Vacation Rentals by Owner

Initial Disappointment Transforms Into Magical Bliss

Guest: Bruinscotty (Seattle, WA)
Date of Stay: 04/16/12 Review Submitted: 04/20/12

We are preparing to depart after an amazing 5 nights. We all want to come back again. That said, it helps to have appropriate expectations. I have used VRBO many times, and this is the first time that I was INITIALLY slightly disappointed. Let me discuss the disappointments. We nicknamed the home "Deferred Maintenance." There is a lot of work that needs to be done. It seems as if this home gets ridden hard and put away wet. Yes, there is a pool table, but all of the cues are broken. Our biggest concern was the difficulty in locking the place. There are probably 10 or more sliding glass doors. Most of them do not lock. The locks are rusted out. Most of them have bars to use as locks, but some did not. Fortunately, we found a job for the broken cues. My sole request to the owner, fix the door and window situation. Before leaving for an adventure, we would all hide our computers and vauables. I don't think we ever totally secured the place. Okay, you get the picture. The structure needs work. All that said, once we got over the initial shock of the deferred maintenance, we fell in love with the place. 9 of us came from Seattle, and we rarely left the property. The views are magnificent. The house is large enough for us to never feel like we are on top of each other. The beach is spectacular. The decks ideal for sunbathing and taking in the views. The grand room kitchen, dining room, family room was perfect for everybody to be together, yet doing their own thing while enjoying the 180 degree beach/water view and the tropical breezes blowing in on all sides through the open windows and sliding glass doors. Two people might be cooking, while 4 people played cards, while one person caught up on emails and the others sat on the deck enjoying Lisa's tropical cocktails in the sun. Everybody was able to do what he/she wanted, yet we were all together. The location is perfect. We spent many hours watching the hordes of surfers from our deck. We ran a number of times along the bike trail that parallels the beach. We walked to Ted's for delicious baked treats. We drove just down the road to Turtle Bay Resort for sunset drinks on the ocean. And we went around the northern tip to the Polynesian Cultural Center for a lua (thumbs down -- run by the mormons, so no alcholic beverages). Anyways, the location was perfect. By the end of the week, we forgot about the flaws and realized we were in heaven. We hope to come back again soon. Thanks, Lawrence!

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, families with teenagers, girls getaway, tourists without a car, sightseeing.

Great and responsive service

Guest: bobc (Northern California)
Date of Stay: 02/12/12 Review Submitted: 04/20/12

My family did not actually get to stay on this fantastic property because we had to cancel due to a family circumstances. Dealing with the owner could not have been easier or more pleasant. He was very understanding and responsive to our situation. We were entitled to a refund and it was provided to us promptly and courteously. We intend to stay here when we are finally all able to go as much for the positive experience with the owner as the property itself.

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Wow - Location, location, location!

Guest: CAC (Phoenix, Arizona)
Date of Stay: 01/10/12 Review Submitted: 01/27/12

When I make plans to stay somewhere you've never been and so far away from home, I get nervous about whether the home will accommodate my needs, etc. Do not be nervous about renting this house. The location is fabulous. Unbelievably beautiful. Right on a fairly secluded beach and the view from the home cannot be beat. My family and I stayed here for my 40th birthday and we cannot stop talking about how much fun we had. 5 bedrooms and 5 bathrooms so everyone had space and we weren't on top of each other all the time. Most rooms have deck access so you can leave your screen door open and fall asleep to the sound of the waves. Great kitchen that opens to the living room and dining room so we could cook, clean, play cards and be all together. Warm shower outside so you can rinse off before heading into the house. Breakfast out on the deck where we could see the surfers navigate those large north shore waves and the whales breaching. Warm winds, palm trees, a perfect beach. The few people we spoke with on the beach were very nice - one even let us use his paddle board. We took long beach walks down to Pipeline and watched surfing compeititons. If I ever make it back to HI, I'd definitely rent the same place. Another reviewer talked about Ted's and they were correct. Ted's is very close, has amazing garlic shrimp and I fell in love with the Lilikoi Cheese pie. Haleiwa town is not too far away and I loved the Farmer's Market on Sunday, Matsumoto's Shaved Ice and Luibueno's. There's a Starbuck's at Foodland and make sure you hit a fruit stand and a shrimp shack. Can't wait to come back!

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

Amazing location!

Guest: Janet (Southern California)
Date of Stay: 08/06/11 Review Submitted: 09/05/11

My family of 9 stayed from 8/6/11 - 8/13/11. We enjoyed this huge comfortable house. We loved the beautiful sandy beach that's right past the sparkling pool. We rarely saw another person. The house is probably about 45 minutes from Honolulu. We enjoyed being away from the "Busy city". There was plenty to do and see on the North Shore. Ted's Bakery is less than a 5 minute walk from the house. You MUST go and have a piece of the Island famous pie and garlic shrimp, YUMMY! Also, Foodland is about a 7 minute drive east from the house, very convenient for picking up groceries. Great house, great location, and a great owner that communicates very well if the need arrises. You won't be sorry if you rent this house!!

