Our stay at Holualoa Ekahi was perhaps the most satisfying stay of any we have had in Hawaii, and this was our eleventh trip to the islands since our honeymoon there in 1993.
We found the place to be blessedly simple and yet so thoughtfully designed. Having the bedroom separated from the kitchen/dining room area by the bathroom and hallway, and also with a door that closed, worked really well because I get up early, make coffee, and write, while my husband prefers to sleep in. We loved the shower--the use of stone tile, the generous size, eliminating the need for fussy maintenance-heavy glass doors--and took mental notes should we ever have the luxury of designing our own shower one day.
The lanai running the length of the cottage and facing out toward the water was where we spent a lot of time, at dawn, at dusk, during the evening, during the afternoon. It felt private in spite of the proximity of other rentals; there was just enough vegetation on the long side and the privacy fence on the street side was perfect.
Most of all the, simplicity that also had everything provided we might need in terms of appliances that worked, clean environment, allowed us to exist as much as possible outdoors, shielded from showers, surrounded by coffee plantations and mature wild forests. Peaceful.