Vacation Rentals by Owner

"Home Sweet Hawaii"

Guest: Jim and Paula (Sunnyside WA USA)
Date of Stay: 03/22/12 Review Submitted: 04/03/12

We came to Hawaii as our son was returning from deployment. The Hula Moon was just what we were looking for. Quiet and that down home feel.Dolly was very accomodating as our plans changed a couple of times.We stocked the kitchen from Foodland and joked about going all the way to Hawaii to go to Walmart. The beach and the views were excellent and the ocean breeze cool and relaxing. We would definetly recommend Hula Moon to all our family and friends. Thank-you Dolly and Dave. If we ever get to go back we will be calling.

Owner response:Thanks for the review, James. By the way, that antique oak ice cabinet was in my Grandma's house in Minnesota when I was a small kid. Dr. Dolly made all the shell art clocks, and she sews all the curtains too! I love her decorating style too.

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

great relaxation spot

Guest: sunshine (Illinois)
Date of Stay: 02/16/12 Review Submitted: 03/07/12

We (Grandma & Grandpa) stayed here with a 2 year old, and his parents, and had a great time. It is scenic, on the ocean, and relaxing, The place was very clean, and the owner is very responsive to any input you have or help you need. The kitchen is well equipped for cooking, including oil, salt, pepper, a few spices, etc, There are plenty of places to dine out if you'd rather not cook. If you have young ones, only come to this spot if they are obedient and not daring, as otherwise there is too much of a risk of a child slipping out to the ocean unnoticed. It is away from the hustle and bustle of Waikiki which we liked. If you want to be around Waikiki, then book closer to that area, because depending on traffic you can spend a fair amount of time getting there (45 min or more). You must have a car at this location.I would definitely recommend to a relative or friend.

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

great relaxation spot

Guest: sunshine (Illinois)
Date of Stay: 02/16/12 Review Submitted: 03/07/12

We (Grandma & Grandpa) stayed here with a 2 year old, and his parents, and had a great time. It is scenic, on the ocean, and relaxing, The place was very clean, and the owner is very responsive to any input you have or help you need. The kitchen is well equipped for cooking, including oil, salt, pepper, a few spices, etc, There are plenty of places to dine out if you'd rather not cook. If you have young ones, only come to this spot if they are obedient and not daring, as otherwise there is too much of a risk of a child slipping out to the ocean unnoticed. It is away from the hustle and bustle of Waikiki which we liked. If you want to be around Waikiki, then book closer to that area, because depending on traffic you can spend a fair amount of time getting there (45 min or more). You must have a car at this location.I would definitely recommend to a relative or friend.

Owner response:It was great meeting you and your lovely family and hearing you sing those great country songs! Good point about watching the kids since the great Pacific Ocean is right in your front yard. That's why the beach deck is so useful. You can be composing your latest song on the deck and the kids can be playing in the sand five feet in front of you. --Dave

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

temporary "staycation"

Guest: compudum (Plainfield, il, usa)
Date of Stay: 02/08/12 Review Submitted: 03/20/12

While visiting Hawaii to see our daughter's family, we had to leave their home while work was being done. Luckily we found the "Ewa Moon" for those few days. The home was as advertised. It is in a quiet neighorhood, but it"s out of the way which some vacationeers may find inconvenient. The kitchen was well stocked with items necessary for cooking, including oils, spices, etc. Beach is exactly as advertised, calm but rocky. The owner came by doing some routine maintenance. Great fellow-wonderful stories. We hope to return.

Recommended for:Age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, tourists without a car.

A dream come true!

Guest: Pop (Lynden, Wa., USA)
Date of Stay: 10/18/11 Review Submitted: 11/03/11

When we arrived at Ewa Moon we spent the first 1/2 hour with our jaws open, pinching each other to make sure we weren't dreaming! Then we moved to laughing and backslapping as we congratulated each other for finding the most perfect, beautiful, private, Hawaiian accomodation anyone could want! This continued throughout our stay. The house is just sweet, and the 6 of us fit just fine..plenty of space. We went to Costco and stocked up and with the totally furnished kitchen, we hardly went out to dine at all! The porch, yard, and deck were gorgeous. The beach was lovely and sandy and literally, right there! And private. I don't think we had more than a few people, just neighbors, walk by on it during our stay! And the view...marvelous! Waikiki and Diamond Head on the left and the open ocean on the right. This is a really nice place! If I ever stay on Oahu again, I would hope it would be at Ewa Moon!

