Vacation Rentals by Owner

Great location and great host!

Guest: AKGirlatsea (Ketchikan, AK)
Date of Stay: 01/23/12 Review Submitted: 03/03/12

We had a wonderful stay at Ke Hale Ohana. Our family (three couples and a child) stayed here for the three days that we were on Oahu before going to another island. We found this location to be PERFECT for making the most out of our short time. The house has a dated feel, but was quite comfortable, well-stocked, and very clean. Carol was a fantastic host, answering all of our questions and making sure that everything was just right during our stay. She accommodated our late arrival and even left a bag of local coffee for our first morning! We would recommend this rental to anyone that prefer a place to kick back and feel at home in a friendly residential neighborhood as opposed to the normal "tourist" experience. We found the Times supermarket (across from Macy's and the mall) very convenient and friendly for basic groceries and other necessities and the small shops and cafes in the same plaza were very cute. There is also a farmer's market at the same plaza on either Thursday or Friday each week that was recommended by several locals we spoke to (we didn't make it because of our schedule, so I don't remember exactly which day). A note of warning: the traffic returning to the house from this area between 7:30am and 8:30am could be very frustrating. Try to go earlier or later, if possible. ;-)

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

Great place to stay!

Guest: Christina (Spokane, Washington)
Date of Stay: 01/14/12 Review Submitted: 01/28/12

This was such a wonderful place to stay. Very homey and comfortable and above all, very clean. They have every ammenity that you could want and you feel like you are at home. The owners were great to deal with. I would recommend this place to my friends and anyone that is staying in Oahu. It's close enough to the beach, just a short drive, close enough to town for food and shopping. (I highly recommend Maui tacos for their fish tacos). We would be glad to stay here on our next trip over. Thank you for your hospitality!!

Recommended for:Age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway.

Excellent location and lodging

Guest: Debbie (Oklahoma)
Date of Stay: 01/09/12 Review Submitted: 01/16/12

My adult sons and I very much enjoyed our 3-day stay on Oahu (on our way home from 10 days on Kauai). Carol was a joy to work with. There was not a reservation at the house on the days on either side of our stay, so we very much appreciated Carol’s welcoming us to check in early (since our flight arrived in the late morning) and to check out late (since our flight left at 8 pm). She was so easy to work with from my initial inquiry about the property through our check out. When we arrived, the exterminator was just finishing up his routine visit, and Carol’s husband was installing new smoke detector batteries, so I believe that shows attention to detail and concern for the well-being of their guests. There was plenty of room, and although the accommodations were not fancy, they were certainly more than adequate for our needs; we were quite comfortable. The home is very well equipped and Carol furnished excellent maps of Kailua and Oahu. I really appreciated being able to park in the garage! The location is great—out of the hubbub of Honolulu and Waikiki, but still quick access to these areas by easy highways. The beaches nearby are lovely. We enjoyed dinner in downtown Kailua; grocery shopping and other restaurants are just a few blocks away.

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

Christmas in Paradise

Guest: Annie and Jo (Boise, IDaho, USA)
Date of Stay: 12/24/11 Review Submitted: 01/21/12

We rented the house for Christmas week. It was very spacious, lots of sleeping space with very big rooms and lots of space in the kitchen for three cooks at a time! The owner was friendly and helpful. (We left a charger and she called right away to alert us.), the house was clean...well used, but acceptable. Not sure why there was a hole in the ceiling in the kitchen. We had plenty of ants and roaches. The owner had the house sprayed while we were out one day. We were not too upset at the insects as we are used to this issue in the tropics. One thing that would have made us somewhat more comfortable would have been a larger dining table. There were seven of us and our family style is to eat two meals a day together, gathered at the table, when we all make such an effort to be together. At least ten people could have slept in the house but dining would have been a challenge. The location was fine for us. Because all the kids were there just for the week, we usually were in the van to go any place. For us, as a couple, we like to be within easy walking distance of the beach, which this is not. I would consider staying in this home again.

Recommended for:Age 55+, families with teenagers, girls getaway, sightseeing.

