Left after 3days could not get in touch with manager house was dirty. Manager came to clean after we left.No air conditioning when there was no breeze the heat was too much could not sleep. The barbeque had no propane. The host asked if we came back he would fill the propane tank.Not a good experience.Lost 4 days paid for at a high rate.
I booked for the waterfront view. It did not disappoint! Out of town, quiet, amazing view. Had everything we needed. Great communication with owner. Also, owner had some great suggestions for shopping and restaurants.
Property was amazing! The view was breathtaking, definitely would love to come back sometime.
What a beautiful home overlooking the ocean. You see local fishermen late at night and early morning fishing off the cliffs surrounding the house. Lots of beautiful decorative touches in the house and lots of ocean exposure. Much has been done to maintain the house against the salt corrosion. Peaceful place far from town to relax
Overall, we loved our stay here. The property was clean, right on the ocean, and at the end of a quiet neighborhood. We loved checking out the local beaches, especially Honomolino, which we basically had to ourselves everytime we went. It is a bit of a trek to get to the house, but we appreciated the relative closeness to some of the top sites we were interested in (Volcano National Park, Punalu'u Beach, etc.). The kitchen was well stocked, which was helpful since a trip to the store is a 30 minute journey. The only issue we had was bugs -- despite vigilant cleaning, we were swarmed with bugs multiple evenings due to pretty sizeable holes in the screens. Without A/C, there's no choice but to keep windows open despite the bugs. New screens throughout the property would help tremendously.
We had such a great time. when some of us wanted to go to the beach and some wanted to stay at the house it went safe and they were content. The house was beautiful and comfortable. We cooked together and there was plenty of room for everyone of the 6 of us.
Several upkeep items- garbage cans full, microwave did not work, fresh water not refilled, some extremely dirty cooking pans, ran out of paper towels, no extra rolls. House was clean, beds were comfy great location on the water.
Maintaining a VRBO property is not easy and is a lot of work, so we understand things won't be perfect, and our stay was not even close to perfect. This property is definitely out of the way and not touristy. It's a long, windy road into a subdivision. It's near the edge of a cliff with no access to the water from the house. The house is in need of some love. It's worn from the salt in the air, dirty, and not well kept. There is no air conditioning, and the house gets very hot! The only way to attempt to cool the home is to open windows and doors. There are screens, however, that doesn't stop the cockroaches from entering, especially when there are holes in the screens. There was a live cockroach in the silverware drawer, which meant we had to wash all dishes prior to use. Cockroaches were in the lower and upper levels of the home, and on the lanai. The home is not clean and needs some work. A fuse blew when operating the coffee maker, toaster and microwave, and after the owner told us where the breaker box was, we flipped the breaker and then the microwave no longer worked. We notified the property manager and he never responded and we had to throw meals away because they needed the microwave. The curtains in the master bedroom don't cover the window behind the bed, and on the sliding glass door, it seems there is an entire panel missing, so there is no is no privacy. This place could be great if it was better maintained.
The location was tremendous, we loved being on the lava rock/ocean. The upkeep of the home itself was less than desirable. I cannot believe you would rent a VRBO with bathroom water damage in that condition! Alot of holes in screens, could not leave those doors open because of large bugs.
Magical and spiritual is the best way to describe the home and surroundings. We had everything we needed and more. Privacy, peaceful, connection and slowing down. Words can’t explain the wonderful experience. Absolutely perfect way to embrace the Aloha spirit! Thank you Mike for helping us slow down to enjoy the beautiful planet we live on.
This is an AWESOME location, with an owner who was very helpful in providing suggestions for exploring the area.The views are so beautiful. It is pretty private and secluded However the property is feels a little rustic.We would definately stay there again!
We rented this home as a landing spot for our daily excursions. The house is right on the water, so sunsets and dolphin watching was spectacular. We wished there was easier access to the water for swimming and snorkeling, but we were able to get in the water via other beaches.
Property was as advertised. Perfect place to stay halfway between kona and helo. Srclued and peacefull.
Beautiful location, well furnished and equipped. Great support from owner. Thoroughly recommend.
The view of Hale Kai second to none! 3 mile road to the house a little tricky to navigate but well worth it once you arrive. The house was accurately described in the listing. Beautiful quiet neighborhood with a great salt pepper beach 5 min drive 20 min hike away. Plan your groceries ahead of time since the nearest grocery store is 40 minutes away. We are Looking forward to coming back to Hale Kai!
Property was very nice and relaxing great views of sunset. Only down side was the road to property but few days mastered that road
Hale Kai is a little piece of heaven with a "lot of personality", to borrow my hubby’s description. It’s rustic (meaning no air conditioning, a few critters, the seaside location magnifies some house wear/tear), but at the same time filled with home comforts, unique artwork, and lots of aloha. It’s away from crowds but it is at the end of the road where locals in the community go to fish off of the rocks. It’s on volcanic rock giving renters a unique place to explore.
