First off the location. The North Shore. Across the street from Sunset beach and walking distance to Pipeline. There is nothing more to say. Google it.
Second the house. There is everything from dorm rooms to private rooms with private bathrooms. The place is impeccable and has tons of little fun decorations. We stayed in the Loft which felt like we woke up in the jungle every morning surrounded by trees and birds. There was a balcony for coffee as well and you could see the sunset over the trees. The commons areas are what really beats out any contenders. The lanai is a peaceful oasis and with Covid restrictions everyone can spread out. There are indoor bathrooms and outdoor private bathrooms and showers. Even with the place semi full we never had a problem with the shared facilities and never ran out of hot water. There is a well stocked kitchen and place to store some food. We never felt like it was over crowded with people making meals.
Third, Bernie. Bernie Baker is a humble legend in the Surf world. We learned more about surfing and the history of surfing over many meals. Bernie never gave us advice that wasn’t right on and made us feel like we had an inside scoop including where to surf, snorkel or watch the sunset. Bernie and Maria were very generous with any equipment or steered us to the right rental shops. They were constantly maintaining the gardens and rooms and were very quick to solve any issues.
We can not recommend this place enough, it is exactly what we go to Hawaii for.