a week of total relaxation and FUN

Guest: jenni s (bozeman mt)
Date of Stay: 05/22/09 Review Submitted: 06/02/09

My husband, adult son and myself recently spent a week at Chads Place. Our purpose for this trip was to look for property in the Hilo & Pahoa area and also take a much needed vacation at the same time. This vacation rental is in the perfect location on the coast. We sat outside in the morning drinking our coffee, smelling the wonderful fragrance of the beautiful tropical landscaping, listening to the birds and watched the local wildlife, then we would take a walk along the ocean, and I must mention watching the shooting stars at night. Everything we needed and liked to do was within 15-20 minutes walk or drive away, the tide pools to snorkel in, warm swiming pond, black sand beach, Valcano, the Lava flows, dinning and shopping in Pahoa & Hilo. At the end of the road is a store, cafe, and the friendliest little outdoor bar I've ever been to. The house itself was great, very clean, big bathroom, the beds were comfortable, great kitchen , washer & dryer, and a nice media room for the rare times we used it for watching TV. The hosts Chad and Sue are delightful. We plan on being regular guests. I will recommend Chads place to everyone.

Recommended for:Girls getaway, families with teenagers, romantic getaway, adventure seekers, sightseeing, age 55+.

Lovely home, beautiful grounds, helpful host, GREAT price!

Guest: Sharyn (Seattle, WA)
Date of Stay: 09/28/11 Review Submitted: 01/01/12

I visited with two childhood friends in late September 2011. It has taken me so long to write as I've not wanted to admit I'm not there anymore! This was my first trip to Hawaii and I found the perdect hous and location here at Aloha Lani. The house was spacious and the grounds lovely and well-kept. Chad and Sue were very helpful, there if we needed them, but also allowing us the privacy of the setting. The location is fantastic for being away from the resort atmosphere but close enough for day trips to Volcanoes (Kilauea at night!), Mauna Kea (STARS!!) as well as Hilo Farmers' Market and the Botanical Gardens, and the funky little town oh Pahoa (16 miles) where there's restaurants, a great natural food store, used books, antiques, coffeehouse. We had an amazing stay and will definitely be back! Mahalo, Chad and Sue! Sharyn and co.

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

A Perfect Honeymoon

Guest: Betsy (Shoreline, WA)
Date of Stay: 09/06/11 Review Submitted: 12/16/11

We came to the big island to enjoy privacy and tranquility in a lush and beautiful setting, and this home suited us perfectly! The house was clean, comfortable and well stocked with everything we needed for our stay: dishes, linens, etc. The property was magical -- we felt like we were living in our own botanical garden, surrounded by a variety tropical plants on three well-tended acres. The running water comes from a catchment, so you can't drink it. Drinking water must be brought in and garbage carried out. While we were there, both the telephone and internet were not working and we could not get Verizon cellphone service, so the pay phone at neighboring Kalani was our only connection to our kids on the mainland. But presumably things are working properly now. During our stay we went snorkeling at the Waiopae Tidepools in Kapoho, walked on the acres of lava rock to the new beach at Kalapana, visited the Hawaii Tropical Botanical Gardens just north of Hilo, and drove the saddle road to the west side of the island to swim at Hapuna Beach. We would stay here again, and recommend it to anyone who wants a true getaway.

Owner response:We have updated to a faster more reliable internet service. Now There is streaming Netflix, News, ect. on the TV. We now provide our guest with Phone service that has free long distance to US and Canada. ATT cell works at the house but Verizon does not. We are very happy to have this new service. Our guests can now stay connected with High Speed Internet.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, age 55+.

The perfect Hawaiian Vacation

Guest: Dave (Arkansas)
Date of Stay: 10/15/10 Review Submitted: 10/01/11

Chad and Sue offer the perfect Hawaiian getaway for those looking for something better that the Mainland Tourist fare. The home is comftorable, clean and roomy. Best of all is the Landscaped yard, seclusion and short walk to the ocean. Everything you need for a restful getaway in paradise!

Recommended for:Girls getaway, families with teenagers, people with disabilities, romantic getaway, adventure seekers, sightseeing, age 55+.

