Reviews for Holualoa Vacation Rental - VRBO 336723 - 1 BR Kona Coast Farmhouse in HI, Ocean View Coffee Farm Guest Residence

Loved the wild turkeys too

Guest Bill A.
Date of stay 02/26/13
Review Submitted 03/17/13

Everything about Al's place is as promised. We had one extra visitor, a mouse under the fridge a couple of nights, but otherwise the experience was ideal, quiet, cool, dry (no rain at all), and near enough to the activities we enjoyed. Also liked the little village of Halualoa that is near this place. The Vog was in almost every day, but that would have been true no matter where we stayed. There was a bit of noise from footsteps in the unit above ours. Didnt get to meet Al, and it would be helpful if there were some local there to inform us of activities and ideas locally, instead of the nice email from Al on those subjects. Would stay again.

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

Nice place to stay

Guest Turtle
Date of stay 02/10/13
Review Submitted 02/26/13

The property is located near Holualoa and has an elevation of close to 1400 Feet. So if Kona and the beaches are too hot, this would be perfect for you. We stayed in the bottom unit of the two-unit home and were happy with it. The pluses of this property include: 1) its privacy as it is surrounded by coffee trees, 2) we enjoyed hearing and seeing the turkeys each day, 3) the property has a fantastic view of Kona at night, 4) the outdoor kitchen was pretty cool!, 5) the bathroom was very nicely done with custom tile walk-in shower and jetted tub. The property's drawbacks include 1) had to share washer/dryer with upstairs tenant which was a challenge for us as it was tied up when we were trying to wash our towels before leaving, 2) view of sunset from deck was blocked by trees, but you could see if you went onto the grass to the right of the unit, 3) the parking area for our unit was not the best as we did not have use of the garage and had to park on a steep, narrow concrete pad which had loose dirt on the driver's side when entering/exiting the vehicle, and 4) the living room could use another comfortable chair. However, all in all very nicely done and we would consider staying here again.

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

A wonderful month spent!

Guest katwave
Date of stay 09/04/12
Review Submitted 10/16/12

We were more than pleased with our stay on the coffee farm. Albert is a wonderful host. We were lucky to have him come by twice to do some maintenance on the homes and farm. He gave my husband a tour of his coffee plantation and he thoroughly enjoyed it. His coffee is wonderful! The outdoor lanai is really a nice change to having a regular kitchen. We loved the little grill on the stove. The bathroom is exceptional - very large and a real treat. The bed is very comfortable. It is a bit of a drive to the beach on some winding roads, but very picturesque and peaceful. There are lots of animal sounds, but we enjoyed those, especially the little coqui frogs. All in all, it was a great stay.

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Great alternative to resort stay!

Guest GS
Date of stay 04/04/12
Review Submitted 08/08/12

The view is amazing and the house is beautiful. We enjoyed all of the animals (most of the time) and the chickens were very welcomming. thank you for letting us call this place home for the last 10 days :).

Recommended for: Adventure seekers, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

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

If these things are OK with you...

