We had a great 20th Anniversary stay at Edna and Carl’s!! From the moment the warm tropical air surrounds you as you descent the stairs from the airplane, you know you are in Paradise. Edna and her co-host Jeanette make sure that you can find the condo (google maps is wrong, they have it pinned across the Kaukini Hwy and a block down), and have kindly stocked the unit with items to start off for your stay. We loved playing with the cute gecko’s on the patio, watching the mongooses roam the grounds and dragonflies above the pool as well as listening to the exotic bird calls. The pool, hot tub and 4 BBQs are wonderful. This is a Perfect location in Kailua Kona as restaurants, beaches and bars are a short walk away and the trolley will take you to everything else in town and beaches south of town.
That being said, this is not 5 star accommodation, at best 3 star. The kitchen is tiny, requires juggling to cook and there is no real bathroom, only a shower and toilet, right off the kitchen with no electrical outlets. Pictures when I booked didn’t show this, the listing has been updated since. So after using the toilet you must wash your hands in the kitchen sink (hopefully no dishes or food is close by). I had to clean the coffee cups and the water reservoir in the coffee maker as water residue had not been cleaned so many tiny ants were in there feasting on the residue when we arrived. Cleaning dishes etc. should not be left up to the guests. The bottom 12 inches of the outer shower curtain was covered in pink slimy stuff which I had to wash before using. The cupboards are MDF with paper covering them that is peeling off. The large knives are dangerous as they are not sharp, the dishes, glasses and sheets are old odds and ends, the 3 bath towels are shabby, (we were offered more towels/linen but they should have been there on our arrival) there is an old electric fry pan which saves the day, believe me, if the 4 BBQ’s are in full use, but the teflon is worn and there is also a hot plate. The sofa bed (not advertised) has seen better days. We stayed for 28 nights planning primarily on grilling meat on the BBQ’s and purchasing ready made salads and fruit/veggies, spending $450 at Costco the first morning. Next morning however, all the veggies and fruit, almond milk (6 cartons), pop, a glass with juice, eggs were frozen solid. Half of what we bought had to be thrown out.
The complex was built in 1969 as a hotel (zoned 1 parking spot for every 3 units). Parking is very tight, but you can park on the highway. The complex is being renewed by the HOA, pool was recently resurfaced - very nice and new hot tub. Unit owners are also renovating their units as they are 50 years old. My husband was in the shower all soaped up when the water was turned off for 3 hours for someone’s renovation. We learned quickly that YOU MUST READ ALL THE SIGNS POSTED AROUND THE COMPLEX. They will warn you of, for example,
1. Water is being turned off. From 8 am to 5 pm we heard construction noise (banging, drilling, nailing, scraping) from a renovation one floor up.
2. Which buildings are being fumigating for bugs (not ours and not an issue for us, as I always say “If you are afraid of bugs, don’t go to the Tropics”). There were 2 dead cockroaches by the far side of the bed on arrival but live ones after the fumigation. They tend to migrate.
3. If the laundry is being closed for renovations. Of the 28 days, we were booked, 10 days the laundry was closed. We checked out the laundry facilities on the first day, however, when we went to do our laundry a week or so later, there was a note on the door saying the laundry would be closed for 10 days!! We only brought clothes for so many days so had to buy more or wash by hand. The cost of a cycle in the laundry went from $1.50 to $2.75. That is a lot of quarters and the change making machine had NO coin, the people at the desk would not help and banks will not give you any coin if you don’t have an account. Very annoying after waiting as long as we did to do laundry.
4. The Wall-People who live on the beach across the road wander the complex offering drugs. We didn’t go to that beach, although they seemed harmless, their numbers doubled or tripled at night and they were loud. Signs said Cameras were on.
Edna has no control over some of these things but if the HOA gives notice to owners of some of these things taking place, Edna or Jeanette should send an email to guests to warn them, for example, we could have done our laundry the day before it closed and saved up even more coin. If the HOA does not give notice, then instructions to guests should clearly state that signs posted around the complex NEED to be read as these happenings DO effect your stay.
All things considered, we enjoyed our stay in Kailua Kona, Edna and Jeanette were lovely, pool is great, bed is comfortable, but there were things that we were grinning and bearing. We would not return as, for the price, there are other places close by to try.