Vacation Rentals by Owner

Great location for Waimea Canyon hiking

Guest: Matthew L. (Kingsport, TN, USA)
Date of Stay: 05/11/12 Review Submitted: 05/23/12

If you’re hiking in the Waimea Canyon for a few days, this is a great house. The house itself is exceptional. The Master Bedroom does need a King Bed (versus Queen), but that’s almost nit-picking, because the Master bathroom was awesome! Our largest consideration was location. It is very close to the “back way” into the Waimea Canyon, and hiking in the Waimea area was what we were doing for 4 days…and so the 5 nights in this home was really great. We combined this with a week on the North Shore (Tunnels beach), and had an amazing vacation. The owner (Chad) was very helpful.

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

Excellent Place

Guest: skip (portland, oregon)
Date of Stay: 03/02/12 Review Submitted: 03/20/12

After a very wet week in Hanalei, we moved to this house. First off, the Kekaha weather was MUCH nicer. Kekaha is a great little community-not turisty at all. Very intimate and very much a neighborhood-it felt like home on vacation. The house was beautiful and everything it was represented to be. There is physical separation of some of the bedrooms by a lanai and that was very nice for privacy. The house was very well appointed, right down to all the beach gear you need. We initally had concern about the road but after about 1/2 an hour we didn't even notice it. The tremendous ocean view totally trumped any road issues. Watched whales from the lanai, ate there every nite as well as morning coffee and happy hour. We found it to be an excellent value for oceanfront. Our friend had their kids and 2 small grandkids come after we left and it worked really well for them. We look forward to renting this home again.

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

NOT A BEACH FRONT HOME

Guest: Tammy (Central Coast, CA)
Date of Stay: 08/03/11 Review Submitted: 08/13/11

When looking for vacation rentals, I had one primary goal, I wanted to rent a beach house. I wanted to be able to walk on the beach in the morning with coffee, I wanted my kids to be able to run on the beach and swim, snorkel or body surf and then run back to the house with gear in hand for a quick snack before they headed back out for another go around. I searched for countless hours online to find the perfect place. And I thought I had found it in this house. Statements like: "taking in the breathtaking views of the longest, white sand beach in the entire state of Hawaii!" "Watch the whales, surfers, sunbathers, swimmers, body surfers, wind surfers ... "our spacious, three bedroom, two and a half bath, beachfront home in Kekaha." and the two images showing beautiful beach front access. I thought I had found the perfect beach house. I even overlooked how far away it was from all of the other attractions on the island because I didn't think we'd need to leave home. This house has none of the things in the statements above. There are no sunbathers, swimmers, windsurfers, body surfers because there is no beach or even the ability to access the water. It would be EXTREMELY dangerous to enter the water in this area. The photos do not accurately represent the property's location on the beach. Water comes all the way up to the rocks roadside and at times water even splashed up over the side onto the road. No part of the beach is visible from this property and it is not walking distance. One other very surprising feature was the traffic on the Kuhio Highway, this is the road in front of the house. As mentioned in other reviews, the noise is very loud and makes quiet evenings or mornings relaxing on the lanai, well not relaxing. The traffic runs all hours day or night. Thankfully with the air conditioning running in the bedrooms, it won't keep you awake. I was expecting this from reading the other reviews, but still quite surprising just how loud it is. The content and images of this website are misleading. I would definitely not recommend this home if you would like beach access or beach views.

Owner response:If is unfortunate that this particular guest happened to be staying in Kekaha in August of 2011 when we experienced one of the worst beach erosions we've had in many years. Even the lifeguard station has been effected, and will probably have to be moved until the sand fills back in. This has been front page news this month, and if I had the ability to control the ocean's swells and the effects it occasionally has on Hawaii's beaches, I certainly would. The only thing I have control over is the condition of the house, and the first class amenities it provides on the side of the island with the best weather. Staying in the town of Kekaha has wonderful benefits like the longest sand beach in the entire state of Hawaii, and it's the closest town to the Waimea Canyon, which has the island best hiking opportunities. The start of this beach is approximately 1/2 mile from where this house stands, (during the worst of conditions), and in the winter months, it almost always fills back in right in front of the house. (The pictures she is referring to on the website are exactly how the beach appeared in the Spring of 2011). There are homes on Kauai that would fit into the category of what this guest described as what she was looking for. (in a protected cove, where the beach conditions are not greatly effected by the oceans swells), however, those homes are on the rainforest side of the island, where it rains most of the year. Additionally, most are 2-3 times the rental rates of this home. Hale Ono Kane Kai is in the front row of houses in Kekaha, with unobstructed, ocean front views. It is the absolute premier location for a stay on the west side of the island. There is no other house in Kekaha that can boast of a better location. Staying on the sunny side of Kauai with ocean front views, and being less than a mile from a 15 mile long beach is the reason we fill this house year round and have happy, repeat guests year after year.

