Affordable Upscale Nature Retreat for Couples and Older Kids

• Lush tropical surroundings, beautiful and comfortable North Shore retreat

  Lush tropical surroundings, beautiful and comfortable North Shore retreat

  • Guest Sonja and Doug (Fairbanks, Alaska)
  • Date of stay 02/23/13
  • Review Submitted 03/23/13
  We enjoyed six nights in the Lily Pad studio at the end of February. What a great break from the Alaskan winter! the location is as depicted in the listing photos and descriptions. The house is beautifully (and uniquely!) designed, with three units side-by-side, with separate entries and privacy for each. Some days it was hard to want to leave the place, it is so pleasant and has such a lovely setting. But there is much to see and do in the area. We love going to Hanalei Bay's beaches to watch the surfers and walk the long sandy beach; Lumahai Beach, which is a very short drive away, to sit and watch and feel the pounding waves (not for swimming); and the end of the road at the beginning of the Kalaulau Trail for hiking is also nearby. The Kilauea Lighthouse and Anini Beach are about 20 to 25 minutes away, and the views from the lookouts descending back into Hanalei from those places are incredible, all postcards in the making. We've stayed in Kapaa and Poipu and always wanted to spend more time on the North Shore, and we're glad we did. The nights are not silent, but we were quite amused by the bullfrogs, geckos, and chickens--bring ear plugs if you are a light sleeper. If you want to cook serious meals, you may prefer the Moon one-bedroom unit's kitchen, but for us Lily Pad, and the awesome jacuzzi on the lanai, were a delight. And, the property caretaker and contact, Lesley, was always helpful and a joy to meet. Thanks Lesley, we hope to see you again!

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

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• Outstanding!

  Outstanding!

  • Guest Heidi and Peter (Vancouver, BC)
  • Date of stay 02/13/13
  • Review Submitted 03/02/13
  We had a wonderful stay for a week at the Dawn Studio. It was very clean and we found a beautiful, large tropical flower bouquet from the garden on the dining room table upon arrival, such a pleasure (thanks, Lesley!). We were surrounded by tropical greenery, ponds, jungle critter noises at night, including roosters. The view from the studio is towards steep mountains (back side of Napali coast). Heidi and Peter, Vancouver BC

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

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• Fantastic Studio, incredible view

  Guest comment entered by owner

  Fantastic Studio, incredible view

  • Guest Nick
  • Date of stay 10/12/12
  • Review Submitted 10/25/12
  Left on 10/23/2012 for a stay in October 2012 This place is absolutely fantastic. Located up on the North end of Kauai, it's a few minutes from Hanalei in one direction and the Na Pali coast in the other. When you walk into the suite you're faced with this enormous curved lanai with incredible views of the Northern mountains. It's quite breathtaking. The suite is enormous, and the grounds are wonderfully quiet and peaceful. We stayed there for a few days mid October, and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and came home again completely relaxed. We wanted a self-catering apartment, because we wanted to sample the farmers markets and cook for ourselves, so it was important that the kitchen was fully stocked. There are fantastic beaches very close by (including the awesome tunnels beach) and you can borrow their beach equipment (snorkels, boogie boards etc.) too. All in all a great place to stay.

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• Nature and Serenity at it's best!

  Nature and Serenity at it's best!

