We stayed for two weeks at the Whale House and had a wonderful time. The cottage was clean and had an incredible view and didn't feel as remote as I was expecting (though I live on a small remote island with ferry access only, so my definition of remote might be different than those who live in a city)... Pahoa is a 20 minute drive and offers a fabulous market and a variety of restaurants we enjoyed eating at while we were there. However, if you want to stock up before you head out, there's a full kitchen that will allow you to prepare and enjoy your meals in the cottage.
Our favorite sunrise spot is down the road a little ways, if you turn left out of the driveway until you reach where the trees form a tunnel over the road and park on the right side of the road... you will see a trail that leads to a bench under a palm tree, it's a breathtakingly beautiful little spot on the cliff.
Yes, the beach across the street is clothing optional, but yay for no tan lines! This is our favorite beach on the big island and the reason we came to stay at this cottage - However, if that is not your vibe, don't let that prevent you from staying in this magical little cottage by the sea - many people opt to wear their bathing suits instead of their birthday suits, and there are plenty of beaches within a 10 minute drive that are loads of fun and gorgeous.
I did not read the carefully laid out instructions from the property management team, or any of the reviews, that said "Google maps won't work, take the directions with you"... oops! We were lucky that we knew where the beach was and knew where the cottage was in relation to the beach and so were able to find it with only a slight hiccup. If you can avoid getting there at night I would recommended that as well... the windy road along the beach is beautiful, and also very dark at night due to a lack of street lights.
We plan on staying here again when we come back to this beautiful island - an absolute gem of a place and location is perfect for us.