Owner response:Thanks for taking the time to post this lovely review, Dale. Sweet people like you and your family are what keep us in business. We feel the same way when we get out to enjoy our beach house: The peace, beauty, and quiet, and it's even better with family and friends. Many mahalos, and don't ever change. --Dave

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

WE HAD AN AWESOME TIME: LOVED THE BEACH HOUSE

Guest: Ohana (Grand Prairie, TX)
Date of Stay: 07/08/11 Review Submitted: 07/27/11

We rented the house while on the island celebrating our 20th wedding anniversary and vow renewal. We rented the the entire house for the first 7 days and the downstairs only for the remaining 5 days. It very comfortably accomodated 8 adults and 4 children with room to spare (4 families total). We found the place to be large, comfortable, tastefully decorated and well kept. The pictures actually didn't do the beachhouse justice. We were very surprised when we actually saw how spacious the house was. The owners have everything there you might need. All we needed were some beach towels, food and sunscreen. While the house is in an older part of Ewa Beach, the neighbors were all nice respectful people and we felt very safe. There are plenty of stores and restaurants nearby. The view was the most awesome part of the house; breathtaking day and night. Like other reviewers have stated, the coral makes the beach challenging, but not impossible to swim in. The kids loved playing in the sand, and the waves that were rolling in. We also went swimming at many of the other nearby beaches and lagoons that were deeper and didn't have as much coral (wasn't a major issue for us). Dave and Dolly were great hosts and they put a lot of effort into making sure guests have a great time vacationing at their house. We got our security deposit back 5 days after we checked out, which was great. They have a very professional and friendly system for managing their property. We would highly recommend this property to others wanting a relaxing beach vacation, away from the hustle of the traditional tourist routine in Waikiki. Mahalo Dave and Dolly for sharing your home with us. See you next time. Aloha

Owner response:Thanks Brent and Stephanie, You have captured the essence of Hawaii's best kept secret, Ewa Beach. Being in a peaceful country atmosphere, on a sandy beach in Hawaii, with views of Honolulu City lights in the distance--you captured it well. Mahalo, Dave

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

BREATHTAKING VIEW OF THE BEACH

Guest: Dung M. (Peoria, Az.)
Date of Stay: 06/01/11 Review Submitted: 06/12/11

We rented the whole house for our vacation. 6 adults and 2 children. It was an older house, but kept up pretty well...Thank you Dolly and David for a great place to relax and enjoy. The view of the beach was fantastic! We definitely plan on coming back to visit again next year. We had an awesome time and I can't say enough about the beach view. That alone, was worth the price of the rental. There were lots of toys for both the kids and adults to play with on the beach/sand/grass. We hated to leave. Thanks again Dolly and David for letting us stay at your house.

Recommended for:Age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, tourists without a car, romantic getaway.

Wonderful Vacation

Guest: Ric (Olivia Minnesota (USA))
Date of Stay: 03/11/11 Review Submitted: 03/26/11

We had a family get-together using both levels, six bedrooms, and three bathrooms. The property as clean and well maintained, and kitchen well equipped. The grandkids loved the beach (hard to swim because of coral rocks). We arrived the night after the tsunami (2011)-- and it deposited quite a bit of extra sand and extra beach! We found the house on a quiet residential street, close to grocery stores and restaurants. There was plenty of room for us to have meals together, and fun to have a quiet piece of beach. In the evenings we left the windows open so that we could listen to the sound of the waves. On the deck you can see Waikiki and Diamondhead (all their hustle and bustle quite remote from the quiet). Dave and Dolly were great hosts!

Owner response:Thanks for the review, Olivia. Coral bottom in tropical seas is a given. That's why we recommend rubber tabbies. As long as there are enough nutrients, sun, clean, warm, salty water, coral will grow. The places that don't have coral bottom usually have a fresh water artesian supply or are near a river mouth. The Doll and I are happy your family enjoyed our Beach House as much as we and our friends do. Also glad the tsunami didn't hurt Ewa Beach. We heard on t. v., from the director of the PacificTsunami Warning Center, that they located their facility in Ewa Beach (one block from the beach) because historically, Ewa Beach has not been impacted by tsunami's. One more reason to have an I LOVE EWA BEACH sticker on my bumper. Mahalo, Dave

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

Disappointment. Use as last resort.