Owner response:Janet thank you for the review glad you enjoyed, come back again

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

Wonderful stay

Guest: Emily (Los Angeles, California)
Date of Stay: 01/13/11 Review Submitted: 03/16/11

Our family had a great time staying at this house! We had a big family reunion in Hawaii and the house was absolutely perfect given its ample space. All five bedrooms are very spacious along with the kitchen and living room area. The best part about is was the view. It was so beautiful right next to the beach. The kids loved the pool and the games. It's also very centrally located and close to all the sights on the North Shore. We'll definitely be planning our next trip there sometime soon! Highly recommend it to any family looking to relax and have a great vacation.

Owner response:Emily thank you you can come back anytime

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, families with young children, sightseeing.

Very Comfortable Beach House!

Guest: Christina (Portland, Oregon)
Date of Stay: 02/18/10 Review Submitted: 03/16/11

I went about a month ago and loved it! My family and I are from Portland, so this was a great vacation for us. The view was amazing, right on the ocean! We went with another couple and their family, and it was very spacious. The kitchen was great, very large and perfect for cooking and hanging out. The kids loved the games in the house (pool table, foosball.) The pool was big and a nice change from the ocean. Overall, a very relaxing, much needed vacation!

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

Great rental home for large groups

Guest: TKNJJ5 (West Fargo, ND )
Date of Stay: 12/04/09 Review Submitted: 12/15/09

My husband and I recently rented this house with 4 other couples. This house was perfect for a big group as each had there own bedroom and bathroom. The pool table was an added bonus as well. Other than maybe putting a fresh coat of paint on the walls the house was in great shape and we would definately recommend this house to rent. Had a wonderful time!!

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, sightseeing.

Guest: Warren / Davault Group (Houston, Texas)
Date of Stay: 06/23/09 Review Submitted: 06/23/09

We just spent a wonderful week at this lovely house with a family group of 10 including school aged children. This house is definately "location, location, location" - it doesn't get any better anywhere in Oahu. Beautiful sunsets, ocean breeze, steps to the beach, pool in the backyard and plenty of space for a big group to spread out. We would definately book this house again and will share our experience with other friends and family.

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Guest: M. Fouts (San Carlos, CA)
Date of Stay: 04/25/09 Review Submitted: 04/25/09

They cleaned the pool just as we arrived. It was terrific! The kids enjoyed all the space and the game room. The kitchen has double sinks and dishwashers so cooking and cleaning was quick. The view is outstanding. We walked on the beach everyday. We would like to go back there soon.

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This place is clean

Guest: Danielistic (Santa Cruz)
Date of Stay: 11/28/08 Review Submitted: 12/08/08

Recently stayed there with my family and extended family. This place was very roomy. The kids were hooked in the pool room and fooseball while the parents where outside enjoying a cocktail at the pool. This place is recently remodeled with some nice touches. We really enjoyed the kitchen lay out, it made for great family story time of our day's highlights. Thank you Lawrence for an easy trip.

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

Guest: Wellen
Date of Stay: 11/25/08 Review Submitted: 11/24/08

We had a wonderful week at your home. The house was right between the wedding party at Turtle Bay and the wedding at the bungalow’s near Sunset Beach. The location was perfect so little ones could be on the beach or at the house and parents could still enjoy the sun and surf.We hope to make it back there in the future and would love to stay there at the house.Thanks again,Sandy

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Lovely home!

Guest: jcasey (Pheonix, Arizona)
Date of Stay: 11/18/08 Review Submitted: 11/27/08

I just stayed at this house with my family the last couple of weeks, and it was great. I had talked to the owner, and he said he just finished fixing up some things around the house. It looks great. The living room and kitchen area were huge, great for my big family. The master bedroom was gorgeous with a great view of the beach. The other rooms were very nice as well. The pool was great, the kids really enjoyed it, and we had the beach right in front of us, just perfect! Overall, I would definitely recommend this place.

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

Great house location just remodeled

Guest: fh8396 (Newport , ca usa)
Date of Stay: 10/30/08 Review Submitted: 11/25/08

We just stay at the house in October 08, the owner had just fully remodeled the house. All new appliances and furniture. It is a great location, large home, ideal for family. I fully recommend this property

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

Sunset Beach Oahu

Guest: Lawrence (NY)
Date of Stay: 07/01/07 Review Submitted: 12/19/07

This property has the potential to be excellent. Great location and huge home -5 bedrooms and lots of extra room. Unfortunately the home has had little upkeep. I first stayed several years ago and it had just a few conditions problems but this year 2007 most everything was in disrepair. The furniture all needed new upholstery, the deck was rotting, the window hardware was all rusted and non operational, window treatments all falling down etc. If the owner would invest at least $100,000 in renovation I would rate this place excellent.

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

Loved the place

Guest: dave (Akron Ohio )
Date of Stay: 09/12/03 Review Submitted: 03/25/11

Had a great time staying here. I came to Hawaii (way back) in 2003 for a wedding/honeymoon/vacation with family and loved ones and there was more than enough space for everyone. The master bedroom/bath and the swimming pool were particularly memorable. With the exception of a few minor upkeep/maintenance issues (according to recent reviews these have been addressed) this place was outstanding! Hope to stay here again sometime!

Recommended for:Romantic getaway