Guest DL
Date of stay 03/22/12
Review Submitted 04/02/12

Ocean View Coffee Farm expects guests to clean their own accomodations, including: • Bagging up the garbage from several waste cans in the room, putting a new liner in each can, and hiking all these bags up a steep/slippery hill to the garage, and (as long as you’re at it) making sure “cans in garage have liners as well.” • Launder any towels you used--using only COLD water. Their instructions are very clear about putting your towels in the provided washing machine—using cold water—and turning the machine on before you go. Now, I don’t know about you but I prefer my towels washed in hot water, especially when I’m sharing them with strangers. (I actually had the crazy idea that hot water was a given!) And I don’t want them washed by the previous guest, either. • Strip the beds and pile up the bedding for them. According to Ocean View, having guests help clean “keeps the cleaning charge as low as it is.” Personally, I think THEY should take out the garbage and wash the towels/linens, too—even in hot water. (And if you can’t afford to use hot water, or clean the rooms, maybe you shouldn’t have guests.) Another HUGE problem: NOISE. The resident rooster (and his neighbors) decided to call to each other, starting as early as 11pm and continuing until dawn, most nights, every five minutes or so. Just when we thought he was done: COCK-A-DOODLE-DOOOOOO! Even with my good earplugs I could still hear him.My husband and I had to relocate to the hide-a-bed. (I really cannot stress enough how loud our rooster friend was. Cute he may be, but not at 3 a.m. when you haven’t slept already one night and have two more to go!) Tthe grassy hill folks have complained about really is steep and slippery, and is the only way to the bottom unit. It should have some kind of stepping stones or paving and should also be better lit at night. The good things: the room itself was nice. The pictures provided are accurate. Frankly, if not for the rooster, the grassy knowl from Hell, and the ridiculous room-cleaning demands, this might have been a nice place to stay. Hopefully they’ll change their rules but, as of our visit in March 2012, Ocean View’s instruction page for “guests” contains a whole lot of ridiculousness, in my opinion. My advice: ALWAYS ask for the rules BEFORE you book. I know I will, from now on.

Owner response: The "Home Instructions" are provided at contract time well in advance of arrival. Detergent sanitizes laundry, not water, btw. I think the request to place garbage in the garbage cans is pretty generic and goes without saying, however, we have to actually ask people to please do this, (yes there are those who don't realize garbage goes in cans and cans should have liners in them first, I think this is a good example). We have a nice couple who clean and take care of garbage collection as in Hawaii there is no organized garbage collection service. It also helps to be a bit more aware of ones footprint when waste is something you have to manage (how much garbage did these guys generate anyway?). Below are the sections of the contract verbatim: Garbage: Please use liners in the cans, the box is under the bar, or in the outdoor kitchen in one of the cabinets. When full, please place bags in the cans in the garage. Make sure cans in garage have liners as well. Departure Checklist: Please be sure all pots, pans, dishes and silverware have been cleaned and replaced to their proper location. Any dishes you may use for your last mean should be in the dishwasher and the dishwasher turned on before you depart. The appliances should be left in the same condition you found them. Please strip the beds and pile up all bedding. Towels should be placed in the washer and the washer turned on before you depart. Please do not overload the washer. Remove any garbage from the unit and place in the garage in the cans provided. Replace the key in the lock box. Thank you so much for doing the above. It helps us keeps the cleaning charge as low as it is. Have a great stay!!

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From an Islander

Guest Harvey M.
Date of stay 02/01/12
Review Submitted 03/09/12

When we reserved the “guest residence” for the month of February, we were led to believe by the web site, at that time, that we were, in fact, renting a guest residence separate from the main farm home. That was not the case. The web site has now been revised with a photo correctly portraying an upper and a lower residence. There appears to be little or no sound-proofing between upper and lower accommodation. This is particularly noticeable on the lanais where there are only 2 x 6 boards with a half-inch space between them. This may not bother everyone, but I enjoy my privacy. Because the owner lives on another island, we found that it can take days or weeks to effect any repairs or concerns. We enjoyed the rural setting with the wild turkeys, the rooster, the mongoose, and the incredible variety of song birds. The accommodation was clean and well appointed.

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

Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 2/4

December stay

Guest Naomi P.
Date of stay 12/09/11
Review Submitted 01/03/12

While I guess what we got was technically what was advertised, we didn't love this location. We thought we were going to get a taste of a coffee farm ("Help pick coffee during coffee picking season or roast your own coffee") but we never saw the hosts. That would have been fine if we had some orientation to the property but since we did not, we didn't actually know where their property ended and other farms started-but the electric fences made us feel like we should stay close to the building so we definitely weren't out picking fruit. This unit is the basement of the main house (also for rent at this time on VRBO). You can't tell that once you are at the unit, but if the upstairs had been occupied, it might have made a difference. Nighttime was a little creepy since it is a remote location and we could sometimes hear people sounds coming from somewhere, and we didn't know where the hosts were or if they were coming back (and I'm not scared of the dark/the country-I lived in a tent for 6 months on a farm in CA). Getting from the car to the unit is pretty steep and grassy. Otherwise, the unit was true to the photos-nice, new, and clean.

