Oahu's Best Kept Secret

This property is beautiful & has more amenities than any traveler would need. In fact, my chef son-in-law had to "call in IT" each time he used the electronics in the kitchen because they were so fancy. I served as IT & was happy to do it! That induction stove is super cool & I'll be duplicating much of the kitchen in my own house. The beach is perfect for families due to a wall breaking incoming waves. It's like having a swimming pool in the backyard, but better. Laie is a cool city & staying on the north side of the island for the first time was spectacular! Before and during our stay the host was responsive & helpful. To say that her contract is specific about fees is an understatement. I did need to ask for further clarity on phrases like "excessive cleaning." She responded & I thought I understood & complied. The welcome texts had thorough if not confusing directions & more warnings. Admittedly, the detailed comms with a litany of possible fees put me on edge & I tiptoed through the house as did the others in my party. However, her responsiveness & her relaxed nature on some of the requirements in the contract put me a little more at ease. There were specific directions on the procedure for the spa. The first time we used it, we couldn't find the crystals needed for each use. She replied that the prior guests had used them all & we didn't need to worry about it. I was vigilant about the garbage & recycling, but upon messaging her she didn't seem all that worried about that either even though there were warnings in the contract. "Phew" I thought, she's more reasonable than perceived. I have integrity & I'm well traveled. I've left reviews on VRBO, AirBnB, & Booking.com for many places (1 bad for a filthy stay in NYC, otherwise ++), but never one like this.

The host has been unhelpful and unrelenting since our stay. When the reviews tell you who someone is, believe them. I was hesitant, did deeper research, & decided to trust her b/c I so badly wanted to stay at this property. The poorly written advance contract & the ask for a credit card number via DocuSign threw further red flags. I thought, "we aren't partiers, we're not lying about the number of people, we have integrity, we should be fine." She flexed & let me call with a cc#. A secure site would have been better Instead of the 7 days it was supposed to take to retrieve my deposit, I pinged the host twice before receiving an answer 3 weeks after our departure. She needed "to check into things" Then the invoices started coming I had to decrease my cleanliness rating to *gross* The host tried to charge extra over the $50 linens fee b/c we took all the duvet covers and pillowcases off. I thought we were helping the cleaning crew, turns out these aren't washed for each guest There was a broken shade that we hadn't touched. A label near it said "do not use" - we didn't. The invoice had a warning about the delicate nature of the motor. We were warned about outdoor furniture, excessive cleaning, drains, cameras, sand in the house (ON the beach) & many other things. The shades appeared nowhere. The doors were never open b/c we were warned about that too Though we turkey bastered the spa for sand, cleaned many linens, left no garbage, started the dishwasher, left the kitchen spotless, washed & folded every towel, repaired curtains we didn't break, etc. I was charged extra for cleaning a chair (over the steep $500 fee) & the cleaning crew was "annoyed" (see photos) about handprints on the slider There were other fees. Instead of sending video evidence, repair/cleaning invoices were sent. There's definitely footage given all those cameras.

We loved everything about the property. House was perfect size for my family and the location was perfect.

Price was a little up there, but it was not a deal breaker. It is hard to find a home like this in Oahu that can accommodate so many people comfortably.

Beautiful location, great for families. Veey nice home and Brandy was very helpful.

It was a little challenge to figure out the lights and electronics .

Wonderful location. Loved the beach being right there. Had fun on the sand, especially at low tide, and saw a Hawaiian Monk Seal! Some of our party went snorkeling and had a great experience

It was not clear from the listing that 4 bedrooms meant 2 bedrooms and 2 out buildings. We had a set of grandparents, a set of parents, and 2 children. There was not a convenient way to arrange the sleeping so the parents took the master, the kids the other bedroom, and grandma and grandpa got the out building. Night time bathroom trips required a short outdoor walk, and entering the code to get in every time, including during some pretty heavy rains. We made it work, but wish we had known the details of the layout before deciding to book. Also, the amenities were clearly upscale and we appreciated that, but could have used some directions on controls like the light and shades.

The host kept us well informed through the message feature on Bookings.com and via texts. We received the code to the gate and door via text once the property was ready. The host had the house well furnished with house necessities so all we needed to purchase was food and drink (we received a free bottle when we arrived- that was a great touch)! the house is right next to the ocean so we watched the sunrise everyday and saw whales off int e distance too. Definitely a house to rent if you want quite and beautiful place to relax.

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Location

STOP! This experience has been horrendous with the owner. The rental agreement is designed to nickel and dime you well above the security deposit which she tried to change on us from 1000 to 2000 when we received the agreement to sign. When she asked for everybody’s drivers licenses to be sent to her through text or email not just the one renting the house was a major red flag also. The biggest issue however is that bc of all the red flags we had been getting from this situation, I discovered through the zoning enforcement there in Honolulu that the house is an illegal short term rental according to their laws and that the owner has been in violation for months! So we were unable to stay and she won’t refund our money either so now we are going through the dispute process. When she found out we knew it was illegal, she sent me threatening messages through my personal text on my phone about using my personal information against me which she now has bc she had to get my drivers license from me to rent the place and that she has money and power and I basically better watch my back. So now we also had to get the police involved bc it’s a felony to withhold someone’s money and threaten to use their personal information against them. So if you’re thinking of renting this place, just know that it has been a nightmare for everything involved. The owner is not a nice person and she’s difficult to deal with. She has no problem swearing at you and threatening you as you can read in an earlier review that wished I would have read before my money became non refundable. We would have chose to cancel at that time and not had to deal with such an awful situation. Before we found out about the illegal rental, We tried to get a couple things negotiated in the contract to protect ourselves and her security system and she said I was being unreasonable.

You can’t beat the location! The reef break allows for easy swimming, snorkeling, and pure bliss while out on the lanai. Beds were comfortable. Kitchen was perfect!

That we didn’t stay longer.

We loved everything about the house, location and beach. The host was very responsive and easy to work with. My family wants to come back again soon. This house truly is the Best Kept Secret !!!

Everything was very nice.

The beach access, hot tub, out door shower, the fully stocked home, location, etc