Do NOT pass this house up if you're planning a visit to Kona or the surrounding area. We had a fantastic visit and are already working on making another stay happen as soon as we can!
After looking at the pictures of the Aolani House you may think my statement of "The pictures do not do the place justice" would be exaggerated but it's true. Standing by the infinity pool looking out over the macadamia nut and coffee fields to the Pacific ocean while all your stress and worries melt away is not something that can really be conveyed in a picture.
The house is located close enough to town to be within a quick car ride while maintaining the feeling of being completely isolated from the hustle and bustle of the vacation crowds. Once you enter the gated property we all had the feeling that we were on our own private island location. The house has incredible features and finishes and we wanted for nothing during our stay. The only downside is the house and view are so amazing that we didn't feel like leaving it to do the activities we had planned for that day.
The very few times we needed help from Heather the caretaker, she responded quickly and helped to resolve any issue we had. Initially, we were concerned about having the caretaker living on the property while we'd be staying there. We thought that we wouldn't have the privacy we desired during our stay. Nothing could have been farther from the truth. If we didn't call Heather with a question or issue that caused her to come over I don't think we would have seen her the entire stay. She was that unobtrusive. Heather is such a genuinely nice and helpful person that she should be listed as one of the assets to renting the property on the Airbnb page. It was such a benefit having Heather living on the property. The few times we needed help we didn't have to wait a long time for her to drive over from somewhere far away. She was steps away and would show up quickly to help resolve our issue. Not that we expected her to be at our beck and call during our entire stay as she does have a life of her own, but her proximity to the property is definitely a plus over other properties where the caretaker can be far away in some cases.
If this house is too large for you they have a smaller two bedroom cottage that is separate from the main house that is just as nice. Heather gave us a tour of the cottage and if we come back with fewer guests this will be the place we stay at.