Mokulē'ia Beach Houses at Owen's Retreat

Right on the beach. Lots of turtles in the water right out the front of the property. Even saw a seal on the beach.

No A/C

Staying at Owen's Retreat was a mixed bag. I almost titled this review, "$650 per night Gilligan's Island Beach Shack." If not for that incredible view it would have been a 1* rating. We stayed for 3 nights in the Orange cottage, positioned directly over the beach. The bed was super comfortable and the location is spectacular. The view was incredible. The perfect setting for all our meals on the lanai, listening to the waves and feeling that Hawaii vibe. But that is about where the positives end. There is a significant lack of attention to detail, oh wait, they did have hot water, which was nice...

Attention to detail is important for guest's comfort. For the rate it would have been nice to include basics in the kitchen; most other rentals provide at least salt, pepper, maybe even cooking oil or...something; especially as the location here is nowhere near a town for an easy jaunt. If you're arriving late, bring your own. There was also no shower soap or shampoo and the kitchen items were lacking, juuuust enough for 2 people. More importantly (I owned a beach resort for years, I am very aware), accommodation in a salt environment requires constant maintenance; I get it. But if you charge upwards of $658 per night avg., you should have the funds to continue maintaining your property. This was not my experience at Owens Retreat. The general room was clean (our feet didn't go black), the entry door and refrigerator were severely rusted, the oven/stove had cracks, and one burner didn't seem to work. At night, flying ants would find their way into the room despite the doors closed and screened windows (at least they provided a fly swatter), and the steps up to the lanai were rotten/broken with blue tape "holding" them. The blue tape was a good visual warning to avoid. The lack of detail should have been picked up on before arrival. Upon booking, we received an excellent, detailed message about the location, entry, etc. After it started to get spottier. We were told to deposit via PayPal or in cash. I elected for PayPal and was informed I'd receive an invoice...that invoice never came. I pulled out money to make sure we wouldn't be forced to drive back to Haleiwa. We were never asked for a deposit. We didn't see anyone at Owen's Retreat except other guests until our last day when we had to carry our used linens across the compound to put into the washing machine...yes, $660+ per night for a 12'x16' room, including a cleaning charge we still had to clean the place before we left or they would charge us.

Great location, next to the beach! People on the property (Ruben and Bernadette) very nice and helpful. The house has a porch, very roomy house.

Kitchen equipment was old and not well maintained. No air conditioning, very hot during the day. Beds too soft/uncomfortable. It would be worth the cost if the owner would invest in new kitchen equipment, air conditioning, and better beds.

proximity to beach - it was 10 steps away

there is activity at the airfield across the street at night with coast guard helicopters but we knew that beforehand so we were not surprised and didnt mind it too much

There is beautiful beach with many turtles close by and you can see sun rise and sun set and beautiful moon every day. There is a big kitchen with cooking utensils and fridge so if you like to cook yourself its good facility.

The house we stayed was face to street and small airport so there was big noise all the time even though we pay big sum of money.....we had to keep open the windows as there were no aircon but fortunately it was quite breezy. If you stay in white or Orange houses then you are face to beach but they are bit rusty as well.

Location! A millionaire location on the beach (White House) Sleeping to the sound of the sea. Turtles sunbathing in the break on the beach, sunset! Basically a private sandy beach. Close to shark diving and skydiving airfield.

This is tricky. The location could and does demand a premium and in fairness it’s pretty cheap for beach front. The sea air is relentless when it comes to buildings and the environment hasn’t helped here. Anything iron is going to rust! The fridge door, the taps everything ages very quickly. The White House needs a freshen up but was fine for our needs. If you want immaculate, pay another £5000 and go elsewhere. My main bug bear would be lack of decent outside deck furniture. Needs a hammock and a lounger and it would be ace. It’s neither quirky and surfy or modern, it needs an identity really.

The location is amazing! It’s few steps away from the beach with jasmines blooming outside your kitchen window. The view is amazing 360 degrees as the other side of the property is facing the mountains. Staying here we really relaxed and felt the island chill vibe. Tike felt slower and we enjoyed every minute of it:)

The furniture and appliances are a little outdated, but that was not the problem. In all fairnesses it just added up to the ocean vibe