  • Guest margie c.
  • Date of stay 01/28/12
  • Review Submitted 02/29/12
  Our stay here was even better than we anticipated! The online description was accurate. The amenities provided, met all the comforts of home - and more. We don't have banana trees growing in our yard at home. Ray was positively responsive to our questions both, before, and during, our stay. We hope to return here next year and would recommend this property to our family and friends who enjoy serenity and nature! The view each morning was phenomenal - even a double rainbow appeared one day as we were having breakfast on the lanai! The home is elevated and the experience was like living in a tree house in the rain forest. We loved falling asleep each night, being serenaded by the tree frogs! Perfect location! It was a short drive to Ke’e Beach for sunset at the NaPali coast in the evenings. Each night was a totally different sunset experience! And it was just a short trip to Hanalei for the slack key guitar concerts by Doug and Sandy McMasters on Friday evenings and Sunday afternoon. The concerts are at the Hanalei Community Center and a portion of the concert admission fee helps fund the Community Center. Hanalei Bay has a great beach. We spent time watching the surf and enjoying the warm kiss of the sun. The nights we didn't have a picnic supper at the beach while watching the sunset; we dined at the Mediterranean Gourmet restaurant. It's located between Ke’e Beach and a mile from the home - They have great food and the view is spectacular as it's located right on the shore. Another of our favorite places to visit is the Kilauea Lighthouse. It’s a national wildlife refuge so there are lots of seabirds nesting and it’s also a great place to watch for whales! This was our 5th winter trip to Kauai and we were a little hesitant to stay on the North Shore since winter is Hawaii’s rainy season and we would be staying on the rainy side. Again we were pleasantly surprised. We only had 1 day of rain – and a half day of misting during our 12 days on the island. Remember, you can’t have rainbows without a little rain!

  Recommended for: Romantic getaway, sightseeing.

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

• The REAL Hawaii at Hanalei

  The REAL Hawaii at Hanalei

  • Guest Lou (Boulder, Colorado)
  • Date of stay 10/27/11
  • Review Submitted 11/08/11
  Being from dry Colorado, makes the north shore of Kaua'i amazing -- merely because of the humidity. My Wife raved about how great her nose and throat felt. The lush jungle-like vegetation was a constant amazement to us. It's truly alive, so much so that if you are a light sleeper, consider bringing your ear plugs. I think we could hear the sounds of more than a dozen critters during each night. And the view.... well, the website photo does not do it justice. The feel of the place just can not be photographed. Oh, yeah.... there's a property we stayed at! Dawn was wonderful. Grand views from the elevated quarters and comfortable any time of day. I actually used the jacuzzi; bring your Epsom Salts to make it even more relaxing. This is clearly the most memorable place I've ever stayed. And Ray was very helpful. I never figured I would make it to Hawaii; now I can't stop thinking about how to get back there again.

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

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

• Good location, but some details overlooked

  Good location, but some details overlooked

  • Guest Nick D (Davis, CA)
  • Date of stay 10/15/11
  • Review Submitted 10/24/11
  The good: The location was perfect since it’s near Hanalei and many other activities. The rental was very airy and cool at night, so not having AC wasn’t a big deal. The design of the place was great, although a little quirky, but made an awesome place to relax in after a long day of hiking. The place sits on a platform about 20 feet off the ground to get you above the canopy (awesome). The bad: Overall the place was not as clean as it should have been given we paid a cleaning fee. There were a lot dead bugs on many of the little ledges and lips throughout the house (around windows and in the shower). The silverware drawer in the kitchen was quite filthy. There was hair left in the shower drain on the first day that we arrived, and there was a good amount of gunk around the sink faucet. There were other similarly dirty things, but the point is that the place was not as clean as it should have been given the high cleaning fee. The impression that I got was that the owner gave it a quick sweep and wipe down after each rental, but never actually scrubs in the corners and dusts. Not acceptable given the cleaning fee. Additionally, it made me question the cleanliness of other things like the bedding and comforter. The grounds surrounding the house were pretty messy. It’s almost like there was some minor construction going on, as well as other stuff laying around. Not that big of a deal, but it kinda detracts from the picturesque scenery. A bit of cleaning and organization would help greatly Other things: The bed was terribly soft and squeaky, and the sheets were really pilly. Overall not that big of a deal, but not fun given I don’t have the best back and need a firmer mattress. This area was LOUD at night. The roosters would start calling at around 3am, and there was a chorus of dogs barking throughout the night (they would bark for 5 minutes, then stop, then start again). It made it pretty tough to sleep with all the noise. This isn’t the owner’s fault, but something to keep in mind. If you need it to be quite, you’d be better off staying on one of the resorts or larger condo complexes. Overall, the biggest issue was the lack of cleanliness. If the owner would make an effort to thoroughly clean, replace the bedding, and clean up the grounds a bit, he would have an amazing rental. I’d stay again if I’m visiting Kauai, but I’d look for something cleaner/nicer if it was a special occasion (e.g. honeymoon)

  Recommended for: Adventure seekers, families with teenagers, sightseeing.

