I thought long and hard about writing this review, and ultimately decided it could help another future guest avoid the situation I was in.
Upon arrival, I had two suitcases, my own sheets and blanket, a laptop and large purse. Akiko made it clear that I would not be able to bring those items into the place I was supposed to stay in. It is actually a one bedroom, with a sizeable living room and bedroom that could have easily accommodated my items. She stated that people come there to heal, and that I had too many things.
Second, there was no lock on the front door. She stated that it is a safe place, with monks and yogis that are there.
1) It doesn't matter how safe a place is, as a female traveler having a lock on the door is a must for me. Most importantly, this needs to be in the description of the place if there is no lock, for people to be able to make their own decision prior to booking.
2) I have never had a host or hotel control how many bags I can bring. The marketing of the rentals need to be changed, because I checked to see if I could work remotely prior to coming and she confirmed. I did not book this place only to mediate and do yoga, and if it was advertised as a meditation center (it should be renamed), then I would not have booked it. My plan was to work remotely, and attend a yoga class when I had the time.
Since I booked it for a month, and we agreed that it would be best that I leave, I then found myself in an incredibly difficult situation since it is high season on Big Island. I would not want this to happen to someone else. I did receive a full refund, and did apologize for not letting Akiko know of my baggage, but the truth is I did not have an unreasonable amount of baggage, and the lack of a lock on the door needs to be disclosed incase someone does not feel comfortable with that. I would not want another guest to go through what I did, or feel kicked out/abandoned especially by what is supposed to be a meditation center.