I have rented many vacation houses over the years and I know that you take a big risk that the actuals won't measure up to the online digitals. At Waialua Retreat, we were delighted to find that the house was better than the descriptions on the internet. We spent Christmas and New Year's at the house - my two sons, their wives and my first grandchild of 2 months. This meant that Nana stayed home babysitting while the others went off on adventures - too many to name across the North Shore and down to Honolulu. Staying back at the house was a joy - looking out at the ocean and all down the North Shore almost to Pipeline or a walk on the long sand beach 12 steps from the back lanai and hot tub. The house is laid out very practically and is bright and inviting. In an era when you can barely get a set of false teeth through airport security, the house is fully equipped with lots of extra little things like flour, sugar, spices, soaps, paper products, flowers, etc. that make it more like a home than a house. The local market is a few minutes away and the town of Haleiwa has everything you need as long as you do it early in the morning before the crowds of tourists arrive. If you want shopping and razmataz, go to Waikiki. If you want R&R and the true wild beauty of Hawaii, go to Waialua.
Lorie J., Guelph, Ontario, 1.6.12
We stayed over the Thanksgiving holiday. The house was beautiful, well provisioned, nicely furnished, everything there you would want. Lots of great beach stuff - towels, chairs, umbrella, snorkel gear - all nice. Great kayaks with good paddles. House is right on the beach so you can hear the water at night and walk right out your door to the sand. Nice deck with good grill and outdoor dinner table. Jamie, the manager, was nice and helpful. All in all, very good experience.
Guest ., , , 11.28.11
The house was clean, open, and easy to enjoy. We loved being close to the water and and especially loved spending time in Haleiwa, Waimea Beach, Shark's cove, etc. The Polynesian Culture Center was a great place for the kids. Expensive, but well worth the money. The best place to grab food is at Mackey's. Great shrimp! Jamie was very helpful. Great service. We loved it and can't wait to come back.
Todd C., Omaha, NE, 7.29.11
This was a pretty nice house, but it could be cleaned a bit better. Also, the washer and dryer are not inside the home. You have to walk outside and down the stairs, to do the laundry which was a pain. There is not good swimming in front of the house. It is brown water and VERY rocky. The beach is littered with sticks and wood. The beach is not good at all, the plus side is that you have it all to yourself! We were literally the only ones on the beach, but only because it was a very crappy beach.
Jesse and Kara C., Shakopee, MN, 7.18.11
Comment by Owner/Manager:
Unfortunately we cannot do anything about the debris on the beach, or the coral off the shore, or the brown water after a rainfall due to the runoff from the nearby river. This does happen once or twice a year. Otherwise, the beach is beautiful for the rest of the year, with a nice sandy swim area one house down the beach.
Great house in a great location. I'm very pleased. The house was very clean and stocked with everything to make a trip fun and comfortable. This was my fourth time to Hawaii, and the most enjoyable, thanks in large part to the choice of where to stay. I know that lots of Hawaii houses and condos promote their proximity and views of the beach, but this one truly delivers. It literally is a bordering a long sandy beach, albeit rather narrow at high tide. There are plenty of more developed white sandy beaches up and down the north shore, should you crave more excitement. Here are my hot "insider" tips: * The Thai food from the van by the Waialua library is fantastic. The best Thai I've ever had. Order it to go and enjoy it on the deck. * Snorkeling in Shark's Cove, just past Foodland in Haleiwa.
Michael S., Las Vegas, NV, 4.25.11
Hi We loved the house, it was lovely. Full of room for our family of 6 and great proximity to the beach. Great having the fans and the aircon for when it was really hot. Enjoyed using the bbq on the deck and looking at the vista. My highlight was the number of the turtles right at our doorstep. We used the double kayak and paddled round and the boogie boards. For the rest of the family it would have been the surfing lessons at Haleiwa at the local surf shop. They all managed to catch quite a few waves and now think they are surfing champions. Best restaurant for us was Jamesons which was quite near the surf shop and we popping in there after the surfing lessons for a couple of Mai Tais and dinner. Loved the gift shop in there too. When we come back to Hawaii we still have lots to do, didn't make it to Pearl Harbour or the local falls. Spent most of the time R&R and enjoying the spa pool too. Quite liked popping into Waikiki too which isn't that far as the Ali Moana Beach Park is beautiful and the beach there is very safe and close to beautiful Hanauma Bay with its great snorkelling even after a bit of a tropical storm the water was still clear. Loved the blowhole too just past Hanauma with the fantastic rock formations. Loved staying away from the hustle and bustle of Honolulu and enjoying the quiet tranquility of Waialua and enjoyed browsing the souvenier shops and art. Also loved the red box at the supermarket where you could rent DVD's for just $1... Couple of things about the house. The spa pool wasn't working all the time but the property manager was great and it took a couple of days to fix but someone came in straight away when they were notified. Also it would have been great to have a CD player as we couldn't have any music going at all, not even a radio. Also we couldn't get the TV going in the lounge but the bedroom TV was going. We missed the rubbish day etc as didn't see the welcome book when we arrived which was next to the phone (we don't really use the phone when we are on holiday) in a far corner of the house. So didn't see the welcome book for the first few days. Maybe that could be left on the kitchen counter for when you first arrive. Thanks very much for the great stay!
