The Kona Lava Beach House was everything it looked like it would be. Absolutely perfect location, Beautiful setting, The home was warm and very inviting, My wife and I stayed there for 9 days and loved every moment of it. Beautiful sunsets, seeing dolphins and whales from the deck. Just perfect.
Charles W., Gem Lake, MN, 2.1.12
As often said in the real estate world, "location, location, location!". That explains the best attribute of this house. What could be better than watching whales and spinner dolphins entertain as you have breakfast on the lanai? The shops and restaurants of Kailua Kona are just a few blocks away. It's a little tricky getting out of the driveway onto busy Alii Drive, but drivers were usually gracious enough to let you out. Greeter Mike was attentive to our needs; brought new propane tank for grill so we wouldn't run out & suggested restaurants to try. (Lava Java was very "Ono!") Loved sitting in the hot tub each evening sipping wine! To address previous reviews, yes, the house is victim to the ravages of sea air. How could it not be? It hangs out on the ocean. Loved our stay at Kona Beach House!
LYNN L., Midland, TX, 1.22.12
We had an absolutely wonderful time at the Kona Lava Beach House. The only thing that would have made it better was a longer stay! The owners have great amenities....even down to binoculars which we used ever morning to watch dolphins and a whale while sipping our Kona coffee on the master bedroom balcony....it just doesn't get any better than that! It was a perfect home and we appreciated the owners renting it out, mahalo! Michael was great at showing us the ins and outs of the house, he even made sure we had a crib and highchair for our granddaughter (this even included freshly laundered baby blankets and sheets!) The house is the perfect distance from town to walk. Make sure you talk with the local people, networking is huge here, so ask....they have great suggestions and we saved lots of money by connections, everything from 20% two different meals at resturants to 20% off a tour! The local people could not have treated us nicer! There were a total of 8 in our family with us and the house was large enough...no rubbing elbows. Out best suggestion would be, don't over pack! I took 3 light jackets and didn't use one! There is a Walmart and Kmart near by for anything you might want or need. We did a lot and would not have changed a thing...some "musts" in our book would be snorkeling with the dolphins at Captain Cook Bay, night Manta Ray snorkle trip and the Royal Kona Resort Luau. We didn't do the volcano this trip because it wasn't active...next time! Yes we are going back...it was that great! Lastly, to share how blessed we were...yesterday we woke up to the lulling sound of the crashing waves out our windows and this morning we woke up to 4" of fresh snow out our window...we must be back home in Wyoming...only 364 days and counting till we go back....Aloha!
Leslie B., Lander, WY, 1.11.12
Excellent view, customer service and location from town.
Phil T., San Clemente, CA, 12.3.11
great property
Tammie H., Halifax, NS, 10.31.11
The customer service I received was excellent. The location of the house is just stupendous.
Victor L., La Canada Flintridge, California, 9.3.11
Our May visit to Kona was fantastic and staying at the Beach House's convenient location was an experience in itself, the home was clean and comfortable with modern amenities and the garage well stocked with pool floats for days at the house and boogie boards and such for days at the beach! The views from the ocean facing side of the home were wonderful from the gorgeous sunsets to the daily views of spinner dolphins, kayakers, snorkelers, parasailers and more often observed while lounging in the pool! Mike provided us with a friendly welcome and couldn't have been more accommodating to us during our stay! It was nice to be within walking distance to shopping and restaurants- but if you're going to shop til you drop I recommend driving downtown and parking. A couple favorite restaurants we visited were Huggos (don't skip dessert!) and Lulu's- but overall everywhere we ate had delicious, unique offerings. Everyone was friendly and more than willing to share information- ask the island folks for recommendations on what to do and where to go while taking advantage of the islands size. If you've got a car, make sure you drive around and check out the scenery the different terrains and ecosystems of the island are as amazing as its black, green and white sand beaches, other activities we recommend are the Umauma Experience, a zipline, and sunset catamaran ride! ALOHA!
Greg G., , , 6.1.11
We love this house! I was jealous of myself while sitting in the hottub right on the ocean watching the sunset. The house is very clean, beds comfortable, great location, boogie boards, pool floats, well stocked kitchen, and the view...unbelievable. Easy access to excellent snorkeling just a few houses away. Mike was extremely helpful regarding the house and places to eat and just an all around nice guy. I never thought I would be one of those people who would vacation in the same place every year but after 5 days at the Kona house I could stay again and again and for much longer. There were 8 of us...2 families of 4 (teenage kids)...and there was nothing better than spending the day in the ocean at Hapuna beach or elsewhere, then coming back home to swim in the pool and sit in the hot tub. Can't wait to go back! BTW...if you stay in an oceanfront home...expect the ocean noise and bring earplugs. If you are not happy at this house in this setting, then you are probably not happy anywhere.
David G., San Luis Obispo, CA, 4.30.11
The best thing about this house is its location right on the ocean, and the pool and hot tub. The kids loved them. Most likely you won't be swimming in the ocean here though....access is very tough with surf and lava rocks. Customer service from the rental agent was good, and the house was well stocked with beach items and toys for the kids. Kenichi Pacific in Keahou is a great restaurant. This house is within walking distance to downtown Kona, which is nice. Good location for hitting many of the must-see beaches and sites.