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Lovely Stay

Guest: Danika from Mission, KS
Date of Stay: 06/29/11 Review Submitted: 10/04/11

We had a lovely stay at the vacation rental. We will definitely try to rent from you again next time we go to Kauai. We usually go once a year or so. The place was nice and spacious!! Great view. We liked having the separate quarters for the kids!! I wasn't expecting that but it worked out just fine. Place was stocked with everything we needed!!! ! Was great to have boogie boards and snorkel gear for the adults and kids. Thanks so much for letting us do a late check-out. That was very helpful!

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We absolutely loved our visit to Kauai

Guest: Mannon from Seattle, WA
Date of Stay: 03/18/11 Review Submitted: 10/04/11

We absolutely loved our visit to Kauai and the house was perfect. It fit our needs to the T! The house is gracious and welcoming and very convenient to the waimea canyon - one of our favorite places that we visited on Kauai. We were also delighted to find a Catholic Church within walking distance as well as the local farmers market. We really appreciated the extras like clothing detergent and spices for cooking. The whole experience was delightful. Thanks for checking in with us! We hope to return someday. You were wonderful to work with. Thank you very much for going the extra mile to have the portable crib at the house - that was a lifesaver!

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Road Noise

Guest: steve (Anchorage, AK)
Date of Stay: 01/29/11 Review Submitted: 02/14/11

This facility by itself is excellent, except for the road noise day and night. If road noise bothers you, you will NOT like this place. If you can ignore this noise, which overpowers the both conversation and TV, then you will love this place. We will be more careful in the future when making our selection.

Recommended for:Families with teenagers

We had a wonderful week

Guest: Sandi from Ontario, Canada
Date of Stay: 01/22/11 Review Submitted: 10/04/11

We had a wonderful week in Kauai. We all loved the house & saw lots of whales while we were there. Everything we needed was there.

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Wonderful time at Hale Ono Kane Kai

Guest: Claudia & Bruce from Seattle, WA
Date of Stay: 11/01/10 Review Submitted: 10/04/11

We had a wonderful time at Hale Ono Kane Kai with our friends. The weather was perfect and we had evenings with beautiful sunsets followed by the dark skies and views of the Milky Way. Bruce brought his telescope this time - so it was especially good viewing. We tried some new adventures during the days...the best of which was the guys flying in motorized hang gliders with Blue Sky Kauai. We noticed the halogen lights in the kitchen were much better...thanks for listening! As you can see, we didn't really have anything to complain about. Mahalo, Chad...it was a pleasure renting a vacation house from you.

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Still in the clouds

Guest: Michael from Cochrane, AB Canada
Date of Stay: 07/26/10 Review Submitted: 10/04/11

We just returned from our vacation yesterday and would like to report that we very much enjoyed our stay at your rental property. Everything was perfect with the place and the location on the island. We didn't experience any problems with any of the appliances or anything else and did appreciate all the extra's such as all the beach equipment and extra's in the kitchen area. I really liked the shower in the ensuite bathroom so much so that I am thinking of changing the shower in my home to a similar design. Other than the road noise, everything in the place was excellent and we really enjoyed ourselves there. Thank you again. (At home but still in the clouds from this trip).

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Even more beautiful than the pictures

Guest: Juanita & Cory from Alberta, Canada
Date of Stay: 01/17/09 Review Submitted: 10/04/11

Thank you so much for letting us stay in your beautiful home! The view was even more beautiful than the pictures! It was great to wake up each morning and have coffee on the lanai! We loved having all the comforts of home. You made the entire experience easy & enjoyable.

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Glad we chose the sunny west side of the island!

Guest: Greg from Ontario, Canada
Date of Stay: 11/01/08 Review Submitted: 10/04/11

This was our 2nd stay on Kauai and we are so glad we chose the sunny west side of the island this time! Your home is beautiful & the perfect spot for watching the sunsets. The long walks up the beach were outstanding. Most nights, we just couldn’t tear ourselves off the lanai.

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Nice but....

Guest: GregandRita (Grimsby, Ontario, Canada)
Date of Stay: 11/01/08 Review Submitted: 11/19/08

Positive Features: 1) Nicely appointed and comfortable, 2) Separate rooms if travelling with a family, 3) Close to a long beach ideal for walks, 4) Close to Waimea which is a nice town. 5) Great sunsets. 6) Property was well maintained and clean. Negative Features: 1) Insufficient Airconditioning which is important considering the next point as windows had to be left open, 2) Very noisy and busy highway between home and waterfront (traffic heavy between 6am and 11pm) not visible in pictures. 3) Beach no longer in front of property requiring a 1KM drive if you like to bring things to the beach, 4) Master Bedroom bed is a small queen and mattress is shot. Overall, while we made the best of it and enjoyed our stay we would not rent this property again. Misc. Local Area Feedback 1) Napili Riders rocked a must do, 2) Waimea Brewery sucked big time and 3) No real fine dining in the area.