Owner response: Some guests do participate in farm type chores, however, when presented with the opportunity, most prefer to relax and enjoy their time in other pursuits so we rarely initiate contact. Most guests do make use of the local bounty as can be seen from other reviews. There are no neighbors to create "people sounds" so my best guess is the friendly feral pigs, which only come out at night to feast on the mangoes, avocados and macadamia nuts found everywhere, were the culprits. It's for these feral pigs the low and unobtrusive electric fence is designed. The fence can be seen in the last picture. It is very hard to make out as it is just a thin piano wire 5 inches and 18 inches from the ground. It's automatically turned off during the day and it's purpose is to keep the feral pigs away from rooting up the grass around the coffee trees as they eat worms also! Just part of the experience most people enjoy here on the farm!

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Excellent accomodations in a beautiful setting

Guest shiverin' canucks
Date of stay 11/04/11
Review Submitted 11/20/11

We stayed at Al's Kona Coffee vrbo for 2 weeks in November 2011. The place is beautifully designed and built, and spotlessly clean. The setting is peaceful, with the silence broken only by birds, the rooster, turkeys (when it thunders!) and the occasional feral pig. The temperature is about 10 degrees cooler than Kona, so bring a sweatsuit for relaxing in the evening. Al's dark roast is delicious!

Recommended for: Adventure seekers, girls getaway, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 3/4

WE LOVED OUR STAY

Guest Lori & Dominique
Date of stay 09/03/11
Review Submitted 09/19/11

We stayed here for one week, our very first trip to the Big Island. I can tell you staying here was the best decision we ever made! The cottage is perfect in everyway for a romantic get-a-way...Very clean and stocked with EVERYTHING you will need during your stay except the food! The location is close to town, shopping, and the airport. The cottage is peaceful the grounds beautiful. During the day the ocean was beautiful to look at in the distance, like a very private lagoon. One morning we awoke to a cruise ship anchored in the lagoon! We stocked the Fridge and had breakfast before we headed off to explore....Every evening it was a treat to come back and watch the beautiful sunsets. The temps were perfect with the open windows....you won't believe the luxury walk- in- tiled shower! We hope to come back and visit very soon.

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

Owner response: This is the Hawaii vacation we are aiming to provide our valued visitors and are so glad it is precisley what you experienced!

Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 3/4

Country Living, City Chic... or should that be Chicken?

Guest Gary & Elaine the pilots
Date of stay 05/07/11
Review Submitted 05/21/11

Yes, as with most of the State, there are chickens. But Al's chickens are in love, I kid you not. The hen nuzzles under the rooster to stay warm and cozy while she ponders where to lay her egg. Hmmmm, on top of the cabinet? How about in the lava bowl? It's so darn cute (seriously), and if you've never had a freshly laid egg you need to hope and pray that this flock visits your outdoor kitchen. We also enjoyed the wild turkeys (four bachelors... we're not sure what's up with that), the pair of pheasants, the frogs that sing like birds at night, the geckos, and even the mongooses. Oh, and there are gorgeous cardinals flitting about the ginormous mango tree just below the lanai. Do try to pick some papaya while you're there; it's tough because the birds like them too. Al has a fruit picker up near the garage. But they're so good... I used to think papayas were meh, until I tasted one of these. The mangoes can be had by walking under the tree and picking up ground-fall. Be careful though, from their height it would probably hurt to get bonked in the head by one. Bombs away! Watch for ripe pineapples. OMG, godly delicious. OK I'll stop yapping about the wildlife, even though it's really cool. The accommodations are really nice, new, and shiny. There are huge, thirsty towels and plenty of them. The travertine tile-work in the bathroom is gorgeous and the "rain" type shower has the back-pressure of a waterfall (minus the sticks and stones of waterfalls). Al doesn't say it in the property description, but there's decent snorkel gear, boogie boards, and other beach gear there. The technology is much better than all VRBO rentals we've experienced. There was a very strong WiFi signal and the TV & sound are outstanding. If you're in the 55+ category, be in good shape. It's a slightly steep hike from your car to your accommodations. Just a reminder about Hawaii in general. If bugs bother you (they flock to me), bring bug stuff, or pick some up while grocery shopping on the way to the House. Oh, and Costco is pretty close and their gas is $.20/gal cheaper than anywhere else! Book this place. You won't regret it. It is very nice. The photos are accurate, BTW.