Guest: cccjj (Modesto, CA. USA)
Date of Stay: 02/26/11 Review Submitted: 04/11/11

I’m having a hard time believing other comments are about the same house. Never had such a disappointment in a vacation rental. I would not recommend this rental unless running out of options. Condition of home: • All cleaning was superficial; woodwork slightly sticky, lot of rust & grime. • One hand towel per bath/one towel per person. No beach towels provided. • No bar soap at all for shower, not even hotel sample size. No dishwasher soap. Inconvenient to need to immediately make run to store. • Several broken/almost broken items (fan pull in LR, window louvers in master bath, every folding door, broken gate latch) Oven was simply set into cabinet, not secured. Two chairs had totally broken seats covered by cushions, leaving one to fall thru the chair seat (caning torn open). • Ceiling had severe leak in heavy rainstorm. Main room floor was covered with 10 ft. wide pool of water. Notified renter. Stunned to find out owner knew of water leak tendency. Owner relied on upstairs renters to put up the “band-aid” prevention tarp. Owner resolution to our inconvenience (because of course we had no extra towels) was to tell us where to find mop; unless we wanted to wait 8+ hours for his help. • Unit we rented promised private use of lawn, deck/picnic area with exception of crossing to beach by upstairs renters. Not mentioned was that a 3rd unmentioned rental house on property had permission to use the area when no "beach house renters are present". Certainly not the privacy insinuated in description. Owner interaction: • Owner required immediate full payment or action from renter. Conversely, every request to them was laden with excuses why there were delays. • Be prepared to be exploited after signing the contract should you wish any changes. Excessive/unreasonable charge for changing number of occupants. When I requested a change from 5 to 6 guests I was charged higher daily rate, despite fact it did not exceed the number in rental listing. • When I requested two weeks prior to trip, a one day extension to rental period (which calendar showed open), owner would not commit until the middle of my stay. • Refund took twice as long to receive than promised. • Excessive amount of “house rules” all threatening loss of security deposit. Heavy handed on part of owner. Unreasonable expectations for vacation rental. Positives: • View was outstanding. • WiFi worked very well • Thoroughly enjoyed staying on Oahu; great beauty & tropical charm.

Owner response: Since this reviewer’s comments are out of sync with our many positive reviews, and with her profusion of comments, I would conclude this reviewer would be unhappy no matter where she went. We try to provide a comfortable and clean beach home for families and friends to enjoy, and we have received very positive feedback from appreciative guests who value their time together in our beach house. To set the record straight: 1. Guest stayed during one of our worst storms and the wind came from a rare direction, causing rain to be forced into the house. High humidity during the storm made everything sticky. 2. Items provided: bed linens, towels—bath, hand towels, washcloths, kitchen towels; tissue in every bedroom, toilet paper, roll of paper towels, liquid hand soap at every sink, liquid hand dishwashing soap, laundry soap 3. Items not provided: beachtowels (guests are informed of this ahead of time in an email containing information on houserules and directions to the house), personal bath soap, shampoo and soap for dishwasher 4. Once rental agreement is signed with set number of guests and specific dates, changes will incur a charge. Guest found this unreasonable? 5. For reservations made less than 30 days prior to arrival, payment is due in full. This was the case for this reviewer. Reservations made in advance: 1/2 the amount is due at the time of reservation and 1/2 is due 30 days prior to arrival. This information is provided on the VRBO website. 6. Antique cane bottom Bentwood chairs are objects of art and not meant for use. We provide adequate number of chairs. 7. Other reviewers have commented on how clean our house is. 12-15 man hours are spent on cleaning between guests. We hope this helps. If you have concerns, please email us. Mahalo.

Recommended for:

Coastline Relaxation

Guest: Carolina Visitor (Charlotte, NC)
Date of Stay: 09/10/10 Review Submitted: 09/27/10

"Ewa Moon (first floor) is tastefully decorated and spotlessly clean. The prevailing winds and fans provide constant, gentle air circulation, a big bonus for us from the South-eastern US, more accustomed to 95+ outside temperatures and harsh, chilling AC inside. The sound of the waves rolling toward the property line, just a few feet away, was relaxing and enjoyable for us, who are usually land locked in shuttered and closed dwellings for a good part of the year. Our relatives rented the upstairs part of the building (Hula Moon), which was similarly clean and decorated. Up and down access is facilitated by means of a stairway door inside the property, in addition to a separate outside door. This made it easy for all to interact, sharing adventures, and planning for events, tours, and meals. In short, everyone had opportunity to relax and enjoy the quiet solitude of the ocean evenings after a long day of activities and travel around the island."

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

Perfect Retreat

Guest: Joanie (San Juan Capistrano, CA USA)
Date of Stay: 06/26/10 Review Submitted: 07/04/10

What a wonderful home you shared with us. After only a day, I felt like I could live here and call it heaven. The lapping of the sea and rustling of trees were the only sounds day and night. The home is immaculate, with all the touches of a family home. Your service pre-renting was easy, pleasant, and personal. Thank you, David and Dolly.

Owner response:Thanks Joan. Whenever we get out to the beach house, the sound of the waves calms us down and melts all our troubles away. Glad you were able to enjoy a little of our beach serenity. --Dave

Recommended for:Age 55+, girls getaway, romantic getaway.

