Kona Bali Kai

"This is a very nice, updated, modern condo in a great location right on the ocean with a "to die for" view from the lanai. The building has covered parking and a pool, although the pool and surrounding deck will be closed for renovation sometime next year (2018). The owners live a mile away, but only for 6 months of the year. They live on the mainland and/or are traveling the rest of the time, but reachable by cell phone/email. A caretaker is used when the owners are off the island, and she was very helpful during our stay. We appreciated the direct booking with the owner which saved us some money. However, there are a few negatives. Be prepared for a long list of rules, including doing some laundry before you leave. We paid a cleaning fee which should include all laundry. We had to launder the beach towels, and it was requested, but not mandated, that we wash the sheets. A limited amount of the basics are supplied initially, but if you run out of things like toilet paper, paper towels, body wash, etc., you will need to replace them. We couldn't even find an extra garbage bag in the condo. Due to allergies to scented laundry detergent, we requested that laundry detergent free of dyes and perfumes be used to wash the sheets and towels before we arrived. The owners accommodated our request, but because there was a caretaker at the time of our stay, we were charged for both the new laundry detergent and her time. It seemed a little petty. Even though we got to keep the detergent (but had no intention or way of bringing home to the mainland), the owner could have kept it and used for future guests. We made the same request of the owners of the place we stayed at in Hilo, and they cheerfully accommodated our request without a charge. The place in Hilo uses a caretaker all year long, as the owners are never in residence. Overall, we were happy with the condo and its quiet location close to many of the sights we explored."