There is a lot of family love in this home, making us sorry to give such an example of “old Hawaii” a poor review. It is a 10/10 for its location, but it needs improvements to live up to its description as an “exceptional vacation rental experience.” The views are spectacular, but the house is not well maintained. Cushions, pillows, sheets, and beach towels were old and grungy. Outdoor furniture is minimal (chipped wooden chaise, a broken picnic bench, and plastic chairs) and we had to stack cushions on the lanai chairs for comfort. If you travel with elderly, steps are tricky and the driveway is steep. We kept the house clean, but a cockroach flew into my pillowcase in the upstairs bedroom. The trundle in the 2nd bedroom did not fit under the bed, creating a tripping hazard. In the kitchen, the chef’s knife broke the first time we used it, and the coffee maker’s red “clean” light was on. No ice machine, just trays. The bottles of soap in the bathrooms and kitchen had been watered down; you could see the soap floating on top of a layer of water, and it wouldn’t lather. The WiFi only connected to the internet sporadically, so we could not use the smart TV or connect our phones consistently.Finally, there is only AC in the bedrooms. It was miserably hot in August and we couldn’t enjoy any of the common areas due to the oppressive heat. Helen is responsive, but if we had known all this ahead of time we would’ve booked elsewhere. It was not a good value for the price.
This home was great. Great location, very easy check in, beautiful home, beautiful views, good layout, nice hosts (they even checked in on us during the tsunami warning), all in all loved it. I have 2 complaints... first is having no ac throughout the home. During family dinner, or just family time in general, while in the kitchen or any family area in the home it wasnt very comfortable or relaxing due to the heat. The only ac units are window units in each bedroom, which worked so we were able to sleep well at night.Secondly, the seating and shade issues on the beach deck area. There is a bench but no real comfy seating to enjoy the view and hang out. There is also no real shade either, no umbrella or pop up canopy available. The picture below shows the little shade we were able to find. But other than those small complaints, I'd stay here again. Thank you
Stunning views, best snorkeling location, short walk to fun beach. Entire family loved it!
Broken lawn chairs and picnic tables that fell over upon sitting. Dirty socks greeted us upon arrival. Cockroaches in rooms where basic cleaning would have gotten. AC not on upon arrival so house was extremely hot. Messaged host about these issues when my stay was over and simply received a “Mahalo” Beautiful area and neighborhood tho. Overall okay stay!
Incredible Villa for our family reunion and my 70 t( birthday celebration.
Great location and overall spacious, it is not a modern home but mostly comfortable. We very much enjoyed the patio on the ocean. Afternoons got very hot in the main area of the home as there is no AC, only in the bedrooms so rest time was often in the bedroom. The driveway area to park was very steep and difficult. We rented a pickup truck and van to accommodate our family and luggage and we struggled with parking. BUT the views and yard made up for it, very beautiful!
Lots of great activities and beeches close. Water was calm and visibility was good. Lots of turtles.
What an amazing stay we had at Lu'uwai's at Makena Landing! The location is the best we have ever had an any of the many VRBOs we have rented. The snorkeling is one of the top places on the island. We spent many hours on the deck by the water where you can watch snorkelers, go for a swim, watch beautiful sunsets and stargaze.
The house is fully equipped and is as described in the listing. We really appreciated the homey Hawaiian feel to the house.
It is an easy two minute walk to Makena Landing with great snorkeling and fun boogie boarding. It is a short ride to many other beautiful beaches including Big Beach.
Helen was very easy to work with, gracious, responded promptly and made our stay pleasurable.
It was a perfect vacation for the whole family. We look forward to returning to this magical spot!
Makena Landing or now known as "Helen's Place" is a one of a kind vacation destination on Maui. The waterfront location is perfect for swimming with the turtles or just a quick dip to cool off. Take extra care when getting in and out of the water on the lava rocks. The ocean can get a little rough at times. The huge grass yard is ideal for star gazing at night and the covered lanai is perfect for outdoor dining. Everyone has their own room and bathroom, so there's plenty of privacy.
It's also an ideal location for exploring beautiful sand beaches just a few miles south. I've stayed there twice now and I will definately be back.
We all had a fabulous time at Helen’s place. We have stayed at this property before and plan to come back again. The snorkeling right off the property is amazing!!!! The views are second to none and Helen is a fantastic host who is very responsive. Worth every penny.
