This was our first Airbnb experience and I absolutely could not be happier. We’ve been on a ridiculous quest to get our kids to all 50 states, and this was state #50, so a celebration. Much of our quest has been done via trains, and usually in quite frenetic sprints, so for Hawaii we wanted to slow it down and spend most of the nights in the same place. We’ve also never been anywhere truly tropical before.

This place was completely perfect for us. The kids had their own room and bathroom, and the master bedroom with full bathroom, two closets, and lanai is simply refreshing, beautiful, and comfortable. There was so much storage space in the bedroom that we didn’t have to see our suitcases, etc, and were able to keep the room as clear and airy as it was when we first walked in. We slept with the lanai door open, preferring the sound of the ocean waves and breeze to the air conditioner. The mattress was very comfortable and I am not easy to please in that regard. I woke up each morning looking right out over the ocean. I’d be up before everyone else, at dawn, so I’d go downstairs and open that lanai and have my slow morning with the ocean without waking anyone else up.
Downstairs is also very open and comfortable. There are ocean views galore, and heavy shades you can draw when you leave to help keep the place cool and private. We didn’t use the air conditioners when present, again preferring the ocean, but we’d close things up and turn them on when we left for day trips, so we’d come home to a cool environment. That worked well and the air conditioners functioned fine. The place is pleasantly decorated and there are little touches to make the stay easier and more enjoyable throughout. There is a closet full of water toys- boogie boards, noodles, masks and snorkels, little kid beach toys, fishing gear, etc. We thought we’d need to rent equipment but what was there served our purposes perfectly, so saved us time and money. Your mileage may vary based on your party size and what is available, but definitely check out what is there before you purchase or rent anything. There was some sunscreen there, but I get the impression that may vary in amount. We left what we did not want to pack for home, and I suspect others do as well. Likewise, there was laundry soap and bleach, but we use a sensitive skin type, so left an almost full container of that. The washer and dryer are new and large capacity. Beach towels were also provided in addition to the bath towels. All of this was so helpful- when you get there, you have everything you need to hit the beaches.
Likewise with the kitchen, check out what is there before shopping. Our flight got in earlier than check-in time, so we had lunch and thought we’d shave time by buying our groceries before heading over. That worked great, except that the place is so well stocked, it turned out we bought many things we didn’t need to (and groceries in Hawaii are expensive!). The kitchen has just about everything you’d need to cook and minimize eating out. Mark made sure the propane in the grill was filled before our arrival. When I noticed a couple things that would be helpful and suggested them to Mark, he offered to have them run over (A can opener was missing and I couldn’t find a broom- little things like that. I declined the offer to have them run over because we didn’t feel we needed them and our trip was almost over, and thus he was going to add them before the next guests- Mark is very responsive and accommodating with every communication.).
This is a beautiful home with amazing views and a great location. We saw both whales and dolphins right off the lanai. It is walking distance (10 minutes) into downtown Kona, which is very helpful during peak traffic times (between 4-6pm Kona can be gridlocked- if you need to go to a grocery store, there is one just 5 or so minutes south of the rental, which can be much easier to get to than the Safeway in town during the busy hours). The walking distance is also perfect if you are doing the luau at the Royal Kona Resort, since there are unlimited mai-tais offered and you wont have to worry about driving. It’s also just a very pleasant walk in the evening. I highly recommend the farmers market in town for fruits and veggies, though you’d probably want to drive in for that unless you don’t mind carrying them back. There is some great local art a couple minutes drive south from the rental at the Ali'i Gardens Marketplace.
The location is also excellent for launching to beaches. Kahalu’u Beach Park is just a couple minutes south and is renowned for its snorkeling. It’s also a popular turtle spot and there is surfing. It’s not a large beach and not great for boogie boarding or sand play, but if you want snorkeling with beautiful fish, you can’t beat it. It’s a black sand/salt and pepper beach, so hot on the feet. If you want secluded and gorgeous white sand beach, google Makalawena beach. It’s about a half hour north of the rental and positively jaw dropping. You hike by a couple other beaches on the way that are also beautiful. There are no services at Makalawena, but the payoff is that there will be very few people there and it’s just incredible. If you want that white sands with services and no hike to get there, check out Hapuna Beach, just a little further north. We did not go there, but it’s been rated the best beach in the country several times. It sounds/looks like Makalawena but with services and easy access (and