  Owner response: I myself checked his statements and couldn't understand what he was talking about. There was nothing filthy that he named and there are no ledges with bugs??? The place is screened, bugs are outdoors if anywhere, so I'm not sure what he saw or where, but it had to be outdoors. His unit was “quirky” because it is wheel chair access. Yes place is up high and there is an elevator. Yes there were some construction materials downstairs where cars park because there was a project underway in carport. Obviously materials won't be there long. What else did he see "laying around". Barbeques? I don't get it??? The mattress is two years new. It was the firmest mattress available on island of Kauai. If someone knows they have a bad back, they should let owners know in advance. However, in this case, this guest's problem could not have been prevented as the fairly new firm mattress still didn't work for him. I also don't know what he is talking about "pilled" sheets??? I examined all the sheets. I don't know what he saw. The outdoor sounds are not typical as you can see in other reviews. We have at times, but not always, crickets, frogs, toads, wild chickens, other birds, dogs, wind, sound of ocean waves, fire engine sirens, and lawn mowing. For some reason, reviewer thinks his experience is a permanent reality. I would say every night is different. This is a nature retreat. I will take the criticism here as 'honest' according to his subjective view but inappropriate venue for this kind of feedback. I have stayed at five star hotels in Hawaii and seen cockroaches because this is the tropics. I wouldn't put down the Sheraton in a review for one bug. Lastly, a good portion of our guests are in fact honeymoon couples who want a nature experience. Not one honeymoon couple has ever complained of the hundreds over the years. If you do a search for 'kauai honeymoon accommodation ' you will find our site because two of the words are in our url. We have honeymooners here constantly and our calendar is booked solid. But city people might not like a country home... I don't think our place is perfect, it is a residential house and there is no daily maid. I don't agree with reviewer's perceptions and think his ideas of 'details' are his ideas and he should have kept them to himself. Especially since I don't even understand what he saw or where?

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 8/8

• Perfect Retreat

  Perfect Retreat

  • Guest John & Cheryl (Sedona, Arizona)
  • Date of stay 10/01/11
  • Review Submitted 10/17/11
  My wife and I could not have been happier with the accommodations here. Although you will feel secluded when you stay on this beautiful property, you are actually only minutes from many wonderful beaches, restaurants, hikes, etc. The owner, Ray, was especially helpful in guiding us on all the best places to visit. All the amenities you need are right here for your use. We went to the beach with chairs, coolers, beach towels, even boogie boards, all provided. The views here are so fantastic you might not ever want to leave. From the moment you arrive, you will feel like you are a welcome visitor at a good friends home. This is not your typical stereotype vacation rental. If the booking calendar shows availability, don't hesitate. We visited a few places on the south shore but were always so happy to return "home" to our perfect retreat.

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

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 1/1

• Excellent rental on the North Shore

  Excellent rental on the North Shore

  • Guest Alex (Santa Cruz, CA)
  • Date of stay 08/09/11
  • Review Submitted 08/19/11
  We spent the seven nights of our (too short) honeymoon in the Dawn Studio, and loved it. Spacious, clean, and well-appointed, with a fabulous view of the nearby ridge visible as you lay in bed (and yes, we did see a rainbow across it one morning). Even the open-concept shower was excellent. The stairway leading up to the rental set the tone for the experience--lush plantings, a small fish pond, and beautiful wood--a great way to make a re-entry back to the studio. The landscaping around the house is lovely tropical lushness. Beautiful views surrounding the house and seen from every window. We chose this location in order to be close to several north shore beaches and the town of Hanalei. We snorkeled at Tunnels Beach nearly everyday, hiked a short portion of the Kalalau Trail, and visited many other nearby beaches and farmer's markets. Email and in person communication with the owner was clear and easy. We would definitely come back again if we're lucky enough to make it back to Kauai.

  Recommended for: Adventure seekers, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

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

all year  $130+ $16 tax per night + $85
Cleaning Fee: $85.
Exact rates at our website  www.kauai-honeymoon.com

Note: Until confirmed, rates are subject to change without notice.