Beautiful, Peaceful Tree-Top River Suite - Hanalei/Ha'Ena

• Private Slice of Paradise

  Private Slice of Paradise

  • Guest Lisa B.
  • Date of stay 05/12/13
  • Review Submitted 05/22/13
  We just got back from our best vacation to Kauai ever thanks to our wonderful accommodations and hosts! Julie and Savino were so gracious and friendly. It was a real pleasure staying in the studio above their house. The deck with the jacuzzi was amazing! The stars at night and the sound of the river really made it special. The studio is well equipped with everything needed to make your stay comfortable. It is by no means a luxury resort so if you are looking for that, you will be disappointed. If you are looking for a clean, chill, beautiful, homey place to relax and enjoy your vacation in paradise this is definitely the spot for you!

  Recommended for: Romantic getaway, adventure seekers.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 0/0

• Heaven Away From Home - Live Like a Local Hawaiian!

  Heaven Away From Home - Live Like a Local Hawaiian!

  • Guest travelbugged
  • Date of stay 03/05/13
  • Review Submitted 03/19/13
  I wince to even write this review lest it remind me that I am not still in this magical place that I visited with my boyfriend not even 1 week ago. People, I did some SERIOUS research on romantic retreats for our much-anticipated getaway. We couldn't have been happier with our choice. Highlights include: - Being lulled to sleep by the rushing river outside our window - Biking barefoot from the house (on bikes lent to us by owners) to the nearby world-famous beaches while the rest of the tourists haggled for parking!! - Being just close enough to town for convenience but far enough to escape aforementioned tourists - OK, I get it, I'm a tourist - but I felt like anything but for a week while I stayed here and it was magic! - Grilling fresh fish on the deck followed by a daily dip in the hot tub while watching star-gazing (epic!) I could go on, but you've got to experience it for yourself. And I envy you. Don't hesitate - book now. I know you won't listen to me, you have to go check out all the other places too. But when you come back, you'll be glad you did! Mahalo Julie & Fam!!

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

  Owner response: SO Sweet! Mahalo for the wonderful review! It is guests like you that make it all worth while =) We love to share our beautiful home with people who truly appreciate what we have to offer. Kauai is a gift and when you come to visit her with respect, passion, and love in your heart, she will give you the same. We hope to host you both again in the near future! Until we meet again, Mahalo Nui Loa oxo Mai Ohana

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 0/0

• The very highlight of our trip!

  The very highlight of our trip!

  • Guest K & P
  • Date of stay 05/23/12
  • Review Submitted 06/09/12
  While travelling Oahu, the Big Island, and Kauai we had very nice rental places. But although we didn't have the very best weather that week staying at the Maluhia suite was definitely the most wonderful part of our trip!! Everything good said about the place in the other reviews is absolutely true! It's peaceful, you're in the middle of the jungle (so thrilling for city people like us!), Julie and her husband were awesome hosts (mahalo for the wonderful fruit!). And you gotta love the hot tub! We also found the location to be perfect! Except for wonderful snorkeling and hiking, people in the area are so friendly - you get the real aloha experience! Of course we took trips to other parts of the island but every day we were happy to return to this piece of paradise!

  Recommended for: Romantic getaway, sightseeing, adventure seekers.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 5/5

• Perfectly Captures Kauai:Peaceful, Relaxing, off the beaten path (but not too far)

  Perfectly Captures Kauai:Peaceful, Relaxing, off the beaten path (but not too far)

