Open-Plan Lush Garden Home Near Kailua & Lanikai Beaches

• Guestbook Comment

  Guestbook Comment

  • Guest Anonymous
  • Date of stay 05/01/05
  • Review Submitted 05/01/05
  We recently returned from a wonderful stay at Mala Pua Hale in Kailua, HI. The property is exactly as represented in the photos and description and we would stay there again. The property manager was very helpful and the owners promptly refunded our deposit after our stay. We would recommend this property.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 15/16

• Loved it!

  Loved it!

  • Guest No Nickname
  • Date of stay 04/11/13
  • Review Submitted 05/08/13
  My wife and I and stayed here for 7 nights with our two kids plus another family of 4 and the place was big enough to accomodate all of us. We decided to rent this house away from all the craziness of Waikiki and we're glad we did. This place allowed us to experience more of the local life. The location of this house was perfect for all the things we set out to do. It's within walking distance to the beach, local shops, restaurants, grocery stores, you name it. The house is a little dated but so is the majority of realstate on the island. The difference is that the owners of this house have worked to keep it in great shape. Everything in the house worked. Having eight people in the house we definitely put it to the test and had no issues. This house difinitely worked for us and we loved it. We'll definitely consider renting again if we decide to visit Oahu again.

  Recommended for: Sightseeing, adventure seekers, people with disabilities, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 0/0

• disappointed

  disappointed

  • Guest disappointed
  • Date of stay 01/28/13
  • Review Submitted 02/08/13
  recently stayed in this property: is nothing like the photos!! bad beds, hard pillows, not very clean, dark, nowhere sunny to sit outside, no view, grungy neighborhood, uncomfortable furniture, kitchen falling apart & not very clean, written information didnt seem to be very current and lacking in local info. owners pleasant, but guests staying in back attached cottage were heard by us in am & pm.

  Owner response: Sometimes there is no pleasing some people as hard as we try. We truly regret that the three women who stayed in our home were so very disappointed. We were disappointed in how they left the house too: Dirty dishes in the sink and on the counters, open food on the counters, and the house in complete disarray. It was hard to believe that there were only three people in the house. Possibly there was nowhere sunny to sit outside and that what seemed dark and grungy was because it was gray and cloudy and rainy while they were here. Contrary to popular opinion, it does get gray and rainy in Hawaii from time to time. That’s what keeps our flowers growing and our mountains green (you can see the mountains right outside the front door). Most of our guests comment on how the house looks exactly like the photos and how clean the house is, so not sure what they were referring to as they didn’t bring any of this to our attention while here. Regarding our beds and pillows: Our mattresses are the same as those used in the finest hotels in Waikiki. And most of the pillows are designer brand (Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger). There is an entire bookcase filled with visitor information plus our own Aloha book with information about the house and area. Our guests in the cottage – NOT attached – have been as quiet as mice. We live above them and hardly know they are here. We all hear our neighbors’ voices from time to time. It’s part of living where windows are open all year-round. If you want absolute silence, then turn on the A/C and shut the doors and windows. But you will miss the trade winds, the aroma of plumeria and the bird songs – some of the many things that make Kailua special.

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

• Great family time

  Great family time

  • Guest Lynn
  • Date of stay 01/02/13
  • Review Submitted 01/31/13
  If you want to experience island living renting a house is the way to go. Three families (8 of us) stayed here, but with the open design it didn't feel crowded. It's an easy walk to the beach; close to a grocery store and shopping center. A quick drive to downtown Kailua if you want to go to the new Wholefoods store or shop for clothes. Most of us did early morning walks/run/hikes before heading out for the day's activities. One highlight of our trip was driving to the North Shore and seeing 8 honus (sea turtles)... 5 sleeping on the beach and 3 eating seaweed in the ocean. What a treat! Mahalo for your hospitality and sharing your home with us.

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

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 0/0

• the Very perfect place to experience the real Local

  the Very perfect place to experience the real Local

  • Guest TARO
  • Date of stay 11/20/12
  • Review Submitted 12/19/12
  summary of our stay 7 people ( 2 Japanese families, 3of them being little babies) stayed for a week from 11/20-11/26 2012 if you are reading this review, then you must be very well aware of how beautiful the Kailua beaches are, so i can skip that.... (been to some of the world's beautiful-est beaches like Costa Rica, Thailand, Florida, Jamaica and many more, but Kailua was still breath-taking!!) I can give you 2 good reasons why you should pick this place to stay. 1. Carol-- (no she did not tell me to write so) shes just wonderful. he/she is very flexible, and very very responsive. dont wanna bad-mouth other owners, but some takes weeks to reply if ever, which makes it very difficult to plan your trips, right? 2. the house and accomodity (did i spell that right?)--its huge, could have brought one more family enjoy this place to its full capacity.. very well-equiped kitchen with full utensils. quiet neighborhood (except on the thanksgiving... ). other tiny comments might be "Car is a must", "salt and peppers in place", "beach-goods well-equipped", "main Kailua beach is 5 min drive" if i were to be strangled up behind my back, and was forced to write something negative, that would be the refunding...(make it clear, Carol was very sincere) but because i didnt have an Paypal account (and the fact i am not an US citizen), that caused both of us some troubles.so i suggest as Carol would i assume, to make an Paypal account before visiting and save all of us unnecessary troubles. Mahalo from Japan!!

