A cute little place under the shade of tropical fruit trees. It's gotten a bit worn down since the pictures in the listing were taken, but still met our needs. It's close to other houses on most sides with sheer curtains on most of the windows, but we didn't encounter other people very often. When I first entered on a 90-degree afternoon, it was warm and stuffy, but within 10 minutes of opening windows and turning on ceiling fans, it was totally cool and comfortable. The breezes were constant and made such a huge difference! The electronic door lock made check-in and beach trips easy (no keys!)
The store across the street is cute, and you can walk through the neighborhood behind it to a little beach (also next to Mama's Fish House) that always seems to have at least a few turtles. It's in a shallow rocky cove with a soft sandy shore and would make a great little wading pool for small children. The road is very busy, with a pretty narrow shoulder, so not that pleasant to walk to other beaches or into town. We rented bikes, but with hills and headwinds, it's pretty tiring to ride just a couple miles. If you go that route, I recommend high gears or e-bikes (both of which are available in Paia).
The beach half a mile to the west is pretty decent, with a bit of shade, mild surf, some underwater rockiness, and frequent turtles. It seems to attract mostly locals and at times I felt a bit like an intruder. My favorite beach turned out to be Baldwin Beach, just on the other side of Paia. There's plenty of parking if you want to drive, and it's a long beach with soft sand running all the way into the water. You can walk into the water past the shorebreak and bob around comfortably at a 4-5' depth with a soft sandy bottom. Some waves get enough curl for bodysurfing, and overall it reminds me of my favorite beaches on windward Oahu. It's also a great beach for walking/running. Tons of people walking their dogs! The main downside is the wind, which can get pretty strong.
Overall, it was a nice trip, and John was a great host. Accommodating and easy to communicate with.