The space:
This listing is not well marked on the rental listings, which may cause some confusion. Let's clear it up..it has FIVE glorious rooms! The main floor has the double bedroom, powder room, and the king room with the bathroom in the room with you (no privacy). Just outside off the balcony outside, there is access to a third queen room that must use the powder room or go downstairs for bathroom needs. Outside and down the stairs, you will find two king rooms, each with their own bathroom, a kitchenette with fridge to share, and an outdoor bathroom.
Positives:
- Good location and great view. Kona essentials are relatively close via car and the view of the ocean from the back is really lovely.
- Spacious and good for groups. We had an extended family stay and it worked out great to feel like we had our own space (this actually has 5 bedrooms!) whilst still having our own space.
- Big pool. The pool is relatively large and it worked out great for the children. We loved all the chairs and tables available to spread out and enjoy.
Challenges:
- Managed by a property management company that is difficult to reach and not super communicative. They refused to use the Airbnb message system, preferring to communicate via email despite Airbnb suggesting to keep communication within the app. They require lots of paperwork in advance, but seem a bit confused about how safe travels Hawaii works and when you get cleared with qr codes. They tried to charge us an outrageous additional fee to check in a few hours early so we declined. They were always quick to respond but not particularly helpful or efficient.
- Damaged. It has definitely deteriorated since the listing photos were taken. There were lots of wear and tear, with quite a few safety hazards as well (missing panels on stairway railings and ladders left out to step over). The ceiling in one of the downstairs bathrooms leaked nasty water on our heads throughout our stay and no one was sent to fix it.
- Labels everywhere with way too many rules. It set everyone on edge to have so many labels and rules everywhere. Many labels and notes threatened additional fees if the demands were not met (do all the laundry before you go, take out the trash in certain cans on certain days, don't touch the giant pool vac taking up half the pool, etc). Some were helpful (light switches), but others were just sort of overwhelming (like trash and bug commands). It would be nice to have a central place to get all of this information, rather than having to hope we read the right label or note in the right place.
- Not super accessible for anyone with any special needs. The steps are steep and can be a challenge for those older or younger to navigate.. especially when wet or dark.
Other notes:
We stayed for a week during the omicron surge of Covid 19. As with most places at the moment, there is a shortage of just about everything from labor to goods and services. All things considered, the big island is coping well and is as beautiful and as enjoyable as ever. The house is in a really nice neighborhood amongst some gorgeous homes and landscaping. It was clean, and there were lots of goodies left by previous guests to be enjoyed. It may not be my first choice for a return trip to Kona, but I would certainly consider staying again.