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Reviews of Modernist architectural gem w/ custom interior & bay views - steps to beach

Modernist architectural gem w/ custom interior & bay views - steps to beach
Pahoa, HI

Reviews

9.4

Exceptional

Rating 10 - Excellent. 22 out of 29 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 5 out of 29 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 2 out of 29 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 29 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 29 reviews" "

9.0/10

Cleanliness

4.0/10

Property conditions & facilities

Reviews

8/10 Good

Sue E.

Liked: Cleanliness
Nice place
Odd floor plan dangerous step down in kitchen other wise clean great bed nice outdoor lanai
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2023
Response from VrboOwner on 9 Oct 2023
Thank you for taking the time to review your stay with us, Sue, we appreciate you letting us know that there is room for improvement and will follow up with our local team regarding your feedback. We hope to host you for another great stay in the future!

6/10 Okay

MARK M., Edina, MN

Liked: Cleanliness
Mixed Review
The deck was wonderful. The living room and kitchen were great with the caveat that the kitchen was sunken which resulted in a couple minor stumbles. The bathroom and bedroom were spartan - no closets, just some open shelves and a free-standing clothes rack. There is no AC so it got a little stuffy in the afternoon, but not bad. The location was somewhat problematic. The nearby beach was precarious to get to. Most of the interesting locations are near Hilo which was almost an hour away. But we enjoyed our stay nevertheless.
Stayed 7 nights in Jan 2023
Response from VrboOwner on 20 June 2023
Mark, thank you for sharing your experience with us, and we are glad you got to enjoy your stay. The kit does have a drop-down, sunken-in floor that we can't do much about. It is a small, one-bedroom home out by the ocean, away from everything. Bathroom is pretty simple with a stand-up shower and toilet separate sink. The home is not listed with any AC. Thank you again for this valuable information, as we always welcome the opportunity to improve. We hope to have another chance to impress you on a future stay.

8/10 Good

Sabine

Travelled with partner
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities
We woukd like to buy it. Contact us.
Stayed 7 nights in May 2022

8/10 Good

Christine W., Juneau Alaska

Liked: Cleanliness
was a perfectly located house in our fav neighborhood
private, beautiful, loved the glowing path from parking to house huge lanai needs some love …gutter upkeep, new window latches window screen care
Stayed 16 nights in Dec 2021

8/10 Good

Joel S.

Liked: Cleanliness
Puna Paradise
If your looking to be left alone and need space from the rest of the world this is a wonderful spot.
Stayed 9 nights in Mar 2022

10/10 Excellent

Cindy C.

Liked: Cleanliness
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Stayed 6 nights in Feb 2020

10/10 Excellent

Nicholas B., Atlanta

Liked: Cleanliness
Serene, Remote and perfect
Loved this property, and the awesome daily rate was super great for the size and the location that I was looking for. Having traveled to Big Island on the regular, I always stay on the quiet/off-the-grid Pahoa side - it’s always nice to find a little gem to stay at, and this is being added to the spots to check for future trips. The house is modernist in style, has great amenities, is BIG, accessible and right across the street from Kehena Beach on the ‘Red Road’. Having a washer and dryer in the house was great, and the kitchen was fabulous. In response to the majority of other reviews: - Yes, there is no TV. Embrace it, and the beautiful area you are in. Bring a laptop or tablet to watch some stuff on, as the internet is nice and fast on the property. - Yes, the layout is a little wonky, but nowhere close to being annoying or a dealbreaker. You do have to walk through the shower to get to the bedroom, but the trade off is that the shower is HUGE (like could fit six people easily). You can also walk out the lanai bedroom door right into the kitchen/living room door (about 15ft). You’ll have the doors open all day and night anyways, so it’s not a big deal at all. - Yes, there is no AC... but, welcome to hawai’i, it is quite rare to find somewhere with AC. Use the fans, enjoy the breeze and relax. - Yes, the screens on the windows do need a decent amount of repair. That’s really the only thing I would suggest to the homeowner since the house does catch a decent amount of sun, and constant airflow is crucial. (A tip for anywhere you stay on the islands, use as few indoor lights at night as possible - since the big island is generally pretty remote, your housing will be a beacon for bugs if you have a lot of light on at night. Keep in mind that this area is remote, so you will obviously need a rental car (get an SUV or something with 4wheel drive, you can experience some pretty awesome spots only with these types of vehicles!). Get groceries when you land! Hilo is a great stopover if you’re flying into that side of the island, tons of groceries stores, KTA is hands down the best! At the Kehena end of the ‘Red Road’ where it dead-ends is Uncles - if you are there on a Wednesday, go there for the night market - it’s insanely fun and what all the locals do every week. Go to every single farmers market you can find! All in all, this house was perfect for me - and I’ll be back for sure. Mahalo - until we meet again!
Stayed 8 nights in Aug 2019

10/10 Excellent

maurizio l.