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

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

• Quiet, beautiful and spacious - 5-star rating

  Guest comment entered by owner

  Quiet, beautiful and spacious - 5-star rating

  • Guest John H., Orange, VA
  • Date of stay 08/27/12
  • Review Submitted 10/20/12
  If you want a quiet spot away from the bustle of Honolulu and within a 15 minute drive to the beach, this house is for you. Located in Kailua you are near some of the most beautiful beaches on Oahu, according to our daughter who has lived in Hawaii for six years. Situated on a hill in a quiet neighborhood, it is a short walk to the grocery store and about a 35 min. scenic drive over the mountains to Honolulu and points of interest. Carol's home is beautiful and spacious with lots of room for families to spread out and play or relax. Our grandson especially enjoyed watching the geckoes romp in the backyard. The photos are just like what greets you when you arrive. Even though the owners live on the property and share the garage, you have complete privacy. Carol was very helpful. The microwave died the day before we arrived and she delivered a new one our first day there. Thank you Carol for providing a quiet and restful place for our vacation on Oahu.

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

• Very good

  Very good

  • Guest Paul and Katherine
  • Date of stay 08/09/12
  • Review Submitted 09/03/12
  The house worked very well for us -- clean, with lots of space. We were very comfortable here and we loved how open the house was. You can open up the back to the outside, and although it was warm during our visit, but we never had to use the AC because of the way you can let the wind in. Carol was also very welcoming and accommodating. The location is good, in a quiet, older subdivision. It's about a 10 minute walk along quiet residential streets to a small shopping centre, and about a 10 minute drive to the commercial centre with lots of shopping, a Whole Foods, etc. The beach is amazing. You can quickly drive and park to the central or eastern end. The house is about a 15 minute walk from the western end where we went mostly. Like most of Hawaii, there are no sidewalks in Kailua, so that takes some getting used to, but the beach is fantastic. The western end is wide and not crowded. A very beautiful setting with no coral to worry about - just wonderful. We went for the sunset almost every night. Kailua also makes a very good place to use as a base to explore the rest of the island. Thank you Carol.

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

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

• Perfect!

  Perfect!

  • Guest Lesa
  • Date of stay 06/17/12
  • Review Submitted 07/15/12
  Everything about our experience was wonderful from the house, to carol the owner, to the location, it was all just perfect. We were so blessed to find this place. You don't have to pay for parking, or deal with crowds, it's a quite nice neighborhood at a wonderful price! Thank you Carol for your Aloha! We already have family asking for your information and we will gladly pass it along. We hope to visit again! Blessings to you!

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

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

• set expectations

  set expectations

  • Guest Susan S.
  • Date of stay 05/12/12
  • Review Submitted 06/19/12
  This house is light, airy, clean and functional. The on site owners are gracious and very responsive to any issues. That being said there are a few points about the listing worth knowing. It is not in what I consider to be an upscale neighborhood. I know another reviewer mentioned this and the owner stated the selling prices for homes in the neighborhood however a quick look at the median home price in Kailua shows 700,000 so this neighborhood based on that is middle to upper middle class which is what it seems. There are clearly better, much better and worse neighborhoods in Kailua. The beach is not particularly close. Technically yes it can be walked in 10 minutes but I measured it on the odometer and it was .6 miles not including another 1-2 blocks down a sandy path to the beach. It is partly along a busy road with no sidewalk. Certainly you can do a walk or run to the beach but most won't want to lug a bunch of beach stuff for kids or sporting equipment that far nor wander down with your coffee in the morning. The backyard is ok not great. Regardless it is not exactly a 'tropical paradise' as suggested by the picture and it is small if for kids playing. The other rental property is immediately adjacent to the house separated by some plantings. The house is showing its age and the kitchen does NOT have a clean fresh feel to it despite the stainless steel refrigerator. It would guess the kitchen is circa 1980s. i don't know what a Euro-style bathroom is (usually I think bidet) but these bathrooms are typical older suburban bathrooms (probably also 1980s). The owners request "No shoes" which we honored but the carpeting is rather dingy and a couple of my family members bought 'house slippers' as a result. The house may be priced appropriately, I don't know having never stayed in Kailua before. Many people have obviously enjoyed staying here. Nonetheless I think expectations are important and several points of this house are overstated in my opinion.

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

• Spring Family Vacation

  Spring Family Vacation

  • Guest Kim
  • Date of stay 04/15/12
  • Review Submitted 04/25/12
  If you like experiencing the "real" Hawaii, staying in a home like this, in a "real" neighborhood, is the best way to go. After spending a touristy day in Waikiki, we all felt that we had made the right choice staying in Kailua. The house is roomy, bright, and open... more than enough space for 7 of us. We have family in Kailua, so the location was very convenient for us. Our hostess Carol, was very friendly and welcoming. Be aware that tropical climates are good to all creatures, including cockroaches. Although it is disconcerting to see them, and not pleasant to share your space with them, their presence does not indicate a lack of cleanliness. Since the exterminators had just been there, we expected to see a few more than usual. It didn't spoil our pleasant stay by any means.

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

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

Rental Rates .. $1650 to $2675/week
.. $260 to $390/night for extra nights.
$165 Cleaning Fee.
Plus Refundable damage deposit.

Note: Until confirmed, rates are subject to change without notice.