The Onion House "Architecture so full of life it seems to breathe"

This was our first trip to the Big Island of Hawaii and in choosing which island we wanted to vacation on it was decide when we discovered The Onion House was available for rent. We can say that the The Onion House did not disappoint. The property seems to be restored to it’s original design by Kellogg and his idea of organic architecture. All week we continued to discover how all of the non symmetrical construction fit together. The views of the ocean and sunset were so well planned. It was as if you we living outside while inside, only screens and glass to surround you while on the inside. There was no air conditioning and it was not needed with air flow in and vented through the roof. With Kellogg being a study of Frank Lloyd Wright was interesting to me. I have had the opportunity to have completed many construction projects at the Arizona Biltmore a Wright inspired property.

We toured the entire island that has so many diffent climates you can travel through in a day. The property managers and owners did everything they could to make your experience at The Onion House great. We would definitely do this trip again such a great time.

Mahalo

Debra, Michael, Hadley, Michelle

My family stayed at the Onion House both in May and December 2018. My husband and I went in May with two beloved 20-somethings, and we had such a fabulous time, I returned last week (mid December) with my brother and our 87 year old mother. SO GOOD!! I have decided that the Onion House is our Hawaii home away from home. The description of the Onion House on their website and the photos are very accurate. Don't stay at the Onion House if you are looking for an air conditioned, corporate, sanitary, modern space. GO to the Onion House for remarkable privacy, beautiful organic architecture, tropical breezes, wonderful gardens, inspiring artwork, amazing sunsets, fascinating history, sweet little geckos, and the occasional bug :-) This is an extremely comfortable retreat, that is perfectly centrally located on the Big Island. I can't wait to return already!

We cannot say enough about the experience that is the Onion House. There truly is nothing else like it. The house is well stocked with bedding, towels, kitchen supplies and laundry. The beds are comfortable. There is plenty of outdoor furniture for dining and relaxing. We did however have a few issues and were disappointed by the lack of response from management. The pool was a mess the entire time we were there. We never felt comfortable getting in despite the heat in the afternoons. We messaged the manager in the morning about the pool, but no one came to check it until the next day. The cleaning helped, but only for the day. It was murky and dirty again within 24 hours. The information about the property mentioned there are bugs and geckos. Unfortunately during the time we were there millipedes were everywhere. The manager mentioned the millipedes when we checked in and left several brooms and dustpans to scoop them up. At first we thought we could deal with them. However, after we had literally caught and disposed of hundreds of them inside the house, they started to impact the enjoyment of our vacation. Finally, despite the netting around the bed and our diligence keeping doors shut, one crawled onto us in bed during the night. At that point we decided we could no longer stay and cut our time at Onion House short. We informed the manager about the millipedes and pool (again) after we had packed up and moved to the Sheraton, but never got any response. We would at least have appreciated some sort of response, apology or partial credit. Very disappointing conclusion to our trip.

We loved staying at the Onion House, an excellent example of American Organic Architecture of the 1960s and 1970s. The house feels like a strong cuter that grew, instead of being constructed. It functions more like a glamorous tent than a typical house. Entirely open except for the two bathrooms, it would only be possible in the amazing climate - no air conditioning here, and we did not miss it. The pool is amazing as it nestled up against the house. The house is at the edge of a large neighborhood and near a major road, but you would not know. The views from the pool platform over the amazing garden are over the neighbors and the trees of the garden screen the other neighbors. Spectacular sunset views.

Not for the bug or reptile phobic, as some of these will get into the house during your stay. The reptiles are only tiny bright green anole lizards about 3 inches long.

What a wonderful stay.

Like living inside a work of art.