Guestbook Comment

Guest: Bob Leney (Shanghai, China)
Date of Stay: 08/01/07 Review Submitted: 08/13/07

We stayed at this house for 1 week in July 2007. It exceeded our expectations in every way. The views were fantastic and the house is very spacious. We were particularly impressed by the quality level of the kitchen equipment and furniture. We never felt like we were staying in a rental, felt more like staying in someone's home! One minor drawback is the beach access. We had no difficulties, however the stairs could be challenging for older adults.

Recommended for:

August 9, 2011 thru August 16, 2011

Guest: Roadrunner (San Diego,CA)
Date of Stay: 08/09/11 Review Submitted: 08/20/11

There was much to like about this house. We loved how close it was to the shore, literally 10 steps to the water. Listening to the waves 24 hours a day was extremely soothing and melted the mainland stress. The master bedroom was spacious and the layout is ideal for a single family with children. The downstairs furnishings were extremely comfortable and the kitchen appliances worked great and the amount of dishes worked out well. All in all we had a great time here and with a few caveats would recommend it to others or return here again. The major complaint is that the house is advertised as having broadband Internet and it did not. This was a key to our decision on renting this house over one or two others that we were investigating. Three phone calls, 2 pages and email messages to the owner resulted in no response at all. We were able to overcome the lack of Internet however the concern is that if something major had gone wrong at the house. The non-response from the owner during this entire stay was very discouraging. At the price we were paying, some type of emergency number should be available, but none was provided. Unless this is remedied I would not recommend this house. There are just too many things that can go wrong and spoil an expensive vacation. A previous review mentioned the balky garage door keypad and we also found this to be a nuisance as it only operated when it felt like it. This seems like a simple fix. The house is also advertised with HD Cable television but this was not provided, the television service was the basic non-HD cable service, the settop box, was disconnected and would not power up. My recommendation is that this listing be corrected to show that lack of HD Cable TV, broadband Internet and the price be lowered to reflect those changes. And provide an emergency contact number.

Owner response:During the 17 emails,over several months, it took Karen to make up her mind & make multiple payments ,she received same day replies.She knew I would be out of the Country during her stay and could not receive phone calls.Had I received emails about her complaints I would have responded & had my helper go to the home if necesary.I received no email from her about her complaints. Both internet & TV are supplied by Oceanic Cable. This is broadband! Oceanic broadcasts both regular & HD programs.I subscribe to both To get HD channel ,one has only to select the HD channel. Therefore I believe the complaints are unjustified. Perhaps she should hve let more of her "mainland stress melt away" Jim H.

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Crashing waves just outside your window...

Guest: Crystal T.
Date of Stay: 07/05/11 Review Submitted: 07/25/11

Our 2 families loved being right next to the beach. We were able to watch the turtles and the more populated beaches were within walking distance for our teenagers. I had to get some work done and hearing the waves crashing and being able to look out to watch a paddle boarder go by made it easier. We were pleasantly surprised to receive our deposit back right away - within the week after our return home.

Recommended for:Families with teenagers.

four years in a row love it

Guest: Bruce (Indianapolis,In.)
Date of Stay: 02/07/11 Review Submitted: 03/26/11

Some people may say why rent the same house over and over again? We have been visiting the islands for years and have friends and relatives who live here. But our favorite place to be is this house. Friends come to visit from other parts of Hawaii concur that the scenery here is an icon of all the islands. My entire family feels comfortable from young to the old. There is plenty of room for a family of 8, the enchanting towns that surround the North shore are accommodating. From surfing,fishing,hiking,biking,golfing,to shopping and dinning in Haleiwa, this place is paradise. We will be back,so take care of her.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers.

Spectacular Beach / Amenities Need Updating

Guest: Anonymous (San Diego, CA)
Date of Stay: 06/26/10 Review Submitted: 08/27/10

My family of 5 stayed here for 10 days in June 2010. The highlight of this house is the deck overlooking the beautiful beach. Unfortunately there is no comfortable patio furniture available to enjoy this view. There are 8 cheap, cracked, plastic garden chairs and a glass table, but no lounge chairs, despite it being a recurrent suggestion in the home's guest book. One of the best things about renting a beachfront home is sitting on a lounge chair and enjoying the view - we couldn't do that. The inside is quite spacious and there is comfortable seating for six. The amenities need to be updated. The towels and bed linens were stained and/or threadbare and there were no beach towels. When we inquired, the owner told us to use the "blue" towels, which were small bath towels, not beach towels. There are very few window coverings throughout the house. The bedrooms afford little privacy from beach-walkers and the sun is directly in your eyes if you are at the dining table or in the kitchen in the late afternoon. The kitchen had only 4 dinner plates, no coffee mugs and many of the small appliances were missing a vital piece of equipment which made them unusable. The screen doors were ill-fitting and fell out every time you went in or out to the deck. The house is on the busy Kam Hwy and it is quite noisy even with the windows closed. The gate to the driveway is manual which requires one to pull off the busy hwy, stop the car with the back end sticking out in traffic to open the gate. The owner did not provide a key to the house or a garage door opener, but did provide the code for the keypad to open the garage door. As warned by the written instructions, the keypad has been corroded by salt air and did not work upon 1st try. Unfortunately most times it did not work after the 10th try and we were left standing outside for 5 or 6 minutes trying to get the garage door to open or close, which was frustrating. The 3rd bedroom has a futon only, not a problem, but not described on the website. This is the 3rd beachfront home we have rented on the North Shore. The owners of the other 2 homes (which rented for less) had put thought into the comfort of the guests staying there which was reflected in the amenities provided. The maintenance and amenities for this house did not reflect that same thought. All the items mentioned here are small and could easily be corrected with an investment of less than one week's rent. If that were done this home would be spectacular!

