First and foremost, to call Maria and Bernie “hosts” simply does not do them justice. I communicated most with Bernie on site who is all of the following things: a story teller, a chauffeur, a landscaper, a compass, a directory, a student counselor, a family therapist, a garbage man, a groundskeeper, a handyman, a search & rescue facilitator, a dorm mom, a travel advisor, a weatherman…and everyone’s uncle.
Now on to the facility. There is a dormitory-like section with shared bedrooms, bathrooms, common areas, a couple private rooms (like the loft) and a private house. The loft is adorable and exactly as pictured. Air conditioning is available but we found it to be totally unnecessary with the cross breeze from both windows maintaining a very comfortable temperature (even a little chilly at night). The private rooms are opposite the dorm section of the house and bathrooms, kitchen, showers and the lanai are shared spaces. It was pretty busy on and off during our stay but bathrooms and showers were always available. If you’re open to meeting new people and staying in a super unique place, this is your jam. Guests are instructed to keep noise to a minimum during certain hours but since I am a really light sleeper, I found earplugs to be helpful during early evening (although everyone was very courteous of the house rules).
The house is spotless. All things considered, I couldn’t believe how clean everything was. Bernie and Maria run a tight ship and the entire place is kept immaculate. The lanai is a great place to have coffee, work remotely (if necessary), have dinner, watch tv, play cards, etc. There is also a garden and a couple hammocks on property for r&r. The property is conveniently located right across the street from the beach and within walking distance of hikes and additional beach areas.
I had the pleasure of hanging out a bit with Maria and her son Kulani during the miscalculation of a hiking adventure and the whole family is just really wonderful. They are such genuine people who’s idea grew into a vision and evolved into what it is today (which is unlike anything I’ve seen before personally). Almost as if a hostel and bed and breakfast had a baby…except you do your own grocery shopping and cooking. I’m hoping to get back to this place one day in the future but in the interim, highly recommend it to anyone planning a trip to the beautiful North Shore.