An Exceptional Home and Excellent Service

Guest: Russ (Kaneohe, Hawaii)
Date of Stay: 12/01/11 Review Submitted: 12/27/11

Usually when a home is described as charming or cozy, the tacit understanding is that the home is undersized and small. Neither is true of this home which is both charming/cozy and exceptionally large and spacious. We stayed here with our two young children for two weeks and lacked nothing. This home has a large "cabin" feel and includes every convenience we could think of, and then some: All new kitchen appliances, cooking items, cups, plates, utensils, grill, coffee pot/filters and of course all the furniture. Small items too, made this place great, such as coffee, non-perishable foods for customer use, strollers, beach items, toys for children, garage with automatic opener, just to name a few. Two of the rooms are large enough to be separate living rooms in themselves. Additionally, Carol, the property manager was friendly, responsive and kind to us. We felt like we were people she cared about and not just another customer, even after we departed. We used the house as temporary lodging after moving here so we could have time to find a permanent home. Carol went out of her way to familiarize us with the area, provide Do's and Don'ts of Hawaii, tips for living, and was willing to answer any question we had. If she didn't know, she found out. Yet, she was also respectful of our space and privacy. If you are vacationing, or moving here like us, this is the perfect place to temporarily hang your hat. All is provided at this house so you can focus on enjoying a vacation, or finding a new home. We would certainly stay at this house again if we had to do it over -- and if we ever move from Hawaii and come back here to vacation, this is the place we will come. Our only regret was that we couldn't make the home a permanent place to live.

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

Nice house in excellent area of Oahu

Guest: MM (Bay Area, CA)
Date of Stay: 11/23/11 Review Submitted: 12/08/11

We were very happy with our stay. This is a very nice area of Oahu. The Kailua beaches are excellent, and Kailua is a fun little town -- big enough to have decent restaurants & supermarkets, but with a real small-town feel. There seem to be no hotels in this area so it's a real locals' place. You're a million miles away from the hell-hole of Waikiki, but you can get to down-town Honolulu in less than 30 minutes if you want to visit museums etc.. The house itself is very nice. We had 6 people and there was loads of room. It's not super luxurious but is nicely decorated and well-designed to get the island breeze throughout the house. It has all the amenities you need and is good value. It's a 10-15 minute walk to the beach. One nice benefit over a hotel is that there are things like boogie boards,beach chairs, mats, towels available. The owner was very helpful in providing advice on restaurants. All in all we'd be very happy to stay here again.

Recommended for:Age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, sightseeing.

Highly Recommend Kailua House!

Guest: Caferose (Temecula, CA)
Date of Stay: 07/25/11 Review Submitted: 08/08/11

The listing was accurate. The house was a cute beach bungalow that I would guess was built in the 50's. It has that mid century look to it that we found cool and charming and was located in a nice quiet neighborhood. The house was clean and well stocked. If we had any questions, the manager for this property got back to us promptly. The manager also turned us on to Buzz's Bar and Grill nearby for dinner and cocktails ( ask for the BFRD -Big Fat Rum Drink) which became our favorite restaurant on the island. If you want a reasonably priced place to stay away from Waikiki, this is the place.

Recommended for:Age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Great Location! Big House

Guest: Philip (PA)
Date of Stay: 06/04/11 Review Submitted: 06/29/11

I recently stayed in this house June 2011 for a week long with 7 adults. The bedrooms were plenty large enough as was the overall house. We never felt cramped. We were a bit worried about the house not having central AC but the 2 AC units, fans, and the cross breezes kept us plenty cool! Carol is fantastic to work with...kind, laid back, and flexible. We'd stay here again!

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, people with disabilities, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, sightseeing.

Still happy after five stays! Great location and Value.