Great Home - but very remote

Guest: KK (Oklahoma City,OK)
Date of Stay: 08/24/11 Review Submitted: 08/30/11

Me and my wife spent 4 days/3 nights at the Aloha Lani. The property is very nice and clean. The house is located in a tropical setting , the orchard surrounding the property is amazing. We spent a lot of time just walking around the landscapes. I travel a lot for my living, spending over a 100 days in hotel rooms - this property is very different from any other place I have stayed at. There are a couple of reasons I didnt give it 5 stars (I would rate it at 3.5). Both the telephone and Internet were not working when we were there. This is a pretty remote part of the big island - my cell phone worked from the lawn - the signal was not strong enough for data. We had to go to the Kalani resort to get internet access. Hopefully this was a temporary situation. The property is in a very remote part of the big island - not very convenient for exploring. Most of the sightseeing places are either on the east or west coast.To get to anywhere, we had to first drive to Route 11 (25 miles - 40 mins) and then drive to our ultimate destination. The closest gas station and grocery stores are in Pahoa. The biggest attraction is of course the volcano park. The park is probably just about 10 miles as the crow flies. However there are no roads to get there. Its about a 48 mile drive from the property to the volcano. Overall, great property, but a very remote.

Owner response:As stated above Aloha Lani is located in a rural and unspoiled area of the Big Island. This is why most guests stay with us. They are looking for a place to get away, slow down and relax in paradise. The coastline, which is 800 ft. from our house has lots of adventures awaiting to be enjoyed without driving very far. Because the Big Island covers a large area it is always a good idea to familiarize yourself with a map of it before making your plans. Unfortunately we did experience a temporary interruption with phone service and internet, this was unusual and not the norm.

Recommended for:Pet owners, romantic getaway, adventure seekers.

It's everything it says and MORE!

Guest: Sherry (California)
Date of Stay: 06/01/11 Review Submitted: 06/24/11

This house far exceeded our expectations. It was immaculate, spacious, welcoming, private, convenient.... This was an amazing retreat for us when we visited this side of the Island for the first time. Within minutes of amazing private beaches, lava tide pools, hot spring ponds and unparalleled beauty. The owners are lovely people who generously shared all the knowledge of the local spots with us, and made sure our accomodations were comfortable. The 3 acres of lush landscaping and ocean views afforded privacy and beauty that is definitely calling us back. We highly recommend Aloha Lani!

Recommended for:Girls getaway, families with teenagers, people with disabilities, romantic getaway, adventure seekers, sightseeing, age 55+.

Pleasant stay under the trees

Guest: Turtle Tracker (Vermont)
Date of Stay: 05/22/11 Review Submitted: 06/04/11

The tropical retreat is really as described. A beautiful setting with tropical trees, cool breezes and birds singing. The house is large and well furnished, lots of large windows to see all the gardens and trees. The setting is remote, good access to the coast, not too far from Volcano National Park, this suited my daughter an myself just fine for the three nights we stayed. Too bad we did not have more time to spend here.

Recommended for:Girls getaway, families with teenagers, romantic getaway, adventure seekers, sightseeing, age 55+.

Great Place!

Guest: Jim (Rochester, MN)
Date of Stay: 01/23/10 Review Submitted: 02/08/11

This is a clean and comfortable home. We stayed for four days but wish that we had four more days. The snorkeling was the greatest about eight miles up the shore line... all kinds of fish, warm waters heated by the lava beneath the pools and protected from the surf with coral reefs and large lava formations. Other ocean activites are nearby. Oh yes, the orange tree near the driveway has the sweetest oranges. Chad and Sue are gracious hosts. We were very fortunate to find a large clean home with a large country acerage for our use. Thanks Chad and Sue!

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

great house, great location

Guest: Sara (Northern California)
Date of Stay: 10/16/10 Review Submitted: 10/29/10

My husband, myself, and two daughters just spent a few days at this beautiful home and property. We had researched well the area and spent time exploring this part of Hawaii including hiking out to the lava flowing into the ocean (we did a pay a local guy to do this), hiking the Kilauea Iki Crater at Volcanoes, swimming in the thermal waters and hanging out on the Kalapana black sand beach. The food was great at the end of the road cafe and we did enjoy the hot tub and swimming pool at night next door. The house was very clean, comfortable in many ways, and the girls did spend each morning grazing the fruit trees and exploring the garden. They loved the swing overlooking the ocean. We would definitely recommend this place. Thanks Chad and Sue!

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

Wonderful Retreat

Guest: Bob (Kailua, Hawaii)
Date of Stay: 09/22/10 Review Submitted: 09/28/10

We enjoyed our stay at this very pleasant, tropical retreat. A great alternative to higher priced B&B's and vacation rentals in Volcano. The drive to and from Volcano is easy. And being close to Kalapana allows for early morning or late evening viewing of the lava flows. The nearby warm springs and tide pools are superb. The owners are very helpful. Overall highly recommended.

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