We had a wonderful week-long stay. The house is well-appointed with adequate seating, cooking supplies, silverware and utensils, linens, etc. The washer/dryer were efficient and easy to use. A nice assortment of bicycles, swim gear…not enough for the maximum allowed number of guests [8] but that’s OK-- many hosts don't provide any. If you want to stay in Lahaina, you can’t beat the location -- mere blocks from both center of town and a small beach. Doris and Troy, who rent the small cottage behind the main house and serve as “caretakers” are fantastic -- friendly, responsive, and very helpful -- but not intrusive. We had a plumbing problem [see below]. I called in the evening just so they could make repair arrangements for the morning and they were there immediately to take care of the issue themselves.
There are a few negatives I need to point out -- I want to be clear that we were very pleased with our stay but potential guests should be aware of these issues.
The host’s description is somewhat misleading. This is not a “gated estate” -- it is simply a very nice four-bedroom house with an electric security gate to enclose the driveway and carport. While the house and property are spacious and well appointed, they are also in need of overdue maintenance. Our second night there the pipes below the kitchen sink broke open. It was clear from the damage below that they had been leaking for weeks, if not months. And the “tranquil waterfall” -- forget it. It and its pond were drained and had clearly been so for quite some time before our arrival. The “ocean and sunset view from the lanai” is of the neighboring rooftops with only a hint of ocean beyond. And while the photos show a table and umbrella on the upper deck, there was no umbrella and one was definitely needed. The decking around the pool is worn and disintegrating in areas -- so it is gravelly with occasional small rocks and chips -- wear your sandals or flip-flops. [Our list of concerns here should NOT be construed as any criticism of Doris and Troy.]
The description and photos imply this is a luxury estate -- it isn’t. It’s a very nice place; but it didn’t meet our expectations and the deferred maintenance issues lowered our evaluation from 5-stars to 4.