Conal D., Auckland 2571, NZ, 1.16.11
We loved this place! First...Location..location..location.. ON THE WATER (snorkeling off the beach not so good though - some stormy seas etc.) but sea turtles were around. AWESOME North Shore spot. Close to Haleiwa town - great restaurants and shops, plus busy beach. Very local feel though which was what we wanted. Then short hop to great hiking, golfing, etc. - why stay anywhere else?? Had never been to North Shore, but we will be back. You can golf in the morning, hike in the afternoon and get a massage in the evening (we did!). OH, and there's a great bike path on Wailua Beach Road that runs for about 2 miles..great for morning wlaks, running or biking..great views of the mountains and you get to see lots of local architecture. We missed the Waimea Canyon but we will get there next year! Second...HOUSE WAS GREAT - huge bedrooms, kitchen and living space. 100% view of ocean all day from inside (grat windows) and from the lanai - just what we wanted. It rained a few days but the lanai kept us dry so we could eat outside. Quiet residential cul de sac was private and restful. AND THE TOYS! Snorkel equipment, paddles and kayak, chairs and beach booties - felt like my house. Even an extra tank of propane! KITCHEN was well stocked and ready to go - would have liked a baking pan for brownies though! PS Best insider tip: shrimp trucks beyond Turtle Bay - Rommy's is the best. PPS 2nd best insider tip: watch the moon rise from the house's lanai. Awesome. This was the best house we have ever rented anywhere in the world. OK, it's on the North Shore beach so it has an advantage there...but it really did feel like home. Thanks to the owners and the Management Service. We honestly had EVERYTHING we needed! We talked about booking now for next year!
Robert C., Cupertino, California, 12.27.10
The home is absolutely wonderful with all the necessities we needed. We had plenty of room and enjoyed the spectacular view of the ocean and sea turtles.
Archie V., Phoenix, Arizona, 6.28.10
We enjoyed our stay in this rental. We had lived in Oahu 20 years ago and it sure changed. The rental was great, everything you need to enjoy your stay. The kids were able to snorkel out and see the turtles just a few feet off of the shore. They really enjoyed it. This part of the island is the way things used to be in Hawaii, if you are trying to decide on this rental, you won't be disappointed. We will definitely return to this rental should it be available in the future. Mahalo from St. Louis
Tom W., Troy, Missouri, 1.4.10
Everything was excellent...just no champagne glasses!!! we will be coming back for sure...I need to change expiry date on my visa card to process refund..pls contact when you can!!! cheers Maggie
Maggie D., Uki, New South Wales, Aust, 11.29.09
L loved being right on the North Shore Beach. Wonderfully, the late morning of our departure day, the turtles swam up to us and stayed for many hours. They were a delight to see and as long as we did not try to touch them, they stayed nearby. Being on the North Shore took us away from all the hustle of a busy city life in Honolulu, but it was not far away if one desires that life. We did go to Diamond Head and ventured to the top. Wonder view of that area and watched some local outriggers competing. Actually the best shrimp to eat was gotten at the small shrimp Bus/RV's on the roadsides. Very tasty and good amount. The best picture we took was of the sunset and the full moon over our beach! Best tip is to just relax and enjoy the scenery and people!
Karen S., Havre de Grace, Maryland, 10.11.09
Dear Hawaiian Beach Rentals, Our party enjoyed our stay at the Waialua Retreat very much. The beach was wonderful and the remoteness from Waikiki was a relief. We would recommend this to anyone interested in getting away and not having to deal with the big city of Honolulu. Thank you and Mahalo, Ralph Hamilton
Ralph H., Stevensville, MD, 2.21.09
Great house and super location. All the beach toys anyone could want. One of our best family vacations. We cannot wait until we can go back.
Kathy T., Woodland Hills, California, 8.11.08
Great house, location, and neighborhood. The beach access is very cool and we had the beach virtually to ourselves the entire stay. We will return and highly recommend it to all. Oh and if you like swimming with sea-turtles this house comes with a whole host of them within 10 feet of the beach.
Rick G., Spokane Valley, Wa, 6.24.08
We have stayed in many houses on Oahu and Kauai and this is by far the best equipped. What a lovely place! We enjoyed the many turtles coming every day to eat right outside - and we were amazed at how close to shore they were. The beach is long and empty! Foodland was the best bet for groceries and Waialua Bakery has cookies to die for. Across the main street from there is a fabulous ice cream store. A lovely, upscale dining experience can be had at 21 degrees at the Turtle Bay Resort. This is a peaceful and quiet place to unwind and to enjoy the 'regular' life of the island.