Bill L., Helena, MT, 4.27.11
The good: the big island is our favorite and we love the scenery, ocean, climate and people! There is no better place to vacation in our book and the ocean view and whale and dolphin watching from the lanai was great! The rest: you certainly cannot beat the location of this house if you are looking for ocean front! We found it to be a bit too loud with the ocean besting on the rocks right outside-definitely not a calming ocean rhythm! Combine this with the extremely busy Ali'i drive out front with lots of early morning and late night traffic and add on top of this noise the brand new house being built next door- that no one bothered to mention prior to our arrival-- and this is one LOUD house. I gues we are lucky as explained to us by the property manager that we weren't there a few months back when they were excavating the lot next door in preparation for the new house!! The house needed some upkeep, some pest control (lots of roaches and ants throughout the house), and some new amenities. I love to cook and the kitchen was a joke! Small, stove only has 3 functional burners minimal counter space and the BBQ was propped up on a 2x6 as one of the wheels was about to fall off- not to mention that the inside was completely rusted out- it was a gamble and an adventure every time we grilled! Most of the patio furniture was ruined by the recent tsunami- Mike replaced some while we were there- with garage sale pick ups with soiled cushions- Owners clearly are not willing to put any money into this house! If you are looking for a great house to take your family-keep looking, this was not for us and probably will not be for you! If you are looking for a house close to the night life for you and your friends and just need a place to crash, this may be your perfect coyote den! We didn't eat out, but the farmers market down the street had awesome fruit, fish from bite me fish market and the rest from Costco, Safeway or target-all very close. If you dive/snorkel, you have to check out the night manta dive. Go with Jacks dive locker and make sure Keller the manta man is on your boat-AWESOME!!
John S., Ault, CO, 4.5.11
Comment by Owner/Manager:
It is unfortunate that the guests arrived immediately after the tsunami when the city was in the process of cleanup. My home was not damaged by the tsunami except for the pool area so the Jacuzzi was not in working order. Those repairs have been completed and some compensation for the down time of the Jacuzzi arranged to the guests. This is a beach house on the ocean. The beauty of this home is its location and size to accommodate large groups. If the sound of the ocean is not what you want then a beach house is not a location to consider, To characterize this home as a dive is totally untrue as the pictures can prove otherwise. 600 dollars per night for a family of 8 is a bargain. Try to rent four decent hotel rooms for the same price without all the amenities of a private home on the ocean. If you are looking for a gourmet kitchen and all the amenities of a new home, then plan to spend two to three times as much and still not have the oceanfront location. This is an older oceanfront home meant for casual family relaxation in a beautiful unique location, clean and fully equipped. Regular guests who were there during the tsunami have already booked to return for their yearly one month stay next year. We love our home and are happy to share it with anyone who can appreciate its beauty. Aloha!
The Kona Lava Beach house is an older home situated right at the waterfront. It has a hot tub and pool, which needs to be re-plastered, but which is right at the ocean side and presents spectacular views of the ocean, whales, spinner dolphins, and amazing sunsets. The house had plenty of room for 5 adults and two children and we appreciated the extra ammenities, such as extra beach towels, laundry soap, etc. It is within walking distance of downtown Kona, which has some fun shops, galleries, and good places to eat such as the Fish Hopper restaurant. We had an amazing time while in Hawaii, but I will say that the house does need to invest some money in upgrading the home and general cleanliness. Aloha!
Kelly S., Helena, Montana, 12.29.10
Comment by Owner/Manager:
The house is cleaned completely prior to each arrival. Yes it is an older home but has the beautiful character of old Hawaii for casual relaxation. The plaster in the pool does have some areas that have peeled. However when a pool sits partially in the ocean where the waves deposit sea water it is difficult to keep the plaster perfect because of salt erosion. The plaster has been replaced several times. The house is not perfect but read down through the reviews and you will see that the location and the experience are. Mahalo!
Great location. The house was very nicely furnished and met all of our needs. Kenichi Pacific was the best restaurant we tried. We also liked Jamesons by the Sea, recommended by Paul. The observatory tours (Mauna Kea Summit Adventures) was worth every penny. Paul was a good host and offered good suggestions.
Beth F., Chapel Hill, NC, 8.13.09
Great home with a incredible view!!! The pool and hot tub are acually built in the ocean! We sat and enjoyed all of it and saw dolphins, whales, and turtles from the porch every day. We fed 4 different Morey eels daily, and acually named them all. I would come back to this house!! Highly recomended.
Grant G., Coos Bay, OR, 5.24.09
Overall we had a good time. The swimming pool does need to be cleaned more frequently. For the 7 days we were there, no one came to clean it. thanks
Syed J., Bolton, Ma, 4.12.09
Comment by Owner/Manager:
We have a pool service that comes weekly for cleaning
The house and location are both perfect. I got chills (good ones) when I walked into the house for the first time. There was a mama whale and her calf out in the water blowing and playing. What a welcome. I love the big island, it is my favorite. I will definately be back. We will always try to travel with other couples so we can stay in this wonderful house. Mahalo!
Linda M., Alhambra, CA, 2.22.08
The house was perfect, absolutely awesome. My wife and I and 3 sons had a wonderful time and hated to have to leave. Pool and hot tub were great, 180 degree ocean view was amazing as was the snorkeling right in front of the house- thousands of fish in 70 foot visibility. Beds were comfortable, rooms and bathrooms were big and clean, kitchen was fairly well stocked with hardware (and even some food items) and the ice chest and body boards were nice to take to the beaches. We will definately be staying here our next trip to the big island. Mahalo!
Tim G., El Segundo, CA, 4.17.07
