This is my first Airbnb review that's been less than 5 stars. We certainly enjoyed our stay, but not without exceptions. The location, layout, and decor for the Kumu house were all great. It's an easy walk from a local beach (we saw turtles there on 1 of 3 visits!) and from a great poke spot just off Ali'i.
Waking up to the sounds of birds was great, and the house is located in a quiet little side road that feels very peaceful. The house was very clean, and thoughtfully appointed with beach gear and bathroom essentials.
Unfortunately, when we checked in we discovered that the front door didn't lock, which was a security concern our hosts didn't really address with the sense of urgency we'd hoped for, so we had to essentially barricade ourselves in on the first night in order to put some of the people in our group at ease. The hosts did repair the front door on our second day, and were friendly and courteous, but it was frustrating to lose the start of our first morning on the island while waiting for a repair visit.
As our stay in Kona continued, we encountered a few other (admittedly minor) shortcomings, all in the kitchen supplies. There's a barbecue grill for guest use, but no spatula or cleaning brush to use with it. Cling wrap and tin foil were labeled in drawers, but empty. The frying pan was badly damaged, flaking Teflon. Trying to use the chef knife was an exercise in frustration that drove me to buy a new knife on the island just so I could appreciate (not mutilate) the fantastic local produce Hawaii has to offer.
Don't get me wrong, we certainly enjoyed our stay, but not without these caveats. Our hosts were friendly and polite, but it felt evident that they're managing multiple properties. My overall impression was good but not perfect; more like a hotel, and less like staying at someone's treasured beach home, than we'd hoped for when we booked it.