May-June 2010

Guest: Kristina (Ajax, Ontario, Canada)
Date of Stay: 05/24/10 Review Submitted: 06/18/10

Hi Dolly & Dave, Thank you for an awesome stay. Ewa Moon was a hit for me and my guests (there were 3 couples in total). Here are our comments about Ewa Moon. Good location: lots of restaurants off the main road. Foodland, Walmart and outlet mall located just minutes away. Easy to get to from the highway/airport. Traffic is horrible during rush hour so plan your day accordingly. The beach and backyard is great; a monk seal visited the beach on our first and second day. (we were told that it was rare for the seal to visit the same beach two days in a row). Other Pros: clean, fully equipped, well maintained, Ron (property manager) is very nice, personable and helpful. Exactly as advertised and well priced compared to other rental homes. WiFi and phone (with free long distance) was a bonus. Cons: appliances need updating. Shower door in main bathroom needs to be fixed; the sink area in the master bathroom could use an extra shelf beside the pedestal sink. Location is good but the surrounding homes in the neighborhood looked iffy. No air conditioning but it really wasn’t needed as open windows and the ocean breeze kept us and the home cool. OVERALL - WHAT A GREAT VACATION HOME. WE HIGHLY RECOMMEND! THANK YOU!!! PS. We miss Oahu! We want to visit again...

Owner response:Shower door latch was replaced immediately following this review. As for the "iffy" neighborhood, this is not explained by the reviewer. Many of the houses date back to the 1940's. Ewa Beach by the ocean is a typical old Hawaiian town with many older homes belonging to local Hawaiian families who have lived there for many generations. Many of our guests have given us very positive feedback about being in the neighborhood, and the friendliness and spirit of Aloha that neighbors have shown to them. There has not been a safety issue for our guests. We are not an upscale, planned community, so if that is what you expect (and our price does not reflect upscale), then another place would be better for you. The charm and ambience of our neighborhood is the feel of old Hawaii, not "Hawaiian resort." On the actual beachfront, most of the homes are immaculately cared for, like ours. When you drive into our driveway, past twelve foot high hedge, and enter the beach gate, cross the beach lawn, you will know that you have arrived in the real Hawaiian Paradise.

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

Island Treasuer

Guest: Reunion Bee (New York)
Date of Stay: 04/17/10 Review Submitted: 05/01/10

I have been to Hawaii several times, and this was the most outstanding visit, as it was not the usual "tourist" experience, due in large part to the accomodations; and I couldn't ask for a better introduction to the island for the rest of my family, who were visiting for the first time. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at Ewa Moon, which was one of many beauties we discovered on the island of Oahu that made our entire vacation an exceptional experience. I have never rented a house on line before, and this was exactly as advertised. If you are looking for charming and unique accommodations in a relaxing atmosphere, with a beautiful view, you would be very fortunate to stay at this location. Exceptionally clean and fully stocked with household supplies. Wish we had more time to enjoy all the amenities!

Owner response:Cindy, we appreciate that you "get" what our vacation home is about. We truly love to share that peaceful beach home experience with appreciative folks like you. Thanks for taking the time to share your insights. Since you were here, we changed all the windows in the house and installed ceramic tile on the upstairs floor. Mahalo, Dave

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

Guest: Marton (Hanover, Maryland)
Date of Stay: 01/29/10 Review Submitted: 01/29/10

Three adult women stayed in this beautiful home for a week in June 2009. It was perfectly located for us and anything we wanted/needed was available. The owners take great pride in their home that even included a piano. It was a very quiet, peacefull location and the view was wonderful.

Recommended for:

Guest: Dave
Date of Stay: 01/04/10 Review Submitted: 01/03/10

It was a dream of ours to own a beach house in Hawaii. One day our realtor told us a sandy beachfront property in Ewa Beach was just listed. At first sight, we fell in love with the views and the sound of the gentle surf. We are proud to share our beach home with other families who we hope take the same loving care we do.

Recommended for:

Ewa Moon House Experience

Guest: Farm Girl (California)
Date of Stay: 06/27/09 Review Submitted: 07/30/10

David and Dolly are the consummate hosts. They extend themselves more than any other innkeeper or hotel manager ever has. They gave me accurate, helpful advice on restaurants, the ocean, and nearby attractions. From clean and inviting, tastefully decorated rooms, to inside games and picnic amenities, everything exceeded my expectations. The star of the whole experience, of course, is the ocean, just steps away from the front porch! My family and I will definitely return. I didn't want to leave! This place is EXQUISITE!

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