Marty T., Mission Viejo, CA, 8.22.07
The home has a great location and all the "beach toys" anyone would need. It was wonderful to wake up to the surf every morning. We enjoyed the food at Cholos in Halewia and enjoyed exploring the town. We used Oahu Revealed for our tour guide. It is a great book.
Karen L., Castle Rock, Colorado, 7.20.07
This was all we dreamed it would be. This was a wonderful vacation setting the home is gorgeous and it is set up with everything you'll need in a home away from home in paradise. The location was wonderful it was easy to get around with lots to do from this location. The town of Haleiwa was awesome the residents were gracious and friendly, the food was wonderful (Jameson's By the Sea and Haleiwa Joe's, the shaved ice and pizza), eating in was just as wonderful, breakfast and coffee on the Lanai, BBQ & drinks on the Lanai. And the beach, OH the beach! There was everything we needed (even beach towels) to enjoy the beach and we did and we did and Ok enough. You won't be disappointed if you choose Waialua Retreat for your Hawaii vacation.
Linda R., Green River, WY, 6.13.07
An awesome place. VERY roomy, open plan design. Beach is very private. Close to all the shops and stores in Haliewa town. Great deck!! A/C's, fans etc. Everything you need is included. My wife got a kick out of the little big things...like the automatic garbage can. Can't think of a bad thing to say about the place except that it will make you not want to leave.. Jim
James R., Crescent Valley, BC (Canada), 3.28.07
Our stay at Waialua Retreat was the best. The house had everything for your vacation enjoyment. If we would return to Hawaii, our group would stay at Waialua Retreat. A rental home is the way to go. No hotel for us ! ! Thank you all....Sept 17 thru Sept 27, 2006
Marilyn C., Warrington, PA, 9.28.06
Our second visit to this wonderful retreat and it was just as fabulous as the first time, if not better! All the comforts of home, everything you need for the beach--just perfect! Great food, fun, weather, we'll definitely be back. Mahalo!
Donna N., La Verne, CA, 8.3.06
WONDERFUL!!!! This home was perfect for a family vacation - - we had everything we needed. The master bedroom had the best views of all - - -one side was mountains and the other was ocean. What more could you ask for. Thank you so much.
Dian D., Corrales, New Mexico, 7.24.06
the house was perfect, the setting outstanding and the town was very quaint. a great relaxing vacation for the whole family
LISA E., Reno, Nevada, 6.19.06
Location was beautiful..doesn't get any better. Situated in a residential area and definitely felt like a local!
Melanie D., Vallejo, Ca, 4.26.06
If you are looking for a quiet and private retreat this is the place to go. The home has gorgeous views, is spacious, well kept and immaculate. The beautiful beach is only a few steps away from the house. The owners have thought of everything you could ever need to make your stay pleasant - a fully outfitted kitchen, all types of items for beach activities, an outdoor hot tub, and even a desk top computer for those who need to stay connected. We can't wait to return!
Adele N., Santa Clara, CA, 1.26.06
The view could not be more magnificent. The rooms had everything we could want or need. We loved the beach access, the balcony, and all the windows. The beds were very comfortable too. There is not a negative thing to say about the property - the neighborhood dogs, maybe, but not the house! Thanks, K Barber
K B., OKLAHOMA CITY, OK, 1.11.06
This is the only home you will ever want to rent! It comes with all the accommodations you could possibly dream of. Great beach access, beautiful ocean views, clean! 10+++
Sarah C., Litchfield Park, AZ, 12.22.05
This place made our work in Hawaii a vacation.
Micheal W., Portland, Oregon, 11.19.05
Pictures cannot possibly describe what greeted us upon our arrival to Waialua Retreat. The house was beautifully accommodating, the location to the beach (just steps!) made everyone happy, especially the kids. The serene, relaxing atmosphere was just what everyone needed. We will definitely be back next year and plan on a longer stay! Mahalo!!
Donna N., La Verne, CA, 8.3.05
Comments have already been recorded in the house guest book...the tranquility of the house and beach front was very soothing and comforting. It removed the anxiety generated by the honolulu traffic. Looking forward to our next outing...
Robert/terry L., Anchorage, Ala, 6.28.05
The pictures did not do justice on the beauty of this location. Very quiet and serene location. All of the amenities more than surpassed our demand. The jacuzzi was ready upon our arrival and having a Costco nearby made it very economical to feed our group of seven. The only downside is the portable air conditioner in one room. The condensation holder is small and with the humidity, it fills up quickly. Hawaiian Beach Rentals was "top notch" handling the reservation, arrival info, and having someone available by phone when we had a question. Don't bring boogie boards, snorkel stuff or other swim goodies, it's all there for your use. Anyone booking this location will not be disappointed. A beautiful sunset, a nice glass of wine, and a beautiful lanai to watch the sea turtles swim by is as good as it gets. Mahalo
Bill S., Upland, California, 6.17.05
Great place and great location for where we wanted to be. The barking dogs of the neighbors was a little bothersome but not too much. We thought the view, layout and the overall home was superb. We had a great time. Ed Andrews
Edward A., Petaluma, CA, 5.30.05
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