  • Guest Britt
  • Date of stay 10/24/11
  • Review Submitted 06/01/12
  -GREAT HONEYMOON SPOT - My wife and I had never been to the Hawaiian Islands. With so many options on the island we couldn't decide where to stay. Beach front rentals were enticing, but seemed over-priced. We stumbled upon the Tree-Top River Suite and decided to book a couple nights (along with a couple nights in Poipu, just because we had never seen the island) Looking back, we should have stayed at the Tree-Top River Suite the entire time we were in Kauai. Julie (owner) could be easily confused for a concierge at a private 5 star resort. You will be treated like royalty (minus all the stuffiness). Not only did we find the perfect place to stay, we also made a friend. **The bed is the most comfortable bed we have ever slept on. So comfortable that we asked Julie what brand it was and where she purchased it! STOP READING AND START BOOKING Positives: Location - best snorkeling at Tunnels, best food on the island, hiking, live music in Hanalei, golf & shopping in Princeville, peaceful beaches, north shore is so relaxed. Heads up: Nearly every place of business closes early on the North Shore.

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

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 5/5

• Absolutely PERFECT spot to stay in Kauai

  Absolutely PERFECT spot to stay in Kauai

  • Guest Erin
  • Date of stay 03/19/12
  • Review Submitted 03/30/12
  Words cannot capture how much we enjoyed staying at this place. We absolutely LOVED every single moment on the island. As soon as we arrived, we were planning our next trip back. I searched for months to find a perfect location for my husband and I for our delayed honeymoon. We did not want the typical tourist experience. Instead, we wanted to live and feel like a local and support them. We definitely accomplished that here. We felt completely at home here. We were able to cook meals, come and go freely, clean up after our adventerous day, and relax. This place provided every thing we needed for whatever we needed it for. At night, you can see more stars than I have ever seen before since there's no light polution. The sounds of the river sang us to bed each night. We were completely surrounded by palm trees, tropical plants, and birds. You are in the middle of the jungle, so yes there are mosquitos, geckos, and other living things. This is also their own home, so you do hear them at times.... sooooo what!!! Other reviews may not like that, but hello, you are staying with them. Go to a hotel if you want that tourist fancy, luxury experience. We will come back without a doubt & stay here. Julie provided a binder with suggestions to eat, places to see, and everything else you need to know about Kauai. That was VERY helpful!!! It's very important to know that the whole town shuts down by 9 PM sharp. That's something you must plan around at all times. This house is a little out of town and has only one tiny "store" within a 10 minute a drive, which is very expensive and barely has anything. Big Save in Hanalei has everything you'll need. The prices aren't bad at all. You must go to Postcards and The Dolphin to eat dinner!!! The fresh fish everywhere was awesome!!! If you are craving real Mexican, as we did since we're from Los Angeles, try Paco's Tacos. They have a lot of locations everywhere. It's truly authenic Mexican. Tunnels and Ke'e Beaches were absolutely breathtaking and are my favorite beaches of all time!!! Snorkeling is a must!!! We also went on the Kalalua Trail to the falls. It was amazingly beautiful and a must to do. It was also very dififcult even though my husband and I are avid hikers. Tons of people had on flip flops and didn't have foood or water. DO NOT do that. Take tons of water, you'll need it. We left at 8 AM and returned around 5 PM. It takes a long time, but is so very worth it. There are so many things to do here.

  Recommended for: Romantic getaway, sightseeing, adventure seekers.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 5/5

• The perfect getaway!

  The perfect getaway!

  • Guest Canadian couple close to retirement age
  • Date of stay 12/19/11
  • Review Submitted 02/24/12
  We are a nearly-retired couple who enjoy outdoor pursuits. We have stayed on Kauai several times and in various locations. This was our first stay on the north shore and we'll be back! We really enjoyed the Maluhia suite with the view from every window filled with green tropical foliage! We had some true tropical rainstorms while we were there and the sound of the rain beating on the roof and the river roaring by outside was better than an orchestra! When the rain stopped the birds started! We especially loved the hot tub - funny how it didn't rain in the evenings, and we could sit out there in total privacy and gaze at the millions of stars - there is NO light pollution up this remote jungle road, so the night sky was spectacular! Having a hot tub that you drain each time and re-fill with clean, hot, non-chlorinated water was a real treat! What a great idea! The location is perfect for those who enjoy the wildness of the jungle and the river, and yet want to be able to shop at the local Big Save and farmers' market. We cooked all our meals and certainly enjoyed the fruit, coffee and chocolates Julie provided! We had no problems with bugs whatsoever. The suite was clean, cozy and well- equipped in a simple and basic fashion. The small fridge and sink, hotplate, toaster oven and blender were perfectly adequate for our needs. The wifi worked fine for our ipods. Tunnels, Haena and Ke'e beaches are divine, and just a short drive away, and Hanalei Bay not far in the other direction. Really, it could hardly be better - unless you are the type who enjoy big resorts, room service, cocktail bars and nightlife!