WE had a great stay. Plenty of room for the family. There were 11 of us (6 adults and 5 grown kids). the outside entry to the upstairs bedrooms was very convenient and gave each group privacy and at the same time a feeling of being all together. The views were amazing. Makena is special and just remote enough to be peaceful. Great snorkeling and turtle watching right in front of the property. We loved it.
First time taking the family to Maui. Great little place right on the ocean.
Our family with three adult children and all of their spouses and all of our grandkids, ages 2-14 stayed during the Holiday 'break', 2023. Everything we wanted and needed was right there. Comfort in the house, in the yard, a place to jump into the ocean for the best snorkeling in Maui, a turtle beach within feet of the house, and a small, public beach within 2 minutes walking distance of the house. Plenty of adventure within our little paradise of a property. This is our third time at Makena House. The first was when my son married a Maui girl and arranged for us to stay here. Paradise for the entire Hallagin Ohana!
My cheeks hurt…from smiling!
This is the real “Turtle Town.” Also plenty of whale sightings. No need to spend money for snorkel and/or whale watching cruises.
Stay at this older house to really enjoy Maui as it used to be: no road noise, no high rise buildings in sight!
Thank you, Helen!
The house is perfectly situated on Makena Bay if you love snorkeling. It is right on the water with the most amazing views. I loved that each bedroom had it's own bathroom. One drawback was that one of the bedrooms has a single and a trundle bed which isn't ideal for a couple. Helen was very responsive and sent me back a make up case I had forgotten. We had a hitch in the beginning but it was settled amicably.
Joseph and Jessie M.
Jul 24, 2023
Not clean not ADA good location
Joseph and Jessie M.
Jul 24, 2023
Not clean not ADA good location
A lovely house right on the water. Snorkeled and saw turtles right off the rocks. The kitchen was very well stocked and the beds were comfortable. The beach towels were much appreciated. One thing the description does not mentions is there are a lot of stairs especially if one stays on the second floor. It was not an issue for our group but it is something to keep in mind.
A lovely house right on the water. Snorkeled and saw turtles right off the rocks. The kitchen was very well stocked and the beds were comfortable. The beach towels were much appreciated. One thing the description does not mentions is there are a lot of stairs especially if one stays on the second floor. It was not an issue for our group but it is something to keep in mind.
We had such a wonderful stay at Helen’s house. The location was perfect. Just a short walk to Makena Landing Park or around a half-mile easy walk to the beautiful Maluaka Beach. The snorkeling in front of the house was amazing, we spotted turtles every day! We hope to stay here again.
We had such a wonderful stay at Helen’s house. The location was perfect. Just a short walk to Makena Landing Park or around a half-mile easy walk to the beautiful Maluaka Beach. The snorkeling in front of the house was amazing, we spotted turtles every day! We hope to stay here again.
We were so happy with this beautiful home with incredible views. We watched boat tours with snorkelers and kayaks come every day to see the turtles. We loved walking to the beach, snorkeling and playing in the yard. Very close to high end hotels with great restaurants. We couldn’t have asked for a better private home in Maui.
We were so happy with this beautiful home with incredible views. We watched boat tours with snorkelers and kayaks come every day to see the turtles. We loved walking to the beach, snorkeling and playing in the yard. Very close to high end hotels with great restaurants. We couldn’t have asked for a better private home in Maui.
I loved my stay at this house!!! I didn’t want to leave. The view is second to none. I can’t wait to come back.
Great stay filled with relaxing by the water, snorkeling and many sea turtle sightings! What is not to love about this spot - truly one of a kind right on the water.
What a lovely home in a beautiful and peaceful location, right on the water near Makena Landing.
Plenty of space inside and outside. The covered lanai, side patio and front lawn provide many relaxing options. We watched sunset and the stars. What a view!
The steep driveway is not for the faint of heart however once out of the car this property is stunning and welcoming.
Amazing location on coast for snorkeling and ocean views, great backyard and back patio. Accommodated our three families reasonably well, as multiple kids (aged 10-21) we’re tired enough to not be bothered by sleeping on foldaway foam pads on the floor. Kitchen and grill worked well for us, and we ate indoor/outdoor. A/C units in each bedroom kept sleeping temps okay, but little cross ventilation beyond ceiling fans. We came to Maui for the outdoors and activities, and this house was a perfect landing point for us. Not fancy, but functional and well kept.
Home provided Ohana time with gorgeous views of Maui. Swimming, snorkeling, stargazing and body surfing were endless - we even got a Moon Set in the second night. Spacious, clean and stocked with everything you need. Owner takes pride in ALL the details. Will definitely come again.
