Mary knows how to take care of her guests. Not only is her remodeled studio tastefully decorated (so many tropical rentals can be hokey), really nice and really clean, but it offers amenities that go above and beyond what is expected that made us feel right at home.

To begin with, the standard niceties were top notch: The shower was pristine with great water pressure and a jacuzzi tub, the washer/dryer was brand new (small loads only), wifi was fast, the kitchen had all the appliances needed (including garbage disposal), the A/C unit worked great, ceiling fans were new and very quiet, and the bed - omigod the king-size bed - sooooo comfortable. It all was just super comfy and made it easy to feel at home.

The complex was great too. It's conveniently located just south of town (next to a great little coffee shop) so you can easily bike if you need to. If biking isn't your thing, Mary has a parking space conveniently located just outside the unit too. The pool was also great (just as pictured) -- right on the water -- and Mary even has partial ocean views from her back porch too.

But it is the details that made the difference. For the beach, Mary offers big, plush beach towels, chairs, a beach bag and a cooler. She also offers two bikes! But more than that, she is thoughtful enough to also offer two helmets, bike locks, tire pump and even a backpack to take with you. The kitchen was stocked too. She offers tons of dishes, tupperware, a magic bullet for smoothies/drinks/whatever, and even a nice selection of plastic dishware for the beach (we used the wine glasses for some celebratory beach drinks. A bunch of other much-appreciated details include extra keys, a nice ukulele (which I played quite a bit), a Big Island guidebook and a few more things I'm probably forgetting.

Lastly, it should be noted that the unit is facing the main road. BUT, despite this, there is minimal street noise (the unit has nice windows), so it wasn't an issue for us at all. Besides, the back balcony more than made up for it.

All in all, a great stay in a great place. We would definitely stay there again.