Vacation Rentals by Owner

Week long stay

Guest: ckl (MD)
Date of Stay: 03/30/12 Review Submitted: 05/11/12

The property is in a great location, a minute’s walk to the ocean and very convenient to the town of Kailua and the Pali highway. It was also very clean. However, the property is quite worn in some areas: the bathroom fixtures in the upstairs bath all had significant corrosion on them; there was also water damage on the wall in the upstairs bathroom; the kitchen cabinets are worn and a couple do not close properly; the towel bar in the downstairs bath is torn from the wall; the windowsill in the master bath is missing about half its paint; the outdoor deck has a number of nail heads that extend above the decking (so no bare feet). Some of the furniture is adapted to its use: for example, in the master bedroom a water damaged plant stand functions as a bedside table (not well as it is quite small and tall). I saw a couple of comments about the dishwasher: the issue is that though the supply lines are installed correctly, it is not seated properly in the space, so it moves a good bit.

Recommended for:

A very old house

Guest: Lulu (Calgary, AB, Canada)
Date of Stay: 03/15/12 Review Submitted: 04/27/12

This is a VERY old home and everything about it is old - dishes, fixtures, deck, furnishings. However, the beds are clean and comfortable, and access to the beach can't be beat. You share a driveway with the main house - which is a heritage home - so the first time you arrive it is a bit confusing. We also had constant wind, but the location is such that it is an easy drive to attractions. The outdoor funiture and barbeque were in poor condition, also the TV did not work. The yard is beautiful, and the outdoor shower is handy.

Recommended for:

Fantastic Beach, fantastic Home, Peaceful

Guest: Peter (San francisco)
Date of Stay: 01/07/12 Review Submitted: 01/24/12

We highly recommend this Beautiful home to everyone. Nicely remodeled, nicely furnished. Very comfortable and just steps from the most beautiful beach we have ever seen !!!. Our kids had the best time in their life swimming, playing in the soft sand and gentle waves. What a GREAT place What a wonderful Vacation !!!

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

Completely remodeled !!! SO close to the best Beach and Ocean ever...Very peaceful

Guest: Michael (San Diego)
Date of Stay: 01/03/12 Review Submitted: 01/09/12

We recently stayed at this property and LOVED IT !!!! It was very recently COMPLETELY remodeled, not just the house but all the furniture, beds and linens were new too !!.The manager was SO nice and accommodating. The property is literally 25 steps from the BEST BEACH we have ever seen or imagined !!! AND the cost for this entire home was the same as just a hotel room !!! It was like a dream !!! We highly recommend tho home to EVERYONE !!!! Thank You for letting us stay there !!!!

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

amazing stay at a beautiful home

Guest: crystalaz (scottsdale, az)
Date of Stay: 11/17/11 Review Submitted: 11/26/11

We stayed at this beautiful property in november 2011. Reading prior reviews the railing must have been fixed because we had absolutely no problems with it and it looks great. Amazing views of the ocean from the upstairs deck. 1 minute walk to an uncrowded beach perfect for the kids. Overall a great stay at a unique property.

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

Beautiful Vacation Home

Guest: Shell (Vista California)
Date of Stay: 11/13/11 Review Submitted: 11/28/11

I recently stayed at this home, and would never stay any where else. I loved that I could walk right out into the back yard, pull up the latch on the gate, and I was on sand headed right to the beautiful ocean. I live in Southern California, and our beaches don't even compare to this beach in Hawaii. It appears that many thousands of dollars were spent to remodel this home recently. What really made a great beginning to my day was the fantastic deck with the beautiful colonial railing. I had breakfast every morning on the deck before I set out for the day. In the evening I would open the french doors off the livingroom, and the ocean breeze would blow in while we talked about the day, and relaxed. It made for a romantic evening. The house is so clean, and beautifully decorated. The koa wood in the home was an added touch of charm. I recommend this place to anyone who is headed to Oahu Hawaii.

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i found Hawaii!!!!

Guest: lez (chatt. tenn)
Date of Stay: 11/12/11 Review Submitted: 01/11/12

comfortable, tropical and convenient. it is a fantastic vacation home.

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

samo

Guest: samo (calgary)
Date of Stay: 10/07/11 Review Submitted: 12/13/11

3 couples rented this home. The location is wonderful, close to the beach, easy access to same. Beautiful beach but if you don't like the wind then stay away, our hair was straight back the entire week. While there the lock broke on the front door and we had to climb out the window and all enter thru one couples room in the lower level. The caretaker came right away but had trouble with parts so we had to put a credit card in the door. Not great and no monetary refund. The home itself was built with care but now needs a good terminal cleaning and some new kitchen equipment. There was bare wood/nails on the deck as stated earlier, in the midst of painting. The boogie boards were all broken and unusable as was much of the beach equipment. We never did figure out the TV but didn't need it anyway. There are a lot of properties for rent in this area also near the beach, maybe check them out. And finally, we just got our deposit back Dec 12, a bit late.