Guest: Repeat customer (Mesa, Arizona)
Date of Stay: 04/17/11 Review Submitted: 06/11/11

We finished our fifth stay this past spring at Ke Ohana Hale and plan to go back again soon. The house is in a quiet residential neighborhood which is very pleasant for walking. The home is spacious and has a master suite with sitting area with bathroom and AC, a second large bedroom with two doubles, futon and AC and one smaller bedroom without AC. There are ceiling fans throughout the house and louvered windows to allow the trade winds to blow through. The shared non-master bathroom has shower/tub combination and single vanity and windows to the large back yard. The dining room is spacious and has a large table that would seat many. The decor is comfortable island-style furniture and offers many places for group and individual relaxation. There is a pleasant lanai with gas barbecue for renters' use. There is a full kitchen with nice electric appliances and also a full laundry room with washer and dyer - great for clothes, towels and swimsuits after a day at the beach. It is convenient to Kailua downtown, Kailua beach park and easily reached from the airport by the H-3. Unlike the negative reviewer, I disagree about the house which is most certainly not run down, nor is it a "bad neighborhood," but one typical of windward O'ahu in Kailua. Having lived in the Islands myself, I understand that an occasional cockroach is a fact of life in Hawai'i where they live outside in the open and may even fly in through open doors. They do not have the negative connotation of an "unclean" home as they do on the mainland. I certainly did not find the house to be infested. The owners themselves live on the adjacent property and are always available for any special needs. Having visited now so many times, we feel more like family than renters. I strongly recommend this charming house as a great quality and affordable place to stay on O'ahu, away from the crowds and commerciality of Waikiki and its resort hotels. If you would like a taste of what real life in Hawai'i is like, this is a great place to stay.

Recommended for:Age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, sightseeing.

Property 217470/Kialua house

Guest: Clippers (Door County, WI)
Date of Stay: 07/25/10 Review Submitted: 08/17/10

A great place for families--our 3 generation family had plenty of room to spread out and to be together. Large bedrooms and places to tuck away to read. Kitchen well supplied with dishes and cooking utensils. Near to grocery stores and places to eat. The walk to the beach is along a busy road( Kialua lacks sidewalks in many areas) but can be navigated safely. The local beach and the town beach are both great. Carol is a wonderful hostess.

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, families with young children.

Kailua's great; but this place was lacking

Guest: anon (Surrey, BC)
Date of Stay: 12/27/09 Review Submitted: 11/24/10

Kailua is beautiful, would go back in a minute. The accommodation was disappointing. It is spacious, which was great, but not in the nicest neighbourhood. Short walk to the beach. The house is run down - cockroach problems, holes in the kitchen ceiling, rusted out shower bars and faucets, etc. We were very disappointed compared to the pictures we saw then and that we see now. Never saw cockroaches in our many trips to Hawaii before this - saw lots of them here! Been to another house rental since and helped us realize the problems with this one.

Owner response:Ke Ohana Hale is clean & a comfortable family home, with lovely tropical breezes flowing through it. New or not (and some are new) none of the faucets & shower bars is rusty. The neighborhood is considered one of Kailua's nicest residential neighborhoods. This is not our opinion but that of the residents of Kailua, the City and County of Honolulu and all real-estate surveys back this up. It is safe, quiet, not a lot of traffic. Residents are primarily professional and crime is 4 on a scale of 1-100 with 100 being the worst. We have regular pest-control service and we even called them back for an interim treatment to satisfy this family. We regret that this family was unhappy with their stay in our home.

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Guestbook Comment

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 03/01/08 Review Submitted: 03/11/08

Great location and very nice place! The house is very spacious and comfortable. Thanks for the recommendation for Buzz's!

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Guest: J&S
Date of Stay: 01/01/06 Review Submitted: 12/31/05

From our guest book: Kailua and Kanehe were perfect places to get away from everything. The beaches, shopping, and restaurants were all wonderful. Our kids had a wonderful time and the house is excellent for children (5and2). The fenced in backyard was great. For future guests with kids, the best places to eat were Zippy's and Las Garcia's.

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Guest: B&K
Date of Stay: 12/27/05 Review Submitted: 12/26/05

From our guest book: We are leaving today not that we want to. We had a great time at the house. Carol was great! Thank you.