Liked: Cleanliness
Missing it already!
Great home on one of the island’s best shores. Didn’t want to leave!
Stayed 5 nights in Jul 2019

10/10 Excellent

Kevin W., Southern California

Clean and neat,
Directions where easy, and instructions to find the key and unlock the front door. Very enjoyable to stay there few one week. Staff very helpful to get the WiFi fixed. It was working great from the start, but it had a different name . Loved it!!
Stayed 7 nights in Apr 2019

6/10 Okay

Darcy S.

Cool, but quirky architecture in a fun but isolated area
First impressions of the house upon arrival are super positive-- the house is beautiful even from the road, and it's surrounded by a tropical zen garden. Overall, we had a lovely three nights in the rental with many positive to say, but also several specific challenges. Here's what we loved: admiring the unique beauty of the home and cooking in the well-stocked sunken kitchen; looking out the big windows to see the surf pounding the nearby cliffs; being a very relaxing environment for an in-home massage (which was easy to book with a local masseur); easy parking and a lovely stroll through a garden path each time we returned home; and absolutely the best part: attending Uncle Roberts open-air market with live music, food, and shopping on Wednesday night. On the negative side- it was SUPER challenging getting a confirmation about our reservation. I don't know if VRBO or the management company were the weak links, but I had to call three times to get check-in information. I was worried we would be homeless in Hawaii, all the way up until the day before check-in! Second, the house definitely had quirks that could be a deal-breaker for some visitors. Others have written about the very strange bathroom, and it is even stranger than I expected. There is a toilet inside a shower room -- and you have to walk through that room to go from the kitchen to the bed room. The bathroom light is hidden behind a towel rack. Nearly all of the fixtures work differently than you expect (want hot water in the outside shower? don't turn it all the way to "hot"). The windows didn't latch securely, which was scary on the day we had torrential rains and winds. There seems to be another unit as part of the house, but no indication of whether or not someone else was there. Could be something to confirm if you are looking for true privacy. The area itself still has so much to offer (Volcanoes National Park, Uncle Roberts, main stream Pahoa), but some of the things we were looking forward to (the Tidepools) were destroyed by the 2018 lava flows. The guest book inside the unit has not been updated to reflect these changes. I debated whether this was 3 or 4 stars, but really think it depends on the person. This cool, quirky house could be perfect for someone open to a little whimsy!
Stayed 3 nights in Feb 2019
Response from VrboOwner on 20 June 2023
We truly appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts with us, Darcy! We love that you found appreciation of the quirky-cool style of this home- but we're sorry about any issues you experienced regarding checking in. We send check-in information to your email address, one week prior to your arrival. Please visit with us again, so that we can deliver your next getaway!

10/10 Excellent

Terry P.

Nice, quiet, easy coastline access
House is in a quiet and relatively secluded area, with walking access to rocky coastline and black sand beach. Make sure to follow instructions to the property sent by the management company, as the house number is not marked on the street.
Stayed 4 nights in Dec 2018

10/10 Excellent

Anne-Marie S.

This house and location are amazing. What a treat!
It was so relaxing and fun to come home to Hale Balleja for a few days, but I do wish the bathroom offered more counter space. We loved the ocean breezes and the views from this oasis, thank you!
Stayed 3 nights in Feb 2018

10/10 Excellent

Sarah D.

Beautiful, secluded home
My husband and I had a great stay at this beautiful and private home. We enjoyed the ocean views and the quick walk to the beach. We would recommend staying here for a quiet getaway!
Stayed 4 nights in Feb 2018
Response from VrboOwner on 20 June 2023
Mahalo nui for your review, Sarah! We're so glad you enjoyed your stay. Warmest Aloha The Team at Hawaii Holiday Vacation Rentals

8/10 Good

Beth and Greg H., Rochester MN

Quirky and spotless
House was immaculate. Floor plan and style super contemporary. Sunken kitchen, raised platform dining area. Yes, you walk thru the bathroom to get to the bedroom so your feet get wet after someone showers. Showering feels a little exposed for the ladies as there is a window with no covering in the shower. Window at chest height and you can see the road from the shower.
Stayed 4 nights in Feb 2018
Response from VrboOwner on 20 June 2023
Beth's group were very good guests and we'd rent to them again anytime! Warmest aloha. The team at Hawaii Holiday Vacation Rentals