood, flashlights, etc) that really made the stay all the more enjoyable. The cabin is clean, beautiful, and comfortable! Very close to the Volcano National Park - we were able to go to the park in the morning, come back to the cabin for lunch, and go back to the park for more sight seeing.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, sightseeing, girls getaway, age 55+.

Charming place

Guest: Sankara (Madison, WI)
Date of Stay: 11/16/11 Review Submitted: 11/30/11

This place was a home away from home for us. After eating in restaurants for close to a week, we were able to enjoy a home cooked meal (with produce bought from Hilo farmer's market). It is also an excellent base for exploring the Volcanoes National Park. Would highly recommend it.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, adventure seekers, families with teenagers.

Beautifully decorated house in the rain forest

Guest: Chipmunk (Arroyo Seco, NM)
Date of Stay: 10/14/11 Review Submitted: 11/08/11

This home is very convenient to Volcanoes Nat'l Park. It's decorated very well, and immaculately clean. But it's a little scary to have such beautiful wooden floors (no shoes, please!) and black granite counters that you look at sideways and they smudge! A brief smell of mildew each time you enter the house. The house would benefit from a local area map and a listing of nearby restaurants. That said, the owner was very responsive before and during the rental.

Recommended for:Sightseeing, adventure seekers, age 55+.

Stay Ohia

Guest: Bay Area Traveler (Menlo Park, CA)
Date of Stay: 11/01/11 Review Submitted: 11/05/11

Beautiful, cozy house. We enjoyed several fires using the wood-burning stove and cooking in the well-equipped kitchen. It is clear that the owners have given great attention to detail. Highly recommend.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, sightseeing, age 55+.