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Guest: J&B
Date of Stay: 08/29/05 Review Submitted: 08/28/05

From our guest book: We had a wonderful time at your place! Lanikai and Kailua beaches were amazing. We went to a fantastic wedding at the Paul Mitchell estate it was unforgetable. Thank you for letting us rent your place it was very convenient. Mahalo!

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Guest: G
Date of Stay: 08/15/05 Review Submitted: 08/14/05

From our guest book: We love your home it was home away from home for the bride, her parents, grandmother and brides maids. We all had a wonderful week and had such a lovely wedding at Haiku Gardens. Thank you for providing beach towels, bag, and mats. We all loved snorkling at Hunauma bay. We saw wonderful fish and sea turtles. This house really made our trip! It was everything we pictured Hawaii to be like -- coming from Oregon. Thank you.

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Guest: M&K P&J
Date of Stay: 08/14/05 Review Submitted: 08/13/05

From our guest book: We had a wonderfful time here. On our last day we went down to Kailua beach for one last swim. We were joined by a green sea turtle. We watched him surface time after time. How did you arrange that? It was perfect in paradise. Mahalo

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Guest: N/A
Date of Stay: 08/04/05 Review Submitted: 08/03/05

From our guest book: Thank you for the most enjoyable week at this house. In spite of being such a large group we all felt very comfortable. We loved the house because it was homey and close enough to anywhere on the island with no problem. We definetely will come back again.

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Guest: M
Date of Stay: 07/09/05 Review Submitted: 07/08/05

The breezes were terrific. The home is nicely situated near the beach and near Honolulu. Thank you for the opportunity to stay in your home.

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Guest: R&D
Date of Stay: 06/04/05 Review Submitted: 06/03/05

From our guest book: Excellent house and host! Our family really enjoyed the hospitality. We'll be back! Mahalo!

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Guest: J&K
Date of Stay: 05/24/05 Review Submitted: 05/23/05

From our guest book: The house was our first visit to this beautiful place and we absolutely loved it. The house was just perfect for our family and was a great central location for all we wanted to do. Carol was a fantastic hostess--very accomodating! Mahalo!

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Guest: N&L
Date of Stay: 04/12/05 Review Submitted: 04/11/05

From our guest book, The house is fabulous! Thank you for such a great location. My 3 girls loved the big bedroom. This was a nice home base as we went too all points of the island to see my family. I encourage everyone to stop at a L&L and order a plate lunch. Drive up the coast to Haliewa and share ice at Matsumoto's. Pack a backpack and hike Diamond Head. (The view is gorgeous). If you want to have a nice buffet dinner I love Willows. The setting at Haliewa Joes in Kaneohe is beautiful. We will be back soon.

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Guest: M&S
Date of Stay: 03/25/05 Review Submitted: 03/24/05

From our guest book, We really enjoyed staying in the house. Its a great location for seeing all of the island. Next time we'll bring friends to enjoy this spacious home. Buzz's is a great restaurant--we ate there twice. Lucy's bar and grill didn't fail us either. Agnes Portuguese bakery for apple turnovers! Mahalo

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Guest: D&J
Date of Stay: 03/12/05 Review Submitted: 03/11/05

From our guest book, We had a wonderful time staying here. It was very spacious and lots of room for our children. God bless.

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Guest: T&K
Date of Stay: 02/12/05 Review Submitted: 02/11/05

From our guest book, What a wonderful house!! Perfect for big families and its kid friendly. When we come back we would love to stay again. Mahalo

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Guestbook Comment

Guest: Al Moore (Not Specified)
Date of Stay: 06/01/04 Review Submitted: 06/15/04

This home worked out great for us -- a family with 5 kids. Kailua is a great town . . . we wouldn't go anywhere else on Oahu. From this home you can walk to the grocery store and Pizza places, and the beach is actually less than 7 minutes away. We would go back again. Aloha!

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Guest: visited in March 2004
Date of Stay: 03/14/04 Review Submitted: 03/13/04

We received this note from a recent guest: "I thoroughly enjoyed staying in your home. The style & decor fits the climate perfectly. We hope to return at a later date and have given the rental info to friends."

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