I've read all of the previous reviews and think we must have got the wrong place!

The description of the accommodation was of a studio, including kitchenette. While a bedroom with en-suite that is part of someone’s permanent house may be described in Hawaii as a studio, this was definitely not we expected to find upon our arrival. The kitchenette was just a very small bar fridge with a small microwave sitting on top, alongside a small set of shelves that housed a few polystyrene plates, two glasses, and one knife and a couple of forks and spoons. Essentially there was no place to cook or even prepare food, rather all one could do was perhaps warm up some takeaway food. Since we were staying at the “studio” for 5 days over Xmas, we did not intend to have takeaway, rather we intended to cook a meal (particularly after having survived a week of fast food in Waikiki).

Access to the studio was via a makeshift pathway alongside the house. Air-conditioning comprised a window mounted air cooler that meant the blinds to the bedroom could not close allowing the neighbours to look straight in. It also made it very difficult to get out of bed as the bed was pushed up against the cooler.

The walls between the studio and the rest of the house were very thin allowing conversations in the house proper to be easily overheard, dogs barking, baby crying and toilet flushing and showering to be very loud, plus a party until 2am one night (however they did apologise for the party noise).

The previous door access to the house proper from the “studio” was covered over with a doona (duvet) stapled to the door.

We felt like we were intruding as if we needed to ask anything we had to knock on their door. There was no instruction booklet left in the room so we had to interrupt Maile and Colin a few times. Maile did mentioned that it was damaged and she'd get it to us but that didn't eventuate. So it is possible that we didn't know some things about the place.

While this accommodation may be suitable for a surfer accessing the excellent waves of the North Shore, I would not recommend it to those wanting quiet, self-contained accommodation.

On a positive note though, it is close to some amazing surf beaches but overall, a disappointment accommodation wise.