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

Great location and size, but we had a few issues

Guest: Julia (San Francisco)
Date of Stay: 09/24/11 Review Submitted: 10/18/11

This house is in a great location and just steps from the beach - plus from the upstairs you can gaze through the trees to the aqua water which was awesome. We were comfortable (my in-laws, myself and husband and our two young kids) and we had a great time, both hanging at the house and cruising all over Oahu. We did have some issues though: the dishwasher didn't work, the pans in the kitchen were in bad shape and should have been replaced (in fact we bought brillo pads and definitely left them cleaner than when we arrived), the deck had some nails sticking up that weren't cool in bare feet, the front door lock was temperamental, and the alarm had power problems so beeped during the night. We also expected a crib to be there and there wasn't one. We've stayed in other rentals before and felt for the money we paid here the property had some issues that caused us unnecessary inconveniences. We did have someone come to the property when we reported the dishwasher not working, and he was friendly and responsive and got the washer to work. He explained the property had been through an interior flood a few months before and had major repairs, so you'll find the furniture is different (newer) than what you see in the vrbo pictures. Overall we had a wonderful time but if we return to Kailua someday we're going to stay somewhere else with hopes of having fewer hassles.

Owner response:I was concerned when I received the call regarding the dishwasher so I quickly went to the house to find the issue turned out to be that it was not being shut all the way and therefore would not run. Once shut it started right up. As for the security system the back up battery was low and all it took was pressing enter and acknowledging that a replacement will be needed. In dealing with those two issues as well as the others from the guests I did everything possible to cater to their requests and concerns.

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Truly the best beach!

Guest: ladydoc (Lafayette, LA)
Date of Stay: 07/12/11 Review Submitted: 07/24/11

We really enjoyed this home. The location was great--very near the beach, and fairly private. The beach is really a great one for swimming. While we were there, there were fun waves, but the undertow/shorebreak was not terribly strong, as is often the case in Hawaii. It is an older home, but really has a feel for "Old Hawaii." The property was clean and well equipped--from the kitchen to the boogie boards! I had been to Oahu before, and I really don't care for the mad rush of Waikiki, but I really enjoyed Kailua. It was a location close enough to visit the USS Arizona, and the Polynesian Cultural Center, but away from the crowds and traffic hassle. The area is very residential, but right on the beach, which was great!

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

Disappointing and dangerous

Guest: vksky (Honolulu)
Date of Stay: 07/05/11 Review Submitted: 11/21/11

This was a disappointing rental. The dangerous part is the lanai on the second floor, which has loose railings that are termite eaten, nails sticking up and splinters on the deck boards. Part of the deck is actually closed off as it is clear that it simply a hazard for anyone to walk on it; if any big guy leaned up against any of the railings, it could definitely break. We called the owner/manager who said someone was supposed to come out to fix it. First, he never mentioned that when we signed the rental contract, which would seem to be a courtesy as most people would not want construction going on without advance notice. Of course, no workers ever showed up and apparently from viewing the latest reviews this is still a problem as it was in the past as reported by other renters. The contract says there is phone service, but what they don't say is that there isn't any telephone!! We called the owner/manager about this as some of us in our group needed a landline for business, but he never called us back. As others have stated, some of the amenities in the kitchen are old and/or missing; the boogie boards have no leashes, and the beach chairs were shoddy (two didn't work and we just threw another one away as the seat was torn through, and back did not recline). I have rented many properties through VRBO, always with great results. This was disappointing and dangerous. Absolutely would not recommend unless these items are fixed! New decking, beach chairs and boogie boards are so minimal in cost; don't understand why you would rent a property that would definitely be hazardous to children and to adults alike!

Owner response:The house had suffered a flood from a broken supply line in the upstairs kitchen and was undergoing reconstruction at the time. This guest lives on island and had seen the house and work going on before she booked the house. She decided that the discount was worth the inconvenience. She did try to have a large gathering during her stay which we did and do not allow as a courtesy to the neighbors. I am assuming that she wrote this review because of us not allowing her party as she was upset at the time. The work is now done and the house looks great and new pictures will be posted shortly.

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Our Favorite Oahu Rental!

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 06/06/09 Review Submitted: 07/31/10

We stayed in this lovely home in June 2009. We have rented other properties along Kailua Beach in years past, but this one was by far our favorite AND the most accurately represented on the web. Very private, spacious and such a short distance to the beach you don't have to worry about taking every single thing you'll possibly need with you. If you forget something, you can just run back to the house and get it. This is also a great section of Kailua beach since the public access is not nearly as busy as some of the others along Kalaheo. You feel like it is your private beach! It is also a perfect walk down the beach to Kalapawai Market for morning coffee and breakfast or to Buzz's in the evening for dinner. The house is beautiful. You can tell it has been well cared for and decorated with much attention given to Hawaiian culture and history. This is a kitchen fit for King Kam! The koa cabinets are beyond beautiful and there is koa throughout the rest of the house (doors, trim). Lovely. The neighborhood is very quiet, too. Everyone has to have their windows open for ventilation and noise from neighboring houses is an issue that can't be helped with houses built so close together. However, the large lot that this house sits on (rare on Oahu) must provide somewhat of a barrier to neighborhood noise because we hardly noticed we had neighbors. Can you tell how much we enjoyed staying at this house? Looking forward to our next trip and Best Beach is the first place we will check for availability!

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

Fantastic location. BEST BEACH we have seen. GREAT home

Guest: Michael (San Diego)
Date of Stay: 06/07/08 Review Submitted: 08/04/11

WOW!!! what a home and the best Vacation spot in the world !!! LOVED our stay here !!! SO peacefull. Fantastic yard. The Beach which is just a few yards away is the best we have ever been to and WE are beach lovers !!! Kailua town is FANTASTIC, charming and classy at the same time!! We saw several movie stars on the beach who we are told have 2nd homes here. Honollu is just 20 minutes away But it is like another world. KAILUA is the best kept secret in Hawaii. Kailua AND this house is the BEST place to VACATION.

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