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

Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 5/6

Absolutely Fabulous!!

Guest Vicki C.
Date of stay 03/18/11
Review Submitted 03/30/11

We stayed here over spring break and could not have loved this place more. Everything about it was above expectations! You can see it has a view, but it is fifty times better in person. Everything inside is clean and brand new. It's totally top of the line. I loved the kitchen!! The bed is comfortable and you drift off to sleep every night watching the city view. The shower is total luxury. The owners are great and I almost cried when I had to leave the chickens..

Recommended for: Adventure seekers, girls getaway, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 6/7

Stunning views of Kona, beautiful property and wonderful owners!

Guest jennhell
Date of stay 02/23/11
Review Submitted 02/07/12

My fiance and I stayed here last February for our anniversary trip (we actually got engaged at the end of the trip!) We stayed a few places on the Big Island as we wanted to both stay on the Kona side and Hilo side of the island. This place was our favorite of the trip! The guest space is exactly as pictured. It was very clean and the bathroom is all luxury! Bedroom has an amazing view of the coastline and Kona. We sat out in the grass and watched the sunset. It was quiet and romantic to stay here. Love the outdoor kitchen as well! The owners were wonderful and gave us a tour of their coffee farm, which is their labor of love. We are huge coffee aficionados, so this was a real treat to say on this property. Lastly, we were surprised upon our departure with a bottle of champagne and a note that said congrats on our anniversary! We would definitely come back here, it is a very special memory of our time on the Big Island! Thank you Al and Linda!

Recommended for: Romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 3/4

5 stars!

Guest kim and randy
Date of stay 02/01/11
Review Submitted 02/19/11

What a great place! 5 stars! Super clean, wonderful, and luxurious. The photos don't do it justice. Beautiful bathroom and great shower, awesome bar, and great outdoor kitchen, with everything you need. We loved cooking here. Bed was super comfortable. It's high enough on the mountain that it gets cool enough at night for a blanket, yet still with all the windows open. Albert, the owner, was so nice and a perfect host. We even enjoyed coffee grown from the trees right there! The location is close to town, 15 mins, yet totally private, with nothing but coffee trees and a view of the coast line. We look forward to our next stay here already.

Recommended for: Romantic getaway

Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 4/5

Vacation Rentals by Owner

Ocean View Coffee Farm Guest Residence [#336723] | View Property

Traveler Reviews (13)

Loved the wild turkeys too

Loved the wild turkeys too

Nice place to stay

Nice place to stay

A wonderful month spent!

A wonderful month spent!

Great alternative to resort stay!

Great alternative to resort stay!

If these things are OK with you...

If these things are OK with you...

From an Islander

From an Islander

December stay

December stay

Excellent accomodations in a beautiful setting

Excellent accomodations in a beautiful setting

WE LOVED OUR STAY

WE LOVED OUR STAY

Country Living, City Chic... or should that be Chicken?

Country Living, City Chic... or should that be Chicken?

Absolutely Fabulous!!

Absolutely Fabulous!!

Stunning views of Kona, beautiful property and wonderful owners!

Stunning views of Kona, beautiful property and wonderful owners!

5 stars!

5 stars!