Owner response:I must admit to being stunned by this review. Certainly the salt atmosphere on the beach is corrosive & a continious problem foe the homeowner.That's why all outside furniture is plastic.Each time we find damaged furniture we replace it.No one tells us about damaging it. I've gone though two pairs oh chase lounges ,both pairs have been broken.The home centers only carry them in summer time even though it's Hawaii.Will get some others when I can.We looked into each of the complaints and where valid took appropiate action,eg,screen doors replaced for second time-------salt again. There are few window covrings because my house has spetacular views and I don't want the views blocked when I live there.I built it for myself and renting is a secondary purpose.It has been a problem only for this person.

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

Great 10 day Family Vaction

Guest: Reg & Liz (Cochrane, Alberta, Canada)
Date of Stay: 01/21/10 Review Submitted: 02/06/10

This property met and surpassed all of my and my family's expectations. Large and spacious rooms with plenty of glass for the specatular views of the ocean just 20 to 30 feet off the Deck. High quality appliances made cooking a breeze. Viewed sea turtles and humpback whales right from the deck. Swam, boogie-boarded, and caught 5 different species of fish (released) on the beautiful sand beach. This beachfront home is located a 5 minute drive from grocery stores, several restaurants, shops, etc, in the town of Hale'iwa which we found quite convienant. We had a minor issue with a water closet in one of the bathrooms, however within 30 minutes of our cell phone conversation, The owner arrived at the beach home to make the repairs. VERY Impressive. We would stay here again !!

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

Guest: Lou Nunes (Unionville, CT)
Date of Stay: 08/26/09 Review Submitted: 08/26/09

We just got back from the west coast after our Hawaii vacation and I wanted to thank you for the excellent accommodations. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay in every way. We saw quite a bit of the island and your home was in a perfect location to do just that. When we were content just to stay put for a day or two, it was the perfect spot to do that as well. We were careful to treat your home as if it were our own and I trust it was found in much the same condition as when we arrived save for any expected light cleaning. Thanks again Jim. I will surely recommend your home to good friends and stay again when the opportunity arises. Hope all is well. Mahalo!

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Great House! Great Beach! Great Sunsets!

Guest: Kim Marie (Fremont California)
Date of Stay: 06/03/09 Review Submitted: 06/28/09

My Family and I had an absolutely great time! The view is breathtaking! Everyone loved it and they are still talking about it, wanting to know when we will go again! The week exceeded my expectations! The house is wonderful and was just as described, right there on the beach, could not have asked for more. We had everything we needed right there. The guys took a fishing charter out of Haleiwa Harbor, and caught not only a 220lb Marlin, but lots of other prime local fish. Needless to say we had fresh fish for dinner that night which was wonderful! We have great pictures of sunsets, surf, turtles and the 220lb Marlin! The under 60 group loved the "jump" rock at Waimea Bay. I will recommend this place to friends. We had a Great Time - Thank You!

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, adventure seekers, sightseeing, age 55+, girls getaway, romantic getaway.

Guestbook Comment

Guest: Bruce (Indianapolis,In.)
Date of Stay: 02/01/08 Review Submitted: 02/22/08

From the minute we stepped onto the beach we dreaded the day we had to leave.This home welcomed us like the spirit of the islands.It has all the comforts and luxuery of home. Plenty of room for everyone and that includes my mother who usually needs her own place to keep the peace. The house rules are very Hawian and are practical in manners. If you rent this house take of it because I will certainly be back to rent it again. We looked at many rentals while on our trip and this was by far the best decision. Mahalo

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Guestbook Comment

Guest: bart wittrock (houston texas)
Date of Stay: 07/01/07 Review Submitted: 07/23/07

We spent 10 wonderful days at the house,May 2007, and it was perfect! Everything we needed was there, and working perfectly. Comfortable, convenient,all the comforts of home and then some.The furnishings were almost too nice! The beach was great, great longboard surf literally in front of the deck! Sunsets and sunrises to die for. You will not find nicer accomodations on the north shore period!

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