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

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 4/4

• Enchanting!

  Enchanting!

  • Guest beth & biff
  • Date of stay 10/25/11
  • Review Submitted 12/29/11
  We absolutely loved the Maluhia Suite! We enjoyed our meals on the beautiful private deck overlooking the river, stargazed while soaking in the spa, then fell asleep in the comfy bed listening to the river and sounds of the jungle. We found the suite to be beautifully decorated, clean and well maintained... perfect for a couple. We enjoyed beaches, swimming and snorkeling, free bikes and the fruit. Oh, the fruit! A gorgeous basket of fruit, chocolates and coffee welcomed us upon arrival and farmers markets kept us well supplied for the rest of our stay. The Kalalau trail was spectacular. We only made it to the Hanakapi'ai Valley. We had hoped to continue on to the waterfall, but could not seem to get an early enough start. For folks who get up at 4:20 A.M. in "real life" this says a lot about the peace and comfort of the Maluhia Suite! Julie and her family were delightful. Girls absolutely charming and her husband very helpful. If you love condos and resort atmosphere, this may not be the place for you. If you want peace and beauty and to experience the real Hawaii, we absolutely recommend the Maluhia Suite!

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

  Owner response: Aloha Ed and Colleen!! Wonderful to hear from you! Big Mahalo's for your sweet review!! It was truly a pleasure hosting you! We hope to see you again next year! Happy 2012!! Aloha, Mai Ohana oxo

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 3/3

• The Perfect Jungle Retreat

  The Perfect Jungle Retreat

  • Guest joanieh
  • Date of stay 11/01/11
  • Review Submitted 11/17/11
  After arriving late at night in the dark, we awoke on our first morning to unfamiliar birdsong and immediately went out on the deck to discover that we were in the jungle! The river was right below us, and there were coconut trees and blooming flowers all around. It was like we were in a tree-house! We got dressed and walked down the dirt road to the Wainiha store, marveling all the way at the plant life we saw; lemon, tangerine, and avocado trees, bamboo, coleus, and other plants that we can only grow inside! This is not your typical condo vacation place, it is a comfortable place to stay surrounded by nature. The unit was clean and well organized and looked just like the photos in the listing. Another review mentioned ants, and there were some, but you should know that most of the condos use pesticide services once a month to control bugs. There are bugs in the jungle, and I would rather see a few ants than be harmed by pesticide residues!! We did not eat out once during our stay, and found the hotplate and toaster oven adequate for cooking. We loved the farmer's markets in Hanalei and Kiluea, and most of our food came from there. The bed is very comfortable, and although it is small, Julie has made Malhuia Suite very welcoming and homey! We spent all our evenings there and one whole day when there was a long thunderstorm! It was a very relaxing place to read a book or play board games, and Julie and her family were very welcoming! I am recommending this property to my friends at home! During our stay we rode the bikes that are provided, went beachcombing, visited the Lumahuli Botanical Gardens and hiked on the Na Pali coast trail. It rained much of the time, but it wasn't cold, and it was great to have laundry facilities available. Noise was never a problem while we stayed at Malhuia Suite, all we heard were the birds, the rain, and the river! I would highly recommend a stay here!

