Going into our month-long stay at Paul’s place, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I wasn’t familiar with the Waikoloa Village area, and my husband was worried about not having air conditioning. We have two young kids (4 & 1), and we were looking for space where they could play and have a nearby park. I worked remotely, so we needed both a three-bedroom place and Wi-Fi to support video calls throughout the day.
Fast forward to the end of our visit, and we were longing to stay. It’s fair to say that our stay exceeded our expectations in every way and ranks among the best places we’ve rented.
Here is a rundown of our selection criteria and how Paul’s place stacked up:
Wi-Fi: Worked perfectly. We routinely had multiple devices streaming video and didn’t have a single issue.
Three bedrooms: Bedrooms/layout worked great for us. The living quarters for this section of the rental are all on the same floor. The master was very spacious and had a patio door to the deck that we kept open at night.
No air conditioning: We were concerned about this going into the rental. My husband LOVES air conditioning and was worried he wouldn’t be able to sleep. We were thrilled to find it wasn’t an issue at all. The trade winds kept the house plenty cool (even in the heat of the day), and the house cools down pleasantly at night. We enjoyed having the house open, which allowed us to hear the birds and listen to the wind in the morning and evenings. There were only a few hours out of our month in Paul’s place that we thought it felt warm, and even that was very tolerable. Don’t let the lack of air conditioning dissuade you.
Entertaining the kiddos: Originally, Paul’s house was appealing because it had a yard where we thought the kids would play. We learned that the yard has a slight slope, which made it harder for our 1-year old. We ended up not even using the yard because both kids were fascinated with the deck. The gorgeous wrap-around deck connects three sides of the house, and they were fascinated by it. The kids loved to chase each other, watch the geckos sunning themselves or quietly walk out to observe the four turkeys in the backyard. When it rained, they would giggle incessantly as they stuck their hands out while they stayed mostly dry. There are also birds everywhere, and they are very observable from the deck.
We did go to the community park a few blocks away on several occasions. We had a wagon and would walk up from the house. The streets don’t have sidewalks, and it is very hilly, so you have to be very observant when you’re walking. Easy drive in the car too. We found a great park in Waimea across from Parker School that we also visited several times.
Waikoloa Village & location:
We were pleasantly surprised by how much we loved Waikoloa Village. Initially, we were worried about being so far from Kona, but that ended up being a pleasant surprise. Every time we went to Kona, we looked forward to heading back to the house, where everything moved at a more relaxed pace. There was little to no traffic, and we were within 10-20 minutes of several beaches that were easily accessible and great for kids (Spencer Beach has shade, which is a huge plus). We preferred going to Waimea over Kona. There were some great restaurants, easy to get around, and had a great vibe. Plus, the drive from there to Hawi is out of this world gorgeous.
Paul’s house is located in a beautiful neighborhood about a mile away from the groceries, gas, and restaurants. We were 10 minutes away from the resort areas for the beaches, shopping, and food but far enough away to feel away from it all—a perfect combination.
Service: Mercedes went out of her way to make sure we had everything we needed for our stay. She left us many goodies when we arrived and made herself available for any questions we had. She even recommended some beaches that were great for kids. Paul was super responsive and a pleasure to communicate with.
The best part: It’s a toss-up between the panorama view of the sunsets (the pictures do not do the view justice) and the gorgeous sound of the birds in the morning. I was waking up at 3 am and hearing the birds became one of my favorite parts of the day.
Noteworthy: Because we had the house open most of the time, we found that we ended up having a lot of black, silky dust. Since there isn’t a furnace or air conditioner fan running, it collects faster than we were used to. Something to know going into it, so you’re not caught by surprise.
We truly felt blessed to be guests in this gem of a place and hope we have an opportunity to stay here again.