The dining room table is on a wonderful lanai. The winds off of the ocean kept us cool enough to be comfortable (house temp ~mid 70’s). Falling asleep to the sound of the waves hitting the beach was our favorite thing about the house!
Since it’s on volcanic rock you won’t find white sand beaches here. The last leg of the drive to get here is a little bit of a challenging one. If you’ve driven in the Smoky Mountains, MD’s Deep Creek Lake, Vermont mountains, or Telluride, the road is similar to that...hilly, steep, and winding. The views getting down to the house are stunning. With the location being right beside the sea, you will need to plan out your days carefully to consolidate driving time.
Hale Kai is one of the best supplied VRBO's we've stayed in. Even things like TP, PT, tissues, olive oil, were available for our use. Upon arrival, Dan had Hawaiian music playing for us. We noticed some tears in screens that once fixed, could help with critters/bug visits. It was a fun and memorable visit!
This location was amazing for views and enjoying the sound and view of the ocean! The house was amazing with all the amenities needed for a week stay. Would recommend having a 4x4 to get to the property. It is not an easy drive to get to neighborhood and is very intimidating the first time you drive it. The drive is worth the views from the house and the lava cliffs tbat are just amazing and serene. Definitely recommend staying here!
If I could pick this house and view up and move it to an easier to get to location, I would give it a much higher rating. The 12 minute very windy road was very hard to handle everyday coming back from a long day out. My kids and I all had to wear sea bands every time we left and came back because of that road made us so car sick. There is nothing to do at the house. No easy accesses to water to swim. There are no decent beaches and no restaurants. We would leave the house in the early morning to make an hour or longer drive to beaches restaurants or other activities we had in mind. We would just stay out all day and then return at night. This was our only place we stayed and that was our fault. I had no idea the amount of driving on windy roads we would have to do to get to anywhere really. I picked this place because it was in the middle of the observatory and the VNP. I should have just chose one place closer to each. We wasted a lot of time in the car.
The house was comfortable and there was plenty of room for us all. It was too hot for us the first night. We are not comfortable sleeping with the doors open, especially with kids sleeping downstairs, so we bought three fans, one for each room. That helped a lot. We left those there. The locals would come down and “party” right in front of the house at night, and it would get very loud. My husband would have to go out and turn the outside lights on to show them we were there.
The location is stunning. The last 3 miles to the house takes almost 15 minutes to drive just that segment. There is a local grocery store about 20-25 minutes away, and aside from that there are some restaurants 45 minutes away. We felt more isolated than the listing conveyed.
Regarding the house, it was adequate & comfortable. There were a lot of little aspects that needed attention though. Broken flapping trim, a smelly dishwasher and washing machine, lots of grime and dead bugs, etc. The tap water is not potable, and there is a dispenser with a 5 gallon jug for drinking water. There was only 1 jug for our 9 day stay. We ran out of water, & despite numerous contacts since day 3 it wasn't replaced until our 7th day.
We were excited to kayak, surf and swim since equipment was referenced. There was no surf board, and the only option to kayak was along a 15 minute rugged hike. The winter swells are strong, & there is no closer option to swim then.
We were excited to use the plunge pool but it was a very cold 75 degrees. With all of these factors we ended up staying around the house for just 1 day. Driving to Hilo, Kona, etc, just be prepared to spend a LOT of time driving. Hilo is 4.5 hours roundtrip, & Kona 2.5+. We drove 30 hours total over a 9 day stay
There were a couple other issues like arriving to a dishwasher full of dirty dishes, and a dryer full of laundry. We reached out to the owner after our stay to explain all of our concerns, but never heard back from him.
We lived this property! The view cannot be beat! You can hear the waves crashing against the sea walls and it’s just magical! There is so much to explore just off site! Our kids had a blast exploring the lava sea cliffs and playing in the tide pools. The neighborhood is quiet, peaceful and safe. We enjoyed having our breakfasts and dinners out in the balcony and the kids loved the soak pool. I would absolutely stay here again!
Gary and Jen B.
Mar 14, 2024
We couldn't say enough about this property and really enjoyed our stay here. The pool was cold so we didn't use it and the only other suggestion is to ensure you are prepared and have what you need. It is a drive to get to the nearest stores, but once you have what you need, staying here is just amazing. The waves, views, sunsets and all is just as advertised. Excellent walking along the rocks/coast close to the property and would advise to have some good hiking boots, or gymshoes at the least. Not for sandals. The rest is just amazing!
The house is beautiful! Great views of water and the whales swimming by. The drive down the hill was very curvy and made the trips in and out very planned. Wish the pool had been a little warmer for swimming, but the top deck is where we did most of our hanging out.
Quiet Location except for the unending ocean sounds! Beautiful view of the ocean and surrounding area. Loved seeing whales from the deck.
The house has definitely rooms with views. Would have loved curtains that fully closed. Visitors to the open lava area next to the house made us a bit uneasy at night.