  Recommended for: Romantic getaway, sightseeing, adventure seekers.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 4/4

• Not what we'd hoped for

  Not what we'd hoped for

  • Guest veggievet
  • Date of stay 09/27/11
  • Review Submitted 10/16/11
  Having read the reviews on this site, we have to say this studio was not what we expected. First, the good: The bed is very, very comfortable (although not actually a tempur-pedic, it is a comfie foam bed). The deck & sounds of the river were lovely. The studio's clean. For the negative: There were ants in the kitchen and bathroom from the moment we arrived, and flying gnats and other bugs plagued our attempts to read in bed at night. While very clean, the studio is fairly outdated and the older carpet / rugs in the room, plus the ubiquitous ants / gnats, made it very hard to "feel clean". The bathroom does not have a door or even a curtain (and this is a TINY studio - it's a little hard to be romantic when you can hear EVERYthing that happens in the bathroom from anywhere in the studio). The studio is part of what appears to be a home split into 3 separate living spaces - from the neighboring renters, we intermittently got fairly strong marijuana smoke as well as loud music, and cars coming / going in the middle of the night. The Mai home wraps around under the studio, but somehow it often sounded like someone was running on the roof above us. One of the babies fairly reliably screamed for about an hour around 7-8 pm. The outside garbage can that we were supposed to use (and trust me, we wanted ALL food out of the house immediately so that we wouldn't worsen the ant / bug issue) was overflowing much of the time, so we often took our garbage into town to dispose of it - especially offensive when the "welcome packet" stated that we needed to remove our garbage from the house at the end of the stay, as well as collect our towels and bed linens in a laundry basket (that's a little weird for a rental). The washer / dryer are apparently used by all 9-10 people that stay in the compound, so laundry was pretty much not doable. Internet access was intermittent, which made it hard since our cell phones didn't work here. The kitchen consists of a tiny sink, toaster oven, dorm-sized fridge and dual hot-plate that you take out of the cupboard and plug in - the hotplate temperature controls are pretty much broken, so it's either blazing hot or off, making it a bit tricky to make anything more complicated than eggs. Finally, the "jacuzzi" on the deck is actually a jetted tub you have to fill up, then drain - again, just not what we expected. In short, we've stayed other places in Kauai, both more and less expensive, and can't really find a reason to recommend this one.

  Owner response: Aloha Catherine, Well shucks! I guess we can't win them all.. We do appreciate your review however... I will not go into detail about every little thing that disappointed you. I think we all know their might be just a tad of exaggeration coming from your end. I really wish you would have called or stopped by to let me know you were not happy. Next time maybe! =) I personally email every guest before booking with us (you included) about certain details that we feel may be unpleasant to certain people..not most...So with all fairness to my Family and I, I will say this: We do live here on site and yes from time to time we will have a BBQ or i'll turn the music up a little to clean the house etc. Our girls are 3 and 5 years old and very well behaved.. There is WAY more laughter than crying around this house. Screaming is not tolerated. What you heard might have been the "baby" staying at the vacation rental on the adjacent property..? A total of 6 people live here on this property, all with their own private parking and housing... Laundry is shared and seldom a problem... Funny, I met you doing laundry correct? Finally, the "Jacuzzi" is AWSOME!! It is a GIANT Hot-tub Jacuzzi right on the deck under the stars! Really? Who doesn't love that?? All said and done, thank you for your stay and we truly hope you find exactly what your looking for next time... Mahalo Nui, Mai Ohana

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 6/6

• Lovely!

  Lovely!

  • Guest Krispi
  • Date of stay 04/21/11
  • Review Submitted 09/28/11
  I feel bad that it has taken us so long to write a review! We stayed here in April 2011 and it was wonderful. Very private location, truly a place to "get away from it all." Owners were very nice and accommodating. Photos are accurate, the rental was very clean and well-maintained.

  Recommended for: Romantic getaway, adventure seekers.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 2/2

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