Owner response:We always take a very good look at all guest comments, so we know which areas to improve upon whenever possible. After reading this review, we replaced three of the mattresses in the house, so as of March, 2009, there are 3 brand new beds, all with high end quality mattresses. The a/c has been checked, and maintained. All is working fine. Unfortunately, there is nothing we can do about the road that runs along the ocean throughout the entire length of Kekaha. This isn't unique to our property. The road is in front of every rental house in Kekaha. The trade off is that we have the only spot on the island where you can watch the sunset over the water, we also have the longest beach in the entire state of Hawaii, and we have by far the island's best weather. The benefits of being in sunny west Kauai, far outweigh the one negative, and 99% of my guests agree that it's definitely worth the small compromise.

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Thank you for sharing your beautiful home with us!

Guest: Virginia from Hubbard, OR
Date of Stay: 09/25/08 Review Submitted: 10/04/11

Thank you very much for sharing your beautiful home with us. It was so nice to be in a local community, vs. a resort area. It was so cute watching the local kids ride by on their bikes with their boogie boards. Felt like part of the neighborhood! it was very hard to leave.

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Wish we had stayed here the entire time!

Guest: Jon from New York, NY
Date of Stay: 08/16/08 Review Submitted: 10/04/11

After 5 nights in Princeville, we came to your home for an extended west side weekend. We wish now that we had stayed here the entire time! From exploring the Canyon trails, to gawking at the endless sand beaches, we absolutely loved our time here and can’t wait to come back!

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Thank you so much

Guest: Katherine from Beaverton, OR
Date of Stay: 07/05/08 Review Submitted: 10/04/11

Thank you so much for letting us stay in your beautiful home. The views are amazing. This was our honeymoon, and we can’t think of a better place to spend a week.

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fabulous

Guest: Daryl & Wendy from Chilliwack, BC Canada
Date of Stay: 05/01/08 Review Submitted: 10/04/11

We enjoyed a wonderful 5 days in your beautiful home! The house was designed so well .... and well equipped with everything we needed. We also appreciated how CLEAN the house was. . .fabulous. . .our next condo was not like that, so thank you!

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Best equipped, most organized and cleanest ever!

Guest: Nick from Sammamish, WA
Date of Stay: 03/11/08 Review Submitted: 10/04/11

We had an excellent time. I've rented many places before and I have to say your place was the best equipped, most organized and cleanest ever! I hope to do business with you for a vacation next year as well.

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Awesome Beach House!!!

Guest: cperk (Mesa, AZ)
Date of Stay: 12/01/07 Review Submitted: 12/26/07

What an awesome place to spend my 50th birthday with my whole family! Separate sleeping quarters for the adult children, beautiful sunrise and sunset views, easy access to all south side beaches and just minutes to Waimaea Canyon. We saw whales and spinner dolphins from the lanai. The house had everything we needed including washer and dryer and all the kitchen wares and linens (even beach towels). The house is clean and inviting and includes a sound system, satellite TV and wireless internet. The ocean is just steps away, although there is a two lane highway between the house and the beach - easy to cross, though. The beach is frequented by locals - not tourists - and is part of a 15 mile stretch of sugar sand at the far west end of the south side of Kauai. The kids loved swimming right off the shore (be careful for currents, though - no lifeguards). If you like to be away from it all, this is definitely the spot for you on Kauai. Everyone in the family loved it!

Recommended for:Age 55+, families with teenagers.

This place is as nice as it looks

Guest: ekl01102002 (Kirkland, WA)
Date of Stay: 11/20/07 Review Submitted: 04/10/08

We stayed here over Thanksgiving week in 2007. With a family of 5 (2 being adult-sized teenagers), it isn't easy to find a hotel or condo with enough room for all of us. This place was the perfect solution. Everything was as promised, and Chad was very easy to work with. I would stay here again, and in fact just recommended it to a co-worker, which is why I'm now writing this review. I was reminded of how much we enjoyed our stay - just looking at the pictures makes me want to go back.

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

We had a wonderful vacation

Guest: Cheryl from Thousands Oaks, CA
Date of Stay: 11/03/07 Review Submitted: 10/04/11

We had a wonderful vacation. The house and town were perfect. We made friends with the neighbors and really began to feel like we lived there. Miss the roosters, sunsets and rainbows, and the simplicity of life. Can't wait to go back!

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Loved the private and separate bedrooms

Guest: Robert from Honolulu, HI
Date of Stay: 09/16/07 Review Submitted: 10/04/11

All of us really loved the house and our time on Kauai. WE particularly liked the separate bedrooms - there were folks that wanted to sleep in, take naps, etc. and that made this possible without having to impact the activities in the main part of the house. Thanks again for everything!

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We absolutely enjoyed our stay

Guest: Michael from El Sobrante, CA
Date of Stay: 01/07/07 Review Submitted: 10/04/11

We absolutely enjoyed our stay Hale One Kane Kai. The house is beautiful & in a great location. Waimea is a wonderful little town. We loved Kauai so much we are considering a return trip. We will definitely check your website. Thank you very much!

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We really enjoyed this house

Guest: Jack & LInda From Hoquiam, WA
Date of Stay: 12/20/06 Review Submitted: 10/04/11

Everything was great and we really enjoyed the house. Had a fun trip & I’ll be happy to recommend your place to others. Lots of whales hanging about - surf was up & it was sunny and nice almost all week. Having the wireless connection available is a bonus.

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